Permit me a moment, please, to say...

WOW!

Flying is just SO cool!

I took another Mount St. Helens flight Saturday at noontime. It's a
favorite around here with the folks who want to ride in a plane; first
choice.

So the route of flight was relatively pedestrian, since I've done it a
few times already, weather was pretty good, a nice broken layer at
12,000, with scattered stuff at 10,000 and, I learned, an AIRMET for
moderate turbulence in the region "below 15,000 feet".

We didn't notice any turbulence, so on the north side of the mountain
I called in a PIREP to say so.

What we *did* get, right abeam the dome and crater of the mountain,
was my very first strong mountain updraft. We gained 1000 feet in
*very* short order, and it was astounding how good it felt to ride it.

Of course, upon rounding the mountain we also caught a *down*draft,
which made me glad I didn't try to control altitude during the
unintended climb, that 1000 feet was gone just as fast as it came.

I wonder, from anyone who knows the region: is that a characteristic
of the area? I recall we had a southwesterly flow that day, with winds
aloft from the south at 20 knots or so. Any way to predict that
region?

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Rob

--
[You] don't make your kids P.C.-proof by keeping them
ignorant, you do it by helping them learn how to
educate themselves.

-- Orson Scott Card

"Robert Perkins" wrote in message
...
|
| What we *did* get, right abeam the dome and crater of the mountain,
| was my very first strong mountain updraft. We gained 1000 feet in
| *very* short order, and it was astounding how good it felt to ride it.
|
| Of course, upon rounding the mountain we also caught a *down*draft,
| which made me glad I didn't try to control altitude during the
| unintended climb, that 1000 feet was gone just as fast as it came.
|
| I wonder, from anyone who knows the region: is that a characteristic
| of the area? I recall we had a southwesterly flow that day, with winds
| aloft from the south at 20 knots or so. Any way to predict that
| region?
|

If there is an updraft on one side of a mountain, there will usually be a
downdraft on the other side. Approaching the lee side of a mountain range
should be at an angle in order to allow you to turn away quickly to safety
if the downdraft is too strong. St. Helens sits pretty much by itself amid a
lot of lower mountains, so if you want to maintain altitude you should stay
further away from the mountain when you are on the lee side. I fly in kind
of a teardrop, with the point of the tear on the downwind side of the
mountain. That way I can turn away from the mountain to safety any time that
I encounter a strong downdraft.

See any herds of elk?

You did, of course, check out the Special Notices in the AIM about circling
the mountain, like no closer than three miles and 3000 ft agl? Not saying
that you couldn't experience up- and downdrafts at greater distances and/or
altitudes, but I think the suggested procedure is intended to minimize the
wind effects. But it is awesome. Didn't have a camera, but I will never
forget flying over the mountain a year or so before it blew, watching a
string of climbers trudging up to the summit. Just like Mt. Fuji, only
closer to home.

Bob Gardner



"Robert Perkins" wrote in message
...
WOW!

Flying is just SO cool!

I took another Mount St. Helens flight Saturday at noontime. It's a
favorite around here with the folks who want to ride in a plane; first
choice.

So the route of flight was relatively pedestrian, since I've done it a
few times already, weather was pretty good, a nice broken layer at
12,000, with scattered stuff at 10,000 and, I learned, an AIRMET for
moderate turbulence in the region "below 15,000 feet".

We didn't notice any turbulence, so on the north side of the mountain
I called in a PIREP to say so.

What we *did* get, right abeam the dome and crater of the mountain,
was my very first strong mountain updraft. We gained 1000 feet in
*very* short order, and it was astounding how good it felt to ride it.

Of course, upon rounding the mountain we also caught a *down*draft,
which made me glad I didn't try to control altitude during the
unintended climb, that 1000 feet was gone just as fast as it came.

I wonder, from anyone who knows the region: is that a characteristic
of the area? I recall we had a southwesterly flow that day, with winds
aloft from the south at 20 knots or so. Any way to predict that
region?

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Rob

--
[You] don't make your kids P.C.-proof by keeping them
ignorant, you do it by helping them learn how to
educate themselves.

-- Orson Scott Card

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Yeah! Post 'em! :-)

Randy

Robert Perkins wrote:

WOW!

Flying is just SO cool!

I took another Mount St. Helens flight Saturday at noontime. It's a
favorite around here with the folks who want to ride in a plane; first
choice.

snip

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Hi Rob,

Yes indeed, flying - especially here in the Northwest where the scenery
is soooo spectacular - is about the coolest thing I can think of. I
regularly come back from a flight completely charged up about how lucky
we are.

I haven't done it this year, but every time I fly over Mt. St. Helens I'm
always completely awed and inspired. I've never had any problems with
winds/downdrafts, but I give the mountain a pretty wide berth.

If you want to post some photos or even if you don't, I invite you to
come check out the Pacific Northwest Flying website, a place for
Northwest pilots to chat and commiserate on local flying (there's also a
popular "Name That Northwest Airport" game - see how good you are at
identifying the mystery airport of the week). All free, with a friendly
bunch of fellow Northwest pilots. There's a place to upload your photos,
too (and since this newsgroup is not for binaries, i.e. images, it's
probably not appropriate to post them here).

http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/pnwflying

Hope you'll come check it out sometime.

David H
Boeing Field (BFI), Seattle, WA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Visit the Pacific Northwest Flying forum:
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/pnwflying

On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 18:19:29 GMT, "Bob Gardner"
wrote:

You did, of course, check out the Special Notices in the AIM about circling
the mountain, like no closer than three miles and 3000 ft agl?

(Checking my sectional)

I was briefed by Seattle FSS the first time I flew it to keep those
distances and make left traffic around the summit. If it's in the AIM,
I don't know it.

Looking at the course I plotted I surmise I was at least three miles
away, with an MSL altitude of 8,500 feet. Until that updraft. Along
the course line that altitude is at least 4000 AGL. No problem.

Rob

--
[You] don't make your kids P.C.-proof by keeping them
ignorant, you do it by helping them learn how to
educate themselves.

-- Orson Scott Card

"Robert Perkins" wrote in message
...
| On Mon, 20 Oct 2003 18:19:29 GMT, "Bob Gardner"
| wrote:
|
| You did, of course, check out the Special Notices in the AIM about
circling
| the mountain, like no closer than three miles and 3000 ft agl?
|
| (Checking my sectional)
|
| I was briefed by Seattle FSS the first time I flew it to keep those
| distances and make left traffic around the summit. If it's in the AIM,
| I don't know it.
|

It is not in the AIM. Bob must have meant the A/FM.

"Randy Wentzel" wrote in message
...
If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Yeah! Post 'em! :-)

Seconded!

--
Jim Fisher

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Yeah! Post 'em! :-)

Seconded!

Here ya go. It takes so long for the Comcast stuff to upload and
format pictures that I ran out of time after six.

Enjoy!

http://home.comcast.net/~brperkins2

Rob

--
[You] don't make your kids P.C.-proof by keeping them
ignorant, you do it by helping them learn how to
educate themselves.

-- Orson Scott Card

Yes it is SO cool. Took some friends to northern NM to check out a
hunting area a few years ago. It was on the side of a circular
mountain several miles in diameter. We had a strong wind that gave us
an updraft on the side we were inspecting. I discovered I could
throttle back to idle and zig-zag up the side without power. (making
my turns away from the mountain, of course) Once at the top I added
power, went over top and pulled away from the mountain to come around
and do it again. Spent quite some time 'gliding' up that mountain that
day.
--
Gene Seibel
Hangar 131 - http://pad39a.com/gene/plane.html
Because I fly, I envy no one.





WOW!

Flying is just SO cool!

I took another Mount St. Helens flight Saturday at noontime. It's a
favorite around here with the folks who want to ride in a plane; first
choice.

So the route of flight was relatively pedestrian, since I've done it a
few times already, weather was pretty good, a nice broken layer at
12,000, with scattered stuff at 10,000 and, I learned, an AIRMET for
moderate turbulence in the region "below 15,000 feet".

We didn't notice any turbulence, so on the north side of the mountain
I called in a PIREP to say so.

What we *did* get, right abeam the dome and crater of the mountain,
was my very first strong mountain updraft. We gained 1000 feet in
*very* short order, and it was astounding how good it felt to ride it.

Of course, upon rounding the mountain we also caught a *down*draft,
which made me glad I didn't try to control altitude during the
unintended climb, that 1000 feet was gone just as fast as it came.

I wonder, from anyone who knows the region: is that a characteristic
of the area? I recall we had a southwesterly flow that day, with winds
aloft from the south at 20 knots or so. Any way to predict that
region?

If anyone is curious I'm happy to post the pictures we took of the
area.

Rob