I imagine that I'm on the way to Portland International Airport (KPDX) to set out on this newest and biggest adventure. I am actually a little nervous about the whole thing, trying to get into the spirit of the moment and all. I arrive at KPDX, my home airport, with latté in hand (in the Pacific Northwest you have to have a latté). I climb up into the Jetstream-41, which is painted in a United Airlines Shuttle theme. I have never flown this plane before but use the same "twin" panel in myBeechcraft planes. I program in the flight to Hailey, Idaho at just about 500 miles. Then I taxi out to runway 28R.
Weather today is cloudy overcast, light winds and light rain. We joke around here that if you want to see a nice sunny day you have to wait until July 5th. Westbound with a positive rate of climb I retract the gear and first notch of flaps. Once clear of the Interstate Bridge I make a climbing right-hand turn up over the Battleground VOR and then pick up my route east. I am disappointed that I cannot see the Columbia River Gorge below but am treated to a very nice virtual sunrise through multiple cloud layers. It is now about 6:30 AM and with all of the panel functions set I sit back to enjoy the humming of the twin turboprops. Normally I have to keep the sound down a bit so the kids can hear "Blue's Clues" but today, it's full volume!
At about 9:40 AM Idaho time I break out my approach plates and cross over the Hailey NDB. There is a procedure turn there designed to get you heading up the valley at a proper angle but heck; it never looks the same on paper as when I fly it. Guess that's why I'm not an ATP huh? I ease my way up the valley, rising terrain on either side, light winds but gusting at times to 20 knots. My landing is "solid"but anything you can walk away from... Nearly 10 AM and I'm hungry. Certainly there is some quaint little breakfast café in Hailey, isn't there?
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