Flying the Edge of America:
Billings, Montana
We had been grounded by the weather. Our original plan
was to leave Yellowstone on Thursday, but we figured it wise to extend our
stay until Saturday when there was a predicted improvement. However, if you
were to be stuck somewhere I could not think of a better place than
Yellowstone.
Julia with a decretive buffalo in Yellowstone
Back in Oroville an old man came up to me while I was refueling
Matilda. He was a pilot and we started talking about my trip. When he heard
we were planning to go to Yellowstone he warned me of the dangers of this
airport. He explained to me his experience taking off there one hot summer's
day. He gave a detailed account of his airplane missing the trees at the end
of the runway by only inches. He explained that the airport is not only at
altitude, but it can also get very hot there in summer. Hot air is less
dense and air at altitude is also thin. Put these two things together and it
makes for very poor aircraft performance. He had made it out of Yellowstone
Airport to tell the tale, but the experience had never left him.
The intrepid explorer in Yellowstone
Our departure day was sunny and cloudless. It was perfect to
negotiate
the high mountains surrounding Yellowstone. We were sad to leave, but now we
had the weather to depart, we had to continue our adventure. We left in the
early morning to ensure we could use the colder morning air to our
advantage. The colder the air the denser it is. The denser the air the more
lift Matilda's wings can generate. I had filed flight plans, programmed the
GPS, and we were ready to attempt the risky takeoff. West Yellowstone
Airport is at almost 7,000 feet above sea level. Keep in mind that Matilda
gets sluggish in her climb above 8,000 feet, and given the story from the
old pilot I was very concerned. At liftoff you are close to the ground and
if you cannot climb, it can put you in a tricky situation. Julia had
prepared for the flight by taking one of her sedatives, and I could see she
was feeling no pain. I did not want to add to her anxiety, so I did not
share my concerns with her.
Julia enjoying the hospitality of Billings
I pushed Matilda's throttle full forward and held her on her brakes. When
she had full power I released her and let her tear down the long runway. At
80 knots of airspeed I gently pulled back on the control yoke and Matilda
bumped off the ground into the air. We cleared the trees at the end of the
runway with plenty of room. I was a little more relaxed. I switched off the
electric fuel pump, used to backup the mechanical one during takeoff, and
watched the fuel flow gauge show no change. I felt more relaxed. I removed
ten degrees of flaps, used to give Matilda more lift at lower speeds for
takeoff, and she continued to climb. I became even calmer. Finally, I
engaged the autopilot and we were soon flying off into the bright blue sky.
It seems I was worried about nothing as Matilda made a textbook takeoff with
no fuss or bother.
David enjoying Billings
Billings" downtown area was very quiet, although it seemed to be calling out
for a lively populace to arrive. There were sidewalks and two or three
restaurants to choose from. The crowds just had not got there yet. It felt
lonely in Billings and I started to worry about my future life; the empty
flat streets made me consider if I had made a mistake by quitting my job and
flying off with David. What if I became destitute and had to move to a place
like Billings to work as a faded waitress in a Best Western Motel. Later, my
mood lifted as we ate tapas in an incongruously trendy restaurant called
Walkers. It was good food and we were joyful not to be eating the usual
burger, fries and coleslaw dinner.
Continue the adventure, in my next excerpt from
Flying the Edge of America.