They don’t make them like this any more.
Literally.
That’s part of the problem.
Category Archives: Flying
It Would Be Nice To See Her Fly Again
It’s been a few years since she’s flown, although her engines get fired up every now and then to move fluids around. She’s got a bit of “ramp rash” and would need a thorough going over and a bit more than routine maintenance.
It wouldn’t be easy, or quick, or inexpensive. But there are other C-46 Commandos still flying cargo and it’s not at all ridiculous to think of China Doll flying again. But the time? The dedication? The manpower? The money? Those are all in short supply.
Still, one can dream. I’ve never gotten to fly in her and it would sure be nice.
Dreams are important. Gotta hold on to them…
Filed under CAF, Flying, Photography
You Can’t Hide In That Tree!
Yesterday’s UPS Flight #5514 into Burbank, pulling out of a steep left turn to line up on Runway 8, but first trying to hide from view in that big tree in the back yard!
If you think I was surprised, you should have seen the squirrels, hummingbirds, and juncos scattering!
(No squirrels, hummingbirds, juncos, trees, or Airbus A300s were harmed in the making of this silliness.)
Filed under Flying, Photography
Under The Flight Path, Part Deux
Yesterday I shared quick iPhone photos of big planes going over up high, climbing out of LAX, and smaller planes going over lower down, descending into BUR. A couple of times a day, pretty much on a set (-ish) schedule, we get the combination, big planes down low, descending into BUR.
UPS sends in a BIG plane late every afternoon, to load up and bring packages in from and back out to their central sorting hub in Louisville. Fortunately (or not, since I happen to love jet noise) it’s a new Airbus with lots of “quiet” technology, so it doesn’t sound terribly loud as it goes over.
(Image by FlightRadar.com app)
It’s a daily, personal air show if you time it right!
Filed under Flying, Photography
Under The Flight Path
I suspect an awful lot of “normal” folks don’t even bother to look up when a plane goes overhead, especially at 12,000 feet and climbing.
I’m not “normal.” (This should be news to just about zero of you.)
As mentioned before, we’re under a couple of the LA area flight paths. Coming out of LAX to parts on opposite sides of the planet, we get the big jets going to Asia and Europe climbing out right over us. When I was out saying hello to the juncos and the squirrels I heard the rumble of this guy, whipped out the phone, set the camera to max telephoto, and took a few shots just to see if the pictures might be decent.
(Images from FlightRadar.com app)
Well, it’s headed to Frankfurt, was at 12,030 feet as he went over, and my photo’s good enough to see the logo on the tail, so that doesn’t suck.
Of course, two seconds after I put the phone back in my pocket this guy comes tearing over, headed toward Runway 8 at Burbank. Normally we get tons of 737s going in with the occasional business jet or light plane. This nice mid-sized twin was novel, but I caught him a little bit past the overhead point. Still…
Look at that flight path! (The green line.) He’d been doing laps all over the San Fernando Valley, and it’s an FAA owned plane. I wonder what was up?
Oh, and if anyone wins a reasonably sized lottery and is just dying to spend some of that money on me, a Beech Super King Air like this one would be a wonderful surprise for Christmas! (Hint, hint…)
Filed under Flying, Photography
No Context For You – July 18th
Well, maybe a tiny little bit of context.
This isn’t exactly “Find That Lizard” quality “no context” material (that makes sense in my head – you’re on your own) but what I wanted to show you is that mask. I found them early in the pandemic and lockdown. They’re custom printed with an FAA VFR map for the area of your choice. Mine are for Camarillo Airport.
These days the folks who do these are also doing shirts, hats, pajamas, all sorts of things with your choice of maps on them. That’s clever. That’s ingenuity at work. I hope these guys are making a fortune.
Filed under Flying, Photography
Big Clouds, Mid-Sized Jets, Tiny Hummingbirds
Big clouds. Broken. Puffy. Probably VFR conditions breaking through that deck, but I don’t know if I would push my luck and go through on a check ride.
More clouds to the north but a different pattern. Can you see the tiny hummingbird?
Now can you find the tiny hummingbird? How about the mid-sized jet? A Southwest 747 to be exact, going straight in to Burbank Runway 8. Small compared to the clouds, huge compared to the hummingbird, mid-sized compared to a 747.
It’s all perspective.
Filed under Birds, Flying, Photography, Weather
Jumbos
I’ve mentioned just how much I enjoy hearing the big 747 jumbo jets (usually cargo runs to Asia) coming out of LAX and flying right over our house several times a day. The other interesting thing to me is just how attuned I am to hearing that really deep, bass rumble as they go overhead.
(Image: Flightradar24 app)
On this day, the one I heard was shown in red, with its flight path indicated. But when I saw that, I saw another one following it (circled, over Santa Monica Bay). So I grabbed the camera. (DUH!)
I spotted it coming up from the south, probably just off of the Malibu coast, about fourteen miles away.
Closing fast and climbing.
From the first picture to the last, less than two minutes passed.
As with the Vogon Destructor Fleet, jumbo jets float there the same way that bricks don’t. (In this case it has a lot to do with thrust and lift…)
Right overhead.
Almost into the Sun. I can see the headlines now…
“Local man goes blind looking at Sun through telescopic lens while taking pictures of ordinary cargo jet out of LAX – stupidity expected to be involved.”
Off it goes to the north.
Finally vanishing from view off to north, again, probably fifteen to twenty miles to the north, right about…
(Image: Flightradar 24 app)
…here! Off to Inchon in South Korea. Hopefully a boring thirteen hours!
Filed under Flying, Photography
Not An Aircraft You See Every Day
Out at the CAF hangar today we were taking delivery of an unusual aircraft.
It’s a Fieseler FI-156D Storch, a German designed WWII aircraft.
This one was partially disassembled for transport to us from San Bernardino County, with the fuselage on one truck, the wings on another, and the propeller, horizontal stabilizer and other parts coming in separately.
It’s a fixer-upper (as many CAF aircraft are) but that’s what we do, and this aircraft will probably be flying again in 2-5 years, depending on our volunteer manpower, workload, and of course, funding.
To be honest , this aircraft is in MUCH better shape than some we’ve gotten. Some are 15-20 year projects, if we’re lucky. Here we at least have an engine and all of the major parts.
A peak inside the floor of the cockpit, showing the foot controls for rudder and brakes.
And the big picture at the firewall, engine mounted to the left, controls and cockpit on the right.
Filed under CAF, Flying, Photography
We Love The Stars Too Fondly 