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Posted By:
Nickens, Dan
Date Posted:
Oct 20, 2018
Description:
Day started about like the last one had ended, under clear skies with clouds to the east. The weather maps showed a lot of low clouds that way. The only way to get through in the clear was to go around central Texas. Instead of a straight shot to Louisiana and home, I needed to go south first.
Date Taken:
Sept. 23, 2018
Place Taken:
SE of Odessa, TX
Owner:
Nickens, Dan
File Name:
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Category:
Cross Country Reunion
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The lowering ceiling pushed me closer to the source of my go-juice. The good news was that I was going with the wind circulating around a low pressure sitting in the middle of Texas.
North of Texon, TX
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Closer to Source IMG 7515
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The ceiling just kept getting lower. Pretty soon I was at my personal SeaRey limit: 1000' agl. Time to turn southwest towards better weather before I had to figure out some tale to tell to the FAA for why I was out in this mess.
The problem was doubly bad because I expected it to get better based on the forecast, but it only got worse. I was squeezed below the descending overcast towards the hilltops. Pretty soon I was rationalizing that I might be too close to the hilltops, but I was okay over the valleys. True, I was at and only occasionally under my limit on an irregular basis, but most of the times I was sorta not breaking my code.
A tower that showed up first on the GPS but only vaguely appeared in the murk convinced me. Technicality of valleys or no, this was not working out. I pushed in the power and climbed into the gray overcast.
Carefully watching the flight display for possible traffic and tall towers, the airplane was soon above the minimum obstacle clearance altitude. Now all I do was keep climbing to get within reasonable radio coverage and find a frequency to confess my transgression.
Fumbling with my iPad to find a frequency on ForeFlight I failed to maintain the climb. The first I knew of a problem was increasing wind noise. A quick glance at the display was shocking. I was almost turned on wing's edge and descending rapidly. When I got control of the airplane again I was below the obstacle clearance altitude again.
I reestablished a climb, this time giving it my undivided attention. I figured I'd climb to 5000' agl, level out, then find the frequency.
At altitude I got the airplane level, trimmed it up, and went back to looking for the frequency. The iPad had turned off. I went through the touches needed to bring it back to life. It seemed to take an eternity to get back to the electronic chart.
When it came up something wasn't right. The airplane symbol on the chart was stationary. There was no groundspeed indication.
I quickly looked back to the flight display. It showed the airplane perfectly level. It showed a normal airspeed but no groundspeed.
My world made no sense. The engine instruments all showed normal for cruise flight, but the display appeared locked. Failed? No way.
I quickly looked to the GPS. It looked locked too. Desperately searching for something that worked I went back to the iPad. The airplane symbol there remained absolutely still. Three independent units all locked. That just made no sense.
Unless the GPS signal was being jammed! Had a I missed a Notam about some interruption of service over Texas?
I glanced into the surrounding gray outside the cockpit. It was uniformly un-informing. My entire universe was nothing but gray everywhere. And it was quiet. So quiet I could hear my own breathing. No wind noise. No engine noise. Just silence.
Everywhere was gray mist, it seemed, except for a small patch of lighter gray just off my left wing. As I stared the figure of a cowboy slowly came into focus. He was walking straight for me, his boots spreading a spray of gray mist.
My brain desperately tried to rationalize the vision. Had I come to a stop so smoothly I didn't feel it? I had read stories of airplanes in whiteout conditions smoothly grounding on snow-filled Arctic plains. But with no feeling of deceleration? It didn't make any rational sense.
But it was no ghostly apparition. As he got closer I could see he looked like something out of a wild west movie. He sort ambled over, shoulders kind of slumping, but staring right at me. And he was chewing gum. Working hard at it, never really closing his mouth.
He walked right up, his face almost level with mine, his legs sunk into the gray mist under the hull. He tapped on the canopy. "Anyone in there?" When I couldn't think of an answer, he asked again, "Say now, are ya in there or not?"
I shrank away, leaning into the passenger seat.
"Now don't get scared and start high tailing it outta here. I'm not advertising or trying to sell ya anything. If the mouthwash you're using is not the right kind, uh, tastes sorta like sheep dip, you'll just have to go right on using it. I can't advise any other kind. You'll just have to cut out garlic, that's the only thing I know."
Slowly opening my canopy I stammered, "What? Leave? Well, I really can't go too far anyway."
He let out a huge laugh, hands on hips, and leaning backwards. "Now that's a good un. Say, are you a politician?" I shook my head. "Well good, but they are the funniest fellas. Now, I'm guessing you'se a fly boy, ain't ya?"
I didn't know what to say. I nodded.
"Well, now, that's what I figured." He looked over the airplane, "Just a hunch, ya know. Well, anyway, now, Mr. Post ask me to annoy ya about some flying ya been doing. Ya know Wiley, doncha? He's the onlyest one eyed pilot I'd fly with, I reckon. He's a regular flying ace, but just now, he's busy fixing floats on his plane so's he sent me on over here to see if I could offer ya some advice."
"Advice?"
"Yup. That's jess some ideas, ya no. A man only learns in two ways, one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people. Most everybody's smarter than me, but I read a lot. I read at least eight newspapers per day. If I'm in a town with only one newspaper, I read it eight times, so I figure I can tell ya what I've learned."
"About flying?"
"Well, if that's what kinda advice ya want, I reckon I've done a bit. Did ya hear about the flying I did at the '28 Republican National Convention? Well, it's probably cause I'm a Democrat so I shouldn't a been flying there anyway, but the plane I was in flipped over on landing. That didn't slow me down, cause later I got a chance to ride in another and then I got spilled right out of it. Well, sir, I just brushed myself off an told that pilot, 'I’m going to keep flying until my beard gets caught in the propeller.'†He laughed again, rocking back and forth as the laughter gushed out in great torrents.
Finally he settled down to just a few guffaws. I stammered, "Um, you don't have beard." That set him off to riotous laughing again.
When the laughter fell off to snickering he said, "I ain't gonna argue with you about that. It don't matter anyway. People's minds are changed through observation and not through argument. Looks like you are lest wise observant."
"If I was a bit more observant I would be up here," I said dourly.
"There are three kinds of men. The ones that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves."
Now I laughed, figuring I was playing with an electric fence. Then I remembered where I was. I looked around. "I thought for sure I could get around these clouds based on the forecast. Now I have no idea what I've gotten into."
He smiled. "It isn't what we don't know that gives us trouble, it's what we know that ain't so."
"Well, it started out well, but then things went off track."
"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
That struck home. "I suppose so. I just kept going. That was just stupid."
"Well, now think on this: If Stupidity got ya into this mess, then why can't it get ya out?" He chuckled. "But you've got to go out on a limb sometimes because that's where the fruit is."
"Yeah, well sometimes you get the fruit, and sometimes the limb breaks." I figured the limb had snapped. I must be hallucinating. There was no fruit and no tree, only a philosopher cowboy.
He nodded his head. "This would be a great world to dance in if we didn't have to pay the fiddler."
I could see I wasn't going to match him for one liners. I decided to try and get somewhat more practical advice. "So, where are we, and how much is this going to cost me?"
"Now don't ya go worrying 'bout that. Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due. Wiley told me to get over here and point ya in the right direction."
"Okay. Where am I?"
"Well, ya right where ya were before I found ya. Heading mostly east, from the looks of it. Now, the thing is, you done got yourself in a bit of a jam. Blackberry from the looks of it. Ya know, kinda ugly lookin', with some hard seeds mixed in. The best way out of a difficulty is through it."
"That's what I'm trying to do. Get through it. Get through this....um, jam."
"Well, good sir, best advice I can give ya is, if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing is to stop digging."
"Huh? Right now I don't even know where the hole is!"
"Just goes to prove, when ignorance gets started it knows no bounds. Ya sure are way out of bounds. Ya gotta get back to doing what you already know to do but are too busy rushing around to do it."
I thought about that. "I was trying to find the right frequency to contact a Center controller on my iPad when I got distracted. I might be able find it on the EFIS."
"Don't know nothing about a padding round a ehfish. I do know nothing you can't spell will ever work. Lest wise it never works for me."
"EFIS: 'E' 'F' 'I' 'S", Electronic Flight Information System."
"Is that what it is? Huh. Now I've got some advice about that: 'Never miss a chance to shut up.'"
"That's funny. I suppose you've never heard of it."
"Everything is funny, as long as it's happening to someone else. Jess remember, everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects."
I just stared at him. If he was a hallucination he was a very realistic one. Light brown hair and dark eyes. A well used hat. Clothes that looked right out of a vintage film. The only thing that fit a hallucination was I didn't really understand what he was getting at. Well, that and the fact he was standing right outside an airplane whose instruments showed it to be 7000' in the air.
"I'm not too sure of any subject just now," I told him. "This is a first for me."
"Yessiree, things aren't what they used to be and never were."
"Is there any chance that you could skip the riddles and just tell me what is going on?"
He laughed, "That'd be letting the cat outta the bag, wouldn't it? Lettin' the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier 'n puttin' it back in." He smiled at that and his eyes seemed to twinkle. He was still chomping on that gum.
I was getting frustrated, and a little mad. Maybe mad at myself since he couldn't be real. I scowled at him.
"Oh, it's that way with ya, is it?" he said. "Hadn't ya heard: People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing." That was followed by a full blown laughing fit.
When he finally settled down, he put on a semi-serious face. "Now then, I was comin' here to give ya some advice. Ya don't have to take it."
"If I hear anything I can use I'll take it. Right now, nothing makes sense, especially you."
He shook his head. " A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries. So's how ya thinkin' I could be of help to ya?"
"How about telling me how to get back to reality? I just want to get to where I was going."
He nodded. "If you want to be successful, it's just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are doing. And believe in what you are doing."
"Right now I don't know what to believe in."
"Well, then, do the best that you can, and don't take life too serious. We are here just for a spell and then pass on. So get a few laughs and do the best you can. Live your life so that whenever you lose it, you are ahead."
I closed my eyes. I know how to fly. I love doing it. I just needed to get back to it. I told him, "Alright then. I'm thinking I'll just go ahead and fly. What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Heck if I know. I'm just hangin' around. Maybe I'll write a memoir. Yes, siree. When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do well, that's Memoirs."
"Uh, huh. Well, good luck with that. I'm going to try to get to the nearest airport now."
“I reckon ya can do it. If Lindbergh will fly the ocean, we ought to muster up enough courage to fly over one state, even if it's only Rhode Island. The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you if you don't let it get the best of you."
"Fine. Whatever. Thanks."
With that he reached up and pulled his hat in a kinda cowboy salute. "So long, pardner. Hope you get what you're after then." He turned and started walking away.
He hadn't gone two feet when he turned around with a big grin on his face. "Just one more little observation and suggestion. People are getting smarter nowadays; they are letting lawyers, instead of their conscience, be their guide. Always drink upstream from herd."
That caused him to erupt in laughter. It continued as he turned around and walked back into the mist.
I thought the laughter was still ringing in my ears after he was gone. It wasn't. It was wind blasting through the open canopy.
Quickly I looked at the GPS. It was moving. So was the iPad display. I could feel the airplane's normal vibration in the stick and rudder. My real world was back!
Now all I had to do was fly. I figured I'd let things settle into a bit of normality before changing anything. I thought needed to figure out what had happened so I'd know what to expect if it happened again.
I must have zoned out again, but I was quickly brought back by a message light flashing on the EFIS. I pushed the button and the message displayed, "Don't let yesterday use up too much of today."
Now that's some good advice (with apologies to Will Rogers).
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Getting into the Gray IMG 3311
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Dennis Scearce - Oct 21,2018
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That's got to be a record for number of cliches in one short story. Some were even keepers!
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 21,2018
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Not just clichés, Dennis. Quotes from Will Rogers (though they may not have been made with this in mind). It's amazing how many of his sayings are still part of the common discourse.
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The Texas hill country breaks from the high tableland into an eroded karst topography, with thin soil and lots of rocks.
Hill country west of Sonora, TX
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Banded Hills IMG 7521
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The weatherman had reported that Texas was getting wet. The Hill Country is known for its flash flooding. There was evidence below that the weatherman wasn't lying (this time).
SW of Sonora, TX
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Washed Out IMG 7525
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The hills were generally 400' to 500' high. They can be limestone or granite. There is a long geologic story underlying them, with a epic faults and long-buried mountains. The Balcones Fault System developed along with a continental collision that built the buried mountains, and that only quieted down after the coastal plain subsided a mere 15 million years back.
South of Sonora, TX
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Twisted Bands IMG 7527
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Once upon a time the Ouachita Mountains extended through Texas (350 to 240 millions years time back). The mountains were long ago buried, but still can be found in southwestern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.
Near Barksdale, TX
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Mountain Tombstones IMG 7545
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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It might be hilly, but not everyone is a hillbilly. The area is one of the fastest growing places in the U.S.
North of Barksdale, TX
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Hillbilly Housing IMG 7547
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The area may be growing fast, but there is still plenty of space available. In the western portion you can fly a long time without seeing a real person.
Near Leaky, TX
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Space Available IMG 7566
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The friendly attendant at Hondo provided upfront parking for the little plane, even though the ramp was busy with big jets coming and going. "What's up with all the jets?" I asked, thinking the town nearby looked a bit small for all the high rollers. "It's the millionaires coming in to shoot," I was told. "Like Dick Cheney?" I replied. Apparently that wasn't funny. I guess it's because he wasn't known for always hitting what he shot at.
Hondo, TX
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Happily Stopped IMG 3317
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Despite being politically incorrect, I was given the keys to the courtesy car for a ride down to lunch at Billy Bob's Burger Barn.
Hondo, TX
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Lunch with Billy Bob IMG 3319
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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What to do when the limestone mine is mined out: open an amusement park. The mine started in 1934 and was finished in 1988. Instead of filling it in, they sold it for a tourist attraction. The Six Flags Fiesta park opened in 1992.
San Antonio, TX
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Mine Reclamation IMG 7583
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Could a SeaRey fly through the old mine canyon? Sure. Even with the high voltage wires overhead? Sure. Hold my beer and I'll show you.
North of San Antonio,TX
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Unreclaimed Mine IMG 7592
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Don Maxwell - Oct 20,2018
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That is a really unusual one, Dan! It must have given the power company lawyers lots of fun. And what a challenge for airplane pilots, too.
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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It's a long way to downtown and getting longer.
Not so Near Houston, TX
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Moving Out IMG 7613
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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It was the long way around, but the big loop I took had avoided the worst weather. The sky even seemed to be clearing up nicely for a fuel stop at Pearland, TX (KLVJ). It was 2.8 hours from Hondo, mid-afternoon, and a long way to go to get away from the Houston's foggy forecast. That was tomorrow. Today the weatherman promised storms all the way to Florida. But that was just a forecast. The real weather (where I was) was delightful.
South of Houston, TX
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Long Way IMG 7628
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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So what if the clouds were a little low. Out over the open gulf and low marshes a SeaRey can flourish!
Texas Gulf coast
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Not so Bad IMG 3322
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The weatherman's prognostication was not to be so easily dismissed. The horizon held storms on the move.
Texas Gulf coast
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Growing Unease IMG 7644
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The weather was like water on the gulf coast: muddled. It was inviting to SeaReys, but off-putting in what might be hidden in its murky depths.
Texas Gulf coast
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Muddy Waters IMG 7649
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Greenery wasn't only spreading along the coast. It was spreading over the GPS, with a little yellow mixed in for emphasis.
TX - LA coast
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Spreading Greenery IMG 3328
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Louisiana was a green, green world. Green below and green ahead.
White Lake, LA
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Green World IMG 7692
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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Almost there, and, as usual, it just gets more dicey. As Paul Simon sang,
"You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away"
I was slipping and sliding between storms.
Louisiana Bayou
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Closing In IMG 3335
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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I broke through. There was only one storm out there, but it was heading my way.
Louisiana Bayou
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One Storm IMG 7727
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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It was a race. The airport in our crosshairs. The sun sinking low.
"Riders on the storm
Into this house we're born
Into this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone
An actor out alone
Riders on the storm....."
The Doors, as sung on the
Louisiana Bayou
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Riders on the Storm IMG 7743
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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I beat it! To the victor go the spoils! And spoiled I was: the courtesy car was a Jag!
Houma, LA
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Spoils of Victory IMG 3342
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Don Maxwell - Oct 20,2018
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When courtesy becomes luxury!
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Nickens, Dan - Oct 20,2018
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The storm was not amused. It rained on my parade.
I didn't care. I was out of Texas and the prospect of being indefinite grounding. I had covered 682 nm (785 statute miles) in 9 hours for a fine average of 87 mph. A direct route would have been 622 nm, only 60 nm more, but I wouldn't have gotten away from the weather.
And, of course, there is weather everywhere anyway. The forecast was for the storms to be back for another bite tomorrow.
Storm in Houma, LA
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Rain on Parade IMG 3340
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Flightlog Day 4
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