With summer (finally) in full motion around here, I took my first walk of this year in my favorite (local) park and nature trail where two small rivers (actually more like streams...🙂...) meet. The rivers are the West Branch and the East Branch of the DuPage River, converging within this park, to be then called DuPage River (proper). Around here, there is no shortage of establishments and business entities named after this river: DuPage County, DuPage Township, DuPage Hospital, College of DuPage, DuPage River Trail...and so on...

The DuPage River, I learned, took its name from a French Trader who settled on the fork of the river (merger point of the two branches, mentioned above), previous to 1800. Wiki says, "Hon. H. W. Blodgett, of Waukegan, informs the writer that J. B. Beaubien had often spoken to him of the old Frenchman, Du Page, whose station was on the bank of the river, down towards its mouth, and stated that the river took its name from him."...So, "B" hears it first from "A" and then "C" (the Writer of the article) hears it from "B". Nonetheless, it does not sound like hearsay...🙂..., but, indeed, resonates with a genuine bit of historical veracity...

Within this park, there flows a tiny trickle of a rivulet (obviously un-named, let's call it "XYZ") passing under a small (wooden) bridge on which I sometimes like to stand and take in the surrounding view. A short walk away from the bridge, XYZ empties into the West Brach of the DuPage River. And then the rest of the story of XYZ's (long) passage from Chicago, all the way to New Orleans (and to Gulf of Mexico), 1,000+ miles away, must go like this:

• (XYZ trickle first meets the West Branch DuPage River) -> 
• (West Branch DuPage River then meets the East Branch, within the park, to form DuPage River) ->
• (DuPage River then meets Des Plaines River 30 miles south of Chicago) ->
• (Des Plaines River then meets, within few more miles, Kankakee River to form Illinois River) ->
• (Illinois River then, 275 miles further south, meets the Mississippi River near St. Louis) ->
• (Mississippi River then continues to flow on south for another 1,200 miles to eventually drain into the Gulf of Mexico in New Orleans...along with the contents, at least at the atomic level, of the tiny trickle I've come to know so well...🙂...I presume...)

My today's (virtual) flight has been in the making for some time. I fly out from near the juncture of the West and the East Branches of DuPage River (if you see my shot #7 EFB Map, you will see how the two branches flowing down from the north are merging together to form the single DuPage River). I then track the course of the DuPage River to its merger with Des Plaines River (and within a few miles more to Illinois River). 

The confluence of three (distinctly named) rivers is always a bit rare but geographically (and spiritually, in some cultures) significant. Here, in the small town of Channahon (Illinois), the 3 rivers (Des Plaines, Kankakee, and DuPage) meet, as I fly over their meeting point (several pictures below, including one EFB Map for visual guidance). When these 3 (powerful) rivers meet with their abundance of water, and then (forcefully) succumb to the formation of the single Illinois River; creation of lakes and water reservoirs is a natural consequence. In my shots below, you'll see me overflying one such (large) water reservoir ("Dresden Cooling Lake"; named so, because it's used as a cooling system for the Dresden Nuclear Power Station, the first privately financed nuclear power plant built in the U.S.). 

From the confluence of the 3 rivers, I then, fly on southward, tracking the Illinois river for another 275 miles to St. Louis, 20 miles north of which, Illinois River meets its end, emptying into the (mighty) Mississippi River. In my final approach to KSTL airport, I direct myself to the Intermediate Fix (IF) "EUBIE" of KSTL ILS Runway 12L, which FIX occurs just above the merger site of Illinois River with the Mississippi River (see my flightdeck avionics shots and external images). Finally, I end my flight by touching down (expertly...🙂...) on the tarmac of St. Louis (KSTL) airport, as the Mississippi River (the 2nd longest in U.S.), would march on, without my company, for another 1,000+ miles, through the Great Plains and the Lowlands of North America, all the way to Gulf of Mexico, in New Orleans.

Regarding a/c, I've accomplished my objectives today, with the capable (luxurious and powerful) support of the MSFS/Carenado Beechcraft King Air C90GTx (latest iteration of the illustrious King Air turboprop lineage). Please note that Beechcraft chose to bypass the Garmin Panels in this a/c, opting instead for the Rockwell Collins avionics suite (see close-up shots). So, it's of slightly different usage from Garmin, but performed adequately for this aviator...🙂...including the (effortless) autotuning of the KSTL Runway 12L ILS frequency...always much welcome in a busy cockpit during approach and landing phase...🙂...

Hope you enjoy this collection of images from my river adventure flight across the flatland of Midwest, from near my home (at the juncture of the two branches of DuPage River), as I depart from the small 3,000 ft runway at the tiny 1C5 (Clow International) Airport, a far cry from the busy KORD/O'Hare Intl. to my final destination in St. Louis Airport. 

Regarding 1C5, the "International" designation is clearly not due to its function, but apparently due to a humorous decision by its original owner, Mr. Boyd Clow. The name has (apparently) stuck but I have been certainly wondering...🙂... In the first shot below, the "autogen" buildings near the runway definitely do not look like the real thing. I know, since I often drive right by the north end of this single (18/36) runway, on my way to an adjacent grocery store...🙂... (in fact, about to head out there). However, in my (cockpit) shot #4 below, the airport buildings, seen through the windshield, do bear close resemblance to the actual structures, within which there is a nice aviation museum, that I'd recently visited.

[You may notice that I have delegated my left seat (and all the responsibilities that go with it) to a new (PIC) Pilot-In-Command assignee...🙂...shot #2...Oh well...]

Thanks for viewing...!

Always in awe of your deep-dive approach to storytelling and sim-showing. Starting with the PIC snapshot I think you've outdone yourself this time...a beautiful 🙂 shot followed by many  more.

Edited May 30, 20251 yr by John F

Nice set of shots and seems looking this was a fine Trip..

cheers 😉

Love your "flight report" threads, thanks for another stunner.

 

8 hours ago, John F said:

Always in awe of your deep-dive approach to storytelling and sim-showing. Starting with the PIC snapshot I think you've outdone yourself this time...a beautiful 🙂 shot followed by many  more.

Couldn't agree more 🙂

Thanks for the kind words, folks...🙂...!

Cheers...!