Leg # 8 on this trip: Minneapolis MN to Cheyenne WY. Still on schedule.

November 26, 2014

It was not easy to leave the luxurious, warm and cousy palace of Jim and Véronique, knowing we would go to another cold and snowy place in certainly different circumstances.

Jim was already at work from 7 AM so he is missing from the photo in front of the a/c. The hangar was warm and extremely clean. One of my sailing medical-surgeon friends, commented that this hangar looked as clean as his operating room, if not cleaner.

before boarding the a/c in the warm hangar and towing it to the cold… – we had to say goodbye to Veronique

The flight was easy until the approach. We were forwarned by ATIS [Automatic Terminal Information Service] and by ATC [Air Traffic Control] for really bad weather at Cheyenne WY. At a given moment the visibility was reported as only 1/4 SM [Statute Mile, a strange American habit to use for visibility a shorter Mile. As a matter of fact 1.610 metres versus 1.852 meters for a Nautical Mile], so not enough to make a landing. It later appeared there were two big snow storms passing the airport. When we got closer we just “shaved” a cloud of intense snow at our right side.

after DEP in Minneapolis

close to O’Neil VOR at Nebraska heading to Cheyenne, Wyoming

So we could land just in between the snow storms. The tower instructed us to land on the right side of the runway since the left side was not cleaned as yet. We are sure that we never would have got such an instruction or if you wish permission in any European country. One of the nice things of flying inside the USA is that the flight controllers are extremely coöperatieve, flexible and inventive. No nonsens attitude. Just practical. They like to get you somewhere.

After landing the wind was still blowing 90 knots, but we had the nice prospect of our a/c getting premixed [with Prist, call it anti-freeze if you wish] Jet A-1 and heated hangarspace.

landing at Cheyenne Airport between 2 snow storms

the next snow storm is arriving…..

securing PH-PNG before the next snow shower

refueling in the sun – ……but look to the left – the next snow storm will start in a few minutes

About Cheyenne I cannot tell you much. In the first place I became ill, the taxi’s as well as the drivers are typically American (our first one wearing a Kepple, telling that Obama was a fool and having his truck full with his own stuff, then telling he was the owner of an aviation company), the steaks were enormous and there live only 55K people.

typical American taxi

the smallest available steak (16 ounces), already cut in two pieces

We asked in the restaurant for mineral water without ice blocks. We got all three glasses filled with ice blocks. Then they took our glasses away and came back with three even larger glasses filled with even more ice blocks. The third time they got it right. It happens all the time to me when in USA.

We are now on our way to Maarten and Tarini Wagener in LA and will write about our visit with them tomorrow.