Belen, New Mexico ~ Apache Junction, Arizona

Route:  E80 ~ KDMN ~ KFFZ  367 nautical miles

Pretty much the wide open spaces leaving Belen, New Mexico.  Our intention was to land at Deming then route around the South of the MOA's and mountains then come North up to Falcon Field in Phoeniz, Arizona.  We changed our plans at Deming!

Katie is the best Co-Pilot; always ready with a slice of apple or a Milky Way Bar for the Pilot!  When she is not helping she reads or sleeps, turbulent WX does not bother her in the least!  She is the greatest!

Deming Airport

 Deming was great, the FBO was most helpful with fuel and the owner is a pilot who flew to Falcon Field every week and gave good advice on a route that saved us considerable time!

(KSAD) Safford Field on way to Phoenix

Almost to Phoeniz, AZ

Between Deming and Phoenix

Left Belen this morning a little after seven, super support from the Belen Airport Staff, and the use of the Airport car!   Climbed out for 6500', but soon clawed our way up to 8500' where it was cooler and much calmer.   Although the early morning coolness had more to do with the cooler day than the altitude. Changed our planned route of flight at Deming, when a knowledgable pilot suggested the alternate route of just going straight to Falcon Field.  Which we did, a good thing as the gusty wind conditions at our planned stop would have been impossible to negotiate.  Dropped down over the Superstition Mountains, and was guided in by ATC to landing on four right base traffic at Falcon Field (KFFZ). We were picked up by our friends and hosts Al and George Sharpe; had a great lunch at the airport cafe, then off to their house to relax with drinks.

Large open pit mine in the Superstition Mountains

Superstition Mountains

Descending down through the Superstition Mountains

Thank God for GPS, I wouldn't be able to find the right airport in all this!

Fueling at KFFZ

Front Gate to Al & Georgia's Housing Community

Bartlesville, Oklahoma ~ Belen, New Mexico

Route:  KBVO ~ JWG ~ OJA ~ TCC ~ E80  557 nautical miles

Downwind for left traffic for Stafford Airport (OJA).

Thomas P. Stafford Museum at Stafford Airport, Oklahoma.

Taking off from Batlesville, Oklahoma we fly to the Watonga Regional Airport where we use the courtesy Bronco to go to lunch while the FBO personnel work on the fuel pump which will not pump or accept my credit card?  Finishing lunch the self-sevrve pump will not work, much to their consternation! (A potential 20 gallon fuel sale down the drain!)  And we fly to another airport just a short hop away at the Thomas P. Stafford (OJA) and get fuel there.  Apparently Stafford, a Lt. General was also a Astronaut and there is a small museum in the building, which some of we get to see - the rest is still locked up, not opening until later that day.

The Museum was closed, but some was available.

General Staffords Space Shorts!

Future sites for wind machines.

Oil wells dot the country side here.

Tucumcari Airport, New Mexico

The attendant at Tucumcari was great!  Fueled our plane, help push it into a nearby hanger out of the sun (it was really hot!) and gave us a curtesy car to go into town and have lunch!  A quick lunch at the local McDonalds intetween stopping tourist bus loads of people and we are back on the freeway to the Tucumcari Airport, retrieve out plane from the shade of the hanger and we are off for Belen, New Mexico.

I wondered if they were at the same altitude?

Or, maybe, just waving at each other?

Just another view up

Airport is on the plateau above Belen, New Mexico just below the Mountain in the picture

Left Bartlesville, Oklahoma and ended the day in Belen, New Mexico.  I did learn one thing, if you arrive after 4 pm at the airport - Don't expect anyone to still be there!  Fortunately at Belen, New Mexico "Tony" was there and helped arrange a ride in the courtesy car into town. 

Where we ate dinner, walking distance from the Holiday Inn Express

   Just before our arrival, four swifts arrived from a convention and took the courtesy car to the same motel that we had reservations at.  They graciously came back out and picked us up.  We all left about the same time the next morning.

Nashville, Tennessee ~ Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Route: JWN ~ M70 ~ ARG ~ EOS ~ BVO  455 nautical miles

Barges being pushed around the bend.

I had to blow this shot up to find out why I took it in the first place, a Crop Duster down low working!  We landed and discovered that the eighty-six year old airport manager had decided to retire and his replacement, a young kid (in his seventies!) had not yet arrived - so no fuel here!  So we couldn't get any fuel, so back to the drawing board and we flew on to Walnut Ridge just eight nautical miles away!

On Final for Pocahontas Airport

Leaving Walnut Ridge Airport

Downtown Bartlesville, Oklahoma - Home of Phillips Petroleum before Conoco.

Long day today, late start and delays with fuel and moving on to other airports added to our day. That and the windy gusts at our intended destination rising to the low thirties we landed at Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Great FBO, gave us a courtesy car to get to town where we finally were able to rest!

Bartlesville Airport, Oklahoma

Washington, North Carolina ~ Nashville, Tennessee

Route: OCW ~ SIF ~ MWK ~ MKJ ~ I39 ~ JWN

I've tried to re-edit this page to add a few photos and I have to admit this blog site is the worst experience I have ever had trying to organize photo's and text!  I will never use this site again!  Anyway the caption for the above should have been "Turning left downwind for three-one Shilo".

On final for SIF in North Carolina

Shiloh Airport Rockingham County, North Carolina (SIF)

We left Warren Field in Washington North Carolina early and our first stop was Shiloh Airport, just 140 nautical miles away.  It took us 1.8 hours to get there and what a nice airport it was.  Katie split up an orange for our snack while we rested up and checked out the amenities!  

Katie is such a Great Companion when we fly!

Shilo Airport Lounge - what a Great little Airport!

We left Shilo and our next stop would have been Mountain Empire (MKJ) in Virginia, but the widget on my I-Phone was showing high winds so our flight was only thirty minutes and we landed at Mount Airy (MWK) to sync in with our I-Pad to get the latest scoop on the WX!  It turned out that the wind report on my phone was really old and Mountain Empire was fine.  If I had known that Mount Airy was the model for Mayberry we might have stayed longer, but off we went for Mountain Empire!  This airport had some of the best service of the whole trip!  On the way out I had not secured one of the fuel caps properly and when we landed at Mountain Empire the Airport Manager informed me of the fact that the right tank had no cap!  He shortly arranged a "Loaner" fuel cap and we were on our way!  So on the way back we stopped to thank him and continue on to Madison in Kentucky (the temporary new home of the errant fuel cap!) We later mailed back the loaner cap and sent along two t-shirts from the Airway Cafe in Porterville "Where you can always land a good meal!"  Another Citabria landed at Mountain Empire and the pilot took this picture of Katie and me in front of N30WH.

At Mountain Empire Airport in Virginia.  (KMKJ)

John Tune Airport, Nashville, TN

One long day today with diversions, changes in airports, and dodging WX. Left Washington, NC after turning in the car, and kept to 4500', mostly. Made a major diversion and a stop based on what was showing on NEXRAD and other sources. A short stop at Mt Airy sorted it all out and with a modified plan we took off once again. Dropped Bowling Green and headed to Nashville, TN (KJWN) to have dinner with Art Pforr and his wife Martha, and his daughter Jennie & son-in-law Brett. Always great to meet up with old friends. Katie scored when I took her downtown to get her Hard Rock T-Shirt, and she saw fireworks!