Page 33 - Volume 15 Number 12

was to head inland towards Prince Rupert, BC and then on to Calgary and across the plains. The weather along the coast was marginal VFR with warm temps aloft and little threat of icing.We proceeded with the original plan and decided to skip over Canada and avoid the hassle of EAPIS and US Customs. From Sitka to Bellingham WA was an easy hop and we landed back in the Lower 48, fat on gas, just ahead of a Pacific low pressure system that was threatening to shut down the Northwest for a few days. We fueled up, and “skedaddled” for Bozeman MT, for our final night on the road.The next day involved an easy two hops, with a gas stop in Pierre SD. for a 2 pm arrival back at home.The story has been about the places we surveyed and the sights we saw from the perspective of our airplane, rather than the flying, simply because the flying was never an issue. We planned for two weather days and had none. The services were always available, the flying was certainly no more difficult, and in many ways, easier, than flying in the mountains of the West in the Lower 48.The trip took 12 days and covered a flight plan distance, without deviations, of 4,968 nm. We flew just over 29 hours, burned 757 gallons and the total fuel bill was $4,800. Don’t reach for a calculator; that’s 26 gallons per hour for the trip. The trip average, against flight plan distances, was 171 knots ground speed.Most pilots would launch on a mission like this in a heartbeat, but the challenge is convincing a spouse. We arrived home on a Tuesday and went to a party on Friday at Toni and Tom’s house. Before the night was over, the women were planning our trip for 2012. Look out Maine, Prince Edward Island and Nova•Scotia; it looks like there’s a Baron headed your way next summer! T&TDECEMBER 2011TWIN & TURBINE • 31F DowtyF HArtzellF MCCAuleyF Mt propellerF SenSeniCHF rApCo DiStributorF wooDwArD pt6Ahttp://www.rockyprop.com e-mail: rockyprop@rockyprop.comF lArge inventory F SAMe DAy SHipping F unCoMproMiSeD QuAlity F CoMpetitive priCeS F worlD ClASS wArrAnty F FACtory trAineD teCHniCiAnS2865 Airport Drive F erie, Co 80516FAx: 303-665-7164 F faa/EaSa crS fr6r545n