Tri-Cities, Washington

It's good to be here. Everyone has been so friendly, we have had beautiful weather, we had great flying yesterday, it is super fun to see fellow racers, and now there is time to recup and prepare for the race. 

After Thursday's wind and scattered storms we were thrilled to find calm winds and clear skies for our departure from Logan. With our pilot a-ready, team BFF set out to further our confidence with the fly-by departure plan out of Logan and onto Rawlins. We strategize and discuss options, keeping safety and success as priorities. 

Confident in our plan we turned on course to Pasco, leaving the Logan valley behind, views toward Salt Lake and the desert to the South and on towards Idaho, Oregon and Washington. 

Next up we scoped out the fly-by at the private strip near Mountain Home, Idaho.  Really really glad we did that.  P&R field is a private strip in the middle of ranching lands just outside of a restricted area, in a different location than marked on the sectionals and less than 20 miles from the Boise class C airspace!  The team works like a team, each teammate helping out, keeping us up, in line and having a wonderful time. 

Mountain Home is small with a wee little building and a wee little dog named Jack.  The airport manager had some great tips about keeping up with the wax to lessen the drag on our leading edges. Refueled and ready to move on, we bade U76 farewell until next week.  Up and over Boise we went and stayed over 7500' until just about into Washington.  This trip offered some magnificent scenery with views of the Pioneer mountains and Sawtooth Range, the Snake River, Twin Falls Idaho and the Wallowa mountains in Northeastern Oregon.  There were a few little bumps but overall smooth flying and with the exception of the Boise area the waves were quiet. 

Descending into the Tri-Cities, we overfly windmills and see the Columbia river ahead.  The landscape is quite different, with rolling hills of brown and irrigated green. This area is known for vineyards, orchards and nuclear energy. Are those commodities always in combination?  

Ok, it's been a while that we've been in the air, in new territory and arriving at a new airport. Lydia is in the left seat and Caroline in the right seat.  Towered airport.  Caroline offers to do the radio. Passed from approach to tower. Left base for 21Right. But Lydia starts to turn to 21Left. The tower verifies- are you sure?  Yikes. We did a 360, tower was gracious and patient, we were still cleared to land and at last we see 21R, a shorter runway squeezed in next to 21L. Ahhhhh  it's good to be here. 

Friday afternoon required credential and airplane checks, airplane inspection and rental car retrieval. Huge thanks to Bill Baldwin and Larry, N15695's mechanic, for helping us straighten out the AD requirements. 

By the end of Friday the Baldwin Family Flyers were completely exhausted.  Good news with The Ankle.  The swelling is much reduced. 

Saturday AM found us more rested and ready to check out the area. We toured Kennewick and then decided to head North to see the countryside.  Rolling hills of wheat and vineyards. Also happened upon the Lower Monumental dam. 

Cheers for now. 

Cara, Lydia and Caroline.