Townsend: One down, 15 to go!
Cold Morning
Having been thwarted by the weather last weekend we were determined to try again today. Liftoff at 8:15 am from KBZN saw sunshine and 5 knot variable winds, however a very big weather system was creeping its way eastward from the west so we knew we'd be in a little bit of a rush if we weren't planning on reviewing a Townsend Hotel as well. We got a few little bumps during the descent but the wind was right down runway 16 according to the wind sock so no crosswind practice today.
At touch down in Townsend there was a wall of grey creeping it's way down the eastern slopes of the valley. We decided perhaps a cup of coffee and a piece of pie might be in order as opposed to a full on breakfast. The TAF forecasted low ceilings and snow by noon.
The warm and cozy pilots lounge was comfy enough but we needed to get the courtesy Van running and get to town! While the van was warming up we met a nice local fellow name Tony Silvestri. Tony is a local instructor and recommended the airport mechanic and the Cowboy restaurant in town. Townsend's FBO has a highly recommended mechanic and very competitive fuel prices. Actually a number of Gallatin Valley and Helena plane owners come to Townsend for service.
Check out our review of Townsend's courtesy car and the Cowboy restaurant.
The run home was 1500 feet lower and just under the clouds which had moved clear to the horizon in all directions. We took the Lewis And Clark route over the Missouri in order to stay VFR. By that point the system was "in" and the air was stable. Touchdown in Bozeman was winds less than 5 knots and variable. Smooth smooth.
Still hungry we went to breakfast at the Country Kitchen in Belgrade and discussed our next trip. Ennis it is... but perhaps lunch this time. 7am on a saturday morning in sub freezing weather is for the birds..literally.
B.E.
Townsend eludes us…
We had planned on making Townsend our first visit on the list, but alas the ceiling is a bit low this morning and we'd rather not "scud run" to our first destination. We'll try again next weekend.
Part of living in Montana is working with the weather. Also I'm getting plenty of practice reviewing the weather information from NOAA, and making the go-no go decision. That's okay I'm getting much better at reading TAF's and METARS without much translation lag.
As I mentioned our first destination is likely to be Townsend. I'm looking forward to our visit. Townsend (8U8) is easy to spot and what looks to be a recently resurfaced runway. Lindsay and I did about 6 landings there while preparing for my checkride. The airport is right next to the rodeo grounds, and has a little road leading up to the runway threshold. It looks like an extended centerline and is great for lining up on runway 16. New pilots like me need every que.
So that's it for this weekend, we'll give it another shot next weekend. The sporty's catalogue just arrived so I guess I'll look up christmas present suggestions.
B.E. 11-14-09
