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)
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| Final Approach to Runway 19 KEMT |
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| 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)
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| N26958 on the ramp at Barstow-Daggett Airport (KDAG) |
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| 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)
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| On the Signature FSO ramp at Santa Barbara |
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| Short final Runway 22 Catalina Island's Airport-in-the-Sky |
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| 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)
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| 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)
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| 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.
