VFR PNW Leg Two

Well I had to sit around for a few hours to wait for the weather to clear and also wait for my rental plane to arrive to take me on to my next leg. Around noon things were looking much better as the weather had cleared and the Cessna Bird Dog I had rented also arrived.

Leg Two:
3W5 (Concrete Municipal) to 1S2 (Darrington Municipal)

Bird Dog on the ramp 3W5


After a run down of the aircraft with the owner of the Bird Dog I grabbed my flight bag and strapped myself in for the short 20 mile hop to Darrington.

Weather was clear and a cool 18C with wind 310/09kts. I used runway 25 for departure and had to wait a bit as a 172 was doing circuits. And then I rushed off with my taxi on a back track to 25 as he was coming around again for another circuit. So a quick look at the check list and off I went.

A quick left hand turn after lift off, heading ESE along the Sauk River valley. It sure is nice to see an AH again!

Town of Rockport on the Sauk River


No problems with weather and I had a great view of Mount Rainer off in the distance (upper right of the image above). I could see some clouds over to the west of the valley. Nothing to worry about on this leg though as I assumed they were most likely over the Puget Sound.

As I approached 1S2 the mountains on the eastern side of the town to the left of my approach path had some cooler air running down them that made the ride on my cross wind leg over the field a bit bumpy. I was flying a left handed circuit on to runway 28, planning on using flaps 30 and a VREF of 70MPH. Base leg for 28 is very tight here! The Bird Dog also gets sloppy with anything over 30 degrees flaps.

Town of Darrington


The Cessna Bird Dog even has a flap setting of 60! She gets really sloppy at flaps 60 and during my check ride I had to practice flying her at low speed with full flaps (the Sib Wings team made a great manual that you can download HERE). It was full power to keep her from stalling at level flight.

Short final runway 28 1S2


This landing was a greaser, the taxi ride to the ramp was another story as the Bird Dog is a tough girl to taxi.

Cutting it close as I taxi at 1S2



24 minutes flight time this leg. I can see myself doing some more VFR flying in the Bird Dog as she is a great plane.

I have a 172 booked for my next leg to Vashon Island Municipal Airport (2S1)some 70nm away. It's a 2'000ft grass strip on an island in the middle of the Puget Sound just across from KSEA.