I undertook a relaxing little flight out of Sky Harbor to dismal Gila Bend for practice, in one of my tiny Cessnas. I flew via pilotage alone, since I know the way by heart. I swing a bit north after downtown, pick up I-10 as it passes north of Avondale, turn onto State highway 85 after “the crook in the road” on the Interstate east of Buckeye, and then on down to Gila Bend, which I reached right at sunset.
About half an hour later, it was back up with some virtual friends as passengers, and I reversed the route. I was given a right downwind to runway 26, the same runway from which I had taken off earlier. All went well, with an extraordinarily smooth touchdown, and I taxied very sedately over to Cutter on the south side of the field.
