My Last Las Vegas Hoo-Ra
This is a posse of Beerpong Bandits right here Lance the Chef is a line drive , Rachel the teacher is the sneakshot, Kimmy from B-dubs is the bounce queen, Brett a fellow instructor is the Clevland Steamer, and my partner in crime Bill also instructor is the Ring Shot Master. We will meet again one day on the field of dreams. The smile on my face is a bitter sweet one as i have to leave them all on wednesday. I can only say goodbye for now not forever.
Much love !
The Carnivore
Jimmy does not grace us with his presence much but the visit tonight was much appreciated. Jimmy is a fairly new instructor here and we have gotten to really know each other. You are a cool cat Jimmy but don t lick me , we are not in Greece . The lovely lady on his side is his better half
Jen and she is a hoot. You guys are perfect for each other. The best of luck to you both.
The Las Vegas Beerpong Kegger Invitational
The Las Vegas Solo Cup Beerpong Invitational roster includes too many people to list names. The party was held in honor of Mine and Brian's departure from the valley and it went off without a hitch. Didn t even get a visit from metro. It was an emotional evening for me to say the least. Everyone that i have spent so much time with over the last 8 months was in the house Feb 25/ 06. I cannot begin to describe how much fun we had Dueling on the table. The keg floated before midnight signaling a good time had by all. Since i am not particularly talented at saying goodbyes then i tried to make it more than that with everyone. I actually sit down and had a heart to heart with all my friends about the challenges behind and also in front of us. They are a great group of people hailing from locations all over God's green earth. I love all you guys and there will be a void in my heart til we meet again. I only wish i could grant each and every one of you a wish because that is what i would do . Since i am not a Geenie then the best i can do is a Favor Upon Request Anyday Anytime Any Place. That is my gift to you.
Aviation is one of the tightest knit groups i have ever been a part of and airplanes make the globe a smaller place. Please take time to be attentive, compassionate,humble and understanding. It is the very basis for making a friend for life. If you use your time wisely then it will not be ill spent and that friend you just made will help you take a step in the right direction. That step for me was having the privledge of working with the best Flight School in Nevada , West Air Aviation. These people are as equisite and extraordinary as they come. They are Friends For Life. Brothers and sisters with different mothers.
Maricopa County Sheriff
Lance is a guy that i got the privledge to fly with for a few hours of instrument training. We are in
734NJ on the way back from grabbing lunch in
St George Utah. Lance is stylin his sporty's foggles . Dude it is always a pleasure to get airborne with you. You will go far ! Don t forget to reach out and touch somebody every now and again. I am just a phone call away.
Come On Ice Cream
Dwoop Dwoop ALTITUDE ALTITUDE ,PULL UP PULL UP. I can here the Bitchin Betty now. Bet this guy was dancin on it . He might have even said a prayer at the 1000 ft marker, i would have.
Last Trip to the DITCH
This morning was a lil emotional for myself and a good friend. We crawled into the Arrow knowing this would be our last flight together before i depart Vegas next week. Since that was the case it was time to cut loose and just have a much deserved expedition in the clouds. Blasting through 8000 ft over Lake Mead put us vfr on top of a pillowy broken cloud layer and it started to smooth out a bit. Just past the mode c veil Las Vegas Approach stated"
Arrow 56903 traffic 12 o clock, 3 miles, opposite direction Dornier descending thru your altitude, Traffic 3 oclock high Jetstream overtaking ,report them in sight, expect on course to Canyon West and a hand off to LAX in 10 miles" . At that point i began to ponder about all the things i have learned here and instantly knew i would miss the unending slew of traffic, the chattering of the Class Bravo in my headset, and the endless amount of things that can go wrong at any given time. That is what keeps it interesting, that is what makes me feel alive. I would miss all of it . You always here the saying especially in high school "Live it up while you can , you are having more fun now than you ever will". I think it is possible that cleche is only what you make of it. For that matter life is what you make of it, cheesey as it sounds it is true. I am having as much fun now as ever. Finding the thing that makes you happy and bringing home bread with it is the only way to live. I love what i do, god willing i will be doing it for a long time to come. To everyone that i have taught and everyone that i have learned from i wish you the very best of luck in life. The globe is your treasure to tread as you will, grasp it with courage and it will yeild thrill.
Tailwinds and Blue Skies. CLICK 2 SEE VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU5hoCf3Dvs
Shiny New Ticket
Eric is one guy that i can t say enough good about , his hard work and dedication just payed off when he received his instrument asel license 2 weeks ago. He is a Marine Corp Veteran of the war in Iraq so i have alot of respect for him. We started from scratch on the instrument a few months ago and like clockwork it all came together in the end with a flawless performance for the Faa DPE. Today was our last flight together so we spent it in the (Pa-28) Piper Arrow retract going to 1g4 (Grand Canyon West) . Eric flying with you has been a pleasure and i hope we have a chance to aviate in the future. Stay in touch Boston.
Sedona Rules
Thursday Feb 16 th would prove to be one of the better decisions we have made to date.
We set off for the Indian town of Sedona Arizona to soak in some of the sights and sounds on an overnight adventure to the Red Rock. The whole trip was based on just getting 2 things accomplished, go flying over the rock and go to Black Canyon to see the
Gigantic Saguaro Cacti. We resided at a sweet little resort called
Sky Ranch on the Sedona Airport perched up on a mesa overlooking the valley. The service was with a smile and the rooms were very nice. Friday was a meteorological disappointment as we set out on a day of fun. Flying in a 30 kt wind was not goin to happen so we decided to do what we do best and tackle some dirt. The locals suggested a trail called
Broken Arrow if we had some tools and extra parts. Well Umm, we had neither of the above so we went anyway ! It turned out to be an awesome spectacle and a better view than we had seen the whole trip. After the off roading session we hit hwy 17 south towards Phoenix to get a look at a 50 ft cactus and get a look we did. How about this beast of a Saguaro that could possibly be 200 years old . We actually saw some bigger than this but they were either on top of a hill or fenced in completely. As far as i am concerned my journey to the southwest is nearly complete,
Utah, Cali, Nevada, Texas,Arizona, and New Mexico have been covered and i got to see the biggest cactus in the world today. Another one checked off the list ! Brian and i are really good friends so it was nice to spend some quality time with my Bro ! Maybe we should make this an annual thing ! If you get a chance to go to Sedona stop in and see the friendly folks at Sky Safari Biplane Tours, they will fix you up.
http://www.sedona.net/
45 Degree Stair Step
You are looking at what we call an oil pan buster . This has to be the rockiest 45 degree step down that i have negotiated yet since coming out here. Kinda hard to see but 6 inches off in any direction will absolutely put a boulder in the cab of your truck with you and yes, it will go right through your oil pan ! The trail we crawled today is called the broken~arrow and it took us by the Cathedral Rock up to a high spot over the Sedona Valley for a good view and a rest. Trust me after driving some of this you are beat and it is time to take a break. Laugh of the day, Brian gets out of the truck right here and busts his A$$ in the red dirt, he was dirty all day.Priceless !
http://www.roadrunner4wheelers.org/arrow/
Chicken What?
Chicken Point is where we made the turn around today and this place is nothing short of being the 8th wonder of the 4x4 world ! Man i love my 4 wheel drive ! Had we not brought my truck this trek would have cost us a whopping
Pink Jeep Tour fee of $192.00 .
We made a couple friends on the trail , got extremely dirty , and knocked my truck out of line for a small nominal fee of $6.00 in gas money. I loved this place.
OAK CREEK CANYON
Oak Creek Canyon is north of Sedona and just south of Flagstaff AZ . We stopped in for a look at the Arizona vegetation because we don t get to see this much in Vegas. The Indian locals are really nice people and are quick to offer a smile or a dreamcatcher. They had all kinds of Navajo Indian creations for sale here on the overlook at a miniature swapmeet . Good call stopping here.
http://www.experiencesedona.com/gallery/oakcreek/
The Western Sky
Don t have a clue where this pic was taken , i suppose Chaz took it in Seattle . That is a breathtaking view of the world turning another page. You know the sunsets just look alot different than they do on the east coast. The colors are kinda mesmerizing !
Nice Beard
I like the new look Chaz, it must be really cold outside .Oh and by the way your head is hitting the roof. This 7 footer is my old roomate Chaz and he is flying with a 135 op out of Seattle Washington which happens to be his hometown. Thanks for the pics buddy, i loved them. Blue skies and tailwinds to you my friend, fly safe !
Makes Me Feel At Home
If you are asking yourself "
Is that a runway?" then the answer is yes , but it is actually a carving in the trees somewhere in Washington St that airplanes land on, not just a runway. When most people think of a runway they envision a long piece of asphalt with lights and a control tower. For some of us this is just another challenge . North Carolina is chocked full of these little private strips encompassed in trees and powerlines like a crosswind obstacle course. This picture is not mine however, my old roomate Chaz sent this pic to me and i loved it. We do not see this in Las Vegas because there is no friggin grass,It makes me feel right at home !
Weekend at Bernie's
This weekend was more pleasure than business for sure. Sometimes it is nice to take off the epaulets /wings and replace them with a good pair of tennis shoes and your favorite t shirt. Unformal was the word for this trip and Bernie spared no expense having us some fun. The mission,Northern California and all the mystique that comes with it.
After leaving Lake Tahoe i knew it would be hard to top those sights and sounds but Mammoth was the place to do it. A gigantic ski town perched just outside of Yosimite offered us the best service and hospitality of the day. Even though we were flying single engine behind piston power they gave us a "how can i help you sir?" and a "whatever you need guys" . What a great line staff ! This being my first time to the area i was kinda spoiled and wishing we could have stayed a while. At any rate Vegas was begging our return and i could look forward to a fun filled day of instructing in the valley monday! With less than 3 weeks left in Vegas it has somewhat kicked me into high gear and i want to see as much as possible in that short period of time.
Therefore this weeks agenda , 2 days off work to lounge in Indian Country,Sunny Sedona AZ ,and a hopeful chance to twist a Pitts all over the desert sky. Ahhhh the great American West,what a place to relax ! As much as i complain about the unhospitable nature of Las Vegas i know i will miss it. I will miss the glow of the neon lights and the ching ching of money being squandered, the endless traffic jams and the metro helicopters at 3 am. What is not to love about SIN CITY, The City That Never Sleeps, Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada. I could never regret spending time here !
Mammoth
They call it Mammoth and you begin to understand why when you see the size of the rocks in this place. Turning final into the
Mammoth Lake Airport on the outskirts of California's
Yosimite Park you see some of the most gigantic peaks and ski slopes in the US. Elevation 7100ft is no joke when it comes to aircraft performance and you are walking the line between success or failure . Density altitude in this place today was 8600 ft so the airplane is just gasping for air anyway. Good thing the Super Viking is turbo normalized or we might have had an issue or two. Mammoth is a must go for the skier or aviation enthusiast alike.I had a grat time .
http://www.visitmammoth.com/
Frozen Fascination
The California side of
Lake Tahoe is a winter wonderland with views that are unmatched by any place that i have ever seen. What a mystical place ! You can t see it in the picture but there is a castle on that island in the cove. OMG, how much money do you pay for a castle in the middle of Lake Tahoe. As we scooted out of town i was like a little kid in a frozen candystore. I couldn t look away. I have to make it back here for a vacation sometime.
http://www.rsn.com/cams/tahoe
Turn The Page
This morning seemed a little different than all the others as i yawned and rolled out of bed somewhat early. I don't know if it was productiveness or the crazy dream i had but i decided to ponder it all staring out the bedroom window of my Vegas home upon a sunrise. This is something i have not done in a long while . The turn of a new day was a sight to behold as the sun poured over The Mountain Ridge onto my window payne. My emotions are starting to get the best of me as i prepare to make my way to some other place. Las Vegas has been a great experience and i have met some people here that i consider top notch ,but it is time to go. So many uncertainties run through my mind as the light fills the valley and a new day is born. Which job do i shoot for ,Which is the best place for me to go, Where do i want to live. As i watched i guess some part of me was hoping for an ingenius solution to all that is a question mark in my mind. Well needless to say all i got accomplished was watching a sunrise alone and wondering what i should do next. As long as the sun comes up tomorrow then i am still in good shape. It is an easy going day in Las Vegas, only 1 flight , 12 beers in the fridge,and 3 steaks marinating, that will do. All is quiet on the Western Front. As the world turns the page so do we. Hope thing are well in your corner of the world too.
02/07/06
Trip to the Pacific
Holy smokes what an exceptional week i have had. Words can t describe the events that have taken place in my life for the past 7 days so i will keep is short and sweet. The boys from DEI set it off on Sunday with a reunion bash of old friends and new. You can scroll down for details on the shindig at the speedway and Nellis.Speaking of new friends i met a cutie from a land far far away this weekend on the strip.It is a funny story but that story doesn't get published. After some quality time she helped me to remember why the small things in life are so important and why i should count my blessings every single day.Good company is tough to find in this town anymore,and she was an exception to the rule. Thank you for helping me make some sense of all the madness ,i am sure that our paths will cross again in the future.Thursday rolled around so it was time to get my gameface on and get back to the grindstone. The job at hand,to screw off on the coast of Cali for 2 days with Bernie and Brian.Santa Barbara, Paso Reubles, Santas Ynez,Van Nuys,Beverly Hills, and Santa Catalina were on the list of stops this trip. I got to see the west coast for the first time ever and it was an unmatched learning experience to fly in some of the most twisted,construed, controlled airspace in the world. One of my clearances was simply stated by Van Nuys Clearance Delivery to the effect of
"1288 Romeo,verify victor, shoreline departure,after departure fly runway heading ,climb to 1800ft,left downwind departure to 2500ft for noise abatement ,intercept the 323 radial inbound to LAX vor ,depart the vor on the 123 radial, climb 5500ft with a right turn heading 150, departure is 121.3,contact ground 121.7,squawk 4246, GOOD LUCK"." Holy sh#$ did you catch all that Brian because i can't write that fast" was my response i think. At any rate we made it without incident and i soaked up some knowledge,thank you for a good time Bernie,you are great .Geez, I hope next week is as good as this one! Blue Skies and tailwinds forever . Stay out of the Los Angeles Bravo if you forgot your pen.
The Catalina Buffalo
This is the most famous buffalo in California evidently.After a wonderful lunch overlooking the island we came to reality and it was back to work. John Wayne Orange County Airport was next on the agenda.I could stay on this island forever.
http://www.micheloud.com/FXM/Flying/Catalina.htm
Santa Catalina
Home of the
Catalina Flying Boats is where we chose to eat lunch at today 2/3/06. The island of Catalina is right off the coast of LA about 25 miles out to sea, only you couldn t see the sea today for the marine layer. It was almost mystical landing at this island completely encompassed in low lying clouds.The island kind of projects out of the mist like a painting of the rainforest . Days like this make me love what i do!
http://www.catalinas.net/livecam1/
Turbo Power
The
Bellanca was a good change of pace on this trip, Bernie is fueling up his Bellanca Turbo Viking for a stroll to get some lunch. I love that airplane. 300 hp makes the ground rush by at a single engine mind blowing 210 mph.
Sunset Striphopping
Bernie was kind enough to put Brian and I up in a hotel on the infamous Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills Thurs night 2/2/06. After hitting a couple bars i realize why they call this place a freakshow,even Las Vegas cannot compare to the hell that gets raised in this place. We had a blast just soaking in the sights and relaxing by the pool.
Seafog Sunset
I think this pic needs no explanation, it is one of the most impressive sunsets i have seen to date. The marine layer here is very consuming so it swallows the land and snakes through the valleys like an avalanche. Wicked stuff for pilots to contend with .
Santa Barbara Coastline
The coastline of California i have to admit is so breathtakingly gorgeous that i had trouble flying the aircraft and looking at the same time.Good thing i was in the right seat.The beaches here are nothing like Carolina , it really is waves crashing against the mountain side. Here we are enroute to the San Fernando Valley
(VNY) Van Nuys to button down for the evening.This is my kind of flying right here, going somewhere you have never been is so very satisfying!
http://www.santabarbaraca.com/
This is a posse of Beerpong Bandits right here Lance the Chef is a line drive , Rachel the teacher is the sneakshot, Kimmy from B-dubs is the bounce queen, Brett a fellow instructor is the Clevland Steamer, and my partner in crime Bill also instructor is the Ring Shot Master. We will meet again one day on the field of dreams. The smile on my face is a bitter sweet one as i have to leave them all on wednesday. I can only say goodbye for now not forever. Much love ! 
