Gryphon's Aeire

When we were ready, we got in and started up.

I did my pre-flight checks before calling Ground. I said I was at Air Associates, ready to taxi for departure to the North.

Ground cleared me to 26Right, via Echo and said to let me know when I had Information Victor. I acknowledged cleared to 26Right via Echo, with Victor. I don't normally forget that.

I taxied down and when I was at the hold short line, I called Tower and said I was at 26Right, ready to depart. Tower cleared me to takeoff, 26Right, right turn out approved.

Power in and I was rolling down the runway. At 60 knots, I lifted the nose and we were off.

I climbed up to 1,000 feet before turning north-ish.

I stayed at 2,000 feet and flew towards the Mississippi River.

It was interesting flying along this low. Normally I fly at 6,500 or higher so you don't see or notice everything you see down low.

There was lots of flooding all along the river.

When I was 10 miles out from Hannibal, I reported inbound for runway 18. Jenny corrected me, it was 17.

Another plane reported skydivers departing from 13,000 for Hannibal. Both Jenny and I looked and didn't see anything. When I was was on downwind, we spotted one chute and by the time I turned final, we saw several others. They were all headed for the west side of the airport and weren't going to be any trouble.

After doing 3 nice touch and gos at Hannibal, I reported airborne off 17, departing the area to the southeast.

I climbed back up to 2,000 feet and flew down the east side of the river this time.

There is a Military Operations Area (MOA) that extends from 500 feet up to 6,000 feet so I stayed out of there and followed the river south.

When I was past the MOA, I headed sort of towards ALtoN. I wasn't going there but it was in the right direction.

I flew past Alton and went and flew past my home. No one was home.

From there I headed for Edwardsville and looked for the new Rotary Community Garden. It is new this year.

I spotted it near Dunlap Lake and took a few pictures.

From the garden I headed south and flew past Collinsville before splitting and Mid-America (BLV) right down the middle. I was 7.6 miles from one and 7.7 from the other.

I continued to follow Highway 55 south towards Belleville. I then followed Highway 159 to keep my distance from St Louis Downtown.

When I was past Downtown, I turned west and flew by the Jefferson Barrack's Bridge and into Missouri.

I followed the road around and stayed below St Louis' Class Bravo airspace.

I flew past the old Chrysler Assembly Plant at Fenton.

I checked the weather for Spirit of St Louis. It was reporting wind from 270 at 5, visiblity of 10 miles, few clouds at 2,700.

10 miles out, I called Tower and said I was 10 to the southeast, with XRay, inbound for landing on 26Right.

Tower told me he had inbound traffic so I should overfly the field and enter a right downwind for 26Right. I acknowledged and climbed up to stay above their traffic pattern.

We watched the other plane come in and land while we were approaching.

Tower cleared me to land on 26Right when I was directly over the field. I could have dived and dropped down to make the runway but instead I flew out and and a teardrop entry for my right downwind.

I reduced power and descended and everything worked out nicely.

I turned base and final and touched down nice and smoothly. Jenny commented on how good my landings were today.

As I was getting ready to turn off the runway, Tower cleared me off at Echo, straight into the ramp, stay with him. He thanked me for the help. I guess by flying over the field.

Once I was back on the ground. Looking at the sky, it didn't look that bad. It was better than when we left, but the NexRad was showing rain inbound.

Here is the weather from 4:50, when we probably would have been getting back if we had flown the originally planned flight.