Land to the North...Uhh, the South....Uhhh

[rwanttaja]

Came across this picture in my files, thought I'd post it here. Took it from the front pit of a Stearman in the early '90s.

Note there's a little...uncertainty as to the wind direction. The smoke rises a bit then blows towards the northeast. Then it does nearly a 180-degree turn and heads south.
http://www.wanttaja.com/wind_inversion.jpg
I'm not fully certain as to where the plane was at, but I believe there's an airport (Cawley South Prairie) just beyond the smoke.

Ron Wanttaja

[Bill Berson]

That indicates virtually calm. No dispersal of the thick smoke.
The fire at lower right is opposite.

[HAPPYDAN]

Now you flyers that live in "other places" can see what a fun time there is to be had flying in lovely western Washington. That is our trademark Mountain in the background - Rainier.
Also looks like some ground fog (typical) may be present.

[rwanttaja]

That indicates virtually calm. No dispersal of the thick smoke.
With a temperature inversion, so the smoke only rises a bit then stays around the same level. Don't recall it on this flight, but there are been several Fly Baby trips where I remember it got distinctly warmer as I rose.

Ron Wanttaja

[rwanttaja]

Now you flyers that live in "other places" can see what a fun time there is to be had flying in lovely western Washington. That is our trademark Mountain in the background - Rainier.
I'm not "from" here, but have been flying Fly Babies in the Seattle area for over 30 years. It is, indeed, a great place for recreational flying...Where else can you see snow skiers and whales on the same trip?

I shot this over Tacoma's Commencement Bay... the city's salt-water harbor (you can see container ships offloading at the docks). There's Mount Rainier, again. I'm literally flying over sea water with a 14,000-foot mountain in the background. The white material in the water is silt brought down from the Rainier glaciers, carried to the bay by the Puyallup river.
http://www.wanttaja.com/cbay.jpg

Also looks like some ground fog (typical) may be present.

Here's some Pacific Northwest Ground fog... shot from my deck, happily. But only a few miles from where that Stearman photo was taken. The fog bank is about 300 feet deep (the trees are a spur of the same valley wall where I live)

http://www.wanttaja.com/fog.jpg

[Hal Bryan]

I'm not "from" here, but have been flying Fly Babies in the Seattle area for over 30 years. It is, indeed, a great place for recreational flying...Where else can you see snow skiers and whales on the same trip?

Happy memories of my 32 years living and flying in that area. When the weather cooperates, it's some of the most beautiful and diverse country in the world.