Columbia River Gorge Tour (Updated) with original credit to Sherman Kaplan
You are about to undertake an adventure tour for a group of wealthy tourists. They are enchanted by the idea of flying our airline as well as the opportunity to
see the Columbia River Gorge, and more from above. As pilot and tour guide you will fly VFR under ideal weather conditions. Thus, your flight plans for the
three legs of this trip are conditional on the weather.
To give your passengers the very best possible views, you will be flying the first two legs of your flight at 2,500 feet, climbing only when necessary to avoid
terrain or low cloud formations. Remember that when flying this route as a VFR pilot, you will have wide discretion. Also remember that even though you are
seeing the River and other scenery head on, your passengers can only look out their side windows. Therefore, for them to get the best out of this flight, you
should alternate between the left and right banks of the river, and even circle particularly interesting points.
Leg 1 will take you through the gorge East of KPDX and the many scenic wonders there. The first leg lands at Richland, which can also serve as an emergency
destination in the event foul weather should develop during the flight. If prevailing winds and the control tower allow, your best approach would be on the
RIBCO NDB for an ILS landing on Rwy 19. The ILS frequency is 110.50.
DCA
Flight No
Departure
Arrival
NM
Description
Dep KPDX using Rwy 28R at Hdg 280 deg.
Fly over the airport ahead in Vancouver WA
Turn to 100 deg. Climb to 2500 ft
Then follow the Columbia River. Mt Hood is straight ahead
622-01-01
KPDX
KRLD
210
Pass Crown Point on the right bank Beacon Rock on the left bank, Then Multnomah
Falls, Follow the river over Bonneville Dam with Mt Hood to the south , Dalles Dam is
just ahead.
After Dalles Dam just follow the river heading ENE
Tune NAV to 108.4 for VOR/DME PSC Past Pasco Airport.
You will see KRLD at you 10 o’clock. Follow the river north and turn around for your
southern ILS approach. You may see the Hanford Nuclear Reservation at the turn on
the west side of the Columbia River.
Land Rwy 19 Altitude 390 feet 187 deg
Altitude
2500
Your second leg, 662-01-02 will take you from Richland to a tour of the Grand Coulee Dam. he