Icing Encounter: Home from Palm Springs

Wednesday, November 19, 2014 at 01:55 AM ET

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Key Takeaways:

The article presents a photographic journey documenting a flight from Palm Springs, California, to Austin Executive, Texas.
The flight encountered varied conditions, including remarkably smooth air despite high winds, and thinning clouds revealing geometrical ground patterns.
Key scenic highlights included spectacular views of Guadalupe National Park and brilliant sun rays over West Texas.
The journey emphasized the aesthetic beauty of aerial landscapes, showcasing cloud formations, horizons, and the reflection of the sky on the aircraft's wings.

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Snapshots of a trip back from Palm Springs, California (KPSP), to Austin Executive (KEDC). (Photography by Isabel Goyer)

A hundred miles later, the clouds thinned and despite high winds, the ride remained remarkably smooth. [Isabel Goyer]

Approaching Midland, Texas, the clouds began to thin and we got occasional glimpses of the ground, some of them geometrical. [Isabel Goyer]

The peaks in Guadalupe National Park are spectacular even from 11,000 feet. [Isabel Goyer]

img_0470[1].jpg — Beyond Midland and approaching Junction, Texas, the combination of late afternoon light and a perfectly scattered and even cloud deck led to the most brilliant show of sun rays I’ve ever seen. [Isabel Goyer]

Who said there are no straight lines in nature? The West Texas horizon and the perfectly smooth cloud deck say otherwise. [Isabel Goyer]

img_0494[1].jpg — One of the advantages of the gorgeous silver wings on the Cirrus: they get painted the colors of the sky. [Isabel Goyer]

img_0498[1].jpg — Nearing Austin, this was my welcome home. Who could ask for more?

A commercial pilot, Isabel Goyer has been flying for more than 40 years, with hundreds of different aircraft in her logbook and thousands of hours. An award-winning aviation writer, photographer and editor, Ms. Goyer led teams at Sport Pilot, Air Progress and Flying before coming to Plane & Pilot in 2015.