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For our first long flight, we decided to be on the conservative side. We cut across to Interstate 5 and then turned left (North) and followed I5 all the way to Washington with small deviations to avoid busy controlled airspace (e.g., Portland). We took the plane to about 10,000 feet and enjoyed the spectacular views (it was a very clear day all the way). We made our first landing for fuel in Ashland, OR and then again in McMinnville, OR. We certainly could have made it home with only one refueling stop but again, we were being very conservative and enjoying the day. We landed in Shelton, WA around 5:00PM that day in less than ideal conditions (gusty winds and parachute jumpers in the pattern) but Alan did a great landing and we were home! Four months after we started the project, our plane was complete, flying, and in its home location in Shelton, WA.
Homeward bound...
Home base: Four months from start to finish!
Sunset over Cloverdale. Photo: Nathalie Smith
