There's a few clouds out today, but the weather is still gorgeous for flying. So find yourself a seat in my Cessna and strap in. It's time to takeoff from Runway 33!
Just north of Glen Canyon Dam is Lake Powell. This is a man-made reservoir which was created by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the dam. It was named after the explorer John Wesley Powell, who was a one-armed verteran from the Civil War. Not only was he a soldier, but also a geologist, explorer of the American West, and a director of major scientific and cultural institutions.
Did you know it took 17 years for the lake to rise to a high level? Naturally the level fluctuates from year to year depending on the seasonal snow runoff from the mountains.
We are going to fly and land at Cal Black Memorial Airport. I wasn't really planning to land there, but when I was looking at my flight map I noticed that the FAA Identifier for the airport is "U96". This is also the name of a German submarine from World War II. A film by the name of "Das Boot" told the story of this submarine. U96 is also the name of an old, German Tehcno band which had a hit song called "Das Boot". In any case, I figured.... why not? Let's land at this little airport and see what's here!
There is no control tower at Cal Black Memorial, so we'll need to announce our intentions on Unicom 123.0. That way, the other pilots will know we are coming and can look out for us. Right now I just announced that I'm turning Base. On one of our flights, I'll explain what this means.
Okay, we are on final approach for Runway 01. There's a lot of desert around here.
There's the runway! We're coming in soft and easy. It'll be a nice landing.
Most pilots will only add the fuel that they need for their flight. This is to keep the aircraft as light as possible when landing. I do this in my professional career, however, for our world adventure I like to keep the fuel levels topped off just in case we make a change in our flight plans. Also, some airports don't have fuel along our path. It's always good to be prepared.
Just look at the beautiful desert around here! It's a great place to make Western movies.
Another pilot is driving into town, so I hitched a ride with him. Many of us pilots understand each other, so it's easy to make friends with one another. We are on route 276, and this is going to take us to a town called Halls Crossing.
Halls Crossing is a very popular place for tourists and boaters to go. Many come here to go on boat tours. Route 276 stops at Halls Crossing, and there is a ferry which will take you to the other side where 276 continues north from Bullfrog Basin. Halls Crossing is just ahead, and you can see Lake Powell in the distance.
We are now entering Halls Crossing! I had my new friend take this picture for my blog. I love signs for towns!
Halls Crossing is a cute little town by the bay. I spoke to one of the workers here, and they love their job. They get to meet new people from around the world every day and hear where they are from.
We're going to get on the ferry and cross to the other side where Bullfrog Marina is at. We'll need to wait for the ferry, because I don't feel like swimming across. :-) We shouldn't have to wait long.
See?! Here we are on the ferry. Cars, campers, and RV's are loading up to continue their journey northward. There are RV parks on both sides of the lake, so one could always park there for a stay. You gotta admit, it's a great backyard view!
While we were crossing the lake, I wanted to take some pictures. It really is pretty here.
I may have my own plane, but I don't own a boat. Boaters love coming here, and I can't say I blame them! I would love to go boating one of these days.
We are approaching Bullfrog Bay. For many, this is where the journey continues as they go northward. For us, it's a stopping point. My new friend and I are going to get some lunch, check out a few stores, and he brought some fishing gear too. Looks like a nice afternoon for some good fishin' and friendship. Talk to you soon about our next trip!
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