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Arizona Family History Trip

crabandy

Well Known Member
On a previous trip to AZ, we left our contact info at an Old cabin/homestead in the Arizona Mountains. Long story short my Great Uncle Ivy's side of the family whom we've never met contacted us and we set up a family reunion. My dad tends to worry about a lot of things, I was planning on picking him up in Wichita at 6:30 am for our flight to AZ. After a 4 am txt about it being "awfully windy," I headed to the airport for an early start. After a 40 min Flight I picked dad up at 5:45 and off we went. There were strong gusty winds from the north down low which beat the 40 knt headwinds at altitude. There were also some narrow bands of OVC that we went on top of. Watching the sunrise behind us flying over an overcast.

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More scenery the further west, Here's New Mexico.

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Potty stop at KAEG.

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I recognized this special 6....

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More bands of OVC and snow, with reassuring bands of VMC through western New Mexico and Eastern AZ.

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The Mogollon Rim as we near our destination.

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5.8 hours of flight time and approximately 45 gallons we arrived in Payson in time for a late breakfast, with pie for dessert of course......

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We joined up with several aunts and hiked Tonto Natural Bridge Friday afternoon. The Pine Creek trail which followed the creek bottom and underneath the natural bridge was a challenge to say least. More of a make your way around and over boulders and trees than trail.

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If you can't tell by their smiles, they enjoyed the beauty and challenge the state park provided.

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Dad was pretty tuckered out on the hike out of the canyon.

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On Saturday we had the morning to do some flying, the reunion didn't start till the afternoon. A little internet research and a phone call gave us a really cool destination. Leaving Payson for a short flight south.

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A little different than Kansas flying.

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Theodore Roosevelt Lake, Bridge and Dam.

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The sun shining on Theodore Roosevelt lake.

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Base to final for Grapevine 88AZ, it was/is a forest service strip that has been opened up to public use (read the special restrictions) thanks to the Arizona Pilots Association and Recreational Aviation Foundation. They were having a campout/cookout this weekend.

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We were the second airplane to arrive, the first spent the night. I wanted to campout, but Dad wasn't too keen on camping even in AZ weather. In no time at all there were big tire planes everywhere. Someone was kind enough to take a pic of us.

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You can just see some Saguaros in the backgound while taxing for takeoff.

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Shortly after gathering at the reunion spot, my uncle received a call that his wife was in an accident and in the hospital. I grabbed my uncle and headed for the airplane and we made an impromptu departure for KPHX, enroute I coordinated with Cutter Aviation for a ride to the gate. I grabbed flight following with Albuquerque, after the handoff to PHX Approach I was given vectors and lower. I thought all in all this is going pretty smoothly until my requests for lower were ignored as we approached the airport. There was some mis-communication because as I was overflying KPHX at 4500 the approach controller asked where I was landing, when I stated "Sky Harbor" he advised I'ld be holding for over 30 minutes. I advised the controller of our situation and I can land short/long/maintain 170knts if it helps and he said he'd see what he could do. We held for about 15 minutes and were assigned 150 knts and vectored out to join final behind a B737 for Runway 25L. I maintained 150 knts on final and a glide path just above the B737 to avoid the wake turbulence, I almost didn't get my fixed pitch RV7 slowed down.

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My static idle is normally 500, but has increased to 620 since I've been playing with the timing. I really didn't want to think about a go around......An extended slip finally slowed the airplane enough to drop the flaps, hit the midpoint of the runway with a short taxi off H3 to Cutter. They met us at the airplane about 1 minute after shutdown and shuttled my uncle to his appropriate gate, just in time and the last one to board. I did get several nice compliments on my RV from the ground crew.

At this point I was pretty hungry and the arrival/departures were in full swing, eating sounded way better than sitting in an idling airplane for an hour. Cassidy, our chauffeur to the terminal gave me the keys to the courtesy car and directions to Carolina's for some local food.

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I ordered the Green Chili Burro......

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The Burro was so good I had to try a Green Chili Cheese Enchilada....

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Things at the airport were slowing down in about an hour so I snoozed in the lounge for about an hour, watched the PHX safety video on taxiing and hot spots, reviewed the airport diagram then headed out to the airplane. I was the only piston I could see except for a C310 without props pushed off to the side.

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Straight forward taxi to 25L where I had a front row seat to a line of jets landing right in front of me. After several minutes holding short I smelled something burning, Oh boy please not here.......after an initial once over of my airplane I realized it was the smoking tires of all the jets. :)

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All of my previous homework was worth it when I received the second part of my taxi instructions....."Caution 737 2.5 mile final, cross Rwy 25L taxi G7, F, F13, Hold short Rwy 25R." No time for writing, just reading back, complying and taxiing.

The iphone couldn't capture the view in person of the setting sun on the Mogollon Rim back at Payson.

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Great trip report Andy thanks! Good PIREP on Grapevine Airstrip too. I am planning a run in that direction in couple weeks thanks for motivation. :)
 
Great trip report Andy thanks! Good PIREP on Grapevine Airstrip too. I am planning a run in that direction in couple weeks thanks for motivation. :)

You'll have to also check out Pleasant Valley 24AZ.....

http://azpilots.org/images/attachments/PleasantValleyInfoPamphlet.pdf

Local pilots said the runway was in great shape, well graded and suitable to less off road aircraft. I was hoping to land there, but with rain/snow the previous day I'm leaving it for next time. Antlers restaurant is highly recommended if you can get there.
 
Another great write up Andy.
The words..."where there is a will, there is a way" comes to mind!
Wonderful pics too...all good but I especially liked the last one in the first post, where your Dad is at the lunch table but you captured your RV7 out the window, to photobomb the lunch pic...:cool:
BTW...the -7 is looking nice!
 
Another great write up Andy.
The words..."where there is a will, there is a way" comes to mind!
Wonderful pics too...all good but I especially liked the last one in the first post, where your Dad is at the lunch table but you captured your RV7 out the window, to photobomb the lunch pic...:cool:
BTW...the -7 is looking nice!

Thx Bob, I?ve been playing around with the polish thing. I?ve only done the initial compounding on the top surface, underneath is next. For now It lets me polish a little and then fly, gives me a chance to see how I like flying with and maintaining a polished airplane. After sitting outside for 4 days with frost/rain/snow/bugs it?s pretty dirty/water spotted, we?ll see how easy she cleans up.
 
This pic has been floating around our family memory box as long as I can remember, My Great Grandpa Dove-Great Uncle Ivy-Great Great Grandpa James standing behind one of their cabins.

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At one time my grandpa knew where the old cabin was located, but it's location has been a mystery for 25 years. By chance my brother's friend passed by this cabin and took a picture which my brother recognized when he was thumbing through his pictures at a later time. That friend guided us to the old cabin 2 years ago where a sign-in log had been placed by my Great Uncle Ivy's side of the family. They had also just recently discovered the cabin by chance. Here we are 2 years later making the hike up to the old cabin with another side of the family we've just met, if you don't see any people in the picture zoom in to find them. It really shows the scale/vastness.

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My dad leaning on a rock corral on the site of the old cabin.

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Most of the group that made the hike in front of the chimney/fireplace, only part of the cabin still standing.

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My relatives also had an adobe type cliff shelter about a mile away from the cabin.

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What would've been on the inside of the adobe shelter was my Great Uncle's inscription from Aug 30 1907, Coolest part of the trip for me.

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At the completion of the hike waiting on boats.

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We spent a day visiting a cemetery some relatives were buried in and hiking close to other possible home sites. Lots of graves with no markers.

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Second best part of the trip was the fruit/citrus, I pigged out on grapefruits-oranges-lemons that my new found cousins raised in their yards. These lemons are bigger around than a beer can and almost as tall with great flavor!

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On our departure day we needed to kill a few hours so the current ice storm through central Kansas could make its way east. I connected with another RV'er who was in town and flew to KSDL on a mission to buy some fresh oranges to haul home and have lunch and soak up some 70 degree sunshine. It's always great meeting RV'ers on the road!
I tried to make myself scarce around all the jets at KSDL, the rental car row had Ferrari's, Mercedes etc.

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Wx was looking favorable/as predicted early afternoon and we headed home, I was looking forward to catching a good tailwind and low fuel burn up high.

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The western edge of the OVC following the ice storm eastbound.

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We landed in Wichita after 3.6 hours flight time and we averaged just under 6 gph, hows that for economy! The ice covered ramp and 25 degrees was a bit of a welcome home I suppose.

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I was prepared to have to divert due to icy conditions at my home field, but with the winds right down the runway landing wasn't an issue. Taxing crosswind was a bit interesting on the skating rink ice, after a slow cautious taxi it was another awesome RV trip for the logbook.

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I enjoyed the cabin photo's. that's moving on at 19K! that's about 34 nautical miles / gallon. hard to beat. I'll be in Wichita for the WSU vs UC game next weekend. I hope they don't have ice.
 
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I enjoyed the cabin photo's. that's moving on at 19K! that's about 34 nautical miles / gallon. hard to beat. I'll be in Wichita for the WSU vs UC game next weekend. I hope they don't have ice.

Thanks Steve, upper 50's-60's next week......Kansas Wx. Feel free to swing by especially if you need beta testers for those fairings!
 
Thanks Steve, upper 50's-60's next week......Kansas Wx. Feel free to swing by especially if you need beta testers for those fairings!

I'll leave a set of the rudder clevis fairings for you at the airport (Jabara) with the lady at the counter for beta testing. But since you're a taildragger you might only be able to install one side. :)
 
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Great trip write-up

Andy, What a wonderful write-up. I love the photo of you under the name Ivy Crabtree that he carved on the rock. Fun and informative details on the entire trip. We are SO disappointed we couldn't join you. Drat the flu bug. Drat it!
Very happy for you and your family. Hope we get to see you soon.

Warm Regards,
Sandy and Roy
 
Andy, What a wonderful write-up. I love the photo of you under the name Ivy Crabtree that he carved on the rock. Fun and informative details on the entire trip. We are SO disappointed we couldn't join you. Drat the flu bug. Drat it!
Very happy for you and your family. Hope we get to see you soon.

Warm Regards,
Sandy and Roy

Sorry to have missed you guys, and hope you're feeling better soon. Here's to many more opportunities to connect throughout the US and beyond whenever we can!
 
I'll leave a set of the rudder clevis fairings for you at the airport (Jabara) with the lady at the counter for beta testing. But since you're a taildragger you might only be able to install one side. :)

Andy, I left a set of rudder clevis fairings for you at Jabara. WSU lost to Cincy by 1 point, but it was a good game. Travel time home from Wichita 2:53, 605 nm. A heck of a tailwind all the way. RPM 2330, Hg 19.2. Total fuel burn = 18.5 gallon. Not too bad. Steve

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Andy, I left a set of rudder clevis fairings for you at Jabara. WSU lost to Cincy by 1 point, but it was a good game. Travel time home from Wichita 2:53. A heck of a tailwind. Steve

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Sounds like I need to go to Jabara tonight and tell them I'm Andy Crabtree!

Seriously though, if you need delivery let me know. Also holler if you head this way to pick them up - I'll buy the burgers!
 
Steve, I can't wait to try the fairings out! Sounds like you picked a good game to see live, great tailwind for the way home too!

Kurt, I'll be in touch either way as both are great options!
 
Andy now I can brag I?ve been to Payson. And Apache and Deming... :D

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