Airports, 70th Birthday: Pilot's Epic Bonanza Flight

An Oregon pilot marked his 70th birthday with a high-intensity Bonanza flight campaign across the region’s airfields. Ray Phelan, based in Portland, planned to land a 1971 Beechcraft B35B Bonanza at 70 airports. He departed Troutdale (KTTD) at 5:30 a.m. on June 16, 2026, and returned there at 6:40 p.m., totaling 13 hours and 10 minutes and 10.7 flight hours logged. Most landings were touch-and-go, with only four full stops, while weather eliminated about 10 of his originally planned airports. After filing IFR when Hoquiam (KHQM) fell to a 600-foot ceiling, he proceeded via Astoria (KAST) for fuel and then down Oregon’s coast, reaching locations as far north as Apex Airpark (8W5) near Bremerton and as far south as Weed (O46) in California.