In Scottsbluff, approaching the Rocky Mountains

Hello from Scottsbluff, NE  (KBFF)

Today, despite I flew 331 nm I did not leave the state of Nebraska. I crossed it in a diagonal from SE to NW. This puts me ready to start the Rockies tomorrow, weather permitting.

The trip today was "uphill"; I started at Beatrice at 1,323 ft and ended in Scottsbluff at 3,967 ft. The plains were morphing into high plains and some hilly terrain but not mountain yet, as I progressed.

There was some headwind but not much. I managed an average speed of 97 kt.

When I took off at Beatrice the weather in Scottsbluff was still below minimums, but the forecast was that it would improve. That was the case. During my trip I was checking the weather at destination and the ceilings were increasing until it became VFR. Otherwise I would had had to divert to another airport.

As a curiosity, air traffic control (ATC), flight following, asked me if they could do some radio tests along the way. Apparently not many aircraft are usually in that area and they wanted to check different frequencies that may work better.

This morning I took another picture at a different sign for Beatrice Airport next to the road. I saw it yesterday while leaving the airport, but my old Buick was keeping me quite busy, while the engine was stopping and starting. I propose we start a fund raising for a new courtesy car for Beatrice. What do you think?

Short after leaving Beatrice I crossed the Big Blue river, which goes across town. (See picture).

I did not take a picture because it was not big nor blue. Nevertheless it is a very cute snaky river.

This is the airport at Fairbury. Nothing special about it, only that as I passed by an airplane was taking off from the grass strip. (Which can only bee seen in the zoomed picture below, and even though...). It is very beautiful to see other aircraft flying while you are flying. It has to do with the relative movement, I guess. So I could not resist.

The little airplane in white in the concrete area and its shadow on the dirt close to the bottom of the picture.

This is how the day looked like today most of the trip. I started to see hilly terrain and more cattle ground than agricultural land.

 This is (a very bad; blurry) picture of a cute ranch I encountered on my way. It had a pond, cattle, a nice house and a creek. (I swear!)

Getting closer to the cloud layers, at about 6,500 ft - 7,000 ft.

More clouds and hilly terrain as I progress to North West Nebraska.

Do not despair, there are still plains and farmland. I am still in Nebraska!

Landing at Scottsbluff, runway 30 (KBFF). Winds variable at 03 kt. High approach.



N669TW on the tarmac after landing.

No courtesy car today, but the hotel shuttle would come and pick me up right at the airport.

As you have been noticing all airports have different names. So Scottsbluff is also KBFF and also Western Nebraska Regional Airport.

Pick your choice...!

While I am waiting for the hotel shuttle I take this picture looking West toward the Rockies (looking home). This is the direction I am supposed to take tomorrow...    This also explains how the weather was like in Scottsbluff this morning.


This was my track log today:

(See? they always put the UNITED STATES letters in Kansas or Nebraska, but they were not there. I promise!)


Totals for the day:

• 331 nm
• 3 hours, 24 minutes 

Someone asked about my last post's question on Kansas City being in Missouri and not in Kansas. This is the best explanation according to Yahoo Answers:

Best Answer:  It was first named the town of Kansas because it was located at the area where the Kansas river emptied into the Missouri river in the Missouri territory. The territory of Kansas was at the time part of Texas. When Texas became part of the United States it was divided into territories. When the territory of Kansas was created the Missouri Kansas border was established at the junction of the Kansas and Missouri rivers and due south.
Part of the town of Kansas was in Kansas and most of it was in Missouri.
The town of Kansas was renamed Kansas City, MO and the small part of The town of Kansas that was on the Kansas side merged with Armordale, KS and became Kansas City, KS.

(Of course!)


OK. This was all for today!  Now I have use some time to fine tune my route for tomorrow in the mountains. 

All best,

Eduair   :-)