LEG 6: HALLS CROSSING TO BULLFROG BASIN, UTAH

I have a new plane! How did that all happen? Well, let me tell you about it. Remember the new pilot friend I made at the airport after I had landed? We went into Halls Crossing and spent the afternoon together checking out stores and going fishing. Well, we got to talking about our flight adventures and how our planes handle in the air.

To put it simply, Jim wants to do an even trade with our planes. I was surprised, because his Cessna is much newer than mine! But I love planes, so I wanted to hear him out. We're going to head back to the airport to take a closer look at his Cessna.

Look at this bird! She's truly a beauty. It's a Cessna C172N Skyhawk II. Jim is going to let me do a test flight with it to see how I like the handling and feel of the plane. We're just going to make a quick flight over the lake to the Bullfrog Basin airport. I mentioned the last time how I like to have a full tank on my adventure, so I'm going to fill 'er up so that I can truly get an idea how this Cessna can handle the weight.

You'll see that the dashboard is a little different than my old Cessna. The radio stack is more simplified, and there is no autopilot. I'm okay with that, because I haven't really used it. My flights are usually short, and even so I like keeping my skills sharp with the instruments. Jim, on the other hand, has been in real need of an autopilot system since he goes on long flights. So our trade may be very beneficial for the both of us!

The new plane is loaded up, and we are ready to taxi to the runway.

We're taking off from Runway 01, and wow! This plane was BORN to fly! I didn't have to pull on the yoke hardly to get her airborn. It was as if she wanted to be in the air herself!

We're going to fly a little north to one of the canyons and then turn west. This will take us over Lake Powell which we traveled across on the ferry yesterday. I was amazed by how smooth she went into the turn. I must say, I am very impressed by this plane.

I've already announced my intentions on Unicom that I'll be landing on Runway 19. Originally, I had thought about doing a "touch and go" and then returning to Cal Black Memorial. However, I must say that I am completely SOLD on this plane! I love it.

The landing was excellent. It felt just as smooth as my own plane, if not better. I called Jim on my cell phone and told him that I agree to the trade. He was very happy about that, and I'm very happy with the trade. I can tell that this bird was loved and well-cared for. Jim just needed some extra features that he didn't have. I had the features I really didn't need. It was a win-win situation, and I look forward to our next flight in our new plane!

LEG 5: PAGE, ARIZONA TO HALLS CROSSING, UTAH

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!

LEG 4: GRAND CANYON TO PAGE

Good morning! I am excited about our flight today! To start things off, we had a great breakfast buffet here at the airport. A father had brought his son up here to spend some quality time together. Lucky kid!

I was able to park my Cessna in a nice hangar last night, and I had the mechanics give it a look over. Everything is in great shape, so we'll have a beautiful and safe flight today.

We are flying north and will fly over the Grand Canyon here in Arizona. I announced our intentions to Unicom to takeoff on Runway 03. We're taxiing now to the runway.

Once traffic was clear, it was time for us to lift off. There's some cloud cover today, but it's still a gorgeous day for flying.

Beyond us you can see the Grand Canyon! We're going to fly over, turn west, and fly a bit inside of the canyon.

The scenery is simply breathtaking! Awesome doesn't even come close to describing the feeling of this natural wonder.

The Colorado River curves it's way inside the canyon. The whole canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide, and has a depth of over 6000 feet!

Geologists suggest that the Colorado River established its course through the canyon about 17 millon years ago. Since then, the river has continued to erode and form the canyon to what you see now.

We're going to fly through and follow the canyon around to the north until it takes us to Page, Arizona.

We're reaching the end of the Grand Canyon, and Glen Canyon Dam and the city of Page.

I couldn't resist doing a flyby of the Glen Canyon Dam. Amazing structure! Lake Powell is just beyond.

We're coming in on final to Page Municipal Airport on Runway 15.

Another plane is ahead of us, but we'll be parking with the other General Aviation here in a moment.

Let's rent a car and go see the dam! First, we are going to get lunch at Denny's which is off of Route 89. Page was created in 1957 to house workers and their families during the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. Up ahead in the distance is the dam.

Here's a pretty shot of Glen Canyon Dam. The water is very BLUE! After the dam was finished in the 1960's, the city of Page grew steadily over the years. To the left is Lake Powell, and it attracts more than 3 million visitors every year. It's the second largest artificial lake in the country which extends up into Utah. The dam is named for Glen Canyon,

This is the Glen Canyon Bridge for Route 89. It was built to help transport materials while the dam was under construction. Before it was finished, workers had to travel hundreds of miles around the canyon just to get to the other side. There's two other bridges south of here for Route 89a at Marble Canyon which is called the Navajo Bridge. I wasn't able to get any pictures of that, though.

One more picture of the dam with the bridge in the foreground. Did you know that Page is the home of two of the largest electrical generation units in the western United States?

I also took a boat tour on Lake Powell to go see the Rainbow Bridge. This bridge has been held sacred by Native Americans. What a marvel it is!

The desert is beautiful here in Page. Several films have been shot here such as "Maverick", "Superman III", "The Greatest Story Ever Told", and the original and remake of "Planet of the Apes".

The sunsets are unbelievable here in Arizona. The prettiest in the world! Well, it's time to get some dinner and rest before our next flight. We'll be traveling north from here into Utah. Have a good night and see you soon!

LEG 3: FLAGSTAFF TO GRAND CANYON

It's a beautiful morning here in Flagstaff! I just love it here, but I love being in the air and traveling more. So let's jump into the plane and get going to our next destination!

We are going to make a short flight north to Grand Canyon National Airport today. I wanted to have plenty of daylight to go on a walking tour at the canyon. This is why I dressed casually today. We are taxiing to Runway 3.

We've been cleared for takeoff, so off we go into the wild blue yonder! (I love that song!)

It shouldn't take too long for us to get to the Grand Canyon. Meanwhile, we have a lot of pretty landscape to look at below us. Just wait til we get to the canyon! It'll be breathtaking!

We're not far from the airport now. We are going to enter a left pattern, downwind and we'll turn in for landing. There is no control tower here, so we need to tune the radio in to Unicom and state our intentions. Other pilots in the air and ground will be aware that we are coming when we do this.

There's the airport! Let's go ahead and get into the standard traffic pattern.

We've finished turning base and are now on final approach for Runway 21.

Lined up and coasting in for a soft touch down.

Alright, we're here! It's time to get a vehicle and head into town.

As we pull out from the access road, I took a quick picture so that you could see the road that leads to the airport. we are going to continue north from here on Route 180.

On the way, there is a tiny town by the name of Tusayan. This is an incorporated town. In other words it's mainly businesses, hotels, and resorts here that serve the Grand Canyon area.

We've arrived at the gates to get into Grand Canyon National Park. Once we pay the fee, we'll be on our way again.

We are finally here! Grand Canyon Village is the starting point for the Grand Canyon Railroad. This railway has a lot of history behind it, and it even doubles as the Polar Express during the Christmas season.

If you've never rode on a train before, it's quite an experience. It's fun, fast, and smooth! I'd love to ride the train today, but I won't have the time. Maybe next time.

I've got a reservation at the Bright Angel Lodge, so I'm going to go check in and get my room before heading off to view the grand canyon.

The visual of the Grand Canyon is just breathtaking every time I see. It's massive! Next time we'll be flying in the canyon and getting a rather unique view of it. See you then!