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Early morning flight

mchargmg

Well Known Member
Hey all,

For some reason I woke up early today and could not get back to sleep. So I decided to go flying. The hangar at my airport, KFLY, is about 35 minutes from my house. So after a bit of coffee, off I went.

Got to the hangar just after 0600. Pull out the Sabrina Lee. She looks good in the morning sun.
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Flew north out of KFLY, staying below the IFR approach to COS. Flew over to my home town Palmer Lake, nestled up against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
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We are about 15 miles north of the Air Force Academy, so I flew down there to listen to the cadets in the pattern at KAFA.
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Had to stay fairly high, as KAFA is towered, with controlled airspace. The air was fairly hazy this morning due to the fire in Breckenridge. You can sort of see the airfield below.

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They were busy as bees this morning. I actually teach at the Academy, and a colleague of mine in the Physics department is also an instructor pilot for the airfield. She was out flying this morning, and it made my day to hear her on the radio. What a great joy these planes bring us!

Blue skies,

Geoff
 
I love your early morning flight, I do the same all the time here in Minnesota. This morning it was partly cloudy and the air was rough.
 
geoff, dawn patrol is the best. never had the problem of not being able to sleep so i had to fly but sounds like a good reason to go flying.
wondering how your airport founded the FLY designation. that is so cool. some one was really thinking on that one. :D
 
Nice pics! I have a love/hate relationship with dawn patrol flying; I love to fly in the mornings when it's cool(er) and calm, but I hate getting up early, ugh.
 
I made a dawn patrol flight in my RV-8 on July 4th. Flew south from Denver Centennial to Palmer Lake, then followed the hogbacks north up to Ken Caryl Ranch, where I had to deviate northeast towards downtown Denver to avoid a flock of paragliders. I like early morning flights the best.

The smoke has really increased in the last 3 days.
 
I love your early morning flight, I do the same all the time here in Minnesota. This morning it was partly cloudy and the air was rough.

I was so tempted to fly this morning but with your PIREP glad I held off until tomorrow. Nothing better than a smooth Dawn Patrol flight over the MN/WI countryside.
 
Still Dreaming!

Still dreaming but can't wait for the early morning ride. And add on the fun of building your own plane. Thanks for sharing it!
Larry
 
wonderful post..
flew last Monday the 3rd to Okeechobee for breakfast in a CUB 1500 feet 75mph wheels up at 0700 it was just wonderful saw a RV6 that was up before us and blew right by us. SOME DAY SOON
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Had a 5:30am launch with my son last Sunday. Went to Brownsville for breakfast at Vera's backyard BBQ. No better time for genuine conversation. That alone was worth this price of admission.
 
July 4th Flying

Leadville, CO has a fly in every 4th of July. 9900 field elevation.
A very good excuse to "get up early" and play around in the mountains with the Colorado 14ers.
There were several Meadow Lake pilots there including Loyd in the RV4/8
and Lee in the Rocket.
007 came up out of VanAire.

Hope all you Colorado flyers will join us @ highest Commercial airport in USA next year.
All you flat landers are welcome too.

Joel
 
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