July 29, 2024 - Alaska Flight
Day 1: Essex Skypark to Menomonie, Wisconsin
Today's the day.  Heading north to Alaska!  The plane is all packed up.  As you can see, it's filled to the brim.  I'm carrying survival equipment and food, tools, camping equipment, extra oil, plus the usual clothes and stuff.  I'm wearing a survival vest.  Today will be mostly a transit flight.  My destination is Menomonie, Wisconsin which has a courtesy car.
   
One last look at Essex Skypark.
   
Looking south down Interstate 83 as it heads into Baltimore.  Traffic is bad heading into Baltimore.  No traffic for me, though.  The sky is empty!
   
Crossing the Appalachians in typical East Coast summer haze.
   
Passing by Wheeling Airport, West Virginia, next to the Ohio River.  It seems like I always end up passing by this towered airport on my west.  But I've never landed at Wheeling; will have to one of these days.
   
Looking north up the Ohio River.   As you can tell from the power plant smokestacks down there, I'm heading into the wind.  Pretty typical when heading west on a long cross-country.
   
Approaching Port Bucyrus/Crawford County Airport which is one of my favorite airports.  It's attended by very friend people with good fuel prices and support.  I used their courtesy car to drive to Lulu's for a delicious breakfast.  While I was sitting on the couch talking with the attendant, the airport cat jumped onto my lap and went to sleep.
 
 
   
Back in the air, continuing west.  I'm in farm country now.
   
Looking down at some massive distribution centers.
   
Passing by Morris Municipal Airport (C09) in Illinois.  It's just southwest of Chicago -- only 37nm from Chicago Midway International Airport.  Coincidently, I would stop at this airport for fuel on the way home from Alaska.
 
From here, I altered my course northwest.
   
Definately farm country.
   
A big freight train passes in the other direction.
   
Looking down at a nice grass airport.
   
This leg to Menomonie was too long, almost four hours.  I should have stopped somewhere for a break.  Instead I go down low to fight the boredom and have some fun.
   
Passing by a nuclear power plant cooling tower.
   
Passing over the Black River.  I'm now flying almost parallel to the mighty Mississippi River and the Black flows into it to the west.
   
Looking east at the Chippewa River.
   
And west at the Chippewa which empties in to the Mississippi not too far in the distance.
   
Finally I arrive at Menomonie Municipal Airport (KLUM) in Wisconsin, just west of Eau Claire.
   
Parked on the ramp at Menomonie.
   
This airport is a little unusual in that it has a nice little terminal building but the FBO is not there.  The FBO is in a corner of this hangar.
   
The FBO person was very friendly and gave me the keys to the below courtesy car.  Definately an ex-cop car.
   

The nice terminal building.

I wasn't feeling well for some reason on the last, long leg (3+45 hours).  So when I checked into the motel around 5PM, I just fell on the bed and went to sleep.  I woke up 3 hours later, decided I wasn't hungry enough to go out for dinner, and just went back to sleep.  I ended up sleeping almost 14 hours!  I felt much better next morning.
   

 
   
 
   
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