Over the summer I took a month long Amtrak trip from Philly-Chicago-Seattle-Southern California... And back..

 

One of my most memorible moments was the day I took my rental car from Tacoma down to Portland and traversed down the Columbia River Gorge... One of the most beautiful places..

 

Unlike the shots.. My real trip it didn't rain when I got to the dam and fish ladder.

 

 

One of the most beautiful places on earth.  Nice train trip.

Agreed. One majestic place on this earth.

 

I was fortunate enough to take a flight lesson out of Troutdale (KTTD) a few years back.

 

We flew to Mt. Saint Helen's and back. I spent half the lesson taking photo's and the other half flying! The instructor was very cool about the whole deal.

Great shots.  I've been there by surface highway and motorcycle.  Thanks :-)

Nice .

 

nebojsa

I live in Underwood, Wa. My house is about 2 miles from the Columbia, in the heart of it, basically. Awesome scenery, true, very rugged as well. One of the cool and unexpected perks is the quantity of unique air and water craft we get in the Gorge; presumably because of the spectacular scenery - and also terrain masking. Every summer we get biplanes and relic war birds, a B-17 used to fly in formation with a B-24, but I read somewhere that the B-17 burned. I've seen A-10's fly below me over the Hood River bridge; the Intruders did and the Growlers currently do practice runs on the bridge out of Whidbey Island and surprisingly, the Hornets are quieter than the Intruders. I've seen Ch-53's sipping from a 130 at an altitude that appeared to be within the walls of the Gorge, impossible I know; and I once saw something, probably a OANG F-15 fly past the dining room of the Columbia Gorge Hotel. That would have to have been at about 500,' one can only see the opposite wall of the Gorge from that vantage.

 I once saw John Kerry windsurf here; but the weirdest thing would have to be the black surface effect boat that briefly visited. I think it was a Lockheed-Martin rapid deployment project and the local news said it was being tested here because it was relatively private, huh. I remember the thing threw a wake that would have to have been visible from space.

Living in Portland Oregon, and having the chance to see the Columbia River Gorge in person often, I will have to say it is one of my most favorite places to fly.  I really enjoy flying from Troutdale (KTTD) to The Dalles (KDLS).

 

Thanks for posting and happy flying!

Living in Portland Oregon, and having the chance to see the Columbia River Gorge in person often, I will have to say it is one of my most favorite places to fly.  I really enjoy flying from Troutdale (KTTD) to The Dalles (KDLS).

 

Thanks for posting and happy flying!

+1. I have visited the Columbia Gorge many times, and always enjoy the drive. Because of that my default flights are based at KTTD. New aircraft? I check and see how it takes off and lands at KTTD. And I was really pleased with Orbx that they did such a good job at Bonneville (that, and the fact they have the big hanger at Tillamook). Beautiful place to start from, and go in any direction.

I have visited the Columbia Gorge many times, and always enjoy the drive. Because of that my default flights are based at KTTD

 

 

So now I know there is at least one other person than myself that defaults to KTTD.  When I was a kid, my Dad used to work on B-17's (used by the Forest Service to fight fires) at Troutdale.  Always have loved that airport.

I especially like the first shot, with the low-lying clouds.  Here are some shots from a few years ago when I took a flight from KTTD, did a touch & go at KDLS and returned.  Then booked an hour in their Frasca simulator:

 

xxxhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/flysd/sets/72157605229564324/

 

EDIT:  The site was launching automatically, so I killed the link - just copy everything after xxx and paste in.

Based on those Flickr shots, I don't think Orbx is too green at all!