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RV-8 and the Mt. Olumpus Turn

ArlingtonRV

Well Known Member
RV-8 and the Mt. Olympus Turn

Saturday 8/3/19 was much clearer than the past several weekends. While we went back to Forks again, the trip was different this time. There were very few clouds over the Olympics and everything was visible. There also was almost no wind at altitude and relatively light winds on the ground. The air was mostly smooth, with only a few bumps below the small clouds that marked the top of the thermal activity.

On the trip out I headed inland at Port Angeles and passed through the canyons around Lake Crescent. There were almost no bumps over the lake, even as I dropped below the tops of the hills. Once I got west of the lake over the land the bumps picked up, but remained pretty gentle.

It was a really busy day in the northwestern most corner of the continental US. As we approached Forks there was an airplane there already and as we approached there was another (besides us) approaching all at the same time, which is a lot for a place that is not even in the middle of nowhere, it is on the outskirts. You have to drive at least an hour to get to nowhere.

I managed to land and get out of the airplane in time to video Carl?s landing, it seemed only right as he?s recorded mine a number of times.

As we came out of the restaurant I saw a black SUV with Texas plates. I wondered why in the world anyone would drive from Texas to Forks Washington. Apparently, due to the Twilight movies, that I know nothing about, Forks has become a pretty big tourist attraction since those stories supposedly took place in Forks, though the filming was done in Oregon.

As we came back from lunch there was yet another airplane on the ramp. As I looked from the ramp to the Logging Museum across the street I saw a van that said ?Twilight Tours? on the side. I never knew about any of this.

Just after we took off from Forks I heard someone taking off from Quillayute. Shortly after there was an amphib that took off from Quillayute as well. Also at the same time there was someone going into Sekiu.

On the way home I took a turn around Mt. Olympus and Hurricane Ridge. The clouds that did form were very inconsiderate and insisted on being at the very altitude I wanted to be at. I managed to make a few passes at 7,500? dodging the occasional cloud.

After that I headed directly for home. Before we left that morning Carl commented on how few airplanes there were around at Arlington. I told him that he just jinxed it. That came to pass when I got back. There were several airplanes approaching all at the same time. I had to slow down early and do a number of turns, a couple of 360s and one S turn (a 180 to the right followed by a 180 to left) in order to sequence myself into the conga line.

At least from all that I managed to pull off a good crosswind landing.

Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYnMtMXaUgM
 
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