Spring has sprung---in Kansas!
The off and on again rains have ceased (for now) and a window opened up Sunday March 28 that was suitable for flying. That day was and is bordered by winds gusting to 50 mph, but Sunday the winds were 10 mph with gusts at 1000 feet at 20 mph. Certainly tolerable weather for an hour of pleasure flying.
Leaving Cook Airfield (K50) I headed almost due South for 30 miles to Oxford Field (55K) as opposed to my normal local flying. I was mostly reassuring my confidence in the GPS and just wanted to go someplace I hadn't been in a few years.
Temperature was just under 60 degrees and the sky mostly clear, however the pungent odor of burning grass and intermittent smoke haze detracted somewhat from the flight. At this time of year, farmers burn their fields on a three-year rotational basis. This eliminates weed seeds and allows the sun's heat to warm the earth for this year's emerging Brome Hay.
Fields will be cultivated and planted with cotton, soybeans, corn, and other seasonal crops. The winter wheat planted last fall is already about 6" tall. The topography is a mixture of burned & cultivated fields, new wheat, windbreak tree lines, watersheds, and the Arkansas River. A refreshing view from my previous flight when everything was mostly brown.
Enjoy the photos of my little flight, there will be more. Hopefully I can join up with others for those $25 hamburgers. (The $100 burger costs less in my AirBike!)
Paul D. Fiebich a.k.a. AirBike Ace
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