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Getting High
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Posted By: Nickens, Dan
Date Posted: Nov 16, 2018
Description: There was no rush to the airport. The sun needed time to burn off a thin layer of morning fog.

There was plenty of time to talk on the way to the airport with Deborah in her Lyft mobile. During our conversation she mentioned her children at home with her husband, a disabled Vet. They met in service in Afghanistan and became "Battle Buddies". He is still recovering from battle damage and she is still fighting for him with the VA. The docs keep pushing him towards radical surgery. She wants to help him work towards maximum recovery, even if that means more incremental surgeries. "They just want to get him off their workload, and don't consider what's best for him for the rest of his life." You could see the determination in her face, focused on the road but with a veteran's long distance stare. I'd want her on my side in any battle.

It's humbling to meet impressive people struggling with important battles to keep in perspective the luxury of flying a recreational vehicle on a cross-country lark.

The long range forecast for getting to the Seattle area was promising, except for Seattle. It was being hit by a stream of Aleutian lows. And they were spreading snow into the northern Rockies. And a southwest low was forecast to develop over the four corners area of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah. Which pretty much meant the U.S. was ugly from south to north in front of me.

Except, maybe, for a slim corridor right along the Mexican border. That's where I was headed, but I had an invitation to an overnight in Austin. Right on the way.
Date Taken: October 28, 2018
Place Taken: Slidell, Louisiana (KASD)
Owner: Nickens, Dan
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Category: Flexible Flight Plans
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Read what others had to say:

Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The Lake Pontchartrain Bridge seemed to reach forever in the dissipating mist. Instead of infinity, it goes for almost 24 miles. It might be the longest bridge continuously over water (unlike a Chinese bridge that is discontinuous), depending on who you ask. No matter. It's long.
Near Mandeville, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-2 Bridge to Infinity 8395
2-2 Bridge to Infinity 8395

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    A wet, tree-lined shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain offered no prospect of a parking space for emergency repairs. Fortunately I didn't need any. I recalled, however, a warming story of a Buccaneer that made an unscheduled stop deep in the bayous of Louisiana years back. He was taken in by some Cajuns, whom he could barely understand, fixed up and sent on his way with only a day or two delay. Whether it is a tale or not, it was a good listen.
Lake Pontchartrain, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-3 By the Bayou 8402
2-3 By the Bayou 8402

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    There are unmapped, and barely seen, hazards lurking in the backwaters of Louisiana bayous.
Near Lees Landing, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-4 Bayou Trap 8404
2-4 Bayou Trap 8404

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The swamp is not all primal gray in the fall. It almost looked festive.
Near French Settlement, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-5 Fall in the Bayou 8417
2-5 Fall in the Bayou 8417

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Thick scrub in the swamp kinda looked like shag carpet from above.
Near French Settlement, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-6 Swamp Carpet 8422
2-6 Swamp Carpet 8422

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    There was a sharp boundary between woods and swamp. I suppose someone one day drew a line in the swamp and said, "Pine on this side, swamp on that!" And so it came to be.
Near French Settlement, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-7 Edge of Woods 8436
2-7 Edge of Woods 8436

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Colors of the Bayou: the combination of greens and tans and yellows all worked together for that fall feeling, even though it was mostly summer-like in the air.
Near French Settlement, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-8 Swampy Creek 8444
2-8 Swampy Creek 8444

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Care must be taken when landing in a rain swollen river to avoid contributing to flotsam.
Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-9 Future Flotsam 8454
2-9 Future Flotsam 8454

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    "Me and my shadow we're closer than pages that stick in a book
We're closer than ripples that flow in a brook...." Sang Sammie Davis, Jr.
Mississippi River south of Baton Rouge, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-10 Two for the Water 8456
2-10 Two for the Water 8456

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    There are plenty of distractions when playing on big water but vigilance is essential to avoid getting snared in big wires.
Mississippi River Near St. Gabriel, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-11 Big Web 8467
2-11 Big Web 8467

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    It's not really THE Yellow River, and it may not be a river, but it is yellow.
Near Grosse Tete, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-12 Yellow River 8478
2-12 Yellow River 8478

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The Swamp Expressway crosses the Atchafalaya River Basin. Though commonly hosting cars and trucks, it looked like it had a fine seaplane lane too. The auto bridge and seaplane runway stretch for more than 18 miles, making it like the third longest bridge in Louisiana. Or the U.S. Or somewhere. It's long.
Atchafalaya Basin Bridge (I-10), LA 		     Attachments:  

2-13 Seaplane Lane 8482
2-13 Seaplane Lane 8482

    
  
Don Maxwell - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Just for fun I tried looking it up in the Water Landing Directory. Couldn't find it there--so it must be not closed. which is all one might need to know.     
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    This is what the Swamp Expressway builders had to cross, thick with trees standing in thick green water with snakes, alligators and mosquitoes.
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-14 Swamp Things 8490
2-14 Swamp Things 8490

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The Atchafalaya River basin is 140 miles long, covering almost a million acres of the Mississippi River's original floodplain. It is the largest river swamp in the U.S., larger than the Everglades. It looked pretty solid too, with not many opportunities for seaplane splashing.
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-15 No Easy Splashes 8491
2-15 No Easy Splashes 8491

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    There were a few openings in the swamp, but not anything too attractive for SeaRey splashing, though the yellow stuff was a nice touch.
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-16 Seriously Swampy Water 8494
2-16 Seriously Swampy Water 8494

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    One open area had dead or dying trees, but lots of living colors.
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-17 Not So Dead Zone 8499
2-17 Not So Dead Zone 8499

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Water so thick and green that even the shadow of a dying tree looked lush.
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-19 Green Swamp Water 8508
2-19 Green Swamp Water 8508

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Finally some open water in the Atchafalaya River!
Atchafalaya River, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-20 Open Swamp Water 8510
2-20 Open Swamp Water 8510

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Levee and water runways to keep the restless river in, get the irrigation water out to the fields, and offer temptation to wondering SeaRey pilots.
West of Arnaudville, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-21 Swamp Containment 8530
2-21 Swamp Containment 8530

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    A rudely harvested field raked by a farmer with no propensity to stay within the lines.
Near Church Point, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-23 More Green Contours 8556
2-23 More Green Contours 8556

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Looks like a wired leaf. Is all that greenery more evidence of an abundance of fall rain?
Near Church Point, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-25 Leaflike 8564
2-25 Leaflike 8564

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    If the greenery was evidence of a lot of rain, the brownery must be a spot the rain missed. Or maybe it just dried quickly because of raining electromagnetic radiation?
Near Church Point, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-26 Brown Contours 8568
2-26 Brown Contours 8568

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    A well reviewed fly-in restaurant operated by retired delta pilot was just a short deviation from my flight path. Sadly it wasn't open Sunday morning.
DisCajunResturant LA52 		     Attachments:  

2-27 Flyin Food 8582
2-27 Flyin Food 8582

    
  
Don Maxwell - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Too late for this trip, of course, Dan--but while it's on my mind: for another trip, about 18 nm north of Birmingham AL is uncharted Campbell's field, a N-S grass strip with a restaurant right on the east side of it. 33.846550 -86.898760.      Attachments:  

Restaurant at Campbell's Field
Restaurant at Campbell's Field

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Pretty water to look at, but not to play in.
Near Hathaway, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-29 Water Colors 8594
2-29 Water Colors 8594

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Flatlands in rich alluvial plains help Cajuns produce the most sweet potatoes, rice and sugarcane grown in the U.S. of A.
Near Hathaway, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-33 Flat Out 8600
2-33 Flat Out 8600

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Water and electricity mixed.
Near Hathaway, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-34 Wet and Wired 8610
2-34 Wet and Wired 8610

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    This is a death zone for deer in fall.
South of Indian Village, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-35 Killing Fields 8614
2-35 Killing Fields 8614

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Evidence of recent rains in Texas and Louisiana could be found in all the streams. I didn't land, but waited until finding fuel at DeQuincy Industrial airport (5R8) after 3.4 hours.
Calcasieu River near Topsy, LA 		     Attachments:  

2-36a High Stream 8617
2-36a High Stream 8617

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The fall scrubbery had kinda of an impressionist look from above.
North of Bessmay, TX 		     Attachments:  

2-36b Colored Planting 8631
2-36b Colored Planting 8631

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Inserting order into disorder?
Near Naches River, TX 		     Attachments:  

2-37 Dirt Work 8637
2-37 Dirt Work 8637

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    An opportunity to make waves in perfectly placid water was too enticing to ignore. Was Lake Livingston open for seaplanes? The SPA app didn't know. But it is in Texas. There were motorboats on the lake. Under the Texas Seaplane Bill of Rights (Section 1, Title 3, Paragraph 26), "Aquatic Aircraft" are not to be prohibited where motorboats abound without due cause. That was enough for me. If I had Internet and knew I was going there, I would have checked the Texas Seaplane Guide (http://texasspa.tripod.com/). My ace in the bilge, though, was that there wasn't anyone anywhere close enough to catch me!

A short while later I stopped at Coulter Field (KCFD) in Bryan, TX for fuel after only 2.4 hours in the air and on the water.
Lake Livingston, TX 		     Attachments:  

Texas Seaplane Guide
Texas Seaplane Guide

       Attachments:  

2-38 Messing with Water 8656
2-38 Messing with Water 8656

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Normally the Brazos River is a bit slow and shallow. Not this day. It was full and fast. Not an attractive opportunity for aquatic aircraft, particularly with the fast moving debris roiling in the water.
Brazos River, Texas 		     Attachments:  

2-39 Full and Fast 8668
2-39 Full and Fast 8668

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    The yellow trees at water's edge looked inviting, but the pond was too small.
Near Liberty Hill, TX 		     Attachments:  

2-40 Taste of Fall 8690
2-40 Taste of Fall 8690

    
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 16,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Fortunately there was an airport nearby, Liberty Hill Airpark. Unfortunately it was closed by Notam. Fortunately the owner opened it for me, gave me a tour, took me to dinner, and provided luxury overnight accommodations.

It was only 1.4 hours to XS12 from the last stop, but a total of 7.2 hours for the day, covering 490 statute miles for an average of 68 mph. Two days and only half way through Texas. Day 3 would need to be an opportunity to improve upon that position.
Liberty Hill, TX 		     Attachments:  

2-41 Ground Truth 8695
2-41 Ground Truth 8695

       Attachments:  

2-42 Flight Path 1028
2-42 Flight Path 1028

    
  
Dennis Scearce - Nov 17,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    I donno Dan. Maybe 490 sm by the chart but it looks to me like you did about 100sm of meandering. That would be 590sm and 82 mph!!     
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 17,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Were you tracking me on ADS-B, Dennis? I worried about that. My story of persistent headwinds was getting pretty thin by the end of the flight!     
  
John Dunlop - Nov 25,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    Deborah's story was heart rending! Thank you for that

Our Canadian VA has not received enough government support either.
However, with back arthritis and now progressing hearing and eyesight degradation a few years ago I applied to Workers
Comp and they ruled not work related. My ENT specialist suggested otherwise and recommended a VA claim dating back to
my 1969 ejection! I let this slide for months and then filled in a claim online sent and it to my ENT specialist. I have no
idea what he did, wrote or what, but six months later out of the blue I received a VA cheque for $73,080! We looked at
each other dumbfounded! For a hearing aid? For glasses? For painkillers? Whhaaattt?
There was a ton of paper options etc. that accompanied the cheque and they obviously had my service file so this was not
an un researched mistake...
I toyed with asking questions but the boss overruled me. Her eyes were spinning like a cruise ship slot machine. So now I
feel guilty when I hear about our vets and their disabilities.. 		    
  
Ken Leonard - Nov 27,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    John - I work for The VA (in US). I won't say its policy but I will say it's not unusual for first request to be denied and second to be
approved. Denial frequently generates meaningful additional supporting data from the Vet which gives the compensation folks a leg
to stand on when they get audited. Sounds cold but no doubt a congressional audit is cold also.

I am just scheduling my first compensation review - hoping to get hearing aids after 35 yrs working on and around jets. I also want
the burn pits in my file if I get cancer as several of my fellows already have. 		    
  
Dennis Scearce - Nov 25,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    I'd say you earned it.     
  
Don Maxwell - Nov 25,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    John! Cash that thing and keep moving!     
  
Nickens, Dan - Nov 25,2018   Viewers  | Reply
    You’re not guilty, John. You earned your benefits the hard way. An ejection is no paper cut in a storeroom clerk’s office. Vets who
have put their life on the line deserve every consideration the protected class can pay them. 		    


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