Wednesday, Race day #3 continued

Our flight out of Elko was smooth and the skies were clear.  Steering away from the Humboldt river, National Forest and the Ruby Mountains, our course to the NNE meant that we were soon over Utah with the Sawtooth National Forest to the North and the Great Salt Lake to the South.

But-  didn't even want to consider going down because the tall peaks were still to come.  Continuing on we passed through the SE corner of Idaho and into Wyoming.  Climb, climb, climb.  According to the Bad Elf GPS device that we carried to monitor our timing, we hit 12,700 feet.  Fresh snow coated the mountain tops and high (too low) clouds were all around.  Subsequent reports confirmed that we we did well to get out of Elko when we did.  Some other teams had trouble proceeding on course, had to divert or hold short.  

We made it over the mountains, crossing the Rockies in the Wyoming Range and through Bridgerton National Forest.  Flying over and through the tall peaks was tense.  The possibility of down drafts, hypoxia and diminishing visibility created a renewed level of concern amongst the team.  And then relief to come down into the valley that lies between the Wind River Range ahead and the ridges we had just passed.

The rest of the day proceeded with haste turnarounds and not much time for chillaxing.  The Air Race Classic publishes our proscribed sunrise and sunset times.  Teams may not depart before the ARC sunrise and must complete the day's final fly-by by sunset.  After stalling for >24 hours in Elko we knew that if we were going to complete the race by the terminus deadline, we needed to fly four legs on Wednesday and the remaining three on Thursday.  Between the arrival and departure timing flybys at the three turnaround stops on Wednesday we spent 44, 52, and 34 minutes on the ground in Pinedale, Scottsbluff and Norflolk, respectively!  All of these times included taxi to and fro, fueling the plane, paying for the fuel, thanking the stop teams eand taking care of personal needs for refreshments etc.  

Our departure fly-by at Norfolk was at 18:36.  Sunset in Iowa City was 20:43. This meant we had 2 hours and 7 minutes to complete the leg and fly-by procedure.  We made it with 42 seconds to spare and stumbled in to Iowa City just in the nick of time.  What a tremendous relief.  The team was exhausted, hungry and exhilarated.  Three more to go!!  Pizza delivery to the hotel at 10:30 PM?  Why not?  Yummy.  

Our 5:30 pick-up to return to the airport came too soon and also just in time.  Having arrived just before cut-off the previous night we were last on the RON (remain overnight) list and so anticipated being last to depart that morning.  ARC came and went while we watched the weather ahead.  Typical thunderstormy activity was concerning to all of the aviatrices.  Hooray for an ice-free plane!  

Wednesday June 18

Clear, cold skies with some scattered fog patches greeted us on Wednesday morning.  Fortunately Melanie with team 44 had arranged for some early am shuttles.  The temperature was around freezing at 05:30.  Several teams gathered in the lobby awaiting the transport van, anxious to get out of Elko.  

Upon arrival at the airport we found that all of the aircraft were covered in a layer of frost and ice that was more than an inch thick in places.  Gracious!  We had not anticipated the low temperatures and had not even considered that we should hangar the planes.  Wowser!  There we all were at 6AM, scraping ice, brushing off all of the surfaces, using spray bottles to apply hot water and commiserating about frozen planes and cold hands.  We rotated the plane once to take greater advantage of the rising sun rays, then back again to  favor more leading edge areas.  By 7:30 we had finally cleared all of the ice and frost from the plane.  Final weather checks and....  Let's go!  Pinedale was still intermittently reporting marginal VFR and IFR but we thought we had a chance to get through and we were nearing the now or never point for completing the race in time. Many thanks to team 49 for being gracious and realizing our near-oops prior to taxi for take-off.  In our frenzied efforts to respond to the aircraft ice we nearly proceeded with the pitot tube cover and tow bar in place for the parked plane.  Yikes- a good reminder for diligence with our checklists.

We were the second plane to depart that morning.  Fog had dissipated and the sun was rising.  

Race journey day two

On Tuesday we became very well acquainted with the FBO in Elko.  The weather foiled our intentions to continue flying that day.  We had intermittent periods of rain, low clouds and cool temperatures.  Most concerning was weather along the race route ahead.  No one left Elko that day.  Several teams took off Monday evening to complete a third leg before the end of day one, but for those of us who stayed the night on race day one, we ended up staying a second night in Elko as well.  All of the racers were super friendly, playing cards, sharing stories and enjoying meals together.  Throughout the day we reviewed forecasts and briefings hoping for a window of clearer skies to depart.  We were all a bit anxious and concerned, realizing that all of the time we remained in place meant that there was decreasing likelihood of completing the race course on time and with all of the proper timing procedures.

El Aero FBO was hospitable and fortunately had several rooms to host all 15 teams.  The front room had a fireplace and plenty of hot beverages.  Who would have thought this would be appealing in mid June?!  We read that in Elko county cattle outnumber humans 3:1 in the county.  Elko also celebrates the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering and an annual Basque festival.  We did not see cattle but we also did not see many people.  Current times in the region supposedly find much activity focused on the railroad as well as gold mining.

By 3:30 PM we were certain that we would be staying another night in Elko and secured a room in a hotel with other race teams.   Our dinner was in the restaurant at the hotel/casino next door to our hotel.  Caroline and Cara had hot chocolate.  

The temperature was dropping and the Airmets for icing, clouds and mountain obscuration were too threatening for our VFR race with high altitude passes over the next leg.  

 

We did it!

We arrived safely in Pennsylvania on Thursday, meeting all the deadlines and having an amazing adventure all the way.  The past couple of days have involved rest, seeing loved ones, debriefings, laundry and celebration.  This afternoon brings more reunions and preparation for the terminus banquet tonight.  

More details of our journey and photos to come.

Thank you all for your support.

Elko continued...

Yesterday's race start proceeded without anything too unexpected.  Excitement was in the air, we reviewed many checklistsand tried to calm the antsies.  Classic Racer #26 was positioned about half-way through the pack.  Marilyn, Teresa and the volunteer team on the ground signaled us to start the engines and we taxied to the run-up in groups of 3-5.  Took off on 19L, right turn out and on course to Dorris, CA.  

Quickly we entered the Travis AFB Alert area.  There was much discussion during our briefings about transitioning through here but as it turned out we passed through without much hoopla and did not see any 'heavies'.  

Our route took us up through the Sacramento Valley, over beautiful verdant fields.  We were too high to see what crops but I expect there were many orchards and vineyards.  Passed by Sacramento, Chico and eventually up near Redding.  Along this portion we had a light headwind and the air was fairly smooth.  

Then we climbed, up towards the cascade range, to 5000', 6000', and eventually up to 8k.  Spectacular views of Mt Shasta and the Shasta lake recreational area.  

Ahead of us was the first fly-by, over a 4300 foot runway, surrounded by very few buildings in the middle of I don't know what where.  Ok, it was a bit hard to find.  But- we continue to learn more all the time about flying and navigation.  We love fore-flight, the app we use on our iPads for navigation.  Linda Street-Ely was so very helpful and kind at the start with tips and aids for optimizing use of the program.  Foreflight is an official sponsor of the Air Race this year.  

Caroline did an outstanding job on the leg, and the team is confident she held the 200' AGL for the fly-by.  And - off to Klamath Falls for fuel.  We burned a lot on this leg with headwinds, climbing and the to and fro from Butte Valley fly-by and Klamath Falls.  Klamath Falls was congested and the fueling process took time. Tower cycled us in and out of the airspace; incoming traffic staying below 5500 and outgoing reaching 6000 by the time we were outside of class delta.  Now to find the fly-by again and cross the timing line to start the next leg.  We were in a pack of about five planes proceeding back after the pit stop.  

The next leg to Elko, Nevada took us up over several ridges and it started to get bumpy.  We hit 152knots!  Tailwinds in our favor YES! Towards the end of the leg the clouds lowered and we had scattered showers, causing a little bit of diversion here and there but not too much off course.  I t was a thrill to be up high, looking over the terrain.  Gold mining is a big deal in these parts.  Also saw some ranches, rigs and a lot of uninhabited land.   

Finding the town of Elko was not a big problem but spotting the runway turned out to be tricky again.  Good grief.  We landed with a decent crosswind and increasing cloud cover.  Over the following hour a couple more teams arrived and also some continued on to Wyoming.  We decided to stay, thinking the weather was iffy and the timing too tight.  We have ARC published arrival deadlines for each day.

El Aero, the FBO at Elko have been wonderful hosts.  The FBO is comfortable and friendly.  Last night the community hosted a barbecue at the airport.  So now here we sit and wait for the weather to improve.  15 teams are in Elko.  We all arose early for a possible sunrise take-off.  Goodness gracious we have not seen the sun and the temperature is 42.  Snow, icing, clouds, mountain obscuration, fog....

Elko

Quick check-in.

Arrived Elko, Nevada. We had quite a ride on the way here, but all is well. 

Race day eve

Team BFF has had a fun and busy few days in Concord, CA.  In just 10 hours we will be taking off for the first leg and the clock will start timing the race planes.  Here are some photos and notes about what we have been doing. 

On Thursday we got a ride back to the airport in Apple Valley and found our trusty plane waiting and ready.  And- no wind!  Pack up and pre-flight and away we went west and north-west, south of the Mohave desert, north of Palmdale, and over a low pass over the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada range. Looking down over the land is always a thrill. We passed more solar arrays and wind farms.  Mostly the hillsides appeared barren and dry. 

 Once over the pass we entered the San Joaquin valley in between the Sierras to the east and Santa Lucia and Diablo ranges to the west. Unlike the previous day's prediction we had mild headwinds and only a couple of bumps until we cleared the pass. As we continued north through the valley we stayed lower, around 3000' MSL.  Caroline piloted us into Visalia.  We read that this town of about 120,000 is a gateway to Sequoia National Park and scenic. Well, we fueled up and decided not to stick around. The airport did not have easy transportation available and, more importantly clouds were over the mountains, the temperature was rising and we were excited to get to Concord.

So off we went.  Another hour and a half into Buchanan field in Concord, CA.  Buchanan Field was  fighter pilot training airport for World War II and remains a busy place.  There is a tower here and we are in Class D airspace outside the San Francisco outer ring.

The excitement of arriving was terrific. About 15 other planes were already here and most others came by sundown on Thursday. Our hotel is adjacent to the airport ramp. Super convenient. Thursday afternoon was busy: racer credentials check-in, clean the under-belly, fix the numbers, aircraft inspection, get some food and check into the hotel.  

Once the aircraft is inspected we handed in the keys and access is not permitted until race start. Everything is looking good.  It is so much fun to see the other pilots, hear stories of travels to get to the start and join in the buzz about flying across the country. Amelia Earhart and her compadres started in California in 1929.  

We have had some email exchanges with Kara White and finally were able to meet her and her husband Adam White of Hemlock Films. Kara is part of Classic Racer #12 and along with Adam is producing a documentary called Beyond the Powder: the Legacy of the First women's cross country air race. 

Thursday evening we attended a casual hangar BBQ hosted by the local 99's chapter and fell asleep exhausted. Friday morning began early.  60 local Girl Scouts came out to meet the racers and learn about aviation. We have had beautiful warm and sunny weather.  That afternoon we took care of some chores and pored over charts and weather programs for route planning.  

Yesterday and today the mornings were filled with procedural and safety briefings.  Today's briefings included a visiti from sergeants at Travis AFB. Soon after departure we fly just close to their airspace and in the path of their usual route for the 'heavies'. All of the facilities have been informed we are coming but still we will have all eyes alert for traffic.  

Yesterday afternoon we rode the BART in to San Francisco, making the most of a free afternoon along with our friends Minetta and Sue, Classic Racer #34, we took a ferry ride from The embarcadero ferry terminal to Sausalito and back. It was beautiful being out on the bay, seeing the many sailboats, Golden Gate Bridge and feeling the sea breeze. 

Last night start banquet featured a presentation from Jerry Anne Jurenka.  Jerry was a participant in the 1999 expedition of TIGHAR (the international group for historic aircraft recovery). She shared a fascinating story of the work done searching for evidence in the South Pacific. 

Now we must rest before tomorrow's big day. We will be carrying a Bad Elf for timing and a Spot for tracking.  You can follow us, Classic Racer #26, on www.trackleaders.com. This evening we tested the units and all appear to be functioning yet we are unsure if our Spot unit is synced to our team profile correctly.  More to come tomorrow. 

Happy trails!