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It was the office trailer for the pipeline and
a office couch. I was the only one there in the trailer, I slept as best
I could on a office couch and thinking of the plane. It was more like rest.
The Indian worked the night shift at the pumping station that was
next to it. It was like a big refinery. They pump natural gas, I
think from Texas to LA. Know you ask how did all this
happen? I was flying from Las Vegas to Albquerque, NM.
I stoppped at Gallop, NM for fuel. When I checked weather there was a snow
storm to the northwest of Gallup about 50 mi away. I was well ahead of
it when I took off. There was a overcast but excellent visibility.
As I was going east the visibility started to go down (now we're talking
70 mi vis. to 40 mi vis.) I flew over Grants airport going east knowing
I have the pipeline strip ahead of me and Albquerque is only 120 mi ahead
or I could go back to Grants. When I flew over the pipeline strip the visibility.
was down to like 30 mi. and the overcast was starting to come down, I'm
flying down the highway like in a valley. When I got about
30 mi east of the pipeline strip it started snowing, It was light
snow but the visibility was down to only 10 -15 mi. ( know that sounds
like alot to all us flat landers, but when your in the mountains following
a highway and you know right were you are it still looks and feels like
bad IFR!!! I was only about 40 mi from Alameda airport in Albquerque
but I didn't like the snow and I didn't want to waste any more fuel so
I turned around to go back to Grants about 50 mi back. I flew back over
the pipeline strip and when I got about 20 mi west of the pipeline strip
the snow storm that was 50 mi Northwest of Gallup had covered Grants
and caught up to me. "SO" I turned around and flew east the 20 mi to the
pipeline strip and landed. I knew there was nothing there but that
refinery looking thing but I didn't care at that time. I thought
if no one was there at all, I would stay in the plane and keep starting
it till morning to keep it warm, than if it was clear in the morning, try
to take off. But that good idea would not have worked!!! It
got to cold!!! The plane has no heat on the ground. That is
why I keep going back to the trailer, more to keep warm than to sleep.
The Alon did take off well on the 3'' of snow off the mountain strip, like
I said before the airstrip was 5000' paved at 5900' elevation with 3''
of snow on it and I got off in about 4000'. The REST is aviation
history!!! gene
Spike Kavalench wrote: Gene, that was a cool story; must have been quite an experience. How'd your Indian friend like being woke up every hour and a half? I'm sure everyone else enjoyed reading that story as much as I did. One problem though, I would have liked to hear more. Anytime you feel like writing, feel free.SpikeWinnipeg CanadaCF-JGW |
