Below Sea Level






It is just something that you shouldn't be able to do. I couldn't even explain quite what it means to my kids, but I landed below sea level today. After searching around for a new place to go, I ran across Furnace Creek, CA, which is in the heart of Death Valley. Cactus Aviation recently had a fly-in there, but I was unable to attend. So, I decided to take two of my kids there, Natali and Noah, for a short trip.




It is pretty much a direct shot from Henderson (HND) to Furnace Creek (L06). When I took off, though, from Henderson there was skydiving in progress over Jean (0L7) airport, so ATC vectored me to the east before allowing me to continue on course. The trip offered alot of interesting scenery to look at, including Mount Potosi, Sandy Valley and Pahrump. The most spectacular thing, though was to come over the mountain ridges and descend quickly down into Death Valley. From the ground it is really hard to take in how dramatic the changes are in that area. The Panamint Range boarders on the west side of Death Valley, and the peak is 11,049ft and Mount Whitney, which is the highest peak in the US at 14,505ft. Death Valley's lowest point is -282ft, and has a record temperature of 134 degrees F. All of this becomes visible as you crest over the eastern ridges and start a rapid decent. I had to drop down relatively quick to get down from 8,500ft in the valley. The runway was in very good condition and the airport was really quiet. The most suprising thing, though, was how fast a shuttle came out to get us to take us into town. I called on my phone and within 5 minutes we were picked up and off into the Ranch. My kids enjoyed walking around the general store and eating some treats before we had to head back.
I would recommend this trip out to Furnace Creek to anyone (as long as they go before summer). It was just around a 1hr flight and well worth every second of it.

Looking for suggestions

Where have you flown near Las Vegas that is exciting? I am looking for new places to explore that are within 1.5hrs flight of Las Vegas. Please let me know of your experiences there.

Big Bear

For months now, I have wanted to go to Big Bear, CA. Many people have told me that it is wonderful, beautiful, has a great restaurant and cheap fuel. I have felt uncomfortable because the airport is at almost 7,000 feet and it is surrounded by mountains. Lower powered airplanes don't climb that fast at that altitude, so it can get a little hairy getting out of there, especially when it is warm.

I hadn't been flying for a few weeks, mostly because my wife gave birth to our fourth child at the end of January. I had some time this morning and the weather was perfect for a flight. I decided to take my son, Noah, and go to Big Bear. The only worry was the amount of snow that they received recently. The weather briefer told me there was a 6' berm around the airport. She was right! The accumulated snow around the runways from the plowing was higher than my plane at some spots. It was also really cold. When we got there it was around 32F, but it was sunny and clear.

Noah and I enjoyed a nice brunch at Barnstormers, a cafe at the airport. I would recommend the restaurant for any flier looking for a good on-field place to grab a $100 hamburger (or omelet). Noah got to through a few snowballs, which we don't get to do very often in Las Vegas.

Overall, it was a great trip, at just under 1.5hrs each way, it is a great destination for fliers from Las Vegas or Southern Cal.