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” enroute to California. I’ll be honest, I was hesitant to listen to this audiobook. You likely have heard of the Donner Party who became trapped by snow in the High […]
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 high desert and unlimited visiblity.
February 2024 Newsletter
I hope you enjoy the seventh edition of the newsletter. Please click the links the newsletter for the articles, (or the link below it) to open the attachment. Note on a phone you may not see the newsletter and need to click the download link to download the PDF and view it. Also, feel free […]
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 heart of the author. I think every pilot has read or at least heard of Ernest Gann’s masterpiece, Fate is the Hunter. Gann was born in 1910 and flew during […]
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 would be flying to Colorado on Wednesday for a ski trip. Then we decided to reschedule the trip to next month. The good news, there are no cancellation fees from […]
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 the years since they have all had a chance to connect. She and her husband were going to be escaping the winter weather in the Pacific Northwest and spending a […]
January 2024 Newsletter
I hope you enjoy the sixth edition of the newsletter. Please click the links the newsletter for the articles, (or the link below it) to open the attachment. Note on a phone you may not see the newsletter and need to click the download link to download the PDF and view it. Also, feel free […]
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 and the setting sun was shining golden off the Pacific Ocean giving a beautiful backdrop to our arrival back home.
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 our destination. All we had to do was turn onto final. Instead, we turned around and headed for an alternate.
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 I end my workday, and it is a great way to unwind after a day at work.
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 back at our house when my youngest son called to say he had quit his current job.
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 conmen in history.
