The Winds Beneath My Wings

It seemed strange to look down on from an altitude so easily attained by an airliner upon mountains that my Piper Clipper had struggled to fly over so many decades earlier. Though on its own power, the Clipper could only reach about 11,000 feet with two persons aboard, winds rising upslope against the mountains could easily lift us thousands of feet higher, as long as we stayed in their grasp. Once, when taking some friends over these mountains, we had good winds to propel us upward and someone asked how high the plane could go. I replied: Don’t worry, we’re already higher than that.

Another time, I was able to fly over the 13,804 foot summit of Gannet Peak, Wyoming’s highest mountain, riding winds that soon carried me to over 15,000 feet. I did not linger long at that altitude but quickly descended to avoid the dangers of hypoxia in the thin air.

On an expedition to take a geologist over the 12,120 foot high Indian Pass to photograph glaciers on the other side, we flew back and forth along the face of the cliffs searching for some rising air. Finally a light breeze carried us to about 12,500 feet and we carefully eased across the pass at an angle so, should the lift disappear, we could safely escape to lower altitudes on either side without a rocky encounter.

I have many memories of flights over, around, and through these mountains that I cherish, though there are a couple that I would never repeat. It was all made possible by a humble, rag and tube airplane held aloft with the help of the Winds beneath its wings.

#windrivermountains #wings #wind #pipercliper