JCB's G650 at Monterey and the freedom of flight.

[AdamFrisch]

About a week ago I flew up to Monterey from LA. Coincidentally, it was my first ever IFR flight solo (I only messed up a little). What I didn't know was that it was the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance car show in Monterey that week - a known stomping ground for the ridiculously rich. A Ferrari sold for $38 million at one of the auctions I later found out.

The place was rammed. I've never seen more private jets in my life in one spot! As I taxied in I noticed not only one, but two Gulfstream G650's sitting side by side, as well as a private 757 (I kid you not). I'd never seen a G6 in the flesh before, let alone two. Very impressive looking birds. One was some Bahrain registered thing (A9C-BAH) and the second was venerable Brit institutions JCB's M-JCBB from the UK. Monterey Jet Center had room for me to park, but just barely. The others didn't. My old steed was ingloriously pushed into the farthest corner as the very helpful ladies at the front desk informed me of how crazy busy this week had been. I was oblivious.

Anyway, after our little tourism excursion to the Aquarium in town, I filed my second solo IR flight plan ever. As I taxi out JCB's G650 fires up and taxies out after me. I must have missed their clearance delivery, so didn't know where they were heading. As I do runup, tower ask me if I can expedite and depart before the G6. Sure thing I say - I was pretty keen not to add wake turbulence to my second IR departure ever by departing after him - so, off we went into the marine layer. As I broke out on top at around 2500ft (as the sun was setting), I could hear the G6 depart right after me. We both got vectored around a little by Oakland App - me with my broken Svenglish, and he in his perfect RP British. Nice and calm night flight home.

Only today did I check where JCB's pretty jet went. And it just reminded me of that sense of freedom that the idea of flight can trigger. M-JCBB flew direct from Monterey to LFTH on the Cote d'Azure. And it did it in 10hrs 18 minutes. I don't know why that captures my imagination, but it does. It's very exciting to know that maybe in my lifetime, there will be aircraft that we might be able to afford that could give us the same sense of freedom and speed. Maybe. That ability to connect two completely different cities, on different continents and in different time zones.

Aircraft are truly time machines in that regard.

Here's the flight M-JCBB took:

M-JCBB ? FlightAware (http://flightaware.com/live/flight/MJCBB)

[thing]

I get that feeling every time I fly even a spammy. I flew back from Dublin to Lincoln last November, took a couple of totally stress free and relaxed hours over beautiful scenery, then put the a/c to bed and a 20 minute drive home. If I had driven and caught the Dublin-Holyhead ferry it would have taken for ever. Holyhead to my house is a five hour drive on its own. Aeroplanes are amazing, even the humble ones.

[chevvron]

We had a couple of G5s operating to/from Farnborough direct to/from Tokyo. Flight plan time filed was just over 12 hours, so it's no surprise the G650 has similar capabilities.

[Victorian]

So true what you say about the freedom of aviation, Adam, so very true. Like Thing, my little spammy gives me the freedom to cross continents (well, countries, anyway) on a whim. I used to dream about flying to LA and now I've done it a few times, admittedly not from UK but from my base in Arizona.

A Monterey story: The first time I flew to Monterey the aquarium was closed. Darn. Instead I drove the coast road and stopped at a cliff top restuarant for breakfast. "I suppose you've come to see the whales" the waiter said. "What whales?" I reply a little perplexed. "Those ones" he says, gesturing out of the window.

[Guzzler]

Great post! :-)

[abgd]

I looked up the plane and was very disappointed to find that it wasn't yellow.

[ETOPS]

very disappointed to find that it wasn't yellow

They used to be - this was one of the C90s originally ordered by JCB but later operated by me at Vernair..

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1069150M.jpg

[chevvron]

Never saw the whales at Monterey during a brief visit in Aug 2001, but on 17 Mile Drive we stopped near Pebble Beach. There were seals and sealions basking on the rocks, sea otters cavorting in the kelp, ground squirrels on the foreshore and deer grazing on the golf course.
It's regrettable all the tours seem to stop longer in Carmel than in Monterey; I'd rather stop longer in Monterey and just drive through Carmel; it's so expensive, a bit like Rodeo Drive.