Leg 1: Barstow-Daggett (Barstow CA) to Ford Motor Co Proving Ground (Yucca AZ)
We’ll kick off this flight plan with a unique arrival field; starting from the Pioneer Town of Barstow CA but arriving at Yucca Flats AZ, home of the Ford Motor Company’s Proving Grounds Test Track.
Departing Barstow-Daggett:
Our constant reference point - Interstate-40:
Passing over the Kelso Dunes Wilderness:
We get a great view of the federally protected and famous Kelso Dunes - the sand field makes booming sounds (seriously) thanks to it’s sand grain size and smoothness.
Crossing the Mojave Wilderness Park ridges:
Definitely not the place you want to have an engine failure - the desolate plains are only broken by rugged low hills and mountain ridges, crisscrossed by lonely highways and state roads:
Crossing over Needles CA, over to the South is the Lake Havasu Wildlife Refuge and Lake Havasu City:
Our unique arrival field - the Ford Motor Company’s Proving Ground for car testing. The track is actually built around an active airport, judging by the number of anti-collision lights and a constant stream of calls on the CTAF:
That TBM was co-altitude, so it was a good thing we made a wider off-set entering the downwind leg as he blew past us just under 200 kts (325 kts closure):
Turning base onto R18:
Just made touchdown and someone in the pattern does a go-around:
It’s a fairly large field with two ramps - note the unique zig-zag test track on the southern end:
