Champ flight in California
Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:22 pmHad another lesson today, and finally did some shooting in the air. Most of the "blind" shots (I was busy) did not come out very well, but here are a few decent ones, plus two remarkable airplanes I saw on the ground at SDM.
A very nice-looking Mexican Lear, in front of the museum I still haven't visited.
A very eye-catching paint on this Luscombe... I really like this.
I think this Smith Miniplane had just fueled up and was off to park.
We did a couple of crash-and dashes at Brown, then went off to Gillespie and Ramona again. Lots of Class D ops practice, but at that nice relaxed Champ pace.
This is looking east...
Not a bad day, if a bit gusty with strong thermal action. Here we're approaching San Vicente Island at about 3000 MSL.
Bob has a story about every lake, monument and highway, and points out all the abandoned airfields. He told me a PBY once wound up on its back here in San Vicente Lake...I think he said it was rigged for firefighting and came to grief during a water pickup; that would make sense.
Not a lot of variety here, I know... the rest are out of focus. Some rugged rocky country in this area, but I kept close to the highways and kept a sharp eye out for any suitable flat spot clear of rocks.
There aren't many.
But this airplane is strong, even if she has her quirks. The spring-loaded pitot cover got stuck, so I flew the first pattern at Brown without airspeed indicated, and Bob clambered out on the taxiway to fix it.
But she started on my first pull, which was sweet indeed.
A very nice-looking Mexican Lear, in front of the museum I still haven't visited.
A very eye-catching paint on this Luscombe... I really like this.
I think this Smith Miniplane had just fueled up and was off to park.
We did a couple of crash-and dashes at Brown, then went off to Gillespie and Ramona again. Lots of Class D ops practice, but at that nice relaxed Champ pace.
This is looking east...
Not a bad day, if a bit gusty with strong thermal action. Here we're approaching San Vicente Island at about 3000 MSL.
Bob has a story about every lake, monument and highway, and points out all the abandoned airfields. He told me a PBY once wound up on its back here in San Vicente Lake...I think he said it was rigged for firefighting and came to grief during a water pickup; that would make sense.
Not a lot of variety here, I know... the rest are out of focus.
Some rugged rocky country in this area, but I kept close to the highways and kept a sharp eye out for any suitable flat spot clear of rocks.There aren't many.
But this airplane is strong, even if she has her quirks. The spring-loaded pitot cover got stuck, so I flew the first pattern at Brown without airspeed indicated, and Bob clambered out on the taxiway to fix it.
But she started on my first pull, which was sweet indeed.
