Flying to Alaska | Mississippi River Crossing Finally, I’m off to Alaska; departing Aurora Municipal Airport at 2:25pm CDT with a southwest wind at 10 knots and 86º F temperature. And, it’s hot, very hot; 75º F outside at 6,500 feet. Crossing the Mississippi River with the sun beaming through the windshield, it’s boiling hot in the cockpit. On the ground at Sioux Falls, 89º F actually felt cooler than the cockpit.
After refueling, the takeoff to the northwest toward Miles, MT again seemed hotter. Thunderstorms blocked my route to Miles so I turned north toward Williston, ND. The thunderstorms stayed 30-50 miles off my left wing. They’re beautiful to watch in the distance. The light show seemed more intense as afternoon faded into night. By the time I arrived at Williston at 10:30pm, I was pretty tired. Still, the long day felt good; on my way to Alaska.
Today’s Highlights… After a long day flying, my thoughts before bedtime reflect on today’s high points. Although it was a late start, actually starting on my flying adventure was the highlight of the day. Also, the light shows from the thunderstorms to the west were most impressive. Flying at night with a little weather turns a relatively boring flight into an exciting experience. Today’s Learnings: Better late than never!
For a more concise story see, Flying to Alaska | a 7 Image Story. And I post an image everyday at hankconrad.com.
Details…
| 7/10/1995 | Day 1 | Aurora➟Sioux Falls➟Williston |
| Photo Gear | Minolta XG-9 SLR, Nikon Zoom Touch 500 35mm point & shoot, and Minolta IX-Date VE TIS2000 compact point & shoot with Minolta 50mm f1.7, Minolta 135mm f2.8 , and Vivitar75-300mm f4.5-5.6 zoom lenses. And, of course, a flash and tons of film! |
| Activities | Mostly flying plus taking a few photographs through the windshield and side windows! |
| From | To | Route / Wx | Hours |
| ARR | FSD | Northwest Direct Sioux Falls, SD Hot/Light Chop | 3.9 |
| FSD | ISN | Northwest until unable Miles, then north direct Williston, ND Hot/Smooth | 3.6 |
| Wx | Hot! Hot! Hot! with evening thunderstorms to the west of my route. |
