Getting personal with the Milviz B55

[Geofa 108]

I had 7 of the best years of my life with the plane depicted by the Milviz B55-so I thought I'd get personal and share one of the best trips I had in her-a 5000 nm. trip across the US taking about 2.5 weeks. I have my original flight plans, picts etc. somewhere and maybe eventually I can get them together-but for a great scenic flying trip in this great plane....this was about tops. My wife, my flying partner and his wife, and all the bags we would need for 2-3 weeks all went with no problem. I'd do the flying/flight planning, my partner would co pilot/drive rental cars, his wife would arrange rental cars and hotels, and my wife would pick the restaurants. It was a well oiled machine... All flights flown ifr

With historic weather downloads from active sky-who knows-might be fun to do in the sim (with n7345r of course)?

 

Day 1 08/06/2007:

 

Leg 1 kptk- kcou 3.2 hours Log entry states diversion to kcou for thunderstorms-our 496 and xm weather was most useful but we zig zagged the whole trip and ended up at a completely different destination than planned. 2.3 hours logged ifr.

 

Leg 2 kcou-khut (I had a mandate to have landings in all continental US states and needed one in Kansas-plus supposed to be a great steak place on the field-just about lunch time) 1.9 hours log entry states wind 17 gusting 25-had lunch. Were originally were going to hit the museum in Hutchinson but realized it would not work out time wise. .8 hours logged ifr

 

Leg 3 Khut-ksaf 3.1 hours log entry states winds gusting 26-t storm avoidance-lightening in distance (great pict of lightening strike off wing). Remember a spectacular landing to the south seeing lightening bolts criss crossing the sky south towards Albuquerque..5 hours logged ifr.

 

2 days having fun in Santa Fe, New Mexico...

 

Day 4 08/08/2007 Ksaf-kflg 2.1 hours logbook entry states overflew meteor crater-got some great shots. Had an engine quit after landing due to density altitude-Baron does not taxi well on one engine...2 days of fun at the Grand Canyon...

 

Day 6 10/10/07 Originally going to go direct to Long Beach, Ca. but Sedona right on the flight path-why not breakfast at one of the most spectacular airports to land at? Density altitude really a factor at full gross-barely climbing but luckily all downhill to Sedona.

Kflg-ksez .5 hours -Great breakfast and great scenery!

 

Ksez-klgb 2.3 hours. We originally wanted to go to Catalina island but at full gross/density altitude wasn't going to work. Went to Klgb going thru the Banning Pass near Palm Springs (very dramatic). Took a ferry to Catalina Island.

 

Spent two days on Catalina Island...

 

Day 8 08/12/07 Klgb-O05 2.9 hours. Beautiful flight-saw the entire Yosemite Valley off the right wing on the way up. Winds gusting 20-30 and pretty heavy turbulence on final..

 

Day 9 08/13/07 O05-khio 2.4 hours. Had lunch with relatives at famous hamburger joint. Beautiful views of Mt. Lassen/Shasta.

khio-kclm 1.5 hours. Most spectacular-totally clear day-views of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Ranier, Seattle Olympic mountains

 

Spent a day exploring Olympic mountains, took ferry to Victoria-spent two days there....

 

Day 14 08/17/07 kclm-O05 3.6 hours 4000 bkn till southern oregon, winds gusty at O05. Spent 3 days at Lake Almanor, Ca-partner took plane down to Modesto to visit family. 1 hour logged ifr.

 

Day 17 08/20/07 O05-keat 3.1 hours 2.2 logged ifr. Turbulence and ice on approach-full approach needed-broke out of clouds between two peaks over Columbia river. A gps A approach keat . (Wanted to land at Lake Chelen airport but runway too short).

 

Spent 3 days exploring Lake Chelan area-Stehekin State-one of the hundred places you are supposed to see before you die! Ended up sitting next to a 737 check pilot on the boat to Stehekin that told me he used to take people for the approach to keat when he wanted to scare them...now he tells me!

 

Day 20-We were planning to head home but having such a good time decided to go to Coer D'alene Idaho-kinda on the way back...

08/23/08 keat-kcoe 1.2 hours-great flight!

 

Day 21-Time to head home kcoe-kdik-3.6 hours 2.6 hours ifr logged. Logbook entry states numerous tfr's for forest fires on route

 

kdik-kpnm 2.3 hours .5 ifr. Nice easy flight...

 

Day 22 08/25/07 kpnm-kptk 2.8 hours 1.0 hour ifr. kptk 900 bkn-1 bc 27 app wind 9 gusting to 19 40 degree xwind

 

Home and homage to this amazing flying machine that allowed such an adventure!

[Taipan 30]

Hi Geoff

 

I bet you will be painting her in your colours :)

 

What sort of cruising altitude did you prefer? What's normal use?

 

Any issues taking her up high?

How does the oxygen control below the Yoke work? Is it for emergency only?

 

And what did you do on those long legs for toilet breaks haha.. does the Baron have a small toilet? Some detail FSX just doesn't show lol

 

 

[audiohavoc 24]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. Sounds like my kind of vacation.

[Geofa 108]

I always planned 3 hours legs-everyone wants to get out after that for various reasons-range was about 5 hrs. -left ifr reserve etc-and you get 500+nm in that time.

 

Always tried for 6-8000 -best altitude for engine power/cruise and passenger comfort.

 

In the west though we had a portable O2 tank-used it on the legs from Santa Fe to Ca and over Montana as the ifr mea's were around 11,000 feet.

Wives in the backseat were a little giddy but we were quite alert in the front...it was amazing how the head clears up with a little O2.

[Daveo 36]

Nice. Will have to fly that journey on my vacation.