You did WHAT? Sunday, 5/17/26

Saturday was Armed Forces Day.  Our dinky Nevada County Air Park always puts on a day-long celebration honoring the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, including veterans, active-duty personnel, and military families, and Jimmy is an Air Force veteran.  It's a family-friendly event and it's free.  Jimmy and I don't live far from the air park and, in fact, enjoy riding our bikes over to it.  Today we drove, wandered around looking at aircraft and visited with friends.  The event features food and drink and vendor booths and flyovers from various aircraft.  And airplane rides.  When I asked about airplane rides, I was told they were booked.  My face fell, and the guy laughed and said, "Well, let me put you on the list in case we can fit you in tomorrow."  

And so they did.

This pic of "our plane" was taken on Saturday, when the day warranted wearing shorts.  Big change on Sunday with huge winds (maybe we'll fly, maybe not) and much cooler temps.  We wore jeans and windbreakers.

I wasn't feeling well (sinusitis? a cold?) and hadn't planned on flying ... but, OMGosh, here I am, first time EVER in a tiny plane, a biplane, WACO (not whacko) and my beloved Jimmy right next to me.  And I wasn't afraid.  Wow.  Juan Browne, our ace pilot, will be flying the pretty red plane from the seat behind us!

Buckled in.  Hooked up.  Ready, set, go!

Waving bye to Drake,

the young man who helped us squeeze into our seats.

Don't touch anything!

It isn't easy to maneuver a phone, plus a camera, while zipping down the runway!  And definitely don't hold either one above the windscreen or out the side opening, or it's gone!  So, this isn't the best video, but it's us taking off!  

 

We flew over Nevada County,

probably over our house on Banner Lava Cap.

Past the airport.  We saw the South Yuba River Canyon after this.

Into the foothills, with the Sierra crest in the distance.  We could fly because the wind was "coming straight down the runway."  Once in the air, our little plane did well, not many bumps.  It felt solid, except the ground beneath us was way down there!  We took some pics, as you see, and a couple of videos, and the rest of the time (20-25 min airtime), we ... we were simply awed.

Nevada County has trees!  I'm not sure which body of water that is on the right.  I was so excited to be flying with the wind in my hair.  A "convertible" airplane!

Juan gave us info on where we were/what we were seeing via the headphones.  Above, we were over Lake Wildwood (who knew it was so big?).  We have several friends living in this community. 

Coming around to Hwy 49.  We knew what this was without being told, by the look of it.  The highway is being widened, tons o' trees have been removed, with bare dirt exposed.

A closer view of Hwy 49, our north/south corridor.

Too soon our ride was over.

Juan gives us the thumbs up.

We didn't mind paying the fee as the proceeds provide aviation scholarships for local youth through the nonprofit Golden Empire Flying Association, of which Juan is President.  (He used to be our neighbor.)  

All done.  Juan takes the WACO to the garage.  The wind REALLY came up in the afternoon; I doubt any more flights took place.

When we got home, I took a long nap and felt better afterwards.  Anyhoot, who would want to miss an opportunity like this?  Just goes to show you -- you're never too old for a FUN new experience!

100% Nostalgia, Friday, 11/11/22

 

Oooooh, a while back, when I first saw the blurb (Facebook or the Nevada Co Union newspaper) for scenic flights in a vintage Douglas C-47 plane over western Nevada County on Friday or Saturday, I thought it would make a terrific birthday present for Jimmy.  His birthday is on the 14th.  The plane was built and commenced flying in 1944, the same year Jimmy was born.  An omen, obviously!  I checked Accuweather to see if Friday or Saturday would be the better day, and no rain was predicted for Friday.  Plus, the 11th is Veterans Day and Jimmy is a veteran.  Win-win-win.  I bought the ticket.

I asked about the name.  She was built in Oklahoma City and delivered to the Army Air Corps in 1944, but too late for the D-Day invasion.  After the war she participated in the Berlin airlift before being transferred to the Belgian air force, and from there she went to Israel and who knows where all else.  This plane has been around, literally and figuratively!  Then, in 2007, Glen Thomson purchased the C-47 and donated it to the Gooney Bird Group, an organization associated with the Estrella Warbird Museum in Paso Robles.  So, the name pays dual homage: to Betsy, Glen Thomson's wife, and to the C-47's role in dropping supplies to troops.  

The sky was partly sunny, but it was pretty danged chilly, maybe 52°.  I was cold standing on the tarmac.  Last time I stood here was in the dead of summer and it so hot you could've cooked pasta on the tarmac.  Jimmy's ready.

What a cool name for a seasoned gal.

More nostalgia -- when he enlisted in the Air Force out of high school in 1963, the first plane he ever flew in was a C-47 like this one ... and it took him to boot camp at Lackland AFB in Texas.  Above, he's describing how it was back then.

Before the 1:30pm flight, we were free to look inside the plane, all of it, including the cockpit, above.  Such a tiny space for two human beings to work.  A sign just out of camera range, read: "do not touch."  (don't mess with those controls!)

The safety briefing.

Off they go, into the "wild blue yonder!"

The route they'll take.

They'll fly right over our house!

Definitely not fancy!

Strapped in, sir, and set to go.

And when the "seat belt sign" turned off (a bell rang instead), the 21 people aboard unstrapped and wandered from window to window, everyone excited a) to be flying in this plane and b) thrilled to be flying over their county!  Unlike commercial planes, these passengers could visit the cockpit while in the air.

The pilot!

Jimmy took pics with his phone (like everyone else).

Good job, Jimmy.

Looks like an interchange over I-80, probably near Colfax, CA.

Ahhh, mountain snow!

New Bullards Bar Reservoir on the North Yuba River in northeastern Yuba County, showing the water level WAY DOWN.  Hopefully we'll get plenty of rain and snow this winter to refill it.  Jimmy and I hiked a trail around here once.

The dam, at left, with tethered boats, mostly houseboats, behind it.

We've driven across the dam.

The brownish color on this pic is a burn scar.

While Jimmy was gamboling through the air (45 minutes), I remained on the ground, chatting with others and trying to stay warm, but while we were waiting for their descent, everyone was still agog about the plane and the flight.  Hey, here they come!

Mission accomplished!  Jimmy said it was the "best birthday present" ever.  (insert smiley face).  Good, happy birthday, my dearest!  The ticket wasn't cheap, but the proceeds provide aviation scholarships for local youth through the Golden Empire Flying Ass'n and aircraft preservation through Gooney Bird Group.  And, anyway, you're worth it, Jimmy.

Alrighty then -- we do have some fun!

Let's go home now and get warm.