Back in the Air Again

It was time to travel from Washington to California again and 997 was rearing to go having just come out of her annual inspection. Every year we think it will be a quick process, but as usual it took almost a month. We departed Bellingham IFR to practice with our new IFR certified Garmin GNS 430. After departure we followed V165 southeast along Whidbey Island.

This route kept us west of the congested Seattle airspace. At Olympia we picked up V204 to Hoquiam and then south on V27 all the way to Southern California. We like this route because there are usually fewer bumps and buildups over the cooler coastal waters.

Our destination for the first night was Siletz Bay Airport (S45) at Gleneden, Oregon. It is our favorite stop southbound when skies are clear (there's no IFR approach). We camp next to our airplane so we can get an early start in the morning. If there are low coastal clouds, Tillamook Airport (KTMK) is an alternative airport that has an IFR approach with airplane camping. The Side Door Cafe is within walking distance of Siletz Bay Airport. This is handy since we don't like to carry all of the supplies needed for cooking. Tillamook has a more improved camping area, but a taxi is needed to get to town and restaurants.


I just found a great private aviation travel destination site. It's called Adventure Pilot and the website can be found at www.adventurepilot.com. You can sign up for free to view and post destinations with pictures and details. A handy map allows you to find users and locations across the United States and Canada. Check it out if you want to find a good restaurant, place to stay or that infamous "100 dollar hamburger." You can also see my posts about Siletz Bay Airport and the Side Door Cafe. -- Margy