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Orcas Island, Washington to Tennessee

Capt Sandy

Well Known Member
Hello VAF’ers,
June 4, 2021
Depart KORS at 9:25am, 5 minutes ahead of schedule. WINDY at Orcas Eastsound airport with low pressure system moving in from NW. Our destination is Tennessee (hopefully by Monday), so we wanted to head mostly east, but thunder storms in the vicinity of Missoula, so we decided to fly SE instead.
Stopped in Mountain Home, ID - U76.
The FBO is being remodeled and will feature a pilot lounge and showers for campers. Nice grassy area for camping, but we did not bring our gear. HUGE towering cumulonimbus formations to the east, so we decided to stay here for the night.
Northern Cascades Wilderness
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Mount Rainer
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The Columbia River
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Mountain Home Airport and Arriving in Mountain Home - Thank you Courtesy Car!
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More tomorrow....
 
Do you have any more pictures of the Mountain Home airport? I used to fly out of there when I was stationed there, way back in the early '90s.
 
Trek to Tennessee Day 2

June 5
Up at 5am to make tracks over the mountains before thunderstorms build. Couldn’t make the card reader work at Mountain Home Muni (gnash teeth) so hopped over to Gooding (KGNG) for fuel. Gooding has a worn but cozy FBO with a place to roll out sleeping bags, a microwave and (luxury) showers. Foreflight reports there’s a fee for using the courtesy car.
Day old biscuits and hard boiled eggs for our in-flight service.

The original Airmail beacon at Gooding Airport. Idaho Aviation Heritage restored the beacon in 2019. The Gooding airmail beacon, marked as “20” because it was 200 miles from Salt Lake City on the way to Pacso, Washington, stood on a steel tower 50 feet high. The concrete arrow directed the pilot to the next beacon.
Oh the joy of GPS!!
Highlights from the day:
Fuel stop:
Pine Bluff, Wyoming 82V
Lunch and Fuel:
Grant, Nebraska, GGF
Wonderful Lunch at Bluestem Cafe. Comfortable FBO but fuel pump did not work.
Stop for the night:
Atchison, KS K59
Birthplace of Amelia Earhart! More on this tomorrow.
Pete’s Steakhouse for dinner.

Sunrise:
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The FBO at Gooding, ID:
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Nice Picnic area near the FBO:
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The original Airmail Beacon:
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Over the low part of the Rockies:
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Why people may think the earth is flat:
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Main Street, Grant, Nebraska:
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Lunch at the Bluestem Cafe:
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Steve, Here are some photos of Mountain Home. The FBO is being remodeled and I think will be quite nice when done.
Very nice plane camping area behind 174RT
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General photos of the airport:
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Thanks a lot. Looks a lot different than when I was there. May have to make a trip to check it out.

Thanks again.
 
Atchison, Kansas to Greeneville, TN

June 6
“We can be at Amelia Earhart Airport.” Roy’d said the day before during our lunch stop flight planning session.
I set my fork down. “Amelia Earhart Airport? She has her own airport?”
Roy nodded without looking up from the iPad. “Yes. Atchison, Kansas.”
Of course, I thought. That’s her birthplace.
Somewhere in my teen years I visited the prison on Saipan where one theory places Amelia on her fated flight across the Pacific. That visit sparked my interest in Amelia - a woman whose determination and tenaciousness are rare, and not only in aviation, but is so many endeavors.
I found it thrilling to visit her name-sake Airport. Roy and I will definitely visit after the museum opens next year.
High ceilings turned to 1500 overcast in the time it took to Roy to fuel the plane, and I might have lingered a bit too long in the luxurious FBO, capturing images of the art and the Electra.

In the air before 8am. Roy picked up an IFR flight plan and we popped out over the clouds at 4K feet.

Amelia Earhart K59 direct 2R2, but due to weather routed to Capital Airport, Frankfurt, Kentucky KFFT.
BBQ for lunch
Direct KGCY
Hope you enjoyed the journey with us.

Artists rendition of Amelia. Her scarf and tiger are made of paper charts:
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The luxurious FBO at Amelia Earhart
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Muriel, the last Electra E10 (Simply takes my breath away) The plane is named after Amelia’s sister:
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The Mighty Mississippi
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We have arrived!!
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Hi Sunshine,

I was in Greeeneville for a couple of days right after Sun & Fun. Beautiful town and even more beautiful country. Folks so friendly you can't believe. Makes me want to live there. Would very much enjoy your PIREP of the place.

Fly safe!

Mitch
 
that a good long trip. letting the ponies run! I am from Kansas so I really liked the Amelia stop.
 
Thanks

Great write up and pics. Makes me look forward to doing some exploring in my -9A. Thanks for taking the time to post.
 
Hello Mitch, I’d be happy to provide a PIREP. It POURED rain here today. Have not seen rain like that since I was a teen on Guam! Wow. I’ll try to capture a few images as well.
Sunshine
 
Steve, have you been to Pete’s Steak House in Atchison? What a fun place to have dinner. Was probably elegant in the 60’s. A bit stuck in time. Super friendly staff. Seems there’s much to do in Atchison. Maybe the new FBO would sponsor an RV Fly-In?
Sunshine
 
Snoho3,
Our RV’s are fantastic Magic Carpets. Absolutely. Get out and see our Great Country - and maybe even beyond!
Sunshine
 
Who woulda thought from the 1000’s of miles away we live we crossed paths within a day! We stopped for fuel at Pine Pluff, WY the day before you guys. But as you know RV pilots are attracted to cheap fuel like a kid to candy!
 
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