Flight Delay Tracker

I've posted these before but, with the horrible weather, I thought I'd repost. I will also add them to the permanent links on the right side.

Flight Delay Tracker
Live Flight Tracking

Awesome Pictures

John Scurlock has some of the most awesome photos of the peaks of the Pacific Northwest. He uses his RV-6 to take some of the most outstanding pictures I have seen. Visit his website here.

(Be sure to set aside about 2 hours to really enjoy the multitude of great pictures. Brew some coffee and have a comfortable chair ready.)

Search For Steve Fossett Rekindled

According to the Nevada Appeal newspaper, the search for Steve Fossett "will continue in some quarters".

It has been reported that a camera with 100 megapixel resolution is to be used in the search. The resolution and the software to interpret the results will allow searchers to see pieces as small as a folded napkin.

Updated: A Note From Max Trescott

"I came across your blog today and enjoyed it.
I wanted to point you to the top article on my blog that urges the FAA to adopt more aggressive goals for general aviation. You’ll find it at www.maxtrescott.com if you’re interested in linking to it."

Max Trescott is an aviation author in the San Francisco Bay Area who has written aviation safety books and has appeared on radio. He also publishes an "online newsletter [snip] to promote safe flying with emphasis on regional differences in flying risk factors."

I had my only, true, near-miss at SJC. I was cleared for final for 30R and suddenly I glanced to my right and saw a Cessna 172 turning right base for the same runway. The pilot never glanced at me and was intently staring at the runway to his right. I used some "non-pilot" verbiage on the radio and only averted a collision when I chopped power and dove under him. The tower finally switched to RHV tower frequency and advised he was not at RHV, but at SJC and to climb immediately over the taxiway.

The pilot leveled out and continued straight down the centerline of 30R. I screamed at the tower something to effect of wanting his reproductive organs to be removed and to get his N-number.

The funny part? I had my brother-in-law's son as a first-time flier in the right seat and he was never aware of the incident and only commented on my "beautiful landing on the numbers". Go figure....

Added: Max Trescott's article is really a good read and goes into some of the causes of accidents in the G.A. community. I was especially interested in the fact that 21% of all accidents happen at night even though they only account for 5% of the total flight time.

Since I worked graveyard shift at SCVMC in the E.R., most of my flying on my nights off...was at night. I really believe that flying at night is akin to flying IFR and needs a certain skill set. During my flight training, Jerry had me fly under the hood and shoot ILS approaches to minimums. This was for my Private ticket. Thanks Jerry!

I flew almost exclusively at night and was VERY current. My rules were:

1) CAVU at night or "no-go".
2) Dual NAV's and dual COMM's (working) or "no-go".
3) Mandatory oxygen over 6,000 feet.

Seem extreme? I never thought so. The fact that I never had a single moment where I felt any question as to the safety of the flight and never even had an incident bears out my rules.

Slicker Than Snot On A Doorknob

The cockpit is becoming so different than what I learned in. I can remember peeking into the cockpit of a United 707 "awhile" back (yeah...I'm showing my age) and being awed with all the "steam gauges". Modern G.A. aircraft have much more capability now, than that 707 back in the days.

VistaNav has come out with a 3D/2D tablet PC for your plane. Click on the links below to view the video (requires Windows MediaPlayer 10®).

Low Bandwith - VistaNav Demo
High Bandwidth - VistaNav Demo

How would you like to recieve 6 FREE issues of AOPA's Flight Training Magazine? What's the catch? Right? No catch...no credit card...nada...zip...zilch...Ø. Home address, name and e-mail. That's it! (I will caution that AOPA will tend to fill your mailbox, but heck, we all like reading flying stuff...right?) The free membership also allows your to access parts of the website reserved for you.

Added: If you are flying the Google Earth flight simulator over northwest Italy, be sure to have your view under the aircraft. You'll see something interesting (Zoom in to see it)
View Larger Map

Predictions for 2008

2/17/08 - Vans Aircraft will announce that kits for the RV-12 are ready to ship. Their entire stock is purchased by 2/18/08.

2/25/08 - The first kit-built RV-12 takes to the skies. A spokesman for Vans states, "Maybe we made it TOO easy...?"

3/1/08 - Vans Aircraft announces that they are hiring an additional 937 employees to keep up with demand for their aircraft.

4/30/08 - Due to the huge numbers of RV-12's flying, the President announces that all of the billions of tax dollars paid by taxes from G.A. pilots will be used to build 1,000 new, regional airports. The Dow Jones jumps 948.4 points in a single day on the news, in anticipation of the increased revenue this will generate.

7/9/08 - A new aircraft engine is designed that flies on methane derived from cows. The tanks, to hold the methane, are 5 pounds in each wing and hold enough fuel to fly non-stop from 6S4 to RSW. Tillamook, Oregon becomes the center of the aviation world and farmers have to be on guard for poop poachers.

9/3/08 - Airbus announces a new jet that seats 1,790 passengers in 5 levels. They plan to invest €800B for development of the aircraft. They fail to realize that the plane needs 27 miles to get airborne and that no airport will be able to handle takeoffs and landings. In a bid to salvage the project, they announce that they will seat only 500 in lavish suites with hot tubs and large screen TV's in each room and start their own airline...MileHigh Airlines. The management gives themselves a €127M bonus for their great thinking.

10/12/08 - A new panel instrument will be developed that will emit a 240 db shriek and will spray ice water into the face of pilots 15 minutes before they run out of fuel. The effect of this is to totally eliminate fuel starvation crashes. The same company will also announce that another flight instrument is being developed to avoid inadvertent flight into clouds by VFR pilots. They announce that they are having developmental problems. It seems the hammer that knocks the pilot in the head tends to render the pilot unconscious. They claim confidence that this problem can be solved by the end of the year.

11/7/08 - The NTSB will disband due to the fact that there was not a single aircraft accident this year.

12/12/08 - Vans announces that the 700th RV-12 rose into the air today. Cessna and Piper file for Chapter 11 on the release of the news.

12/25/08 - You will get a new plane for Christmas.

Wishing you a great 2008! Do you have any predictions?

A Year-End Contest

Who can be the first person to:

A) Identify the aircraft type
B) Find the history of this aircraft (Tail #21045)
C) Identify the goofy kid in the middle

To the first person to correctly answer the first two questions goes my gratitude and the recognition of all who visit this blog when their answer is posted.

More Trouble On A United Flight

A United Flight from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Seattle (SEA) had to be diverted to Pittsburgh(PIT) because of an unruly passenger on Sunday.

There are no details as to why the man had to be removed, but one source has said there was a Sky Marshal on board United Flight 917 with 182 passengers and 8 crew members.

The flight, which had been scheduled to arrive in Seattle at 21:30, did not arrive until 23:21.

Update - MD-83 Crash In Southern Turkey

From Today's Zaman - Ankara

Black box of crashed plane was out of order

The black box from the Atlasjet airplane that crashed on Nov. 30 near an Isparta airport, killing all 57 people on board, was out of order at the time of the accident, new evidence revealed on Saturday.

The cockpit recorder device (CVR), also known as a black box, had not been working for the ninth day in a row at the time of the crash, a technical investigation being carried out in Germany revealed. The latest recording from a flight on the plane, an MD 83 leased by Atlasjet from World Focus, was from Nov 21.

According to safety rules that apply to MD83 planes, a plane with a broken CVR cannot be flown for more than three flights. Teams investigating the Isparta crash say the plane had made many flights in the nine days before its last.

It was also discovered that the plane's flight data recorder (FDR) was also out of order. The device had recorded only 15 minutes of the entire flight, the experts said. The investigation into the accident is ongoing and has been expanded in light of the new data, officials from the Transportation Ministry said.

"OOOPS" in Kansas City

It seems that a pilot for United Flight 183 took a wrong turn in fog and ended up on a service road. The 757 was too wide for the road and the wheels became stuck in mud. All 180 passengers were safely evacuated.

Flying Google Earth

This is a great video from Google Earth Flight Simulator. The music is Looking At You by the Tartan Rascals.

Fly? Or, mow the lawn? Tough choice...

NEVER fly with animals

I was reading a post on Views From The Left Seat and was reminded of a humorous story I once read.

From the Alaska is Different website:

"The cat, the dog, and the dynamite

Jack Wilson, well known bush pilot, now retired, told me this story many years ago and recently included it in a book he wrote, Glacier Wings and Tales. Jack was flying cargo from Cordova to McCarthy. Among other things his load included a cat in a sack, a small, feisty dog, dynamite and caps. Because of potential problems he put the dynamite in the back of the small plane and the dynamite caps in the passenger seat.

During the trip some rough air was experienced and this apparently disturbed the cat. It began to move around in the sack and make strange noises. This caught the attention of the dog, which had not realized an age-old enemy was also on board. All of a sudden the cat found its way out of the sack and the battle was on.

According to Jack the fur was literally flying as the animals careened from the front to the back of the cabin, locked in mortal combat. All this time Jack was trying to fly the aircraft through the turbulence and also prevent the animals from landing on the explosive dynamite caps. According to Jack, he would take a poke at them with his fist whenever they came in range. Eventually he was able to grab the cat and throw it to the rear of the plane where, astonishingly, it remained. Then he put a hammer lock on the dog and finally made it to the McCarthy airstrip.

A similar story was related to me by a bush pilot who shall go unnamed. This gentleman was flying his aircraft in Kodiak. The cargo included some lady’s very precious cat. Apparently, as the plane gained altitude the cat’s ears became plugged and the pain caused the cat to go somewhat berserk. It was going around and around in the cabin, bouncing first off the windshield then the side windows, effectively causing consternation for the pilot. After the cat had made several rapid circles around the inside of the airplane the pilot despaired of ever calming the agitated feline. So he opened the window and when the cat came around again it hit the opening and the problem was solved. The pilot never did tell me what he told the owner of the cat when he arrived in Kodiak. I really don’t want to know."

Already?!?!?

Yes, it's that time of year again...

People born on my birthday:
Name / Date of Birth / Date of Death / Age (Death *)

Edward G. Robinson 12/12/1893 / 01/26/1973 / 79 *
Karen Morley 12/12/1909 / 03/08/2003 / 93 *
Frank Sinatra 12/12/1915 / 05/14/1998 / 82 *
Richard Martin 12/12/1917 / 09/04/1994 / 76 *
Joe Williams 12/12/1918 / 03/29/1999 / 80 *
Bob Barker 12/12/1923 / 84
Ed Koch 12/12/1924 / 83
Honor Blackman 12/12/1927 / 80
Robert Noyce 12/12/1927 / 06/02/1990 / 62 *
John Osborne 12/12/1929 / 12/24/1994 / 65 *
Miguel de la Madr... 12/12/1934 / 73
Buford Pusser 12/12/1937 / 08/21/1974 / 36 *
Connie Francis 12/12/1938 / 69
Dionne Warwick 12/12/1940 / 67
Grover Washington... 12/12/1943 / 12/17/1999 / 56 *
Tony Williams 12/12/1945 / 02/23/1997 / 51 *
Emerson Fittipaldi 12/12/1946 / 61
Cathy Rigby 12/12/1952 / 55
John Anderson 12/12/1955 / 52

People who died on my birthday:
Date of Death / Age / Name / Field

12/12/1965 / 67 / Johnny Lee / Entertainment
12/12/1968 / 66 / Tallulah Bankhead / Entertainment
12/12/1976 / 49 / Jack Cassidy / Entertainment
12/12/1985 / 62 / Anne Baxter / Entertainment
12/12/1988 / 71 / Anthony "Tony Pro" Prov... / Crime
12/12/1994 / 61 / Stuart Roosa / Exploration
12/12/1998 / 76 / Marco Denevi / Literature
12/12/1998 / 76 / Mo Udall / Politics
12/12/1998 / 68 / Lawton Chiles / Politics
12/12/1999 / 94 / Paul Cadmus / Art
12/12/1999 / 76 / Joseph Heller / Literature
12/12/2000 / 84 / George Montgomery / Entertainment
12/12/2002 / 85 / Brad Dexter / Entertainment
12/12/2003 / 80 / Heydar Aliyev / Politics
12/12/2003 / 27 / Keiko / Other
12/12/2006 / 71 / Peter Boyle / Entertainment

Atlantis is "Go" for Launch

According to NASA, the launch of STS-122 is scheduled for Sunday, December 8th at 15:21 EST.

There has been an issue with the two of four engine cut-off (ECO) sensors on the external tank of the shuttle. These fuel sensors are critical for the shuttle's main engines to cut off properly. According to NASA rules, the shuttle can fly with 3 of 4 sensors online, but that is the abort limit.

Now, the experts have decided to "fill 'er up" and see how it goes.

I am reminded of a day I was going to fly a "first-timer" up to Columbia Airport. She had never been flying in her life and this was to be a grand experience for her.

The weather at San Jose Airport was marginal, at best. The plane I was renting had 1 nav and 1 comm radio out. The route up to Columbia was painting precip and lowered ceilings. Legal VFR, but not optimal and if things changed suddenly, I could end up in IFR in the foothills of the Sierras. Now, a single nav radio and a single comm radio was still legal to fly...but, I adhere to this single rule: "There are old pilots. There are bold pilots. There are no old, bold pilots."

I told my friend that we would "not be flying today". She appreciated my caution and, at a later date, her first flight was enjoyable and memorable in its lack of excitement.

I hope that there is no excitement tomorrow for STS-122.

Playing with sepia tone

Update - Crash In Southern Turkey Kills All 57 On board

Update: A 6 week-old baby was not included in the original death toll which brings the total dead to 57.

An MD-83 crashed 7 miles short of landing in clear weather to Isparta (ISE) Turkey.

Video of the crash site shows the plane fuselage mostly intact in the center section without evidence of fire.

"ISPARTA, Turkey (Reuters) - A Turkish domestic airliner crashed in the mountains in south-west Turkey on Friday, killing all 56 people on board, officials said.

Private AtlasJet Airlines Chief Executive Tuncay Doganer said the cause of the crash was not clear as weather conditions were normal and the aircraft had no known technical problems.

Officials said all on board were Turkish.

The 165-seat MD 83 plane, manufactured by McDonnell Douglas, crashed in the early hours of Friday before it was due to land in the city of Isparta. It had been flying from Istanbul with 49 passengers and seven crew.

The crash occurred outside Keciborlu, a town some 12 km (7.5 miles) from Isparta's Suleyman Demirel airport.

The aircraft's black box should explain what happened, Doganer told reporters.
Turkey is in the grip of winter with snow and fog common on higher ground across much of the country.

"No matter what measures you take, plane accidents happen and we see that 80 to 85 percent are due to human error," said Transport Minister Binali Yildirim, adding regular inspections had been carried out on the leased plane.

Rescue workers reached the mountainous crash site after military helicopters spotted the wreckage of the airliner.

Sahin Kartal, who lost his nephew and sister-in-law, later reached the cordoned-off site in the forested mountain.

"The authorities made us wait for news until this hour. They told us that the plane took off and then landed, but we didn't know it landed like this," Kartal told Reuters.

BODIES, DEBRIS

A reporter from state-run Anatolian news agency who arrived with a military helicopter said she saw bodies strewn around the area of the crash, with personal belongings and luggage scattered on the hillside along with aircraft debris.

Some dead passengers were still strapped to their seats.

The area was later sealed off as rescue workers began removing the bodies, which were due to be taken to local hospitals. Ambulances had arrived at the scene.

Some 300 soldiers guarded the crash site to keep people away. Many ambulances could be seen arriving.

Turkish television showed a large section of the plane, with emergency exits open, intact on the side of a forested mountain. It appeared the front and back of the aircraft were smashed.

Anxious relatives arrived at Istanbul's Ataturk airport seeking news of the passengers.

"They have great pain. This is a terrible thing, we should all support them," Istanbul deputy governor Cafer Yildiz told reporters. He said a plane carrying the relatives would fly soon to Isparta.

The aircraft disappeared from radar screens shortly before it was due to land at Isparta, about 150 km (90 miles) north of the Mediterranean resort of Antalya.

"As the plane was approaching its descent, it sought permission to land and after receiving a positive reply from the tower, contact was lost," Anatolian news agency quoted local deputy governor Tayyar Sasmaz as saying.

The aircraft was leased by Turkish-based World Focus Airlines to AtlasJet, which operates 15 planes.

(Reporting by Gareth Jones, Selcuk Gokoluk and Omer Berberoglu, writing by Paul de Bendern, editing by Myra MacDonald)
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Editorial:

This plane seemed to be going at a slow enough speed to not be completely destroyed and there was no fire.

Conjecture: Fuel starvation and/or CFIT (controlled flight into terrain).

Belly Landing Caught on Film

Listen for all of the factual errors by the media. But, great piloting skills at work.


Plane makes belly landing

Update Wednesday

Peggy Fossett, wife of missing aviator Steve Fossett who has been missing since September 3rd, has requested that an Illinois court rule her husband as "dead".

There is finally news coming from Vans Aircraft on the RV-12. Seems they are expecting a FLOOD of orders and want to be ready to ship immediately. While the wait has been excruciating, it shows why Vans Aircraft is so respected in the homebuilt community. I have watched many aircraft companies make huge promises (anyone remember the BD-5 that was selling like hotcakes...even before a suitable engine had been found?) only to flame out and leave many buyers with a partial plane and no support.

Vans is expecting that the plane will be so easy to build that, "...there just wouldn’t be time for us to finish development work on a wing kit while early builders work on the empennage kit, for instance. That wing kit will need to be ready to go out the door a few weeks after the first empennage kit ships."

There has been speculation by other sites that Vans was preparing to ship a "complete kit" rather than the tried and true modular build method. This statement would seem to contradict that thought.

Here is a listing of some homebuilt companies. Click on the company links and see how many are no longer there. I have even come across a few that were "New!" and the company website was already gone. I think that Vans is here to stay.

DRIVING an F-16 in Google Earth Flight Simulator

Ok...so I'm bored and playing with the Flight Simulator hidden in Google Earth...

Try this: Take off from VNKT (Kathmandu airport). Well...don't EXACTLY take off.

Let me explain: Set Ø° flaps and only ¾ throttle. Make sure that you set full FORWARD trim. Once you get rolling, give right RUDDER (NOT aileron) to come to course 030°. Sit back and enjoy the show. If you take off at any time, this won't work.

The F-16 will "drive" through the Himalayas and over Mt. Everest. Don't worry about crashing. If you have never become airborne, you cannot crash. You may notice an odd phenomenon as you are driving. Sometimes, the mountains become suspended in space with stars above...and below. Weird, but fun.

F-16 Eats a Bird on Take-off

NORAD 9/11 Tapes

Discrepancies in military chiefs' testimony as well as issues in relation to white house announcements.

I have long listened to conspiracy theorists about the events surrounding 9/11. Here is a copy of the 9/11 Commission Report. I haven't completed reading all 585 pages yet, but it seems less conspiracy and more incompetency.

HB-SIA Solar Impulse Now Under Construction

At a news conference on 5 November, it was announced that after a 4-year planning phase, the Solar Impulse is now under construction.

The goal of the Solar Impulse is to fly around the world, nonstop and without fuel. It is amazing how the price of fuel has spawned serious interest in alternative ways to fly, drive and live.

To view the news conference, click HERE. Broadband connection advised. This will open in Media Player.

Cool link

Click here to see real-time airport delays. Mouse-over the airports to view length and types of delays.

But, it's nice to know that our government is doing a lot(?) to fix the problem.

[Rant Alert]

If our government did more to maintain and (heaven forbid!) build new airports in remote locations, maybe we could get away from the hub-based airline model.

Having lived in southern Okie-la-hooterville-homa, it meant a drive of almost 100 miles...North, to OKC...or South, to DFW...to catch any flights. Either you have to have REALLY good friends or a deep pocket to pay for the gas and parking to take a flight.

Airplanes and airports mean $$$ for communities.

[This concludes this Rant alert]

KICK ASS Flying.

Left nut? Hell..You need huge, brass ones for this kind of flying! This is a humongoid-type file (19.3 mb) that opens in Media Player. Dial-up recommended only if you are going to be working on your RV project for a few hours. Is it worth it? I think so.

The flat turns show the massive rudder capability on these aircraft and the massive right leg muscles to match. Enjoy.

Armchair Pilots - REJOICE!

Google Earth has a hidden flight simulator built into the latest version of Google Earth.

From Marco's blog:

"First of all you'll have to install the latest version of GE. Once you've started it all up, then all you have to do is hit Ctrl+Alt+A (if you're running OS X it's Command+Option+A; some people have reported that Ctrl+A or Ctrl+Windows+A work when the standard Ctrl+Alt+A does not). You must be in Earth mode (i.e. not Sky mode) for this to work . If all goes as planned the following dialog should pop up:"


The controls can be found here. Or, just say "@#%! it!" and keep pressing the [PgUp] key. Have fun.

Note: You can return to the Flight Simulator after exiting by clicking on the "Tools" menu and go back to the sim. Have FUN!

Rest In Peace Paul Tibbets

Brigadier General Paul Tibbets died Thursday at age 92. I had the chance to have lunch with this man when he visited Salem, Oregon in the late 90's. I found him to be a tough, articulate and thoughtful man.

He had no regrets about his mission over Hiroshima Japan and felt that he had done his job as a soldier and had saved many lives by shortening the war. Many people have cursed him for piloting the Enola Gay, which dropped the first atomic bomb. After getting to know him, I found he was simply a good pilot trying to do his job without "screwing the pooch".

I wish he and his family well.

Sex ban on the Airbus A380

Well, they just want to take all of the fun out of flying!

It seems Singapore Airlines offers a double bedded suite on their new A380 that includes a locking door and free champagne. Heck, I spend big bucks for the tickets, fill her with champagne, get her into bed and then...nothing? I wonder how long THAT ban will last!

Flying That Rates a 10 on the Sphincter Scale!

More Photos From Central Oregon

Pictures From Central Oregon

Freaking AWESOME (RV-12?) Video From Fleet Week

Just as the aircraft comes into frame it looks like a seagull gets tumbled.

Update:

A lot of people have e-mailed me to find out my condition. I apologize for the delay in responding to e-mails.

I have been going through a battery of tests and physical therapy.

The week before last, I had a Lumbar Puncture (a "spinal tap") that was done in outpatient surgery. The pain from that was pretty intense and the long drive out to my house after I was discharged was rough, to say the least. The following day was physical therapy and the following day was an MRI. the next day was more physical therapy.

The numerous pain medications make me very woozy and drunk. There is minimal pain relief, but at least I do get some sleep. I have been advised to try some marijuana for the nerve pain (I understand that it is being prescribed for other patients with MS). I am just leery of getting high when in so much pain. It's been...gheez...since 1978 since I've smoked pot and I really don't want to start experimenting now. If anyone has first-hand knowledge of the effects of smoking pot and the nerve pain of MS, please let me know.

The good news (bad news actually) is that I no longer have Lyme Disease. The spinal tap came back negative. The downside of that is that it takes away my last hope that I could be cured simply with medication. The prospect of Multiple Sclerosis is frightening. The speed at which this has taken control of my body is mind-boggling.

To all my friends who have witnessed me battling against this process: I have to let you down. It is time for me to knuckle under and get my "gimpo card" for my car. Those parking places up front are becoming too tempting and walking has become almost impossible for any distance at all. I have actively avoided that "gimpo card" for over 3 years, but I can't do it any more. Sorry to disappoint those who were rooting for me.

I will try to answer e-mails and offline messages as soon as possible. My days are sleep/wake/take drugs/sleep/wake/take drugs for the most part. The highlight of my day is driving to physical therapy (cannot take drugs and drive) where Mike and Maria do their best to torture my body into new (old) positions. By the time I arrive home, I'm in tears and almost screaming from the pain. Please be patient with responses.

Well, it's time for Vicodin 1000 mg and Gambapentin 300 mg to end my day.

Thank-you to everyone for your prayers and concerns.

Steve Fossett Update

It looks like the search may be over and that any new searches may be a "recovery operation". The NTSB has now listed the flight as "Injuries : 1 Fatal".

The only hope may be a possible radar track. Given that a month has passed and the fact that he carried little in the way of emergency supplies, there would be no chance of surviving for 30 days and any find would be to recover remains.

No ELT signal has ever been received from the aircraft or the watch Steve Fossett was wearing.

My opinion of what happened:

The Citabria that Steve Fossett was flying, was subject to an A.D. for the wing spar. The winds were very heavy that day and the wind gusts would have been especially bad over the mountains. (I speak from experience.) Mr. Fossett was flying an unfamiliar plane, that he had borrowed, and probably overstressed the aircraft.

I am posting a new poll to get an idea of how many pilots carry emergency supplies when they fly. When I drive through the desert, I always carry a basic kit for water production. This basic kit weighs about 3 ounces, total and should be the de facto part of any survival kit. I know that I can "live off the fat of the land" for some time, but water is essential to sustain life.

Be a Voyeur!

If you would like to see photos as they are being uploaded to blogspot, click here. Pretty cool to see what everyone is uploading. **CAUTION** I do not know if there are any filters, so some material could be objectionable to some people.

North American West Coast Halfcon

Here are some pictures from the North American West Coast Halfcon (Click on image to see full size)

Mt. Shasta by moonlight (time exposure with no tripod)

Driving up to the tollbooth at the Oakland Bay Bridge at morning rush hour
On the Oakland Bay Bridge at Rush Hour
[2fries] in front of the Oakland Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero
[2fries] taking pictures to prove to his wife he wasn't in Burnaby
The ferry Building
Coit Tower
A picture of palm trees for [2fries] who had never seen palm trees growing
[canuck] with his "ride" in the background
[csea] telling us about his boat
[jutta] without the beer she threatened to hide behind
[Hob] in contemplation over what to have for dessert

(L to R) [hob], [canuck], [csea], [jutta]

(L to R) [hob], [canuck], [csea], [klaatu], [jutta], [2fries]

Alcatraz

Leaving San Francisco during rush hour

A rush hour driver. The caption is up to you.

New Advertisements For Flyers

From Reuters:

Giant ads set for world's busiest runways
Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:30am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Advertisers aiming to reach high-flyers with no alternative distraction will soon have a new method: adverts the size of three football pitches seen by plane passengers coming in to land.

UK-based Ad-Air launched its new service in London on Tuesday, offering brands the chance to place huge adverts near the runways of some of the world's busiest runways.

Ad-Air, backed by 5 million pounds ($10 million) of private equity finance, said it had spent five years securing sites around the world's busiest airports including London Heathrow, Paris, Geneva, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tokyo and Abu Dhabi.

The first advert will appear in Dubai next month.

Paul Jenkins, managing director of Ad-Air, said the adverts would appear in "clutter-free environments and moments free of any other commercial messages."

Operations Director Haakon Dewing told Reuters the adverts could develop to produce a moving image that starts each time a plane comes into sight.

The adverts, which are low to the ground and 20,000 square meters in size, will only be illuminated where local legislation allows.

© Reuters 2006.

Winter Weather Flying Hazards

Another Flying Car Idea

Flying cars have been tried in the past without success of any type. This new flying car may be different, but I doubt it. My opinion is that planes fly...and cars drive. When you attempt to do both with one vehicle, the compromises give you a 1) Plane that suffers from poor perfomance and 2) A car that suffers from poor perfomance.

At a price tag of about $150K, a half-assed plane and a half-assed car just doesn't sound like a great way to spend my money.

I'm still holding out for the RV-12.

RV-12 Wing Removal and Installation

This looks about as easy at it gets. When there is no flying to be done, pick up your toy and take it home.

Ever Dream of Flying Like a (Very Fast) Bird?

Here is a link for a different view and a higher quality video. Bird Man

Edit: If you are wondering what the music is in the video, it is Moby's Natural Blues.

Prospects Dim For Finding Steve Fossett Alive

Authorities have dealt with numerous false leads and historic crash sites and are still continuing to search for aviator Steve Fossett. It seems that hope may be diminishing, however.

But, before you give up so easily, you may want to take a look at this story which recounts a pilot lost in the Canadian wilderness for 58 days in temperatures that often reached -68° C.

There have been a number of leads from witnesses claiming to have heard a crash on the day that Fossett disappeared. The National Guard is using technology, unheard of in the past, to continue the search.

La Cabina

A 34 minute movie that will make sure you never use a phone booth ever again.

Modern Mechanix on Aviation

If you have about 15 hours to spare, there is great reading here. It shows what is under "current" development (in the 1920's, 30's and 40's) and what lies ahead in the future. Pretty fanciful stuff.

Redneck picnic in Okie-la-homa

Here is how you picnic in Okie-la-redneck-homa. This little company in Oregon (Go figure!) makes legal explosives to make your picnic a "blast".

Got an hour to spare?

If you do, go to this site to read about a ferry flight from Chattanooga to Anchorage in a Cessna. Great pictures along the way and Google Maps showing locations of the pictures. GREAT detail that makes you feel that you are along for the ride.