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 – 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.

 

 

N26958 @ Centerville, TN

The Elyminator stopped at Centerville, TN (KGHM) to refuel on a recent trip to Cincinnati.

A Record is Broken

June 9, 2012 N26958 participated in the "Big Muddy Air Race" held at Carbondale's Southern Illinois University Airport (KMDH). There on the 159 nautical mile course it performed well winning not only the Factory 5 Class first place finish but breaking the previous Sport Air Racing League's FAC 5 Class speed record.

The previous record stood at 158.54 mph (137.86 kts) and N26958 completed the closed cross country course with a speed of 158.69 mph (137.99 kts) breaking the record by a narrow margin of just 0.15 mph.

We felt with our ground speed exceeding as much as 149 knots on the last two legs that our strategy might have paid off with a record breaking flight and we were extremely elated when it proved to be true.

Next weekend is the Great Northwestern Race in Ephrata, Washington (KEPH) and we hope to improve on or class record speed there.

Cincinnati Blue Ash

A recent trip to Cincinnati saw N26958 landing at Blue Ash Airport (KISZ). It is unfortunate that such a lovely little airport will soon be closed.

Blue Ash has a single runway 6/24 that is 3,499 feet long. It is surrounded by expensive homes now that were advised at the time of sale of an avigation easement and somehow managed to convince the city not to invest any more money in it. Cincinnati sold part of the airport to the city of Blue Ash and they intend to make their portion a park. I wonder if the park will be named after the mayor's wife like the absolute moron the former Mayor Daley of Chicago did with Meigs Field? Using the word "class" in the same sentence with that man would be butchering the English language.

While I hate to see the loss of this airport I am thankful for being able to land there before its closure.

N26958 and Friends Gather at Bennetts

Friends Gather at Bennetts

Following the Memorial 150 Air Race at Terrell, TX a few of the competitors retired from the afternoon sun at Bennetts private airstrip in preparation for another even. Field elevation is 445 feet, density altitude on this 88°F day is 2375'. Runway length is 2,000, grass. 

Stuck In Traffic?

Check out Jo Hunter's photos of N26958 at the Sport Air Racing League (SARL) Hill Country 150 Air Race held at Llano TX on April 21, 2012. "Stuck In Traffic" by The Real Jo Hunter @ Futurshox.net

The wording for the sign that stretches from wing-to-wing under our airplane can be credited to Jeff Garms of Flying Tiger Flight School based at Ellington (KEFD). Jeff is the school's mechanic and has an off the wall sense of humor. Since we fly extensively between the east and west side of Houston through the corridor over I-10 we thought we'd send a little message to the folks below. Jeff's suggestion stuck.

N26958 is ALMOST ready for race season...

One Hot! Lookin' Cheetah!

Its transformation is nearing completion from a moth to a beautiful butterfly. A butterfly that goes REAL fast....



N26958 is being painted by Airborne Kustomz of Gidding, TX