January 2014

I went two months without posting on my blog. Shoot! I rang in the New Year with friends in Hollister. Lonnie Jr. took me for my first airplane ride of 2014 in his Waco UPF-7 on January 5 during the Frazier Lake Airpark Display Day. He flew me toward "The Ranch" where we did some wingovers. On the way back to FLA, we were met by his PA-11 and flew in loose formation for a period of time. Upon returning to FLA, I met up with good friends, Monty and Darcy Groves. They treated me to lunch and then Monty took me up in his Cessna 180 named Jacqueline. We flew over Doug's house where I had rung in the New Year a few days before. After cleaning 7 airplanes at Frazier Lake Airpark, I went to Cable Airport. The airplanes I cleaned at FLA were: Citabria, PA-11, 2 Cessna 180's, Cessna 172, Spartan Executive, and a V-tail Bonanza. I didn't anticipate spending 3 weeks at Cable Airport, but once there, Chuck hooked me up with on-airport accomodations and pointed me in the direction of some airport residents who wanted me to clean their airplanes before and after the Cable Airshow. I started with Richard's 172. He was seeking a meticulous style job to compliment the meticulous style care he paid his airplane. I really enjoyed his daily feedback on my progress in which he assured me he was pleased with my work. I also began to touch up Geri's Super Decathlon. I enjoyed bringing back the shine to her airplane. Davy's 182 was fun. I was kinda on a deadline, which I was able to meet. Tim asked me to spend a day waxing his 182. I did the belly, wheel pants, cowling and stripe. He was pleased enough he asked me to come back to clean the wings. I also cleaned part of another 182. Bob asked me to do what was most needed in a space of three hours. I also cleaned Kim's car and was asked to detail an Austin Healey. During this 3 weeks, on January 10-12, I participated in learning to pump smoke oil into the Airshow planes. After Friday's practice, I walked down to where the Wildcat was hangared and visited with my friend Daniel from Aviator Flight Training. I got to watch as he and his crew prepared it for a sunset formation flight, which included unfolding the Wildcat's wings manually. Then the magic happened. I asked Mark if he had a spot on his T-6 I could clean. I told him I really wanted to clean the horizontal stabilizer. He said I could. I had also expressed an interest in riding along in the formation flight. Soon another T-6 landed and taxiied up to us. The pilot recognized me before I recognized him. I had seen Brad at ICAS and before that Tallulah, Louisiana and Auburn, Alabama, flying the Red Tail Mustang. He was surprised to see me and I him. I blurted out, "what are you doing here!?" And he said, "I live here". Mark then asked Brad if he had an empty seat and Brad replied he was waiting for a friend he was expecting to have ride along. Even though the probability of riding along looked nil, I stuck around to take pictures of the event. Brad found out his friend was going to be late, so he told me to get in. I was sooooo excited! During the flight, Brad and I were Left Wing with Mark as Lead, Chris as Right Wing, and Daniel in Slot. I trained my phone's video camera on Daniel in the Wildcat for most of the ride. The flight was epic and the video was spectacular! After landing, I showed everyone I knew the video. Working the Cable Airshow was a blast. With Ryan training me, we pumped smoke oil for Dr. D's Old Time Aerobatics, Tumbling Bear, Sammy Mason and John Collver. When I wasn't pumping smoke oil, I watched the Airshow with Frank and Geri. Chuck and Mary rocked Airshow Hospitality as the Tumbled Gyro hosts. I spent nearly every evening during my 3 weeks there, having dinner and nightly debriefings at the Tumbled Gyro. Meanwhile for several days cleaning airplanes, Frank would "kidnap" me and treat me to lunch at places such as Legends, Subway, Carl's Jr, and Baldy Lodge. One day he "kidnapped" me and flew us to French Valley for lunch in his Dehavilland Chipmunk. En Route to French Valley, we flew past Ontario, Chino, and Corona Airports. After lunch at French Valley, we walked the ramp and watched a gorgeous Waco do touch 'n goes. En Route to Cable Airport, we landed and taxiied at Hemet, and flew over Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. It's a shame Rialto's airport is closing. Frank showed me where he likes to roll the airplane in the aerobatic box. Just as we were arriving at Cable, Geri was also landing in her Super Decathlon. On the day that Frank took me to Mount Baldy Lodge for Lunch, he told me about his work in Papua New Guinea and his aviation and cultural adventures there. After lunch, we took the long way/scenic route back to Cable via Glendora and Azusa. Upon returning to Cable, we visited Geri at her hangar. She presented me with a goody bag and my very own mascot.... From "Put Me In The Zoo" please welcome Spot Lander! I immediately tied a T-6 to his paws. He's my official "Follow Me To The Next Airshow" Mascot! Frank gave me a tank of gas when I left Cable Airport on January 28, stopping at Apple Valley Airport, Barstow-Daggett, and Pirate's Cove for photo ops with Spot Lander. Between Barstow-Daggett and Pirate's Cove, I found a Fed Ex Trucker who seemed to enjoy my road presence. We played leap frog, and there was a couple times I could tell he was making an effort to stay in our little convoy, so much so I started singing Mary Had A Little Lamb. It was sad to part ways once I took the exit to Pirate's Cove to visit the Twin Beech on straight floats. I successfully drove through the night to Sedona. I spent the night up on the Sedona Airport mesa and had breakfast at Jose's Cafe at 5:30am. Then I returned to the airport to take some spectacular Sedona sunrise pictures. Once satisfied, I got back on the road to Prescott to meet up with Bill and Brandi. We had an early lunch at the airport cafe with a special friend of Brandi's and then Brandi gave me a tour of the airport and let me sit in her T-6, Perfect Misfit. Bill and Brandi had some great stories to tell. Before I left, Brandi gave me a car charger for my iPad and I gave her a copy of "The Wild Cajun T-6" by Bobby Jonte. The next leg, Prescott to Albuquerque went well. Even though it was after dark, I took the exit to the meteor crater near Winslow, Arizona and drove to the closed gate. I spent the night at Double Eagle II Airport and had breakfast at their cafe. I had a real nice visit with the airport manager at the Tucumcari Airport. He actually pulled out his photo album and shared memories of famous pilots such as Bill Stein, Gene Soucy, Greg Poe, Art Scholl and the Aeroshell Aerobatic Team coming to the Tucumcari Airshow which used to be held midweek on a day like Wednesday so they could get the Blue Angels to perform when they were en route to a weekend Airshow in, say, California or Oregon. I then brought in my box of photo albums and shared my stories from the past couple years. Also, as I pulled off an exit in Santa Rosa to look for lunch, I came upon a simple sign that simply said "Blue Hole". I figured it was something geological, but had nothing to go on. I was satisfied when I got there to find out it was like a cave with a spring. The hole was 60 feet in diameter and 80 feet deep. Spot Lander had a photo op. I almost, and should have, had dinner and got gas, in Amarillo, but I kept driving. I picked up some gas in Glen Allen, Texas and ate dinner in Shamrock, Texas. I kept driving until Elk City, Oklahoma and spent the night there. I stopped in Weatherford, Oklahoma when i saw the sign for the Stafford Air and Space Museum. I enjoyed the visit, but would have liked having a tour guide. I had lunch at the Wiley Post Airport Cafe and continued on to Bob and Sharon's hangar home in Cookson, Oklahoma, only to discover I lost too much cash somewhere near Wiley Post. Bob and Sharon helped me get back on my feet by allowing me to clean the tail section of their Lake LA-4. That airplane gave me my very first General Aviation flight on May 2, 2007, with Bob as the pilot. They replaced half of what I lost and filled up my gas tank. Thank you everyone who gave me special memories in January!