Back in the USA
Today we make the short hop back to the USA. Peter catches a taxis and picks me up. Early in the morning he had been called by the Canadian ATC to clarify our flight plan, two plans were in the system. Two plans were in the system due to Rocket Route not accepting an eApis submission from departing airport CAT4, Qualicum Beach, so RR routed from CYCD for the eAPIS and Foreflight for CAT4.
At Qualicum airport we met a women who ran the skydiving company, she liked guys in uniform, she seemed to like me a lot! We promised to exchange facebook plugs and set off for the USA.
I had checked in with customs yesterday to make sure they were there. They seamed friendly enough on the phone so we were hopful of an easy entry. We were not disappointed, not as easy as flying into Nome but pleasant enough.
In Bellingham, our port of entry, we filled up with fuel, but were charged a facilities fee, not sure why, they even had a sign claiming to be a cheap as self serve! I think we were ripped off.
Next was the home of the Spruce Goose, Howard Hugh's big bird of a sea plane. The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the "Spruce Goose", although it was made almost entirely of birch.[2][3] The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and it has the largest wingspan of any aircraft that has ever flown.[4][N 1] It remains in good condition and is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, United States.
Our flight was uneventful and we made it straight into the Museum. We were met my Terry who showed us around. This Museum is the best aviation museum I have been to, and it is more enjoyable than NASA, Cape Canaveral.
The Goose is truly big, we even were allowed onto the cockpit. The Cockpit is higher than on a 747, it is around 30+ft above ground. Shame to think that it only flew once. Hughes was safety conscious and the plane has multiple back up systems and many fire precaution systems, it is made of wood! Amazingly, when it was built it would have stilled catered for smokers, ashtrays were built into the upper deck seats. To help realize how big it is, it was designed to carry 720 troops.
After the tour around the Museum we are taken to the local legion for dinner by Terry and a buddy of his called Angel.
Dinner finished I pop into Mc Minnville and check out the local scene. The town is a very quaint town and very American in a western manner. Here I pop into the Oregon Hotel for a beer. The Oregon Hotel only serves craft beer and Micro Brew Beer. I explain to them that they are Micro Brew and Craft beer for a reason and I would like some US Domestic beer. I have to find another place so pop of to the Blue Moon bar. This is a bit more spit and saw dust.
Back to our Hotel, the Red Lion and off to bed.
At Qualicum airport we met a women who ran the skydiving company, she liked guys in uniform, she seemed to like me a lot! We promised to exchange facebook plugs and set off for the USA.
I had checked in with customs yesterday to make sure they were there. They seamed friendly enough on the phone so we were hopful of an easy entry. We were not disappointed, not as easy as flying into Nome but pleasant enough.
In Bellingham, our port of entry, we filled up with fuel, but were charged a facilities fee, not sure why, they even had a sign claiming to be a cheap as self serve! I think we were ripped off.
Next was the home of the Spruce Goose, Howard Hugh's big bird of a sea plane. The Hughes H-4 Hercules (also known as the "Spruce Goose"; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use during World War II, it was not completed in time to be used in the war. The aircraft made only one brief flight on November 2, 1947, and the project never advanced beyond the single example produced. Built from wood because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, it was nicknamed by critics the "Spruce Goose", although it was made almost entirely of birch.[2][3] The Hercules is the largest flying boat ever built, and it has the largest wingspan of any aircraft that has ever flown.[4][N 1] It remains in good condition and is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon, United States.
Our flight was uneventful and we made it straight into the Museum. We were met my Terry who showed us around. This Museum is the best aviation museum I have been to, and it is more enjoyable than NASA, Cape Canaveral.
The Goose is truly big, we even were allowed onto the cockpit. The Cockpit is higher than on a 747, it is around 30+ft above ground. Shame to think that it only flew once. Hughes was safety conscious and the plane has multiple back up systems and many fire precaution systems, it is made of wood! Amazingly, when it was built it would have stilled catered for smokers, ashtrays were built into the upper deck seats. To help realize how big it is, it was designed to carry 720 troops.
After the tour around the Museum we are taken to the local legion for dinner by Terry and a buddy of his called Angel.
Dinner finished I pop into Mc Minnville and check out the local scene. The town is a very quaint town and very American in a western manner. Here I pop into the Oregon Hotel for a beer. The Oregon Hotel only serves craft beer and Micro Brew Beer. I explain to them that they are Micro Brew and Craft beer for a reason and I would like some US Domestic beer. I have to find another place so pop of to the Blue Moon bar. This is a bit more spit and saw dust.
Back to our Hotel, the Red Lion and off to bed.
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