Pietenpol-List: Back in Wichita
Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:50 pm
Original Posted By: Rcaprd(at)aol.com
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Back in Wichita On Tuesday evening 8/10, I landed at Otten Memorial airport, town of Versailles, Mo., and a guy cleaning up his Cessna 190 after Oshkosh, helped mere-fuel. I asked him if it would be all right to pitch my tent there, but thenoffered me a ride to the motel. Suddenly, a hot shower, clean bed, and a lookat the Weather Channel became worth fifty bucks, and I loaded up my bags in his back seat. After getting a full belly, scrub, and relaxing on the bed, I looked at the charts without my glasses on, and I saw what looked like blue scrambled eggs, just to the south of my proposed course. I put my glasses on,and discovered it was The Lake of the Ozarks !! Ah ha !! New flight plan !! I highlighted every tower, and power line on the chart, flight planning a low and slow flight south, then west, through the Lake of the Ozarks. The sky wasovercast at 5000', but it proved to be an incredible visual experience over themany many fingers of that lake all over. So many docks, boats, and quite a few big motels right on the tips of the peninsulas. I could tell this was a weekday, because there just wasn't enough people around to accommodate the vastquantity of docks, and boats at anchor. There is also a sea port, but I couldn't spot any planes at anchor. I really didn't get down as low as I plannedon...no place to land just gives me the Hiebie Jiebie's !! Then continued westover the Truman Dam and Reservoir, and there just wasn't hardly any docks or anything down there. Continued west to Eureka for fuel, and to put the last bottle of baby oil in. That was my longest leg - 3.3 hours. Just to let the locals know I was back, I did a smoke run at Benton, and Gliderport, before continuing south to Cook. About 2 miles out, on approach to cross midfield at Cook, I noticed the whole parking lot was full of cars...Jumpers !! I looked over midfield and saw 3 of them under canopy !! Ipeeled of to the right, to approach downwind from the north. I landed at Cook Airfield, at 6:55...in the evening, that is. I kicked 'er around in front of myhanger, and shut down. I sat there a few moments to collect my thoughts, and thank the good Lord for a safe journey, and felt a little melancholy, realizing the journey has come to a conclusion.Chuck GantzerNX770CGp.s. I have lots of flying stories to tell !!________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: Pietenpol-List: Back in Wichita On Tuesday evening 8/10, I landed at Otten Memorial airport, town of Versailles, Mo., and a guy cleaning up his Cessna 190 after Oshkosh, helped mere-fuel. I asked him if it would be all right to pitch my tent there, but thenoffered me a ride to the motel. Suddenly, a hot shower, clean bed, and a lookat the Weather Channel became worth fifty bucks, and I loaded up my bags in his back seat. After getting a full belly, scrub, and relaxing on the bed, I looked at the charts without my glasses on, and I saw what looked like blue scrambled eggs, just to the south of my proposed course. I put my glasses on,and discovered it was The Lake of the Ozarks !! Ah ha !! New flight plan !! I highlighted every tower, and power line on the chart, flight planning a low and slow flight south, then west, through the Lake of the Ozarks. The sky wasovercast at 5000', but it proved to be an incredible visual experience over themany many fingers of that lake all over. So many docks, boats, and quite a few big motels right on the tips of the peninsulas. I could tell this was a weekday, because there just wasn't enough people around to accommodate the vastquantity of docks, and boats at anchor. There is also a sea port, but I couldn't spot any planes at anchor. I really didn't get down as low as I plannedon...no place to land just gives me the Hiebie Jiebie's !! Then continued westover the Truman Dam and Reservoir, and there just wasn't hardly any docks or anything down there. Continued west to Eureka for fuel, and to put the last bottle of baby oil in. That was my longest leg - 3.3 hours. Just to let the locals know I was back, I did a smoke run at Benton, and Gliderport, before continuing south to Cook. About 2 miles out, on approach to cross midfield at Cook, I noticed the whole parking lot was full of cars...Jumpers !! I looked over midfield and saw 3 of them under canopy !! Ipeeled of to the right, to approach downwind from the north. I landed at Cook Airfield, at 6:55...in the evening, that is. I kicked 'er around in front of myhanger, and shut down. I sat there a few moments to collect my thoughts, and thank the good Lord for a safe journey, and felt a little melancholy, realizing the journey has come to a conclusion.Chuck GantzerNX770CGp.s. I have lots of flying stories to tell !!________________________________________________________________________________