Crossing thru North Pass between Saugache and Gunnison at 12,000 with a whopping 60 knots
ground speed. I am flying at 12,000 MSL, which is the highest altitude so far. In fact, it may be the highest
of the entire trip. The Super Cub really struggled to get this high, often needing a bit of help from updrafts
in order to gain altitude at all. As I entered the pass, the ground was less than 2000 feet below with terrain
on either side rising above my altitude. Suddenly I heard a radio call “airplane in North Pass do you copy?”
I was on 122.80 and answered the call. Turns out, there is a pilot who lives in the canyon who has an
aviation radio. We visited for a few minutes about my trip, then he wished me a safe journey and we
disconnected. Once through the pass, I descended slightly as I entered the Gunnison River Valley.
Ken Wittekiend is an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner, professional flight instructor, aircraft owner and founder of ProMark Aviation Services, a flight training company based in Burnet, Texas.
Ken is a commercial pilot with over 11,000 hours of experience in a wide variety of general aviation aircraft. He began flying in 1970 while attending the University of Texas at Austin.