May 23, 2021 - Day Four, Flight One
|
||||||
Looking south at Gainesville after takeoff. There's not much to Gainesville that I could see, although I didn't spend any time exploring the town. Interstate 35 -- pictured below -- runs through it, north to south. |
||||||
I backtracked across Lake Texoma to pick up the Red River where I had left it yesterday afternoon.
As you can see, the weather is not the best. From the forecast, I knew I would probably fly through some rain today.
|
||||||
Heading east about to get back on the Red River heading west. | ||||||
I'm on it!
|
||||||
Here we go! | ||||||
This area looked like they had excavated sand or something from the earth. | ||||||
Approaching the dam and Lake Texoma.
|
||||||
A "Welcome to Texas" center on Highway 75. | ||||||
A sandy island in the big lake.
|
||||||
Passing by a private grass strip named HiTex. | ||||||
Following Lake Texoma as it starts to narrow back into the Red River. | ||||||
The river now has a pinkish hue. | ||||||
Definately the Red River now.
|
||||||
Heavily wooded on each side of the river now. Texas on the left and Oklahoma on the right. | ||||||
As I flew over Interestate 35, with Gainesville to the south, I saw the huge WinStar World Casino Resort to the north. Probably better accomodations there than what I experienced, LOL. But apparently the place is very popular and I doubt if I would have been able to get a room. | ||||||
Heading out on the Red River into some remote country. | ||||||
A house all by its lonesome in the woods but with a good view.
|
||||||
Something you see a lot of in Texas and Oklahoma: oil pumps and storage tanks. I think these two have been retired for a long time though.
|
||||||
The river winded back and forth dramatically in this area. | ||||||
Some serious sand bar action. | ||||||
A fruit orchard? | ||||||
A rare site on the Red River: a huge waterfront estate where the boat house is as large as an average house. | ||||||
Flying through some light rain now.
|
||||||
Having fun flying the Red River. | ||||||
The rain was getting heavier so I decided to divert to a nearby airport and regroup. I have excellent information in the cockpit on airports and weather, thanks to XM Satellite Weather and Foreflight on an iPad. Kickapoo Downtown Airport in Wichita Falls looked like a good place to stop: good avgas price and courtesy car. | ||||||
On left base for Runway 17 at Kickapoo Downtown Airport (KCWC). Kickapoo Downtown had a very nice FBO building and comfortable pilot's lounge. I borrowed the courtesy car and went downtown for a great breakfast at The HIghlander Public House. It wasn't raining at the time, but when I got back to the airport it started raining. A Decathelon landed in the rain. I talked with the pilot who had just acquired the plane and was ferrying it back to his home airport in northern California. We were both waiting on the weather. |
||||||