Cloud Dancing

[Fly Girl]

I''d like to invite you all to fly along with hubby and me. We flew from central Ohio to southern Minnesota in my flying club airplane last Sunday. It was a beautiful day.

Here is a shot of fields in northern Indiana in the morning. No clouds have formed yet. Great visibilities. We are about 1 mile above the surface of the earth (6,000 feet above sea level).

 

[Fly Girl]

First clouds we spotted were over the SE shore of Lake Michigan.

 

[Fly Girl]

But those cleared out as we reached the western shore of the lake. Here we are directly south of downtown Chicago. We could see the tall buildings 30 miles to the north, but the camera did not pick them up.

 

[Fly Girl]

Later in the morning a scattered layer of clouds forms just below us. This is in northern Illinois.

 

[Skippy123]

Wow, beautiful!

 

[Fly Girl]

Here is a shot of the jewelry I wore for the trip. Rugged pieces. My 0.50 ct chameleon solitaire (Little Green), and my Torgoen Zulu watch. It has an extra 24 hand that is very useful for pilots. BTW, if anyone ever finds a watch with a Zulu hand and a little more bling, I would love to hear about it.

 

[Fly Girl]

The clouds thicken. Very soon I am flying in valleys between them. I love this part.

I call it cloud dancing.

 

[Fly Girl]

Little Green shoots a small rainbow off the side window. Hee, hee.

 

[Fly Girl]

Looking at the clouds over the nose of the plane. They are thick enough that I am flying in and out through the tops at this point. The bright white spots are due to the sun reflecting off the scratches in the windscreen.

 

[Fly Girl]

Inside a cloud looking forward over the nose of the plane. The cloud looks pretty much like you''d expect.

 

[Fly Girl]

Passing over the city of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The airport is located in the upper left of the photo. Note the three runways that intersect in the shape of a triangle.

 

[Fly Girl]

Soon after LaCrosse, a layer of clouds forms above us. We are now flying between cloud layers. The scattered layer below, and an overcast layer above.

 

[Fly Girl]

A shot of the cloud layers looking across Southern Minnesota. This is my last shot. Air traffic control called up and I got busy with getting the plane ready to land. Thanks for flying along, and have a nice day.

 

[monarch64]

Great pics, thanks for the flight Fly Girl!!! Love the reflection off your bling shot, what a great rainbow!

 

[Ellen]

Date: 8/28/2007 12:48:32 PM
Author: Fly Girl
Little Green shoots a small rainbow off the side window. Hee, hee.

Well I think this is a first. We''ve seen several bling shots in cars while driving, but none in an airplane.

Thanks for the pics!

 

[strmrdr]

awesome!!!
What kind of plane is it?
Iv flown a Cessna skyhawk and it was a lot of fun.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/29/2007 7:56:12 AM
Author: Ellen

Date: 8/28/2007 12:48:32 PM
Author: Fly Girl
Little Green shoots a small rainbow off the side window. Hee, hee.

Well I think this is a first. We've seen several bling shots in cars while driving, but none in an airplane.

Thanks for the pics!

You're welcome, folks.

I got lucky with this flight. Generally skies are more hazy, particularly in the Eastern US in the summer. It can often be bumpy, especially in clouds, but this day was exceptionally smooth. Had a nice tailwind, too. I noticed that the sun was shining in the window from over my left shoulder, so I started playing around with trying to get some bling shots. Of course, this was after the heavy workload during take-off and climbout had settled down, the autopilot was engaged and we were all trimmed out in cruise and exactly on course. Then it's scan the skies for traffic, scan the instruments to make sure every little needle is still pointed in the right direction, change fuel tanks every half-hour, change charts and radio navigation stations as you go along, reset the gyros to the wet compass on account of precession, and monitor air traffic control in case they give me a call. Flying the airplane always comes first, but still, during the 5 hours of flying that this trip took, there was ample time for a few photos.

Just doing my PS duty, as Skippy would say.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 8/29/2007 11:28:29 AM
Author: Fly Girl
You're welcome, folks.

I got lucky with this flight. Generally skies are more hazy, particularly in the Eastern US in the summer. It can often be bumpy, especially in clouds, but this day was exceptionally smooth. Had a nice tailwind, too. I noticed that the sun was shining in the window from over my left shoulder, so I started playing around with trying to get some bling shots. Of course, this was after the heavy workload during take-off and climbout had settled down, the autopilot was engaged and we were all trimmed out in cruise and exactly on course. Then it's scan the skies for traffic, scan the instruments to make sure every little needle is still pointed in the right direction, change fuel tanks every half-hour, change charts and radio navigation stations as you go along, reset the gyros to the wet compass on account of precession, and monitor air traffic control in case they give me a call. Flying the airplane always comes first, but still, during the 5 hours of flying that this trip took, there was ample time for a few photos.

Just dong my PS duty, as Skippy would say.

hehe, lol. Never thought I would be quoted. How often do you go flying; I love looking at the clouds from a plane and I love Helicopter rides too (only done 2). I am deathly afraid of hot air balloon rides; I have only done 1 and that will be my last! What fun you and your sweet hubby must have together flying

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/29/2007 8:07:08 AM
Author: strmrdr
awesome!!!
What kind of plane is it?
Iv flown a Cessna skyhawk and it was a lot of fun.

Storm - This was a Piper Lance. It's a 6-seat, single engine, retractable gear airplane. A great travelling machine.

I learned to fly in a Cessna Skyhawk. Love that plane.

Took hubby out to lunch in one at a restaurant located next to a grass strip this summer. Try to get out in one as often as I can, particularly for shorter local trips. I love flying low and slow and looking out the window. Most pilots seem to prefer high and fast. Of course, this might have something to do with the fact that most new pilots are young men, not middle-aged ladies. Oh, well.

 

[scarleta]

thanks for sharing with us.Great pics.I was watching lunar eclipse on Tuesd AM and there was a plane ( maybe comercial? ) flying by.I can only imagine the view they had...Nice pics

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/29/2007 11:36:43 AM
Author: Skippy123

Date: 8/29/2007 11:28:29 AM
Author: Fly Girl
You're welcome, folks.

I got lucky with this flight. Generally skies are more hazy, particularly in the Eastern US in the summer. It can often be bumpy, especially in clouds, but this day was exceptionally smooth. Had a nice tailwind, too. I noticed that the sun was shining in the window from over my left shoulder, so I started playing around with trying to get some bling shots. Of course, this was after the heavy workload during take-off and climbout had settled down, the autopilot was engaged and we were all trimmed out in cruise and exactly on course. Then it's scan the skies for traffic, scan the instruments to make sure every little needle is still pointed in the right direction, change fuel tanks every half-hour, change charts and radio navigation stations as you go along, reset the gyros to the wet compass on account of precession, and monitor air traffic control in case they give me a call. Flying the airplane always comes first, but still, during the 5 hours of flying that this trip took, there was ample time for a few photos.

Just dong my PS duty, as Skippy would say.

hehe, lol. Never thought I would be quoted. How often do you go flying; I love looking at the clouds from a plane and I love Helicopter rides too (only done 2). I am deathly afraid of hot air balloon rides; I have only done 1 and that will be my last! What fun you and your sweet hubby must have together flying

I get out several times a month. Once a month I work on my instrument training, generally with a flight instructor. I am instrument rated, but you need to keep working at those skills. And, hubby and I try to take a local flight a couple times a month.

Each summer I plan a flying vacation. Last year we went to Sedona, AZ and Santa Fe, NM. The year before, I took our daughter to the Grand Canyon and on into the LA area. Next year we'd like to fly to Yellowstone. Sometime, I'd like to take a mountain flying course in Colorado.

I have never been in a helicoptor nor in a hot air balloon. They require a different pilot rating to actually fly them, and I'm pretty sure I don't want to go there. I have gotten my seaplane rating, however. Flying through the air, then landing on water!! What a hoot!!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 8/29/2007 11:46:08 AM
Author: scarleta
thanks for sharing with us.Great pics.I was watching lunar eclipse on Tuesd AM and there was a plane ( maybe comercial? ) flying by.I can only imagine the view they had...Nice pics

Thanks. Your comment reminds me of my very first airplane ride. The flight took off from Chicago just after dark on the evening of July 4th. Seeing all the fireworks displays from above was so amazing.

 

[poshpepper]

Wow, that is too cool! Thanks for sharing all those pics, they made me feel like I was there in the plane too!!! Great stuff!!!