Calgary, Great Falls, Rapid City

  Rapid City, South Dakota
Sunday, June 22, 2008

We left Calgary with a goal to reach Rapid City, SD same day. First, we had to stop in Great Falls Montana to clear customs (the best place on Sunday). Following our typical pattern of starting late in the day, the estimated time of arrival at Great Falls was 4pm - Customs closed at 4, too. So, I filed for 3:45 pm arrival, under the delusion that we wouldn't appear to be deliberately planning to keep the agent past his appointed clock.

After departing Calgary under reasonably clear skies, we picked up an in flight broadcast for severe turbulence below 7000'. I've never experienced severe turbulence, and don't really want to, but had we not been listening... The warning defined a line extending directly in front of us, 20 miles ahead east to west at Lethbridge. We climbed over a clear line of clouds and only had some light bumps.

Crossing the US border, we were supposed to pick up a code from Center. We couldn't even hear Center until we were 25 miles inside the US border. I'm sure the AWACS could see us, though. Actual arrival was 3:55. Other than giving us a mild hard time about having the wrong paperwork for Leo's weapon, we were done in 5 minutes. Turns out he was waiting for other planes and was going to be there for a while.

Great Falls looked like a pretty neat place, but we didn't stay. Dave planned a leg to Rapid City, SD. Upon, contact with ground control, we received a warning of large thunderstorm buildup along our line of flight. A quick call to FSS and we opted to fly a more eastward route and keep it off the south. We touched up with Flight Watch once more en route, but were able to outrun it. In the east, we don't often get to visually track a storm a 100 miles or more away and navigate around.