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Following Bryce Canyon, we moved on to Lake Powell/Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.  This area is a trike flier's delight.  The captivating landscape is unlike anything most easterners have ever seen.  There is not green here -- only the deep blues of the sky and water integrated with the reds and oranges of the steep and highly carved sandstone canyon walls.  There are only two ways to appreciate Lake Powell -- by boat or by air.  This time we took the high road; next time we'll bring our jet skis.  We say things no boater or jet skier ever sees.

By now it was late October, and early winter storms were developing.  We waited them out and were rewarded by some of the best flights of our adventure.  Lake Powell is one of the largest man-made lakes in North America.  It is 185 miles long and more than 500 feet deep (when full), and has more shoreline than the West Coast.  Needless to say we were only able to explore a tiny fraction of it during our brief stay.

One of the key landmarks of the area is Tower Butte, which rises 1,000 feet above the surrounding plateau and looks much like Devils Tower in Wyoming.  Just a few miles west of Page, Arizona, is the Glen Canyon Dam and Horseshoe Bend.  Glen Canyon drops vertically more than 500 feet from rim to floor to form a narrow canyon.  You must be directly overhead to see the floor.  On our last flight we decided to take a tour of the dam and Horseshow Bend.  Coincidentally, so did every tour operator and GA pilot within flying distance.  Everyone had been waiting for the weather to break.  We were so busy avoiding aircraft that we missed some of the spectacular views.  Once we got away from Horseshow Bend and Glen Canyon, the air became less crowded while the scenery remained inspiring.

This experience taught us a valuable lesson -- avoid flying when air tours are at their peak, such as on weekends or high season.  Once again we were reminded how important radio communications are for safe flying.  Before taking off, we would coordinate our plans with the air tour operators so we understood their routes and they knew where we were going to be.  To this we added frequent radio position reports to make ourselves more visible.  All of this contributed greatly to a safe, though busy, flight.

Winter was approaching.  The Rocky Mountain passes over 8,000 feet were covered with snow, so we had to quickly move south and east.  We left the Grand Circle with much still unseen -- and promised ourselves a return trip.

As our caravan headed home from our remarkable adventure, we reminisced about the sites we'd seen more than 3,000 miles from our home.  Very few aircraft lend themselves to this type of touring.  GA aircraft may be faster, but most pilots rarely fly more than a few hundred miles from home.  Unfortunately, most flex-wing pilots don't either, unless they fold their wings and hit the road.

Pack up your trike, powered parachute, ultralight, or light-sport aircraft and visit new airports, exciting places, and meet new friends.  You'll wonder why you waited so long.

When you do, look for us; we'll be looking for you.

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Last modified: 01/01/09