Friday Harbor/San Juan Islands

Kerry Stevens RV-8a site

Friday Harbor/San Juan Islands

I wanted to fly to Friday Harbor now that I was a part owner of a Grumman Cheetah, so I talked a friend into taking a quick Saturday exploratory flight to the San Juans on a less than ideal weather day.

The "Grumman View" shows off Olympia Wa.

Clouds, low broken, Learned about flying from that (LAFFT)

We got under this overcast about Kelso. When we got to the Olympics, they looked like you might imagine Mordor from the Lord of the Rings would look like. The tops hidden in very dark, roiling clouds. Fortunately Puget Sound and the San Juans were clear and sunny.

"HOLY CRAP" THAT was a cross-wind

I am pumped on adrenalin right now.

Winds were 25 from the SE and on Short final from the North it got VERY turbulent. We bounced around good but I kept it right side up and then made a textbook upwind wind wheel first touchdown and carefully taxied to the Transient parking.

Look at that windsock !!

Cheetah from the gate

A Rockwell Commander tried 3 times to land after us before he gave up and flew off. He came in very hot every time then floated a long way down the runway being bounced around by the rotors of turbulent air spilling off the trees and buildings of the hillside that is just upwind of the airport. I believe this wind condition is unusual and is a result of the frontal zone that we flew through getting there and flying home.

Turbine Otter taxis in.

Picturesque, no ?

Ahhhh....

Really pretty day in Friday Harbor though, and the poor weather on the mainland had kept the crowds home so we had lots of elbow room as we walked around the docks of the touristy area.

If you hurt yourself, I have never seen you before and somebody else posted this stuff here. No, I don't know who it was