A Diamond Journey: From Crystal to Holbrook

Mike Koerner made this season's first diamond distance flight from Crystal last Friday, over 430 miles to Holdbrook, AZ. The following is Mile's report:

I flew to Holbrook on Friday, beginning the new season where I began the last.

It was a very good day with 1000 foot per minute thermals scattered along the entire route and altitudes up to 15,800’ near Flagstaff. I should have been able to make it further but had more than my usual share of problems and distractions.

The most notable was an issue with my main battery. The battery was fine during a preflight check, but its voltage was alarmingly low when I happened to check again east of Apple Valley. At that point, I decided to turn off all non-essential electrical loads. This included the radio, ADSB transponder and S-100 vario. The only instrument still hooked to the battery was my backup audio vario. Fortunately, my Oudie has an internal battery, so I still had the benefit of its moving map and glide calculations.

Though I was never in airspace which required I have a transponder or ADSB, and was never in contact with any ATC facility, turning off the transponder in flight generated much unnecessary concern. Apparently, the FAA called the highway patrol, who called Crystal, who called Fran. Fran told Julie that my InReach showed I was still flying. I hope that message made it back to anyone who was worried about me, along with my apologies.

Ultimately, my progress to the east was greatly hampered by smoke from fires near Flagstaff.

On a lighter note, I was joined by a mouse between Flagstaff and Winslow. I think it was the cold temperature, around 5 degrees F, that brought him out of the woodwork. He wandered around my right foot for a while then got up on top of my leg where he stopped to look me in the eye. I told him I was too busy to fight with him and he could stay up near my feet and we would share the flight in peace and harmony. But he started moving aft. When he got to the gear handle, I brushed him away with the back of my hand. He came back again, several more times. My swipes became increasingly assertive. Finally, he popped down through the forward detent of the gear handle slot and that was the last I saw of him.

This was my 200th straight-out diamond distance flight.