Fall in the Rockies, Malibu-style

Jumped in the Malibu for a quick jaunt to Jackson Hole today. Got there in 3:20 burning just 80gals of 100LL . . . the Mirage is one efficient machine.  Clear skies the entire route until descent, where we flew through a 2000′ layer or so from 160-140, broke out over the FAF at FAPMO and then greased it onto a still runway.  Beautiful night in the mountains, but cold! 31 degrees F when we opened the door.  Our warm Norcal departure didn’t prep us for that arctic blast.

Blue Angels over Pier 38

Great video of the Angel’s practice on Thurs. What I most like about this clip is the roar of the engines.

Blue Angels on the Ramp at San Francisco

Today was the fist day of the Blue Angels practice for Fleet Week in the skies above SFO, and the roar of the jets was spectacular.

This is always the finest to live in the Bay Area, because the Angels make the most of the City’s beautiful setting.

My Blue Angels week started out on Tuesday with about 2 hrs on the ramp with the lead solo, Major Nathan Miller. (Photos above)

Major Miller was an exceptional host to us as he talked about the discipline, pride and precision that is the hallmark of the Blue Angels.  He was a wonderful ambassador for the Blue Angels and all of the Armed Services, and the pride he displayed in his work made us all proud to be Americans to see such an accomplished and talented aviator so focused on his mission.  He was in the zone, which is what it takes to fly a pack of 45,000 lb. aircraft at speeds of over 300kts within literally inches of one another (in formation).

There were two pilots in our group of five, though all of us were in awe as Major Miller discussed the distances, procedures and closure speeds of the group’s various maneuvers.  At one point he literally “walked” us up and down the plane to demonstrate where each jet flies in their famous “Diamond” formation.  Trust me when I say that these jets are close!

The F/A 18 Hornets will be flying a full practice tomorrow, Friday October 10th, as well as two shows Saturday October 11th and October 12th above the Bay.  Full schedule here.

GA keeps small business running

Glad the WSJ found time to make this case for the importance of GA and small airplanes in our everyday business lives.

Line Crew

After a day of surfing with 3 of the 4 boys, we enjoyed a smooth ride up from SoCal today at FL140. Nice push from the southwest made it shorter than normal.

When we arrived the line crew (age 2) was waiting to instruct me where to taxi and park.

Line Crew 1

Legoland!

bird at rest - CRQ

Two of the best things about General Aviation are that you can 1) alter space and time 2) be spontaneous.  I decided friday to head down to SoCal with 3 of my 4 boys for a quick trip to the beach and, yes, LegoLand.  We regularly do “guys” weekends, and this one took it to a bit of a new level in terms of their interest level (Legos completely beat the aquarium or beach).  In deciding this on a friday, we altered time and space for our weekend.  Though it didn’t feel like a great trade while we were waiting in line at an amusement park, later in the day when we were all splashing in the (relatively) warm Pacific, or laughing over fish ‘n chips as we watched the sunset, it really felt like a different place and time.

Related to this was the simple fact that we made the decision to get the wheels in the wells late friday.  It was spontaneous, which made it exciting.  The kids (and I!) had a sense for the possible.  We could be on the beach tomorrow/at LegoLand tomorrow! When Saturday arrived, we went about our normal morning, but after my 6 year old’s soccer game, we strolled leisurely to the airport, started up the bird and pointed the nose up.

Sometimes it’s the simple trips, full of their small experiences that remind us of the sheer power, exhilaration and wonder of flight.

Fall Weekend In Jackson Hole

Summer ended this weekend in Jackson, KJAC, as evidenced by the turning of the leaves, departure of the birds, and arrival of the elk for winter. It’s definitely not fully fall in WY, but the light in the sky and chill to the air tell you it’s coming.  We departed KJAC around 4pm MST bound for sunny Palo Alto. On the departure from 19 you overfly Snow King, the local ski hill (photo 1).

The winds were strong aloft, so I throttled back to economy cruise to be sure we had ample fuel for the trip.  For most of the trip at FL200, our ground speed averaged a paltry 150kts, making our “milk run” longer than usual at 4hrs 15mins.  Kids didn’t seem to mind, and enjoyed pillow fights and wrestling matches in the back (they are small, and it was smooth).

We did, however, get a great sunset while crossing DOCAL into KPAO. My 4 year old son (and co-pilot) caught it on film in the photo below.

PiperJet Flies at Oshkosh!

Video here on the main EAA page of the PiperJet overhead Oshkosh today.

It sure looks spectacular and smooth.

I hope Piper and the economy conspire to get this airplane built.

An early start for his ground school

Bo gets an early start to ground school.  Also looks like the Mirage was too comfy to leave, even after we had landed.  Once again, the Tiger rode “table”.

Bo gets a jump on ground school

iger rode ‘table’.

Another Great PAO-JAC commute

Made the commute run in 3hrs 08mins at FL250. Great winds, a little bit of dodging the big boomers, and some nice time between layers. But with tailwinds and speeds of 230kts GS, it was an all too short ride.