Maybe I’m just having too much fun but this is actually a “pre-quel” to the post I did regarding the HiMax test flight you may have seen.
Earlier that afternoon (it was a Friday afternoon and I had all my “deadline” work finished for my business) I took off just to get in the air with no particular destination in mind. The following are some things I saw that I thought were interesting enough to show you here. Mostly I’ll just let the captions and images carry this post.
Crossing K-15 at 12 O'clock High I bag a train on the adjacent track!
An interesting landmark between Derby and Mulvane, Kansas - a classic "roundhouse" barn
In past posts I have mentioned Cook Field a lot but never supplied any good pictures thereof. Here are three as I gradually close in.
Cook Field from the northwest at FL 6
Cook Field closer
I know a guy named Chuck Gantzer who built and owns a Pietenpol AirCamper. Here is his website. He is also building an “eco” house over at The Butler County Airpark. I decided to head over that way to see if he was around and also to check his home building progress.
The Butler County Airpark from the west at about FL 6
Chuck’s homestead is “above” the airfield from this perspective. It is the lot with the “S” shaped drive approaching the foundation. I see he has had a delivery of some more materials but as yet there are no walls or roof. I don’t see him around so I continue on.
Now that you’ve seen Cook Field and Butler County Airpark, we’ll head east so I can show you one of the untold engineering marvels of the last 10 years: The Canada to Texas pipeline.
A wide shot of the pipeline project from the west at about 600' AGL
The pipeline going under a county road
Halfway between Douglas, Kansas and Rose Hill, Kansas as far as you can see north and south the ground has been temporarily cut open and graded to provide the means to insert a 24″ pipeline. I am told it is for petroleum only and nobody can tap into it. It is just for Canadian oil heading to the refineries in Texas. If anyone has contrary or additional info please comment.
Directly over the pipeline at about 400' AGL shooting to the south
Above you can see the pipeline snake off toward Oklahoma and finally the Texas coast.
Interesting Milo Fields
Rather than the more standard “box shaped” fields I found these two adjacent milo fields aesthetically pleasing. Another down side of my little pocket cam is that it did not do justice to the color of these fields. They are a far more saturated orange – my favorite color.
One of the Milo Fields closer. Unfortunately the color is a pale comparison...
A lake near Mulvane, Kansas
After wandering out east I headed back toward Mulvane on the way back to my home field – Selby. Often I pass over this lake. I have never been to it by ground but I believe it is a park of some type. Today some kids were swimming and out in small boats. After taking this picture I performed some high bank turns and climbs for them to which they responded with enthusiastic waving.
Just a quarter mile from the lake I saw these guys harvesting a crop. I love to watch this from the air. They drive in formation while offloading the grain so the combine doesn’t have to stop.
The dust path gives an indication of the 20+ winds at the moment
As I headed back to Selby Field I saw smoke in the distance and decided to investigate. Following are the results.
In this last shot you can see the farmers (looking like specks) walking across the newly burned area.
Blue Skies & Tailwinds!
Brian FitzGerald