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Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

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Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Mon May 03, 2021 10:06 pm

Follow the entire Colorado River by plane? Can that be done? Just try I thought.
April 25, 2021, I took off from Fort Collins Airport in search of the source at “Long Draw Reservoir”. With my favorite Cessna-337G in yellow, it went HDG 280 and ~ 35Nm to the mountains, 3100m +. Don't forget the Mix. reset for power. Across the lake at the “Poudre Pass” to “Grand Lake” and Grandby. Here a short landing and continue. This first day ended with the landing at Mc Elroy or Kremmling Airport. The entire distance of 2330 km (~ 2000 km) should be possible in 15-16 stages. Flying is fun and a great adventure, don't get lost in another valley.
Below a short impression of the flight. (A bit choppy at times, ~ 8-15 FPS).
Link-0.1 Fort Collins. https://youtu.be/oClYYPYpD2E
Link-1.1 The source - Just the beginning - https://youtu.be/18aeuEaq2zc
A picture / some maps... I hope this will work ... https://photos.app.goo.gl/vCT2JdZprcQsLQDE7
To be continued. ——
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Johan G » Tue May 04, 2021 4:22 am

That is a nice way to set out for a trip. I see that your computer struggles even more than the one I had when I half a decade or so ago when I took a trip along Green River and then Colorado River from where they met down to Las Vegas. On a good day I would get more than 15 fps. That trip took several days too. Though some parts where a bit boring, there was still a nice element of excitement over the next day's trip all along,
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Tue May 04, 2021 10:18 am

If the FPS stays above 10 I am satisfied. nice flights and beautiful surroundings. even this upper part is spectacular. Every week I want to take a trip. I hope to do it with the DC-3 to Grand Junction.
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Tue May 04, 2021 10:24 am

Stage 1.2. Kremmling to Gypsum Airport. My 2nd stage on April 30th. This time immediately left to the Rugged Rockies, many narrow twists and turns. Approx. 35 Nm / 65 km. First taken off with a Cessna-172P. But this one is far too unstable. So back again. With a Cessna-337G in blue it went a lot better. Superb flight. A number of fog patches, so little wind today. A short flight this time. Via Mc Coy (even HDG ~ 300). Then left again and via Catamount the lake goes southwest (HDG ~ 200) to road 70 at Dotsero. The Colorado turns right and I turn left to Gypsum Airport (KEGE 07/25).
Link-1.2 Kremmling. https://youtu.be/9h-aGykOHWY
The Route / Map: https://photos.app.goo.gl/5oMWqgm2fZCRrQot8
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Sun May 09, 2021 10:06 am

Stage 1.3 Gypsum Eagle Airport to Rifle Garfield Airport. I left Gypsum on May 4. Because of the relatively straight valley and the larger airfields, the DC-3 C-47 Dakota seemed very suitable and in the war colors of D-Day of the liberation. It’s a short trip today. So I thought it would be useful to include the part to Grand Junction. Again along the Colorado River. At Glenwood Springs straight ahead I followed highway 70 to New Castle. Something strange is happening here. According to my instruments I have to cross the mountains on the left instead of following the river straight ahead. On the left is a high straight long ledge. To get to the airport in the glide path, I have to cross the ledge. The river apparently carved its way through the ledge in the past at New Castle. Strange. Beyond Silt at Antlers and Rifle is the Rifle Garfield Airport. (KRIL 08/26). Just landing? or no,.. just fly over the runway (without tapping) and then up again and follow the valley to .... Grand Junction.
De link 1.3. https://youtu.be/r0GLfEFriCI
https://photos.app.goo.gl/KNYWnnn4mGyys2KS8
Last edited by Joop Kruize on Mon May 17, 2021 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Sun May 09, 2021 10:17 am

Stage 1.4 Rifle - Grand Junction Airport. Continue via the 70 to Parachute. Well a C-47 Dakota but not dropping Parachutes this time. Another 45 Nm / 83 km. HDG ~ 250 to ~ 225. Along the 70 to DeBeque and to Palisade. Here we see the town of Grand Junction and the Airport (KGJT IATA 11/29) is located slightly to the right, just in front of the buildings. But I go around it with a wide right bend to try to get to the indicated glide slope this time. This stage had many flat parts and was perhaps less spectacular. The link ... https://youtu.be/N5iXiM_POoE
Stage 1.3 and 1.4 in this trip .... https://photos.app.goo.gl/ak24j4RpUYzuKCs16
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Mon May 17, 2021 3:43 pm

Stage 1.5 Grand Junction to Moab Spanish Valley Airport. (60 Nm)
This part is straight on ~ 100 km and ~ 200 km if you follow the river. Today May 11 I chose the Diamond DA42 Twin Star. A digital airplane with some modern displays and a tinny sound like a coffee grinder. But it flies fine. Hopefully it will not go too fast for the winding work of this stage. Lowering the speed and setting the flaps to half makes a big difference. From the airport in direction 250, follow road no. 70 until you reach the river. Then just HDG 300 past the town of Fruita, where the main road goes straight and the river turns left into the mountains. So follow. Here the swinging through the mountains starts. A water stream from 60 to 150 m wide via Blackrocks. We leave the state of Colorado here and fly into Utah. The river goes HDG ~ 225 and goes through deeper gorges and bare steep rocks. Just before Moab, the southern boundary of Arches National Park, the river widens a lot. Here pay attention otherwise we fly into Moab past the next valley, where the winding continues for a long time. I will do that next time. And the Diamond did fine in the corners. So here HDG ~ 140 to Moab “Grand County Spanish Valley Airport” Fortunately, the airport on the float map also has a kind of ILS and is therefore easy to find. The link 1.5 https://youtu.be/8enDOSudJYo
The Map: https://photos.app.goo.gl/3LzfQmRL2qsa8Bnk6
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Mon May 24, 2021 11:22 am

Stage 1.6 from Moab to Hite (60 Nm.). Hite Airport has a short runway. So I took the PiperCubJ3. Manoeuvrable and easy to land, I thought. But the P.J3 was unmanageable. After many attempts with 1FPS, I chose another one, the Piper PA34-200T Seneca-II and some flying lessons. Nice thing. On May 19 I left here with this PA34. Here in Utah, the river mainly heads southwest. (HDG ~ 225), where it exits Moab Valley between a pair of 300m high sandstone cliffs. Very high vertical walls. Near Moab I see a small airport in the river bed “Caveman Ranch Airport”. I think that's the “Potash Evaporation Ponds”. A system of colorful settling basins from the fertilizer factory. (Potassium Chloride). Nice and healthy ..!?. The Colorado River meanders through Canyonland National Park. Halfway along, the equally wide river “Green River” joins from the right. Beautiful. But then... A vanished river? After the GreenRiver was added, the total became a lot narrower. Strange. Where has all the water gone? Apparently it is due to the great drop, the rapids and white water passages. The river meanders on to the Hite Crossing Bridge. After this, the Dirty Devil River joins from the right and the river becomes calm and much wider. Here is the relatively short Hite Airport. Also called Airport UT03. Difficult to land behind and over the hill. The link 1.6: https://youtu.be/8X5R8G6fYiU
The Map of this trip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oFtfqEa9WjXXuqWz5
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Wed May 26, 2021 7:06 pm

Stage 1.7 from Hite to Page Lake Powell (60 Nm.). On May 20th I started in Hite and took of in an Amphibian Cessna 208B Grand Caravan that can be equipped with floats! The floats seemed suitable on Lake Powell. But starting the bigger airplane on the short strip only went well the third time. Pedal to the metal!!! Brakes off and GO ... Further on the CR widens with some lakes like the Bullfrog lakes at Halls Crossing. Here it is important to pay attention between all those wide waterways, so as not to end up with a dead end. The engine failed. Possible fuel shortage or other defect? Fortunately floats under it and Reboot. A little further at Reflection Canyon, the San Juan River johns it from the left before heading towards Lake Powell. Apparently there are two Lake Powell complexes. The second lake complex is indeed located near the village or town of “Page”. The Colorado enters northern Arizona here. Here is the airport “Page Municipal Airport” where the trip along the upper part of the Colorado River ends. Apparently I am halfway and I have covered about 1000 to 1100 km in seven stages. Could be (average ~ 140 km.). Time for a short break in “Page” ... To be continued
The link 1.7 https://youtu.be/45mViRsHxdI
The map of this trip: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Z1jVvwbhh7Ht7jkq7
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby benih » Thu May 27, 2021 12:42 pm

Congrats for that milestone :)

Whats that music in the video from?
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:22 pm

(Johan G) Indeed the Green River is longer and I think also more beautiful than the Colorado-upper (Grand River). Strange that they renamed the “Grand River” to “Colorado River” (1921). "Green River" would have been a better name, as it is an actual Green River up and down to Mexico. I have done my trip through the Grand Canyon in four stages and am now in Pearce Ferry near Las Vegas. No longer in FlightGear but in FS9 (FS2004). That flies a lot better. (once about to FSX…)
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby TheEagle » Sun Jan 09, 2022 12:52 am

@Joop IMO, FG does look better than MSFS - especially when you compare the snow ! And the propeller … :roll:
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Re: Follow Colorado River from Source to Ocean.

Postby Joop Kruize » Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:24 pm

@TheEagle …. Thanks.. But this is not FG anymore. I use FS2004 or FS9 from the 4 CD’s. I had some problems with my ACER PC. It was to slow (< 10 FPS). The FS9 runs better but I miss some functions from the good old FG. (Pan-zoom and a quick look around in the cockpit).
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