p> We decided to spend Thanksgiving with my parents in Pasco, Washington. Due to forecast high winds at our end and fog/low clouds at the other end, we planed on driving our car which translates into a four hour drive through the Columbia Gorge. However as we were loading the car, we noticed the 20mph winds that had been forecast had not yet arrived. A quick call to Pasco revealed the skis were mostly clear. So, we headed out to the airport, obtained a weather briefing, and decided to fly.

As we departed Twin Oaks and climbed to about 70 feet above the runway, we found the forecast tailwind what we were not feeling on the ground. Our climb stopped and we continued down the centerline of the runway at the same altitude until we gained another fifteen or twenty miles per hour and them resumed our climb. I had noticed the 172 that took off before me climbed to just over fifty feet and then leveled off while gaining speed. I wondered why he had done that. As I climbed out I realized why; we were flying into a tailwind what was blowing just above the ground. Due to the turbulent winds, our climb was a bit bumpy until we reach around 6,000 feet. We continued climbing to 7,500 and leveled off at an altitude that would clear the cloud layer that lay between Portland and Pasco.

One of the reasons we were considering driving was my wife and daughter had not yet flown a cross-country in a small plane. I had planned on our first cross-country being a forty-five minute or shorter flight in perfect weather to slowly get them use to traveling in the 170. Flying from Portland to Pasco takes one hour and forty-five minutes in perfect weather - longer with a headwind which is almost always present. The forecast winds for the Columbia Gorge were thirty plus mph which does not translate into a smooth flight. However, it takes four hours to drive and my daughter really wanted to fly. So, we decided to fly.

As this was my family's first cross-country, it was also the first time we flew higher than two thousand feet and the first time we flew over clouds. We crossed the Cascades with the beautiful sight of Mt Hood poking through the cloud layer. As we continued up the Gorge, the cloud layer started to break up and revealed snow on the ground below. This was also a beautiful site. We could not have picked a more beautiful morning to fly. My daughter did most of the flying once we reached our cruise altitude. It was fun to watch her fly and considering how little flight time she has, she did an excellent job.

The following picture of my mother and daughter was taken after landing at the Richland airport. We had fun visiting and eat a lot of turkey for Thanksgiving. The following day our plan was to eat breakfast and then lunch before heading back to Portland.

The forecast for our return trip was for overcast clouds and mist until ten in the morning when the mist was to burn off and the cloud layer was to become broken - same as the prior day's forecast. However, instead of things burning off early as on Thanksgiving, the weather conditions became worse. While eating lunch and waiting for things to improve the cloud layer dropped from 3,200 feet to 2,700 - not what we were hoping for. Our planned rout home took us over terrain rising to over 3,000 feet which obviously was not going to work. After reviewing our charts and obtaining a briefing we decided to follow our rout as long as possible and then veer south and head for the Columbia River. Shortly after takeoff we were forced to head south but were able to fly below the cloud layer and stay from 700 to 1,000 feet above the ground. My daughter was in charge of following our course on the chart looking for towers, windmills, and other obstacles. She did an excellent job - I don't think she missed one obstacle within ten miles of our rout.

Once over the Columbia the ground level dropped and the ceiling slowly rose. We flew down the Columbia Gorge at a little over 2,000 feet following the river to avoid the sides of the Gorge that rose into the cloud layer. Due to the solid layer of clouds and mist, it was kind of dark and dreary although it was also beautiful with the snow covered hills extending into the clouds. We were on an adventure and everyone was enjoying it.

As we neared Portland we came around a bend and all of a sudden we saw what looked like a light at the end of a tunnel - the opening at end of the Gorge. As we approached we could see the sun's rays shining down as if from heaven. The closer we got the more beautiful the site.

As we entered the sun's rays the wind picked up along with rough turbulence (winds were reported as blowing at 31mph with 41mph gusts). I began to worry about my family's lack of experience in turbulence as we were being bounced around above the Columbia. The turbulence was rough enough to stress me which made me worry even more about them. Once free of the cloud layer I started a climb to try and get over the turbulent winds. It worked as we felt much better once we reached smooth air and sunshine at 4,500 feet. They later told me that the turbulence didn't bother them that much. We continued on until we descended towards Twin Oaks where my daughter took the following picture of us landing.

The flight was not at all what I would have planned for a first cross-country for my family - especially the trip home. The visibility was poor, we were not able to follow our planned track, the air was not smooth, and, it was really cold! However, in spite of all that both my wife and daughter had a great time. My wife who is not at all excited about flying even said it was a lot less stressful than driving! The trip was a true blessing.