The Year in Review
Welcome to 2012, the year it’s all supposed to end. Everyone likes to joke about the Mayan calendar, but perhaps they simply knew the election cycle would be tedious enough to make the entire planet take the Jonestown route. The turning of another page on the calendar reminds us of the passage of time. Or at least, it would if anyone had a calendar with physical pages to turn. For most it’s now done with the click of a mouse or flick of the finger on the iPhone. Even that is becoming passé — now you can simply talk to Siri and have her handle the scheduling for you. I wonder how long it will be before we can say things like, “Siri, load the ILS 19 approach and fly it for me. After we land, please taxi to Atlantic and have them add...
Read MoreSR22 Delivery Flight
The life of an aviator is indisputably rich in adventures, unique experiences, and, as Magee phrased it, “a hundred things you have not dreamed of”. Even in that life, however, there are a few days which stand above the rest. Who can forget their first solo, the successful checkride, or the name of their first passenger? As anyone who’s been there can attest, even the most diminutive among us stands ten feet tall at the end of those flights. Another big moment — one of the very sweetest in my experience — is the day you escape any niggling notions of common sense and purchase an aircraft of your very own. Today, that often means what a salesmen would refer to as a “pre-loved” aircraft. Pre-owned. You know, used. A...
Read MoreCheapo Airlines
Flying seems to be getting more painful every day for those confined to the airlines. If you think it’s bad here in the United States, take a look at Irish-based Ryanair. They take cheapness to a new level, both in terms of airfares and amenities. Ryanair is quite famous for this. Far from being embarrassed by their reputation, they actually take pride in it. The fares may be low, but walk aboard their aircraft you’ll find less leg room than on any other airline. They’ve even gone so far as to remove the seat-back pockets in order to save weight and space in the cabin. But that’s just the start. Ryanair charges passengers extra money if they are too heavy (a so-called “fat tax”). You’ll also get dinged if you need...
Read MoreThere’s No Place Like Nome
So I’m off on the latest adventure! This one has me flying with a new crew to an old home of mine, Alaska. Boy, what a place! I lived in the state when I was a kid, but haven’t been back since then. I had lived near Anchorage, which has 300,000 residents and is home to nearly half of Alaska’s entire population. This trip was going to take me to a village which was literally a thousand miles away from where I’d lived, yet was still within the same state. Alaska is like that. It’s so large that you could divide it in half and instantly make Texas the 3rd largest state. Hard to believe that the United States purchased Alaska for only $7 million, or less than $0.02 per acre. And even then, the purchase was so derided by the public...
Read MoreThe Tiger Has Landed
I just returned from a 48 hour round trip to southern Florida to pick up a refurbished Grumman AA-5B Tiger and ferry it back to California. I’ll say this for general aviation, it’s always an adventure. I took a few photos, which are available here. My first thought after sitting down to memorialize the weekend: I’d forgotten how exhausting these transcontinental trips can be, especially when you’re dodging thunderstorms for 2000 continuous miles. Florida in late August — good times. The commercial flight out to Ft. Meyers was blessedly uneventful, but between the three hour time change and our 6:45 a.m. wheels up plan for Sunday morning, I was behind the curve even before we started. Fortunately the thunderstorms were confined to...
Read MoreMonterey
Lesley and I just got back from a great trip to the central California coast. It wasn’t a flying trip — I did a Norcal trip via plane the week before last. But more on that later. Those of you who know me know I don’t like driving long distances in cars. I mean, isn’t that why God created the airplane? But nevertheless, the trip was great fun. Even the driving was low stress. On Saturday the 3rd, we rumbled into Solvang, where the local time was holy cow it’s a bazillion degrees here. You could’ve cooked an egg on the sidewalk. In fact, maybe we did. The heat was so intense that I might not remember it. So we got our pastry and got the hell out of there. The next stop was La Purissima, one of the original...
Read More…Down Mexico Way
I’m back from Mexico and can report that no animals were harmed in the making of this dive trip. No non-human animals, at least. Er… well, we did catch quite a few trigger fish during the surface intervals, but I don’t count those because they make for such tasty ceviche. I’ve got quite a few pictures to post in the photo gallery, but I’ll whet your appetite with some highlights. The new Schulz house in San Carlos is really something to behold. I’d estimate the size to be more than 3,000 square feet. Newly constructed on the side of a hill overlooking the bay, this pad is equipped with a home theatre, high speed internet access, a gourmet kitchen, and is furnished so smartly that it looks like something out of a Pottery Barn...
Read MoreSouth of the Border…
It’s that time of year again. The annual dive trip to Mexico! Most of the guys are driving down to San Carlos this time. Personally, I think it’s crazy to spend 16 hours driving across the featureless desert when America West offers daily (though spotty) service to nearby Guaymas. And right out of John Wayne, too! No getting up at 3 am. No fighting the congestion at LAX. No overloaded flights. I don’t even have to lug my dive gear around. The guys were kind enough to stop by on their way out of town and schlep it down there with them, just as a precaution. None of us has forgotten how America West lost all our dive gear a couple of years ago. Despite the hassles of air travel, I’m glad to be going this way. It figures that the...
Read MoreLa Paz Recap
I’ve been back from Mexico for a bit, but haven’t had the time to really post anything about the trip until now. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, you can get the gist of things by checking out the photos. The trip started with an easy non-stop flight from LAX to La Paz. Normally I wouldn’t take note of the flight, but this was a pleasant change from last year’s fiasco in which all our dive gear was lost when we changed planes in Phoenix. America West eventually found the gear and got it to us in San Carlos, but since they only have one flight per day into Guaymas, we had to do our first day of diving with equipment we cobbled together from spare parts floating around the house and boat. We dove in two shifts, which worked well...
Read MoreDiving in La Paz
Well, I’ve got the scuba gear packed, the regulator overhauled, the books picked out, and the passport in my pocket. I’m outta here — on my way to La Paz, Mexico. This should be a fun trip. Traditionally the group I dive with alternates between Cozumel and San Carlos since we have good connections in both places, but this year we’re branching out. La Paz might be a bit more subjet to storms since it’s so far south, but hopefully the weather will hold. Some new sites were just added to my (admittedly paltry) links list, so you can do a little branching out yourself while I’m gone. Ciao!
Read MoreInstagrams
Social