Ottertail Country

Ottertail Country
Ottertail South

February 3, 2008

Winter flying.

Recycled photos. I need someone to come along and get some new pics....


Greetings, I just got back from Phillips after an afternoon of flying!! I started from Phillips and flew really low over some of the frozen lakes in the area. It's really great flying along about 6' off the ice, around the islands, over the ice fisherman, etc. Then I headed south to have a look at Cranberry lake. By then I was up to 3500'. I then thought I would just take a cruise to the South. I got the throttle set just right and the trim tab set for gradual climb. The air was flat and the plane was requiring minimal control inputs from me, and by the time I went over Ogema I was at 5100'. I kept on the same course and by the time I was a mile north of Westboro, I was at 6000' I decided to turn west, climbed to 6500', the correct level for 180° to 360° directions. I switched the GPS to steer me to Ladysmith and I just sat back and enjoyed the flight. It was a 32 mile trip and the scenery was great. About 12 miles from the airport I pulled the throttle back a little, eased the trim lever forward a little and began the descent necessary to get to 2000', the traffic pattern altitude at Rusk County airport. After 10 miles I was at the proper level, made a couple of turns out over the frozen Flambeau river and touched down on Runway 14. I stopped and got out and stretched my legs and then headed up into the sky again. The river looked tempting and it's course would take me generally toward Phillips, so I followed the river, flying about 10' of the ice. I followed the river about 15 miles and as it started to get too narrow for me, I climbed out of the river valley and was 19 miles due west of Phillips. I found Soo Lake on the way back, so I flew down and flew around the lake for a while. I also buzzed some of the lake chain on the west side of Phillips, hopped up to Solberg floweage for a lake level inspection. On the way back I also inspected Deer lake, before returning to the airport and eight practice landings.
Turns out to be three hours and fifteen minutes of flying. I need to do this more often, and this is the time of year for smooth air.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

funderful! happy sunday. je suis etudiante de francais!!!

Nyrb

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a great trip. I get nervous just reading about your adventure. I know you are good at this but it scares me a little. Congrats Gene on taking on this flying and getting it done right.

Lucy

yram said...

nice narrative and great adventure. the river part sounds like i should have been with. wasn't it freezing up there? how do you stay warm?

Carlo said...

The temperature was around 30 all afternoon, so being dressed warmly I managed to stay "warm enough".

yram said...

So...when you are up at 5000 feet...what is the temperature difference? What a great adventure! I need one...an adventure I mean!

Carlo said...

Well I don't know for sure, but I would guess it was not too much colder. In summer, the temp can very alot depending on weather system.

Standard lapse rate is:
3.6° per 1000' altitude.

From 1500' at KPBH up to 10000' would be 30.6°. So on a nice 70° day, it would be 39.4°.....

I remember freezing the first time I went to 10,000', T-shirt, no doors on plane.... It was about 80° on the ground, I was shivering.

yram said...

must get john over there to take pics. he is fearless and a good fotografer. we should plan that.