Home > Blog

Into the Sky

Follow along on my flights, adventures, and lessons learned along the way. Enter your email below to get the latest posts and updates straight to your inbox.

We care about your data in our privacy policy.

Blog categories

Book Review

Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

There are few books that can capture the excitement of aerial combat, the mind numbing boredom of “flying a desk,” and the strain that military...

Newsletters

April 2024 Newsletter

I hope you enjoy the ninth edition of the newsletter. Please click the links in the newsletter for the articles, (or the link below it)...

Long Cross Country

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond and 60+mph Headwinds

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond My youngest son is a student at Utah Tech University in St. George, UT. A gifted musician, he is there...

Long Cross Country

I Just Needed 3:51 to get to 1,000

When I passed my PPL check ride, 1,000 hours seemed like an eternity away. But, like anything else that seems overwhelming, just take it one...

Kathy's Corner

Lucky Charms for Dinner

We landed in Durango because of weather and had some marginal gas station food. It wasn’t clearing up so we drove an hour each way...

Book Review

Baa Baa Black Sheep: The True Story of the “Bad Boy” Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron

Baa Baa Blacksheep: The True Story of the "Bad Boy" Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington...

Long Cross Country

So I walked Home from the Airport

A diversion to Durango (KDRO) for weather. Borrowing a crew car, and then sneaking out ahead of a snow storm. After almost 700 miles of...

Newsletters

March 2024 Newsletter

I hope you enjoy the eight edition of the newsletter. Please click the links in the newsletter for the articles, (or the link below it)...

Long Cross Country

A Quick Trip to Utah for Family

Only in the Mooney Time Machine. In about 36 hours I got to meet up with my wife in Utah, see our newest grandson, celebrate...

$100 Burger Runs, Flightseeing

Long Lost Relatives and Close Calls

DNA matching is amazing. A few years back through DNA testing my wife’s extended family learned that there was a cousin nobody knew about. In...

$100 Burger Runs, Flightseeing

Two First Flights

One of the joys of flying is sharing that with others. Sharing it with someone who has never been in a small plane is extra...

$100 Burger Runs, Flight Training

We’re Awake, Might As Well Go Fly

Wide awake, there was no point trying to go back to sleep, so we decided to head to the airport for the short hop over...

$100 Burger Runs

Can You Be Off The Ground In One Minute

A backhand slap from ATC, amazing Russian food, and a one minute “Void if not off by” clearance. What a great evening! How did it...

$100 Burger Runs

July 4th – Santa Paula – Breakfast and a Bike Ride

We have a couple of folding e-bikes from Citizen Bikes that we purchased specifically to take in the plane and use at our destinations. I...

$100 Burger Runs

Because I was Inverted

About five and a half years ago, shortly after getting my private pilot license, one of my sisters asked me, “If you got a Top...

$100 Burger Runs

Negative Ghostrider, the Pattern is Full

The Friday after Thanksgiving was windy. It wasn’t “terrible” and was definitely flyable. I have flown in much stronger winds, and if I was planning...

$100 Burger Runs

You Fly, We’ll Buy

It goes without saying, 2020 has been a crazy year. “Mostly” caught up on things at work I took Wednesday off for I think 5th...

$100 Burger Runs

Two $100 Burger Runs in a Day

Ok, so to be honest, it wasn’t two $100 Burger Runs. I only had a burger on the second run, the first one was for...

Flightseeing, Local

Date Night Sunset Flight

Last Saturday when I spent all day working on the house and yard I told myself that it was okay to skip flying because we...

$100 Burger Runs, Flightseeing

Long Lost Relatives and Close Calls

DNA matching is amazing. A few years back through DNA testing my wife’s extended family learned that there was a cousin nobody knew about. In...

$100 Burger Runs, Flightseeing

Two First Flights

One of the joys of flying is sharing that with others. Sharing it with someone who has never been in a small plane is extra...

Flightseeing

“Dad! I Got To Drive It!”

Seven years later I took my wife's oldest daughter and a couple of the grandkids up for a short flight. Frankie, the oldest, sat right...

Flightseeing, Long Cross Country

Oshkosh 2023 – The Journey There

ATC: “RV, land now land now, thank you. Mooney turn left into the grass, follow flagman to park, traffic behind keep it movin’.” ATC: “All right...

Flightseeing

Chasing the Sun

In 1979 I was seven years old when the Muppet Movie came out and I loved it. Among all the songs there was “Movin’ Right...

Flightseeing

Mooney’s are for Travelling

**A note: These flights are from June/July 2017. The post was mostly written three years ago and just recently polished up and the slides and...

Flightseeing

4th of July Flight

I took a “Social Distancing” flight along the Orange County coast on the 4th of July. The State Beaches were closed and were deserted, a...

Flightseeing

Thursday Night Flight

July 11, 2019 Tuesday and Thursday evenings are great to go fly because I am typically working in Buena Park (5 minute drive to the...

Flight Training, Local

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

I needed one approach for IFR Currency, but if you're going to go fly, why not get a few extra?...

Flight Training

IFR Currency Flight

The end of November was on the horizon and I needed two more approaches to stay IFR current. To act as Pilot in Command (PIC)...

Flight Training

Flight Review

I can get in my plane anytime I want and fly over everyone, I guess it's good that every two years someone makes sure I...

Flight Training, Local

EPIC flight: 13 Airports in Under 2 Hours

13 Airports in under two hours. 232 miles flown, 12 touch-n-go's with a full stop back at FUL. A lot of work and a ton of fun....

$100 Burger Runs, Flight Training

We’re Awake, Might As Well Go Fly

Wide awake, there was no point trying to go back to sleep, so we decided to head to the airport for the short hop over...

Flight Training

We Can Cancel Flight Following If It Helps

You would think that with all the rain and clouds we have had this winter in Southern California that I wouldn’t need to go up...

Flight Training

IFR Checkride!!!!

September 29, 2021 More than a year in the making, the day was finally here. I began studying for the written portion of the IFR...

Flight Training

IFR Training – 1.2 Actual in the Log Book, Extended IMC

Flight 23 – August 18th I scheduled a flight after work and all day I was looking at cloudy skies. The forecast said it should...

Flight Training

IFR Training – Fullerton to John Wayne and Back – With a touch of IMC

After 21 training flights and only spending a couple of minutes in actual IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions) on flight 19, I had back to back...

Informational

What is Your Line in the Sand

We returned from a trip to Colorado on a Thursday with plans to fly to St. George, UT on Saturday morning. My youngest son had...

Informational

I love the General Aviation Community

Art Craft finished up the touch up work and it was time to pickup the plane. The only problem was my ride to Santa Maria...

Informational

Reduce YOUR useless load

We probably all know someone who has spent great amounts of money in efforts to increase the useful load of their plane. Maybe that someone...

Informational

West Coast Mooney Club Kern Valley Campout and Fly-In

I have been to the Kern Valley Airport on the shore of Lake Isabella a handful of times and wanted to camp there from the...

Informational

FREE Stickers when you Subscribe to my Newsletter!

Love following along on my aviation adventures? Do you LOVE free stuff? I’ve got an exclusive treat for you! Subscribe to my newsletter today and...

Informational

Art Craft Paint Review

Sometime after seven weeks of not flying I really started feeling the withdrawal. From the time I took my first flight six and a half...

Informational

Cameras, Mounts, and Cables

So, you want to be a YouTube star? Have you thought that through all the way? Maybe you’re like me, no desire for YouTube fame,...

Informational

New Transponder? Crackling/Popping in Your Headset?

Are you one of the many who had to upgrade their transponder to be ADS-B compliant? Do you hear a crackling/popping sound in your headset...

Informational

Joe Davies Heritage and Blackbird Airparks

It was an overcast day (I don’t have my Instrument Rating yet) and my wife wanted to go see the California Poppy Preserve. We had...

Flight Training, Local

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

I needed one approach for IFR Currency, but if you're going to go fly, why not get a few extra?...

Local

Post Annual Flight and Night Currency

Annual inspection was completed and I enjoyed a post maintenance flight. Three trips around the pattern for night currency....

Flightseeing, Local

Date Night Sunset Flight

Last Saturday when I spent all day working on the house and yard I told myself that it was okay to skip flying because we...

Local

A Little Night Flying and Pop-up IFR

I like flying after work on Wednesday's when the weather and my schedule permits. It's convenient, the airport is just a few miles from where...

Flight Training, Local

EPIC flight: 13 Airports in Under 2 Hours

13 Airports in under two hours. 232 miles flown, 12 touch-n-go's with a full stop back at FUL. A lot of work and a ton of fun....

Local

A Sunday Afternoon

My last flight was a week ago, just over to Riverside to get some fuel and some time in the air. My wonderful wife was...

Local

Flying – Coupon Style

Who has heard the line, “Look how much money I saved buying this!”? Everybody have their hand in the air? I have heard it, and...

Local

Hazel’s Flight

There are two types of people, those who look up every time they hear a plane and look to try and find it, and those...

Local

New Years Day – Post Annual

Today was a gorgeous day in Southern California, temps in the upper 60’s, clear skies, light winds, a great day for flying. Having just wrapped...

Long Cross Country

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond and 60+mph Headwinds

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond My youngest son is a student at Utah Tech University in St. George, UT. A gifted musician, he is there...

Long Cross Country

I Just Needed 3:51 to get to 1,000

When I passed my PPL check ride, 1,000 hours seemed like an eternity away. But, like anything else that seems overwhelming, just take it one...

Long Cross Country

So I walked Home from the Airport

A diversion to Durango (KDRO) for weather. Borrowing a crew car, and then sneaking out ahead of a snow storm. After almost 700 miles of...

Long Cross Country

A Quick Trip to Utah for Family

Only in the Mooney Time Machine. In about 36 hours I got to meet up with my wife in Utah, see our newest grandson, celebrate...

Long Cross Country

Headwinds, Clear Skies, and New Skiing PR’s

Another trip to Colorado for some skiing was on the horizon and I was watching the weather. The flight was gorgeous with snow across the...

Long Cross Country

One Last Flight for 2023

We passed over another low layer of clouds as we crossed the San Bernardino Mountains and began our descent. There was a high overcast layer...

Long Cross Country

Live to Fly Another Day

We were so close. We had flown over 650 miles from our departure airport with one fuel stop and we were only five miles from...

Long Cross Country

Some Creative Weight and Balance Calculations

We had wrapped up our third day at Wolf Creek, soaked tired muscles at the “Hippy Dip,” the free hot springs in town, and were...

Long Cross Country

Tail Winds Both Ways?

What makes a perfect trip? First, you need a destination. Or, on second thought maybe you don’t need a destination. I confess that some great...

Series

Oshkosh 2023 – In the Books with an Award

Oshkosh 2023 is now in the History Books. It was an awesome time with my wife coming along this year! It is difficult to nail...

Series

Part III – Oshkosh Rookie – Getting out of Dodge

“All good things must come to an end,” or so they say. Our plan was to stay for the Wednesday evening airshow and depart Thursday...

Series

Part II – Oshkosh Rookie – The Show

“Welcome to the show!” You hear it multiple times on the radio as you are arriving at Oshkosh. I wonder, do the controllers mumble that...

Series

Part I – Oshkosh Rookie – Getting There

The uncertainty, the expectations, the anticipation, and a myriad of other thoughts and emotions combine to make the “First Time” different than all the rest,...

Series

Coast to Coast Mission Tour – Complete

Today at 10:15am we touched down in Fullerton (KFUL) completing our coast to coast tour. It was the trip of a lifetime. Over 5,000 miles...

Series

Coast to Coast Mission Tour – Day (Minus) 1

June 11, 2019 It had only been 16.95 hours since the last oil change and I typically change it around 40 hours, but we were...

Series

Coast to Coast Mission Tour – Day 1

June 12, 2019 Two years in the making, and it is finally here. My AP/IA was fixing the oil leaks that were discovered yesterday along...

Series

Coast to Coast Mission Tour – Day 2

June 13, 2019 We were going to head to the airport at 5am to get flying before it started getting warm and to avoid any...

Series

Coast to Coast Mission Tour – Day 3

June 14, 2019 There are lots of online communities out there, some better than others. One of the best that I have had the pleasure...

Book Review

Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

There are few books that can capture the excitement of aerial combat, the mind numbing boredom of “flying a desk,” and the strain that military...

Book Review

Baa Baa Black Sheep: The True Story of the “Bad Boy” Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron

Baa Baa Blacksheep: The True Story of the "Bad Boy" Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron by Gregory "Pappy" Boyington...

Book Review

A Wing and a Prayer: The “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group

A Wing and a Prayer: The “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group of the US Eighth Air Force in Action over Europe in World War II by...

Book Review

The Indifferent Stars Above: The Harrowing Saga of the Donner Party

The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown tells the story of the Donner Party and their horrible ordeal attempting to take a “published shortcut”...

Book Review

Fate is the Hunter: A Pilot’s Memoir

A masterpiece of writing, taking you not only inside the cockpits of the early days of airlines and transports, but also inside the mind and...

Book Review

Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

Catch Me If You Can, written by Stan Redding who had interviewed Frank Abagnale Jr, is the true (maybe) story of one of the greatest...

Book Review

Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen

Everyone, unless you have been living under a rock, has heard of Area 51. The conspiracy theorists and tin foil hat folks have been talking...

Book Review

Rise of the Rocket Girls by Nathalia Holt

The true story about the women of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who helped launch the first satellites and later rockets that explored the outer reaches...

Book Review

The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A Freeman

The true story about the men behind Operation Halyard, the mission to rescue over 500 downed American airmen from behind enemy lines, right under the...

Window Tinting

*** Updated 06/12/2020 with pictures of the windshield brow, scroll down for those pics. Here we are in the middle of the “Dog Days of...

Homemade A/C

**Update 2017-08-20: I changed it from the 360GPH Bilge pump to the 63 GPH pump and it works very well. The outlets on the pump...

Popular Categories

Flight Training

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

IFR Currency Flight

Flight Review

Local Flights

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

Post Annual Flight and Night Currency

Date Night Sunset Flight

Latest Posts

Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

April 2024 Newsletter

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond and 60+mph Headwinds

I Just Needed 3:51 to get to 1,000

Lucky Charms for Dinner

Baa Baa Black Sheep: The True Story of the “Bad Boy” Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron

So I walked Home from the Airport

March 2024 Newsletter

A Quick Trip to Utah for Family

Popular Categories

Flight Training

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

IFR Currency Flight

Flight Review

EPIC flight: 13 Airports in Under 2 Hours

Local Flights

Time to Shoot Some Approaches

Post Annual Flight and Night Currency

Date Night Sunset Flight

A Little Night Flying and Pop-up IFR

Latest Posts

Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

April 2024 Newsletter

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond and 60+mph Headwinds

I Just Needed 3:51 to get to 1,000

Lucky Charms for Dinner

Baa Baa Black Sheep: The True Story of the “Bad Boy” Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron

So I walked Home from the Airport

March 2024 Newsletter

Into the Sky

Blog categories

Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds

Richard Brown

April 2024 Newsletter

Richard Brown

Some Lady Named Marie Osmond and 60+mph Headwinds

Richard Brown

I Just Needed 3:51 to get to 1,000

Richard Brown

Lucky Charms for Dinner

Richard Brown

Baa Baa Black Sheep: The True Story of the “Bad Boy” Hero of the Pacific Theatre and His Famous Black Sheep Squadron

Richard Brown

So I walked Home from the Airport

Richard Brown

March 2024 Newsletter

Richard Brown

A Quick Trip to Utah for Family

Richard Brown

Long Lost Relatives and Close Calls

Richard Brown

Two First Flights

Richard Brown

We’re Awake, Might As Well Go Fly

Richard Brown

Can You Be Off The Ground In One Minute

Richard Brown

July 4th – Santa Paula – Breakfast and a Bike Ride

Richard Brown

Because I was Inverted

Richard Brown

Negative Ghostrider, the Pattern is Full

Richard Brown

You Fly, We’ll Buy

Richard Brown

Two $100 Burger Runs in a Day

Richard Brown

Date Night Sunset Flight

Richard Brown

Long Lost Relatives and Close Calls