Apple Valley Airshow

Spent a beautiful Saturday working at the CA Guard's static display UAV.

The fam dropped by for the afternoon to see the Warbirds fly and walk around the planes.


The 5 or 6 warbirds made it a high quality airshow for one of it's small size.


I enjoyed chatting with locals, retirees, and listening to interesting personal stories. It was fun to see the junior ROTC cadets work crowd control and park planes like we did years ago. And I enjoyed sharing info on applying to the Air Force Academy.


Highlight though? The warship tight formations passing by the crowd at low level.




The winds kicked up in the afternoon at the time a brushfire began in the Cajon Pass 20 miles away and kicked the fire up the canyon right up to the ski town Wrightwood in the mountains we see out our front porch. They are still burning tonight and we pray for the firefighters and minimal
damage to the area including the homes of 4 people I work with.

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7 yrs ago...

Seven years ago this month... somewhere near Iraq -- I had just 1 month left before I got to go home to Ang & a blonde-haired crawling 6-month old Laney! My how time crawled that month. Like all old people say, "seems like yesterday."

Trip to China...er...Chino

The kids call it "Chai-no" but it's really pronounced "Chee-no". It's the "Planes of Fame" Air Museum at Chino, CA. Pretty neat place with lots of restoration going on and five warbird-packed hangars. They have a great airshow every May too. Here's the kids baking (no, not basking) in the sun--it was 99F and somewhat humid.

Flyin'

So I was sitting in my office at my computer, staring out the window when my office buddy Mike said, "hey are you on the {test} flying schedule today?" "Naw," I replied. "Wanna fly the Cessna?" he said casually. "Sure," I responded in disbelief that this idea of leaving the boring office for a ride around the local skies on any given "office day" (ie. any day you're not on the test flight schedule) could be a regular weekly habit. So we left the office for the company hangar at the bosses' private neighborhood strip. I got to fly in the left seat of the company's 2006 Cessna 172 Skyhawk under the instruction of Mike -- my first "manned" flight since December, and my first instructional Cessna 172 flight...EVER (shocking). Still has the new car smell, and a fancy glass cockpit (I had no idea a Cessna 172 could have a glass cockpit w/ Garmin-1000). There are only 3 round gages in the whole plane. It was a blast, despite my lack of skill at landing small, slow, prop-driven aircraft. (I like to do things in reverse...fly high-dollar jets, then unmanned digital aircraft, then finally work my way up to the single-engine stick & rudder Cessnas.)

I had so much fun. Got to buzz the house and wave at the family in the front yard (after Mike gave Ang a ring on the cellphone as we approached), which is always a bonus! Should I really be getting paid for this?

Return to San Diego

Work required me to return to San Diego for some more, well, "work" but I can't say going to San Diego ever feels like work. Maybe the traffic at times, but it's always a nice change of color (green green green).

Well we had to go hit the beach again, and we couldn't resist Del Mar again, since it was so dog-gone purty last time, and not crowded. So what was new? Well, besides a US Marine Corps helicopter buzzing the beach in its patrols, and besides this seagull with zero regard for the rules (as Papou would say, "what part of 'keep off' don't you understand?!"), we discovered something very very cool.

WE HAVE A FISH! Yes, Ms Sadie is at home in the water. I'm sure those of you who've known little kids who swim--to you this is no biggie. But to us parents, who've raised only children inherently afraid of water, splashing, and immersion, this is dumbfounding. I even got her to do the brbrbrbrrrr motorboat sound with her lips and would dip her underwater and back up before she had a chance to inhale water and she was cool with it--over and over! And, she was almost boyant all by herself (maybe it's her thighs!)...we kept swimming and swimming until her lips started shivering but she didn't want to get out. So I guess there's some catching up to do by her older siblings in our pop-up pool here back at the ranch. - (as always, click to enlarge pics).

Aviation Legend Movie Clip

It's Bob Hoover, aviation legend. Any further description would fall well short of any introduction worthy of this man's skill & discipline in the air. Bob Hoover's accomplishments in aviation are worth looking into if you're not familiar with his life! You're about to watch him pour iced tea backhanded while performing a barrel roll! Also notice how many stunt clips shown are deadstick (ie. with his engines both off, and the props feathered to a stopped position!)

CLICK HERE, press Play when it opens, & enjoy the show.

U.S. jets intercept Russian bombers near Alaska

TRAINING EXERCISE: Two Tu-95s penetrated an American buffer zone.
By BRUCE FINLEYThe Denver Post
Published: September 30, 2006 Last Modified: September 30, 2006 at 06:32 AM
A push for greater Russian military openness collided with old Cold War habits on Thursday as Russian long-range bombers flew within 15 miles of U.S. airspace over Alaska. Fully armed U.S. fighter jets responded, intercepting the two bombers. The Russian Tu-95 bombers on a training exercise Thursday penetrated a North American buffer zone, according to a statement Friday from Maj. Gen. Brett Cairns, operations chief for the North American Aerospace Defense Command based in Colorado Springs, Colo. The bombers stayed in international airspace.
The U.S. response "was appropriate," said Adm. Timothy Keating, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. "We have a near-sacred responsibility to protect and defend the United States and Canada against any and all threats. We will not waver in this responsibility," Keating said. Four U.S. F-15 fighters, supported by two Canadian CF-1 fighters, found and intercepted the bombers. A U.S. pilot snapped a photo of the Russian craft with a red star on its tail. U.S forces, too, have been conducting training exercises over Alaska and Canada.
The encounter happened despite a new initiative led by Keating to get Russian commanders to notify U.S. officials more fully about training missions.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that the four F-15 pilots are my good buddies from work."

Full Afterburner Ang

Ang had an awesome time at the squadron open house (aka. Gold Carpet Day) today... she got a high-speed, full-afterburner, zero-to-a-hundred, 35,000 pounds of thrust, F-15C Eagle thrill-ride on the runway, followed by a max-aero-brake, or "wheelie" as Gib calls it (useful in slowing down to speeds that won't turn the brake pads into molton hot magma). Her friendly pilot was Andy and I was out on foot snapping pictures. It was nice to kick back & "enjoy" being at work today!