Where is 1Z1?

By GLYNN DENNIS

Occasionally, when the weather doesn’t offer a good day to fly, pilot friends will huddle in a hangar and retell old flying stories, commonly known as hangar flying.

I’m often part of that group, but sometimes I prefer to settle into a comfortable chair, with my favorite beverage close at hand, and review old logbook entries. That activity allows me to mentally re-fly some of my favorite trips, and return to places, some of them hundreds of miles away and often many years in the past.

Recently, while a thick layer of fog was pushed across my lawn by heavy winds, I had the opportunity to do just that.

I soon found an entry from July 2018, and it described a flight from Ohio to California, after the purchase of my new plane. All the details were there…the ever-changing weather conditions, passenger names, and the cities that were visited along the way. Additional details included the flight time and the number of landings, all important information to paint a clear picture of the entire flight.

Deeper in the logbook, and a few years farther back to July 2005, was the description of my first trip — my only trip — to the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in.

Even farther back, September 2001, was the disturbing account of the 9/11 disaster and the sad days that followed. My logbook has six handwritten pages, all in red ink, filled with the horrendous details that were reported by the news. Remembering that period still haunts me.

As I turned the pages and continued to review flights from even farther back in time, the information about the flight conditions and the places became less detailed.

For example, instead of recording the name of the city or place that was visited, I just used the airport identifier, and there was little reference to the weather, flight conditions, or who joined me on the flight.

Reviewing my logbooks made it clear why I began to include more detailed information about my flights.

These logbook entries are a window into my past, a written record of my 30-plus years of flying, and the stories they tell are important to me. Through them I can relive flights with friends and family as we explored new and challenging places. Entering just an airport identifier and a date doesn’t tell the whole story.

One of those identifiers was 1Z1. I had no idea where that was and could not recall any details of the flight.

There were other identifiers as well: SNS, APV, and 1L4.

It was time to fire up the GPS and research the flight. With those identifiers highlighted on a chart, and in the proper order, a route from Salinas, California, to Bar Ten Ranch, on the northern rim of the Grand Canyon appeared.

Now I remember the trip.

There were five planes and 10 of us on that trip. The first day of the flight was fun-filled, with a stop in the El Mirage dry lake bed, a few miles east of General Fox Field (KWJF) in Lancaster, California. We set up markers for a spot landing contest and a bomb drop competition. We all took a turn at the spot landing contest, but even when I employed my best techniques, I couldn’t hit the mark.

We were soon on our way again to Kidwell, Nevada. That’s the 1L4 on the list. Kidwell is also referred to as Cal Nev Ari because of its location close to three state borders.

Kidwell is a small airport community with a few homes lining the dirt strip. Adjacent to the parking area is a casino with a restaurant inside and not much more.

We all gathered in one corner of the casino and ordered a couple of pitchers of beer and dinner. While waiting for our dinner to be served, a story was being told, not by me, but about me.

While listening to the group laugh and relive the day, a conspiracy unfolded.

Remember the spot landing contest detailed earlier? As it turns out, after each one of my spot landing attempts, and during my circle back for another try, (we all got three tries), the landing marker was moved. Every time I approached the spot it was in a different place. No wonder I couldn’t win. It was rigged!

Our second day began later in the morning than usual. We all seemed to be moving a little slower and the normal level of chatter was down. We began the flight to Bar Ten Ranch or 1Z1.

From Kidwell, Bar Ten Ranch is an easy flight, about one hour, and due east. In the distance we noticed a thunderstorm, dark and menacing, but it was isolated and easy to avoid.

Bar Ten is in a valley south of the Mount Logan wilderness area. The airstrip is dirt and has a 1% upslope to the north. Normal landing is to the north, uphill, with the takeoff to the south, downhill. The field elevation is 4,100 feet and the approach is close to standard.

About 15 miles out, we began to create space between each plane, leaving room for each of us to land, taxi to the top and clear the runway, making room for the next plane to land.

Remember that thunderstorm? By the time we arrived it was covering the rim of the valley, southeast of the strip and moving northwest toward the strip.

My Cessna 170 was second in line for landing when we saw the number one plane abandon the approach and initiate a go-around. We were puzzled by the decision because a go-around at Bar Ten Ranch requires a maximum performance climb toward rising terrain.

But the reason soon became clear.

On final, about three quarters of a mile out, my indicated airspeed was 65 mph and 30° of flaps were deployed, right on target. The problem was that my ground speed was way too high. I didn’t really know how high, I just knew that things were whizzing by way too fast.

I announced on the radio that number two was initiating a go-around, and began the climb. The plane behind me also abandoned the approach and went around for another try.

On the second attempt we all made successful landings and taxied to the top of the hill and parked. We had obviously encountered the outflow of descending air from the leading edge of the thunderstorm. That descending mass of air created the high ground speeds that made our first landing attempts impossible.

Later while sitting in the main lobby of the lodge, we watched the lightning show pass overhead and felt the big picture windows rattle with each thunder clap.

Can a thunderstorm and lightning show be beautiful? You bet! But you had better be in a safe, warm place, and not out in it.

The lodge and the accommodations were quite unique. Upstairs there were several rooms each containing four bunk beds, two against each wall. The bathroom and shower were at the end of the hall. That’s not a problem unless you had to get to it after 10 p.m. when they turned off the generator…the only source of electricity for the lodge.

If you haven’t experienced night in the mountains, with no moon, you don’t know dark!

Also, on a small rise next to the lodge were a few covered wagons…yeah real ones. Each of those were also available to sleep in for the night, but if you needed to find the bathroom in the middle of the night you were on your own.

Additionally, meals were served family style, no menu required. I do remember that cook knew his way around a kitchen and none of us went hungry.

The ranch foreman told us Bar Ten is a working ranch. Activities, such as white water rafting down the Colorado River or hunting expeditions, can be arranged through the lodge. We settled for a relaxing visit on the grounds and a couple of great meals before it was time to leave.

The next morning we enjoyed a family style breakfast and discussed the flight plans for the day. Some time later we departed Bar Ten Ranch and flew northwest to Mesquite, Arizona, for fuel. With our fuel tanks topped off, we turned southwest and found our way across Lake Mead, over the Hoover Dam, and into Jean, Nevada, for a fun evening and our last night away from home.

I highly recommend that you consider your future logbook entries carefully, especially if the flight includes multiple legs with family and friends exploring new destinations.

Entering the details of your trip rather than simply the airport identifier tells a more complete story. One day, while reviewing those entries, you will be rewarded with some happy memories.

Fly often and be safe.