Changes in the works

I have made the decision recently to take this blog down. I have added very little here in the past few years and I don't want to just leave something floating in eternity online. Since the pictures and the posts are mine, I'm archiving them on my own equipment. I will likely create something similar in the near future but that remains in the works. Over the next few days or weeks I will remove posts and pictures. This page I will leave up as a means of directing followers to another location. If you got anything out of this blog, I appreciate you interest. Blue Skyz Flyer

Recent Trips in the Elyminator

Last year I took some time to head west to California, where I learned to fly. I wanted to use the Elyminator to re-fly several memorable or important cross country flight from my days as a student pilot on that took place there.

I learned to fly mostly in a Grumman American Traveler but some in Cheetahs and other airplanes. I learned to fly in a very busy airspace as layers of complexity were added. I was fortunate in that I only had to learn one layer at a time. It wasn't much of a burden that today's student pilots must learn. However, there are a lot of gaps in the training in pilots today that go unfilled as they move on through their careers and I think it is something I may, in some informal way, address in a book I am working on.


Our two volume set of Ely Air Lines; a collection of 100 stories from 10 years of writing a weekly column, has just been published and is available through Amazon or local book stores. This new book is my follow-along project. The Ely Air Lines volumes all involve flying, but were focused at an audience that was neither technical nor aviation orientated. We have been at this for over thirteen years with our goal to make the world of aviation not such a mystery to the general public and let people know that everyone is welcome.

Ely Air Lines: Select Stories from 10 years of a weekly column - Paper Airplane Publishing




So Here are dates and locations that N26958 plopped down on different runways in the west.

June 28, 2019
Eldorado Airport, Eldorado, Texas (27R)
El Paso International Airport, El Paso, Texas (KELP)

June 29, 2019
Gila Bend Municipal Airport, Gila Bend, Arizona (E63)
San Garbriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)

Final Approach to Runway 19 KEMT

El Monte Airport (now San Gabriel Valley) and the Elyminator in from of the terminal building built in 2001.

June 30, 2019
Barstow-Daggett Airport, Daggett, California (KDAG)
Rosamond Skypark, Rosamond, California (L00)
San Gabriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)
Chino Airport, Chino, California (KCNO)
French Valley Airport, Temecula, California (F70)
Ontario International Airport, Ontario, California (KONT)
San Gabriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)

N26958 on the ramp at Barstow-Daggett Airport (KDAG)

On the ramp at Rosamond Skypark (L00)

July 1, 2019
Twentynine Palms Airport, Twentynine Palms, California (KTNP)
Brown Field Municipal Airport, San Diego, California (KSDM)
San Gabriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)
Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California (KLGB)






July 2, 2019
Fullerton Municipal Airport, Fullerton, California (KFUL)
Santa Barbara Municipal, Santa Barbara, California (KSBA)
San Gabriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)
Catalina Airport-in-the-Sky, Avalon, California (KAVX)
Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California (KLGB)

On the Signature FSO ramp at Santa Barbara

Short final Runway 22 Catalina Island's Airport-in-the-Sky

Catalina Island

July 3, 2019
Bob Hope Airport, Burbank, California (KBUR)
Riverside Municipal Airport, Riverside, California (KRAL)
Long Beach/Daugherty Field, Long Beach, California (KLGB)
Kern Valley Airport, Kernville, California (L05)

Kern Valley Airport, Airport Campground Ramp

July 4, 2019
Inyokern Airport, Inyokern, California (KIYK)
Oxnard Airport, Oxnard, California (KOXR)
Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, California (KVNY)

At Castle and Cooke, Van Nuys, California

July 5, 2019
San Gabriel Valley Airport, El Monte, California (KEMT)
San Bernardino International Airport (Formerly Norton AFB), San Bernardino, California (KSBD)
Hemet-Ryan Airport, Hemet, California (KHMT)

July 6, 2019
Marana Regional Airport (Formerly Avra Valley), Marana, Arizona (KAVQ)
Las Cruces International Airport, Las Cruces, New Mexico (KLRU)

July 7, 2019
Eldorado Airport, Eldorado, Texas (27R)
RWJ Airpark, Baytown, Texas (54T) - Home Base

Over 40 hours of flying in ten days and over 4,000 miles covered. 

It's Been a while but here is what's happening.

The Adventures of November Two Six Nine Five Eight continue (even if they haven't been posted here in a while).

The airplane has been retired from the race circuit following the end of the 2016 season. It has made a few trips and is being revamped to make even more. Here are some updated photos.

El Paso International Airport (KELP) June 29, 2019

Enroute KELP to E63 (Gila Bend, AZ)

    Preflight El Monte/San Gabriel Valley Airport (KEMT)  June 30, 2019

Fullerton, CA (KFUL) July 2, 2019

Departing RWY 24 KFUL

Fullerton looking NW July 2, 2019

Base to Final RWY 15L Santa Barbara, CA (KSBA) July 2, 2019

Short Final RWY 15L KSBA July 2, 2019

                                                                                    

Another one for the books

Team Ely and the Elyminator, Race 55 have completed yet another race. This one was the Indy Air Race 2015 held in support of Down Syndrome Indiana on August 1st. Posting as speed on the cross-country course of 157.23 mph and winning the Factory 5 FX class boosts our points total to 520 for the 2015 season. This puts us well on our way to a 4th consecutive Production Class Gold Points Championship. 

The Elyminator at Hendricks County-Gordon Graham Field  in Indianapolis 

SARL Season Final - Elyminator Bests All

The Elyminator is the 2012 Sport Air Racing League Points Champion amassing 1740 total points for the season. The competition was fierce with the top three competitors within 30 points of each other.
http://futurshox.net/aerogallery.php?reg=N26958&id=17207#17004

Once again the real Jo Hunter, Aviation Photographer Extraordinaire has captured some incredible shots of the Elyminator (oh and a few others as well). http://futurshox.net/aerogallery.php?event=327#17207

The Great Northwest Air Race and Vacation - Santa Catalina IslandSojourn

Waking in the morning, we got a weather briefing and the fog pretty much had settled into the Los Angeles Basin. Something that is normal for a June morning. It usually burns off around Noon so we planned to depart Bakersfield Meadows Field (KBFL) and head south over Gorman VOR and then on towards Van Nuys to pick up the Shoreline Route through the Class B airspace over KLAX. These routes have been added to, taken away from and modified so many times over the years that sometimes they are barely recognizable to those of us who've been away from the area for quite some time. That said it was time to do a little review and once done, we were ready to depart.

Over Los Angeles International heading southbound
along the Shoreline Route enroute to KAVX

The best way I can of obtaining clearance through the class B airspace is to be in contact with ATC early. We decide flight following from Bakersfield Approach was the best way to go since they would hand us off to Los Angeles Center for a short time then SoCal Approach would pick us up. As we crossed the ridge where Gorman VOR sits, we were switched to SoCal Approach and made our request for the Shoreline Route and direct to KAVX on Santa Catalina Island. We we waited until we were just south of Van Nuys before the controller switched us to the next sector and we hear the words "Cleared into Class B" maybe a couple miles north of the boundary. We acknowledged and proceeded over the top of Santa Monica and I looked to see if anything remained of the old Hughes Airport in Culver City as we flew along the short at about 5,500 feet. The route turns inland a bit towards Long Beach once you clear KLAX but the controller cleared us direct to KAVX.

Santa Catalina Island is only 21 miles off the California coast, not the 26 miles you hear in the song. Airport-In-The-Sky sits about midway between the far ends of the island at an elevation of 1,602 feet MSL. When I was flight instructor at Airflite in Long Beach (When they were a Cessna Dealer before the big new FBO was built) I gave Catalina checkouts to renter pilots as it was required by the company's insurance.





Over the isthmus on a 45 for the downwind

to Runway 22

Many a time I have sat on the veranda munching on a burger and fries but I haven't landed here in 20 years. This was like the prodigal son coming home. We entered the traffic pattern from over the isthmus between the big southeastern part of the island and the smaller northwestern part. That put us on a 45 for the right downwind to runway 22. The conditions were calm and when we turned final that same illusion was there that throws unfamiliar pilots off. The airport looks like and aircraft carrier and the first two thirds of the 3,200 feet long runway slop up hill. The last third is level and disappears from view on short final.

Right Base to Final Runway 22

A good reason to always use the radio in the pattern because if someone decides to takeoff in the opposite direction you won't know until they come over the top of you as they cross that swell in the runway. Normally this is not a problem when on approach to the runway, just when taking the runway for takeoff. Especially if you decide to depart runway 4 when the normal departure runway is 22. There is a building that looks like a control tower but it is not.

That landing was uneventful and we got in and tied down just in time to catch the next van down the Avalon. Its about a 25 to 30 minute drive covering only 10 miles, much of it switchbacks. In all the times I've been here the road has remained in this state of semi-repair and you can always catch a glimpse of a Bison or even rarer the island fox. Many times in the past I would simply ate and then headed back out again. Or we would go backpacking on the island. This can be done in designated campgrounds only which are to my understanding, are being increased from the four or five they previously had. Hiking in the island's interior requires a permit which I believe can be obtained at the airport and the overnight camping permits are only available from the Catalina Island Conservancy office in Avalon. This time we didn't plan on doing either as the van wound switchback after switchback down the into the city limits of Avalon.

While we had not really planned to stay it was such a nice day and early it seems early enough in the season that we decided an overnight would be good if we could find a place to stay. The place I have always wanted to stay was Zane Grey's Pueblo Hotel with its million dollar views from the north ridge overlooking the town. It faced the Wrigley Manor on the opposite side of the amphitheater-like canyon where Avalon sits facing out across the Channel north towards the mainland. There was room at the Pueblo and it was well worth the price for the view. And if you are interested I understand the place is for sale for the measly sum of $11 Million or so. Don't know if it has sold by now or not.



Overlooking the harbor in Avalon

View of the "Casino" from the main beach

The Great Northwest Air Race and Vacation – Part 4 Down the Left Coast

Departing Arlington we flew west of Paine Field and Boeing Field picking up advisories from Seattle Approach and later Center as we made our way south toward the Columbia River, Portland and finally Salem, Oregon. As we passed by Mount St. Helens we didn’t see much of it since its lofty summit was shrouded in mystery. Rarely have I been here to see it. However, I did once fly around it in a Learjet once at 20,000 feet probably 17 or 18 years ago while enroute from Boeing Field to Portland. While I did photograph it at the time, the pictures never can do justice to what the eye actually sees.

 

 

We spent a few days in Salem visiting with my mom and sister. I didn’t have much chance this time to visit with my cousins on their farm or my younger brother who now lives over in the Bend area. I wish we lived closer so we could visit more often and since we were this close we were not going to miss the opportunity. Mom is getting up there in years and slowing down quite a bit and I enjoyed all the time we were able to spend together. We spent almost four days here and had to start heading back. We were going to continue down the coast and then turn left at San Diego…



 

We had an open invite to spend some time with fellow racers Red Hamilton and Marilyn Boese had invited us to visit and stay at their place in Ft. Bragg right on the coast. So we headed that way. All the way down the Willamette River Valley I pointed out mountain peaks I knew in the Cascades and landmarks on the ground as we approached the Rouge River. Crossing the coastal range out to the coast I was able to point out Mt. Shasta in the distance. One place I’ve always wanted to land but never have is Weed right near the base of that mountain. But that’ll have to be another trip.

Once we hit the coast we crossed over Arcata, the airport I landed so long ago just as I broke my first 100 hours. Now 16,000 hours later, it doesn’t seem to have changed all that much. I just hope I’m not too jaded in my age to appreciate it. We were on descent into a little airpark near Ft. Bragg called Virgin Creek. With the marine layer moving in from offshore I did a pass down the runway determining if I felt comfortable with putting the plan onto a 1,900’ X 12’ strip. This time I opted to for the little River Airport (KLLR) 12 miles south.

Marilyn met us at the airport as Red had an engagement to go to that night. We toured Mendocino on our way back to Ft. Bragg. This is the town that was used as the fictitious town of Cabot Cove, Maine in the Murder She Wrote series. It has been used in a number of movies as well. Then she drove us out to the airpark and we had a wonderful dinner when Red showed up after his engagement.

The next morning we enjoyed the morning mist as we walked along the rocky shore that is less than a half mile from the airstrip. It is a really neat place and Red gave us a tour of his parts warehouse since he specializes in specialty car parts. He’s been in the machine shop business almost his entire life and now they run a mail order business so they can live anywhere and what a lovely place to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After lunch we headed back to Little River Airport as the marine layer was once again coming on shore. Luckily it still had a high enough ceiling and good visibility underneath that we could depart VFR and head toward the east.

Bidding goodbye to Red and Marilyn we headed off on another adventure, the ceiling rising the further east into the coastal range that we flew. Eventually the clouds gave way to a beautiful blue sky and we headed on south towards Porterville and Bakersfield where we spent the night.