Warm up run

Well it has been 18 months since I crossed the continent for the first time in a small plane. The first time I went by myself. I had just finished the mandated test period after construction and I felt that if I got into a mess I didn't want to make anyone else suffer. That suffering imposed on a passenger came later when Heather's brother wanted a lift to Florida... You can read all about that in a previous post.
Quite some time ago I told my dad that we'd make a trip to Reno for the airraces and last year just didn't happen because of work. This year I was able to get the time off from work. I decided that my life wasn't going to get any less complicated anytime soon and it was now or never.
The first trip out west was a sort take no prisoners approach flying as far as possible when the weather permits. this time I figured I'd break things up a bit. Here are the planned stops:
1. Dayton, OH Wright-Patterson Museum.
2. Yellowstone. You've got to cross the Rockies somewhere right?
3. McMinnville, OR. Sprucegoose.
4. Aurora, OR. Vans Aircraft.
5. Copalis, WA. Only charted airport in North America that is the beach.(SAND)
6. Shelter Cove, CA. Sea side airport, nice coastal ride from Copalis.
7. Reno, NV. One of the few places that still does Air Races.
8. Denver, CO to See a good friends/partners in crime.
9. HOME.

Weather permitting...

We got off to a rough start. Its Friday. I left work a bit early to get a early start. I meet dad at the airport. Plane is really packed. I get all the security and weather related plans filed and taxi out... then I realize that the database I've got in my GPS is only for the eastern US. Not a big deal to fix but the programmer is back out my house. It is 5 PM and now I've lost 1.5 hrs runing home and back to the airport in DC traffic. I call the airport in Dayton and let them know not to wait up for me since I'm now going to land around 3o minutes after they close... The guy cheerfully volunteers to stay late so I can get my rental car. I actually get a call from him when I'm just getting ready to land! We get the rental and we're on our way... at least for the first leg.

I'll get some pictures up shortly.