Southwest adventure flight

[NH87]

Here they are... the photos from my long-awaited flight over the southwest. Enjoy!

Day 1: Leave Palm Springs around 10.00am and fly towards Las Vegas, overflying the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, Zion NP and arrive at Bryce Canyon NP at around 2.00pm. Arrive just in time as summer afternoon thunderstorms start to develop around the area. Spend the rest of the day exploring Bryce Canyon and the night at Bryce View Lodge.

Day 2: Wake up early at 6.00am to watch a magnificent Bryce Canyon sunrise from Sunrise Point. Take-off from Bryce Canyon airport at 9.00am and fly eastbound over the Grand Staircase Escalante NP, Capitol Reef NP, Canyonlands NP, Monument Valley and finally back over Lake Powell and south over the Grand Canyon. Again, we arrive just as a few isolated thunderstorms begin to form over the canyon where we are offered some spectacular views of the landscape both from the air and from the South Rim. After a nice lunch at the El Tovar, we relax and admire the view.. then spend a comfortable night at the Maswik Lodge on the South Rim.

Day 3: Another early start, we wake up at 7.00am and take-off from the Grand Canyon airport soon after. Our flight home takes us alongside the canyon all the way to Kingman, and finally over the barren Mohave desert all the way to Joshua Tree NP before arriving back at Palm Springs in time for lunch.

http://community.webshots.com/user/nhippenmeyer

(Watch the slideshow.. there are quite a few photographs and are sequenced chronologically)

- Nicholas

[Robert Schaller]

You got some great shots -- lots of good color and also some "drama" in the clouds. Looks like at least part of the trip was cooler too, so I'll bet you appreciated that. The last time I went that way, most of my photos were "washed out" in the afternoon sun (I was really disappointed). Looks like you did a fair part of the trip at lower levels -- so I'm sure that made the trip a bit more fun as well. Did you land at Gouldings (Monument Valley)? They have a landing strip there and they cater to fly-ins. Bob

[NH87]

Thanks Bob.. I used "high definition" film for most of the photographs which is maybe why they don't look so washed out, and I was also able to take them through a small opening in the cockpit window.

Although it was hot when we took-off from Palm Springs, the temperature aloft was significantly cooler, around mid-70's. I was very surprised though at how hot it was at both Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon during the day, which is why I opted for an early departure on both days.

Most of the trip was at 8,500 - 9,500ft except for Monument valley where we descended to about 500ft AGL to capture those "low-level" shots, and for the traversing of the Grand Canyon where we had to climb to 10,500 because of the alitude restrictions.

Unfortunately we didn't land at Gouldings in Monument Valley because we wanted to arrive at the Grand Canyon as soon as possible to avoid those common afternoon thunderstorms. It would have been a lot more difficult, if not impossible to fly in the afternoon..

[PNW Judy]

Wow....great photos. The low-elevation ones in Monument Valley are especially breath-taking. Cool. Just very, very cool.

[Mark Sedenquist]

Here they are... the photos from my long-awaited flight over the southwest.

Nicholas,

My Kudos as well. Outstanding photos -- I would love to get permission to use some of them on the RTA site.

Mark

[NH87]

Thank you so much. I would be honored if you used my photographs on the RTA site! You're welcome to use as many as you want.

Judy, the flight through Monument valley was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. I was really amazed at how large some of those buttes were! I would also love to visit the same areas some day from the road, since flying and driving give two completely different perspectives.

Nicholas

[PNW Judy]

OK....let's make a deal. I'll take you there on the road, and you take me there in the air. No sense only one of us having both perspectives. LOL

(hmmmm...how many lottery tickets do I need to buy to put the odds in my favor to win enough for flying lessons and a plane?)

[NH87]

Hehe, I would be happy to do that trip again any day... maybe even extend it a few days longer.

Once you have a pilot's license, flying isn't as horrendously expensive as you might think. You can rent a plane anywhere from $65 an hour depending on where and what plane.. that's with fuel included. Since you can travel 3-4 times the distance in a given time with a small plane than you can in a car, in the end it pays off.

[PNW Judy]

Well, that's a way to justify it that I hadn't thought of. Hmmm...now to convince the newly graduated son not to go to college so mommy can learn to fly. LOL