“Sensory overload—That’s how I would describe this area near Moab, Utah, between the Canyonlands and Arches national parks,” says AOPA Staff Photographer Chris Rose. “It’s the kind of place that makes everyone who visits want to become a flannel-and-denim-clad Ansel Adams. In short—it’s stunningly beautiful.” At the foot of the towering Mount Peale (elevation 12,271 feet), near Moab, this Cessna 185—owned and flown by Recreational Aviation Foundation President John McKenna—touches down on a rugged, unpaved strip. This was the last overnight on a four-day journey across the country to deliver a Waco YMF-5D to Long Beach, California. Senior Editor Dave Hirschman and Rose camped here on the third night as guests of the RAF. The next morning, the group woke before dawn, and, with McKenna flying as the photo pilot, captured the August 2011 cover of AOPA Pilot. “Like Moab, it’s one of my personal favorites,” says Rose.

Subject: Cessna 185, flown by John McKenna
Where: Moab, Utah
Photographer: Chris Rose