Road trip part 2 - Santa Monica to Calgary [Archive]

India Four Two

10th Oct 2015, 12:40

What seems like eons ago but is only five weeks, I arrived in Santa Monica after a ten day road trip wandering over large parts of Utah, Arizona and California. Details here:
http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/566357-road-trip-calgary-santa-monica-2.html (http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/566357-road-trip-calgary-santa-monica.html)

The plan was to spend a couple of weeks in Santa Monica, visiting my daughter and playing with my granddaughter, before taking a leisurely drive up the west coast, seeing the sights and visiting friends in Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver, Whitefish and Lethbridge, before returning home.

However, "best laid plans" and all that. I had a call from a colleague asking me to go to Saigon and help him out on a project. So I've just returned, terminally jet-lagged,from a three-week trip to Vietnam. I had been in touch with Jon, my old school friend and TAP, in Edmonds WA. He told me that he was going on vacation on the 13th, so I changed my plans. I decided to take a straight run up I-5 to McMinnville, where we would meet and go to the Evergreen Museum. Then if the weather was good, we would go to Mt. St. Helens and then on up to Edmonds.

I returned from Saigon on Wednesday night, one day later than originally planned, so my schedule was compressed. On Thursday, I had the brakes serviced on my car and spent some more time with my granddaughter. I planned to leave on Friday morning, take a couple of short "photo detours", before heading up I-5. According to Google maps, it's a 945 mile, 14 hour trip, so my plan was to stop overnight in Redding (just a mere jaunt at 545 miles) and then leave early on Saturday morning, to meet Jon at "a big pile of spruce". :E

Before I give the blow by blow account, I need to describe some of the interesting stuff I saw in and around Los Angeles. So bear with me, while I start "Photobucketing".

India Four Two

10th Oct 2015, 15:33

Back in March, I met piperboy84 in Santa Monica and we went for a jaunt around the Los Angeles Basin in a 172:

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/557919-scotsman-englishman-glens-la.html

This time our paths crossed again and he took me for a flight in his lovely M4:
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1140x672/1_1_db75ac8f147dc87b9ca17710614fac49dd3388b3.jpeg

We decided to go to Camarillo for lunch. So a westerly departure from SMO and a climb out over Santa Monica pier:
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/606x1080/1_2_7ce5e0424a646b2d8013ccd7e4e38b5696d62cd5.jpeg

and a cruise along the coast, past expensive Malibu beach houses and then Malibu Colony:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_3_5c6b6bca3a12c33699cfa10afaa242981c086c7a.jpeg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/606x1080/1_4_f3730f61a770794e123bd39a55b3b715369352be.jpeg

before passing through Pt. Mugu NAS's zone (staying high because of an active small-arms range) and then descending towards Camarillo:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_5_702fe915916c775cae1d1c7ecfe047149afbd41c.jpeg

Taxying in, we passed the Camarillo CAF's hangar:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_6_4f500a2cf56d76527fbe0dfcc602dcd867827aee.jpeg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_7_d384cd0c02b0f910f73d68f9bb1288a7f1fa0aa8.jpeg

and then past this oddity, which I knew I had seen before, but couldn't place:
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_8_0e6014d266e2ac6ba5a4a993446aedb34316b365.jpg

After a bit of research, I discovered it is the one and only 1984 Avtek 400. It looks like it hasn't been moved for a long time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avtek_400A

After lunch at the lovely Waypoint Cafe (no bacon sarnies here):
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1100x618/1_9_ba0bf93616605af69505af30f2f963391d6d02f4.jpg

we walked back onto the ramp, admired the other aircraft, including these two immaculate Nanchangs:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_10_c71fc94c26287fbd8b1ce90772e27557c72e1359.jpeg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1920x1078/1_11_999b2036875f74335423c526311071efecd66394.jpeg

and then departed. While taxying out, we heard ATC gave some avoidance instructions to a just-landed aircraft:

Ground: Cessna 1234, taxi behind the yellow Cub.
Cessna 1234: Taxi behind the, er, little yellow plane Of course, what do you expect if you are flying a bright-yellow taildragger! ;)

On the way back, we stayed inland and flew up the Simi Valley and over the Santa Susanna Pass into the San Fernando Valley. On the way, pb84 pointed out the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the rather incongruous F-14 in the grounds.

India Four Two

10th Oct 2015, 15:34

The San Fernando Valley is notorious for being much hotter than the coast and as we crossed over the pass, there was a sudden jolt and a very rapid rise in OAT. The cockpit became noticeably hot.

pb84 called up Van Nuys and we made a landing and take off there, just for fun. No PPR, no fuss, no landing fees - just do it.

While taxying back to the threshold, besides the usual boring biz-jets, we saw two CL 415s and a couple of Skycranes:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2698_zpsiif2aqbm.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2699_zpsxtzqhxjh.jpg

plus some oddly painted T-6s with Luftwaffe markings:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2697_zpsqhph7l0v.jpg

Did I mention it is hot in The Valley? It was over 40C on the ground at Van Nuys.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2696_zpsqgvmjuhg.jpg

From VNY to SMO, the VFR route follows I-405 through the Sepulveda Pass and past the Getty Museum:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2700_zps08wkg27d.jpg

Shortly after this flight, pb84 had his inadvertent, night IMC experience at the same location:
http://www.pprune.org/private-flying/567026-every-day-school-day-2-a.html

I like to think that if I had been doing the flying, I wouldn't have flown straight into the cloud. My SOP would be: "pb84, stop messing about with your maps. You have control!" :E

It was early afternoon as we arrived back, so there was just the normal, light freeway traffic ;) :
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2701_zpsjfzqloev.jpg

That was my first flight in a Maule. A delightful aircraft and so much more sociable than a tandem taildragger, although the shoulder room is a bit lacking for big lads like us! Thanks again, pb84, for a great flight.

India Four Two

10th Oct 2015, 18:26

A Vee Twin? Not very unusual in Los Angeles, I hear you say. However, this was not a Harley. This was an 8.5 litre Vee Twin. :eek: Read on.
I always tell people, if you have only one day in Los Angeles, make it a train day. The fun starts with brunch at Carney’s in Studio City, a hot dog stand in a converted railroad dining car. Next stop, Travel Town, an outdoor museum featuring 43 railroad engines, cars and other rolling stock from the 1880s to the 1930s. Finally, we’re off to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for dinner at, that’s right, the Hollywood Carney’s, a hot dog stand in a different converted railroad dining car.
Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory (Series 4 Episode 6)
Well, how could I resist? I didn't have time for brunch, so I went straight to Travel Town. It was a Friday, so not busy, but it also meant that the narrow-gauge steam trains were not running. A lot of very interesting locomotives and rolling stock. None of the full-size locos are live and never will be, but worth a visit.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2771_zpsiy6odknr.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2769_zpsc8gdqkn6.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2765_zpsetglznbe.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2758_zpse3ddnu58.jpg

And here's the Vee Twin - a Shay forestry locomotive:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2773_zpsil7l7rlx.jpg

I had never heard of it before. The cranks drive three prop shafts through reduction gears. The prop shafts are connected via bevel gears to the three trucks. The advantage is that the gearing allows the pistons to operate at a higher, more efficient RPM while the loco is moving slowly. The short wheelbase of the trucks allows operation on tight curves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shay_locomotive

Geared Locomotives For Log Roads (http://www.gearedsteam.com/heisler/articles/geared_locomotives_for_log_roads/article.htm)

I then went to the Hollywood Carney's for a late lunch:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/A1AD329D-B5A7-494B-BB22-5E5D54FA3556_zpsvjt6fzwp.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/27249582-156A-4B37-8330-1725B0350C2B_zpsh9vzcsq7.jpg

I was served by the grandson of the original owner. He told me that they often get customers following Sheldon's advice! :)

treadigraph

10th Oct 2015, 19:14

Fantastic! Keep it coming!

The Avtek was sat in what looks like the same spot when I visited Camarillo in 1999 - it seems to have acquired some greenery since then.

Interesting airfield with the CAF contingent, plus two Connies there in '99 both flew out eventually, one is the well-known Breitling aeroplane in Europe, the other is now at Chino.

SpringHeeledJack

10th Oct 2015, 20:55

Yer, wot he said! You have a casual talent there mr 42, more please!

SHJ

ancientaviator62

12th Oct 2015, 07:32

India Four Two,
here you go again racking up the envy index ! Many thanks for the latest pics and keep them coming.

innuendo

12th Oct 2015, 20:13

Enjoyable reading and the Shay engine info answered a few questions.
There is one on display at the entrance of the BC Forest Museum on Vancouver Island just north of Duncan. I believe they have a couple more elsewhere. A fascinating design along with the diesel "Steam Donkey" they have set up.

India Four Two

12th Oct 2015, 23:04

Thanks for the compliments, chaps. I'm a few days behind and I need to do some catching up!

Chino - the short version. If you are ever in Los Angeles and have a day to spare, rent a car and go to Chino! Two world-class museums almost side-by-side with over three hundred aircraft - Planes of Fame and Yanks Air Museum.

Chino - the longer version. I drove from Santa Monica to Chino - 60 miles and about one hour, if you avoid the rush hour. I went to Planes of Fame first. As I drove in, I noticed flags at half-mast. Then I realized it was Sept. 11 - being on holiday, I hadn't been paying attention to dates.

There are 147 aircraft listed on their web page - I'll post pictures of the ones that most appealed to me.

Boeing P-26A
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2783%20P-26A_zpshiudls2f.jpg

Seversky AT-12
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2789%20Seversky%20AT-12_zpsqgvcikvd.jpg

Heinkel He-100D replica
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2821%20He-100D_zps1xrjlsrj.jpg

RAF nostalgia
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2805_zps09oawswp.jpg

Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden (Jack)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2836%20J2M3%20Raiden_zps8r7tpacs.jpg

An airworthy 1/3 scale test aircraft for the Northrop XB-34
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2857%20Northrop%20%20XB-34_zpsytckf0mj.jpg

Bell YP-59A Airacomet - the first US jet, being restored to airworthiness :ok:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2863_zpss0i7blna.jpg

B-50 Lucky Lady II forward fuselage - I saw the aft fuselage at Valle.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2799%20Lucky%20Lady%20II_zpsmijzku2b.jpg
This aircraft made a non-stop round the world flight in 1949. The museum plans an airworthy restoration by reuniting the fuselage halves and mating them with the wings of a KC-97

Anyone need some Gnat spares?
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2794%20Gnat%20wings_zpsi3oy7mic.jpg

After leaving Planes of Fame, I had lunch at Flo's Airport Cafe and then went to Yanks Air Museum

India Four Two

12th Oct 2015, 23:27

Yanks Air Museum - they have more than 130 aircraft. Like Planes of Fame, it's hard to do it justice in a short post - you have to go there.

Ryan B-1 Brougham
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2879%20Ryan%20B-1%20Brougham_zpszfkoba2z.jpg

Kellet KD-1A Autogyro
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2882_zpsrnagaiqm.jpg

Here's one example from a room full of biplanes, most of which I had never seen before and some I had never even heard of! I chose the NAF N3N-3 Yellow Peril, because I like floatplanes.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2884%20NAF%20N3N-3_zpsulc1phgy.jpg

Curtis O-52 Owl
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2887%20Curtis%20O-52%20Owl_zpsfozhbp0x.jpg

McCulloch HUM-1, the first certified twin-rotor helicopter
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2914_zpsiiypqxl4.jpg

Model 11 Ohka
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2941%20Model%2011%20Ohka_zpsbtqe4xae.jpg

Grumman Widgeon
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2918%20Widgeon_zpsryzrcadp.jpg

The Widgeon's big brother - the Grumman Albatross
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2923%20Albatross_zps6budbaxz.jpg

Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2933%20Privateer_zps5qwr4ens.jpg

A Bell SK-5 (SR.N5)
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2938%20SRN-5_zpskrnmlct4.jpg
Built under licence by Bell, the main changes consisted of substituting a GE LM-100 turbine for the Gnome and changing all the fasteners to American ones. I'm not sure if this is a PACV (Navy) or ACV (Army). Correction: it appears to be a PACV. I have a personal interest in hovercraft, because my dad used to work for Hovertravel in Ryde.
PACV / ACV (Pac-Vee / Monster) - Air Cushioned Patrol Boat / Hovercraft - History, Specs and Pictures - Navy Ships (http://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=PACV-ACV-PacVee-Monster)

Warning - thread drift.
On the way home, I made a detour to Jurassic Garden near Chatsworth (Visit the Jurassic Garden -- A&A Cycads Nursery (http://www.cycadpalm.com/newnursery.html)) to have a look at their Cycads. Being a geologist, I've always had an interest in "living fossils". Don't laugh, lots of people have weird hobbies - some people I know like steam locomotives and old aeroplanes. ;)

I met the owner, a really interesting fellow, who showed me around. As I suspected, he knew the late Dr. Oliver Sacks, who, besides his many other interests, was also a cycad expert.

All of this is a preamble to a comment he made just before I left. He told me that his nursery was on part of what used to be the Iverson movie ranch and that the rock behind his office was the "Lone Ranger rock".
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3974_zpsy9iepwkj.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Screen%20Shot%202015-10-12%20at%2021.43.02%20_zpstbplyuxt.png

India Four Two

14th Oct 2015, 06:57

And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again

Willie Nelson

So the plan was to leave Santa Monica on Friday morning, take a couple of photos and then drive north on I-5 to Redding, overnight there and then get up early on Saturday and drive to McMinnville to meet my friend, Jon, at the Evergreen Museum.

However, my jet lag intervened and I was awake at 2 am. After tossing and turning for a while, I decided I might as well make an early start. So after packing the car and visiting a 24 hour supermarket for some snacks, I was on the road by 3:30 am.

I had planned to go to the "missile park" at Pt. Mugu NAS and the San Andreas fault in the Carrizo Plain, west of Bakersfield, but since it was dark, there was no point. So here are a couple of images from the web:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/DSC_5262%20Missile%20Museum%20Loon%20Polaris%20m_zpsxp9lozr5 .jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/SAF_zpsf74op9tk.jpg

The aerial picture is probably better than any picture I could have taken on the ground. I've been there before and stood astride the fault, which is a bizarre feeling, since in a big earthquake, one side can move horizontally by several metres, relative to the other side!

The I-5 passes through the San Fernando Valley, before climbing to the Tejon pass and then descending into the Central Valley. This is a unique topographic feature, about 500 miles long and very flat and fertile. I've driven the southern half before and it is very boring - an essentially straight and flat four-lane divided highway, with fields on either side. What surprised me was the amount of traffic at this early hour - headlights and taillights as far as I could see.

I reached the San Francisco turn-off at about sunrise and started on what was for me, new countryside. Still agricultural, but with more variety and some towns and cities.

I was driving through Stockton, when I had to do a double-take. I saw two, large ocean-going freighters moored at a wharf in the river, 80 miles inland! It turns out that there is a dredged-channel through the San Joaquin delta, to allow access to this significant inland port:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Port%20of%20Stockton_zps8exgcmvc.jpg

Later I drove through Sacramento, the state capital and saw my first aircraft of the day - a CRJ departing the airport.

After 545 miles,I reached Redding, my erstwhile overnight stop, at 11:30am. So I had a late breakfast and decided to carry on to McMinnville. Just north of Redding, the road climbs into the hills and passes Mt. Shasta, the southernmost Cascade volcano (14,179'):
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2955_zpszcchfvti.jpg

A cap cloud developed while I watched, indicative of a strong westerly flow aloft. This presaged the cold front that came through McMinnville the next day.

North of Mt. Shasta is the oddly named town of Weed, where I saw a Twin Otter and a retired Tracker water-bomber and then drove into Oregon, where there was some lovely rugged scenery, reminiscent of Scotland. I passed a sign for Umpqua Community College, which made me reflect on the recent shooting tragedy.

I eventually reached Salem, where I turned off I-5 and headed towards McMinnville. Unfortunately, by this time it was dark, Google Maps was not working and the roads were badly sign-posted. I got lost and ended up driving for an extra 20 miles or so. As a consequence of this, I came very close to clocking up 1000 miles - about 980 miles. This was an all-time one-day record for me and one that I don't intend to break in the future.

PS I was surprised at how relatively fresh I felt after that marathon effort. After making allowances for my stops, I calculated an average speed of about 70 mph!

A couple of days later, I saw this very impressive hill-shaded topo map which shows the unique nature of the Central Valley:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Central%20Valley%20topo_zpsyoxig3j9.png

India Four Two

15th Oct 2015, 03:16

My friend Jon drove down from Seattle, hampered by heavy rain from the front that was passing through. Not much rain in McMinnville, but low cloud and strong winds. He arrived about noon, after a 230 mile trip.

We went to the Evergreen Museum to see the star attraction. I knew it was big, but the reality is overwhelming:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/CC8CA02A-603B-438C-B5FB-9200800DF3A9_zpslelh3dvd.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/737884DE-06F7-45D2-B73C-2FB972B47E98_zpsr5jfrylk.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/181B9627-AE69-4674-B8B8-0E936EB1C074_zpsta1c3gh5.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/656B9A1C-9578-40A2-93F1-B8AF510A977A_zpsnhev4v7z.jpg

Auster AOP6
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/E5027B15-766A-4805-BB1D-ECC3D4A20F0F_zpsyucpuo93.jpg

Curtiss Falcon
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/1ECC06E0-D8BD-4114-A7F2-DF3CE9FCA16D_zpsukvdrh1u.jpg

Bell HTL-3
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/2E8579E6-1D42-47F2-9A91-7C1C59B5EC14_zps9anktm8r.jpg

Hiller YROE-1 - a minimalist helicopter:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/A6604767-9183-4A27-86D4-0BC25853248A_zpsr7jpnvli.jpg

Unfortunately the museum is in dire straits, so I'm glad I was able to go there:
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum | Wings & Waves Waterpark | McMinnville Oregon (http://evergreenmuseum.lvapp.net/mediastatement-101315)

We then left McMinnville and drove 100 miles north to overnight at Castle Rock, before driving up to Mt. St. Helens.

India Four Two

15th Oct 2015, 03:33

We awoke in Castle Rock to find thick fog, but as we climbed eastwards out of the valley, we broke out of the fog into blue skies and sunshine. After a 50 mile drive, we reached the Visitor Center at Johnston Ridge, named after Daniel A. Johnston, a USGS geologist, who was camped here when the mountain exploded on 18 May 1980. His body was never found.

This photo shows the assymetric crater from the explosion and the new lava dome, steaming slightly. The mountain lost over 1200' in height. The energy of the initial blast was estimated at 24 megatons.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Mobile%20Uploads/FE7ACF78-6310-45D5-A515-D6E8067D787D_zpsprxqrrdx.jpg

The frontal passage from the day before had left a colder airmass in the valley to the east (left) and a slight east wind was pushing the clouds over the ridge, where they subsided and evaporated in the warmer airmass in the Toutle River valley in front of us.

We then drove to Jon's home in Edmonds, just north of Seattle.

I've been using my SPOT Tracker again. You can see my route here, if interested: http://tinyurl.com/p6ffdzl
It's currently on page 10. The earlier pages can be accessed at the bottom left of the page.

ancientaviator62

15th Oct 2015, 07:39

India Four Two,
I have been following your complete journey on my old USA atlas. Must try the electronic method.

India Four Two

15th Oct 2015, 15:16

aa62,

There is a drawback to the electronic method. The earlier part of my journey has disappeared. I must find out if it is archived somewhere.

Spooky 2

15th Oct 2015, 19:59

Thanks for post this journey as it brings back many fond memories.:ok:

India Four Two

16th Oct 2015, 06:04

Day 1 was my longest trip ever. Day 4 was a short one.

After a very pleasant evening with Jon and Lindsay in Edmonds, with a nice dinner and way too much red wine, I left them to next day to get on with the packing for their holiday and headed to Paine Field to visit the museums. I didn't bother with the Boeing factory tour, as I had done that before.

So I arrived there and discovered that the museums were shut on Monday. My initial reaction was to continue my trip, but then I thought "I'm on holiday - why not stay the night?" Peering through the window at Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection, just confirmed my decision:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2958_zpsqumyeku7.jpg

This wasn't a deliberate attempt at an artistic shot - I just forgot the autofocus!

So I spent the night in Everett at a Holiday Inn Express - do I feel smarter? I'm not sure!

Total distance for the day - about 20 miles!

India Four Two

16th Oct 2015, 06:47

I arrived at FHC just after their 10am opening time and discovered that I had been pipped at the post by three German enthusiasts. However, given the amount of German hardware, it was an obvious choice for them. Going from memory, there is a 109, two 190s, a Komet, V-1, V-2, a self-propelled anti-tank gun, an aircraft tractor and three Flak 88s!

Stepping into the first hall, it was hard to know where to look first. A P-51D on my right, a Zero on my left and a B-25 straight ahead! Also, straight ahead was a group of docents, just starting their shift. After chatting with them for a while, one of them asked if I would like a guided tour. He was extremely knowledgeable and I learnt a lot more about the collection than I would have going round on my own. Thanks, Jon.

The exhibits are immaculate - probably better than they were when they left their factories. Drip trays under most of them, which is always a good sign in an aircraft museum. I was surprised to learn that FHC only does maintenance. All restoration work is farmed out to specialists all over the world. A couple of years ago in Ardmore, I saw the fuselage of FHC's future Mosquito.

Here's my selection.

Polikarpov I-16:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2964_zpsdy7lmw45.jpg

Next to it, another Polikarpov - the PO-2:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2965_zpsn3rs7ngc.jpg

Bf-109 E3 - an "Emil":
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2966_zps3pnrzctf.jpg

Messerschmitt 163B Komet:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2970_zpsi6rzb5uq.jpg

This one does NOT fly. I wonder why? :E

An Fw 190 D-13 - a "Dora":
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2974_zpsntw0ojfk.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2977_zpsqs3oxgld.jpg

Definitely worth two photos - my favourite in the whole museum. The only one flying in the world. I want to go back and see her flying. :ok:

An Fw 190 A5:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2979_zpsw7lr0t1z.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2980_zpsgmdmy8xm.jpg

Ilyushin Li-2M3 Sturmovik:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2985_zpstzhdawaj.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2987_zpsu6jdhouc.jpg
Again, the only one flying in the world. Much bigger than I expected. Note the really heavy duty gear legs.

A nice surprise at the end of my tour - a uniform worn by James Mason as Rommel in "The Desert Fox" and a uniform worn by George C. Scott in "Patton":
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_2997_zpsnofxglgk.jpg

http://www.flyingheritage.com/

India Four Two

16th Oct 2015, 07:14

This was next on my agenda. A complete contrast to FHC - a working restoration workshop, that you can wander round on your own - "if you go out onto the ramp, don't go beyond the nose of the 727."

I came here to see this - a Comet 4C being restored:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3016_zpsjilhdg8q.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3017_zpsijjn0hxi.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3019_zpsbpjv1rce.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3020_zpsremrofg7.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3007_zps563snuef.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3022_zpsygik8wfy.jpg

The cockpit is completely restored, the cabin is nearly done, but there is still a lot of work to do on the wings and engines.

It is an ex-Mexicana aircraft that sat derelict at Paine Field for many years and was used by the fire section for practice! I was told that when they were fixing the corroded belly skins, they had to put a wooden beam inside the cabin to prevent the aircraft breaking its back!

Twenty years of work so far!

Lots of other interesting stuff there.

Boeing SST mockup:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3013_zpsgje6rnh5.jpg

Bowlus Baby glider:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3014_zpstqmw50kk.jpg

Prototype Lockheed Jetstar:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3000_zpstowldhiu.jpg

Pratt and Read PR-G1 two-place glider:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3003_zpsn1ismip5.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3004_zpsie0ey5wy.jpg

Boeing 247D:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3008_zps5dlyykcv.jpg

Boeing Hydrofoil test craft:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3011_zpspspmxhuh.jpg

I walked past this initially without realizing what it was. Boeing eventually produced this:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Boeing%20hydrofoil.png_zpsio86ea3i.jpeg

I had a ride on one belonging to the Indonesian Navy, when I lived in Jakarta. It had been chartered out for passenger operations!

In the lobby, there were several aero engines, including this beautifully sectioned R-4360:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3029_zpsop9klqzw.jpg

28 cylinders, 71.5 litres, 3500 HP. There are eight of these engines on the Spruce Goose!

http://www.museumofflight.org/restoration

India Four Two

16th Oct 2015, 07:28

Historic Flight - my last museum visit at Paine Field. Another pristine hangar with airworthy aircraft. I showed around by a charming, very knowledgeable lady.

A two-seat GeeBee:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3032_zps9o8kjayr.jpg

One of the two aircraft I have absolutely no desire to fly. The other is an ASW-12 glider.

An immaculate Waco UPF-7:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3033_zps8loevqg6.jpg

A DC-3 that I was able to go inside and sit in the cockpit:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3048_zpspn3yvuyy.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3045_zps3pw9daiu.jpg

A Mitchell that I was also able to go inside:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3047_zpsocdpg3wy.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3046_zpsxynnspcm.jpg

A Tigercat - one of my favourites:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3050_zpsx9lvi8nr.jpg

It has a back-seat that you can ride in. $3500, but no controls! Decisions, decisions.

A very nice L-20/U-6A in an SAR colour-scheme:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3043_zpsridqco1u.jpg

A P-51B with a Malcolm hood:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3051_zpsdp8gduju.jpg

I then left Everett and drove 60 miles to Bellingham to have a look at the PACV hovercraft in the Maritime Museum, only to discover it is only open on Saturdays. So I continued to the Canadian border at Blaine and then raced through Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay to catch the 7pm ferry - 66 miles. Made it in time and then waited until the ferry left half-an-hour late! Spent the night in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Historic Flight (http://historicflight.org/hf/)

India Four Two

16th Oct 2015, 08:08

I left Nanaimo and drove to Qualicum Beach, where I visited a friend and then onto Port Alberni and Sproat Lake.

I turned off here:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3059_zpspqjq5x5l.jpg

and drove down to the lakeside, where unfortunately, I was confronted with this sign:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3058_zpsp0zrjqff.jpg

However, I was able to get a couple of photos, through the fence. The first time I've seen a Mars up close:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3056_zpsgrmlcsrc.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3055_zps4okvhl3c.jpg

Then I continued on to Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I hadn't originally planned on this, but the weather was so nice, I thought that for once in my life, I would like to see Tofino under blue skies and sunshine. Every other time I've been there, it's been pissing down with rain, under low clouds. Tofino averages 129 inches of rain per year!

So I arrived mid-afternoon and went down to the dock to see what was happening.

Aviation History and Nostalgia making money, that's what was happening:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3061_zpsk2ouqukz.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3063_zpste9ww0rt.jpg

C-FMXR is a 1952 ex-USAF Beaver, S/N 374 with 22,500 hours in her logbook. :ok: (Interestingly, that's only one hour per day since new. She must have spent a long time idle)

I found a very nice room in a small resort, not more than 200 m from the dock, with a lovely view to the west:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4337_zpsjwwmvxfe.jpg

For once, the Pacific Ocean was living up to its name

Dora-9

21st Oct 2015, 10:42

I42:

Fabulous postings, not only interesting aeroplanes but steam engines too (even if they are inert).

More please.

ancientaviator62

21st Oct 2015, 11:50

Indiana 4 Two(well you are 'discovering' lost treasure !)
my wife has threatened to ask the Mods to shut down this thread as the envy index is now so great it has turned me a permanent shade of green. Briliant pics as always. Many thanks.

treadigraph

21st Oct 2015, 21:00

Magic!

The B-25 and Tigercat are old friends from Duxford, cor, $3500 for a ride, I think I would...

What are those red objects on top of the Mars? (And what's wrong with the ASW-12? )

ICT_SLB

22nd Oct 2015, 04:24

Not entirely aircraft related but the there was a further prototype before the Commercial Jetfoil. When I was a member of the Boeing Seahorses SCUBA Club, we were shown the production line for the PHM (Patrol Hydrofoil Missile) boats at Renton. Just outside was a ChrisCraft cabin cruiser with an APU mounted on the aft deck to drive the water jet pumps and foils under the hull. As a Boeing club, we could technically obtain any surplus item but when we asked we were told it was already claimed by one of the Directors.

India Four Two

22nd Oct 2015, 22:32

D-9, one more steam engine to come, but no more Fws.

aa62, be prepared to turn a darker shade of green. I'm editing a couple of movies.

treaders, I think the red objects on the wing are spoilers. Not sure how they are attached. The Mars equivalent of strapping a piece of wood to a 180's wing. I'll make a separate post on my issues with the ASW-12.

ICT_SLB, very interesting follow up on the hydrofoil. Thanks.

India Four Two

23rd Oct 2015, 00:07

A member of my gliding club owned an ASW-12, so I've seen one up close, helped rig it (very heavy wings) and seen it flying many times.

The ASW-12 was one of the early production glass-fibre gliders and was developed from the earlier D-36.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/Schleicher_ASW12_zps6uxtlpwk.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schleicher_ASW_12

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akaflieg_Darmstadt_D-36_Circe

It's a very elegant Open Class glider, 18 m span and a 46:1 glide ratio, which was very impressive for the 1960s. Hans-Werner Gross used an ASW-12 in 1972 to set an absolute World Free Distance Record, flying 1461 km flight from Lübeck to Biarritz. His record stood for thirty years.

What is not clear from the Wikipedia write-up is that performance was the primary design goal. Many other aspects of the design were compromised in pursuit of that goal. The low-cockpit height means that the pilot is almost lying flat; there is no suspension in the main gear; there are contour-changing flaps but no high drag setting for landing; there are no spoilers; the only high-drag landing aid is a tail parachute, which was prone to failing if it got wet during flight.

As a consequence of the design compromises, the ASW-12 was very difficult to land.Our club member, the owner of CF-ASW, did not use the tail parachute. Instead, he would fly downwind at about 300' and then on base-leg, to increase the drag,he would use a side-slip until just before landing. It was scary to watch. Just to add to the workload, when using a maximum sideslip, the rudder would aerodynamically lock at full travel, requiring a rudder-pedal push to re-centre it!

I read an article in Soaring many years ago, that stated that a large percentage of ASW-12 owners, crashed it on their first flight! :eek:

As I said, I never had any ambition to fly one.

India Four Two

23rd Oct 2015, 06:24

I decided to stay another day in Tofino because a) the weather was lovely and b) my friends in Victoria were not yet home.

I woke to the sound of a Beaver taking off and this view outside:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4380%20PB_zpsgmgr48jj.jpg

After a very satisfying breakfast of bacon and eggs at a coffee shop, I strolled down to the Tofino Air office on the dock.

"Any chance of a right-seat ride-along in your Beaver today?"
"Let me check the schedule."

Checks computer

"Be here at 3:15. We've got a charter going to Hot Springs Cove. One hundred bucks, OK?"
"Done."

So with time to kill, I drove south out of town to have a look at the beaches. Beautiful beaches with lots of surfing in very cold water. Thick wet-suits or dry-suits required!
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3069_zpsi7u0uql7.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3070%20PB_zpsrszbnhtc.jpg

Since the Japanese tsunami, there is a heightened sensitivity to the risk created by earthquakes. The local council has installed tsunami warning sirens at its own expense - the Federal Government would not pay for them - and there are warning signs along low-lying roads:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4376%20PB_zpsnhv3aik5.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4372%20PB_zps2mnlhs2l.jpg

In a pub in town, there is a slightly different take on the advice:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3074%20PB_zpsbsuolrlg.jpg

Wandering along a dock after lunch, I noticed that the local Mountie has 500 horses, rather then just one:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3075%20PB_zpsxvy01mwc.jpg

On my way back to Tofino Air, I took a picture for Sir George Cayley:
For your next trip can I ask for automobiles and hot chicks as well?http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3068%20PB_zpsam7lxabj.jpg

The hot chick pictures will come in a plain brown envelope. ;)

Then it was time for my trip. I had flown in a Turbo Beaver many years ago, but this was my first trip (20 minutes each way) in a "round engine" one:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3081%20PB_zpscfvzhqfa.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3085_zpsojfh9ctt.jpg

Beavers don't fly fast and when you have miles of runway beneath you, there is no need to fly high:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3094%20PB_zpsyzdouxph.jpg

Txeze3dnioE

Set your volume control to "11", particularly at 2m25. A wonderful experience - I now want a checkout!

In the evening, I decided to eat at a Sushi restaurant. Wonderful food:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4341_zpssnehotuy.jpg

and a great view:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4339_zps09qnekwc.jpg

but much to my surprise, a bunch of exquisite scale models hanging from the ceiling:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4342_zpshnbhhcte.jpg

I talked to the owner about them. I'll do a separate post of the pictures and how he came to acquire them.

washoutt

23rd Oct 2015, 09:59

Fascinating account of such an interesting trip. When in the 1990's I had many meetings with Boeing and the FAA at Seattle for the European approval of the Triple Seven, I once had to stay over for the weekend. When asked, I told the folks at FAA, that I planned to drive down to San Francisco on Saturday morning and be back in time for the Monday meeting. Tears of laughter streamed down their cheeks for this naive European, who thought the US could be crossed in a matter of hours.

Anyway, in the last picture, do I see there hanging from the ceiling a model of the Fokker F-VIIA, perhaps the H-NACT? If so, how does a Dutch model get so far away?
Have a good trip!

India Four Two

23rd Oct 2015, 21:58

washoutt,

Yes, I can imagine the laughter. Seattle to San Francisco looks quite doable on a map! However, Google Maps tells me you would have been driving for most of the weekend - 1600 miles, 26 hours there and back. :E

You are right - the nearest aircraft is H-NACT. The H quite threw me off. I didn't know what country it was. I'll tell you what I know in a separate post.

My video finally finished uploading and I've posted the link above.

washoutt

24th Oct 2015, 09:53

Aha, thought so. The country designation for aircraft was H with four letters for Holland untill 1927 or thereabout, when it was changed to PH with 3 letters.
The H-NACT becme PH-ACT and was in KLM service from 2-10-1925 untill 10-05-1940 when it was destroyed in the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands.

India Four Two

24th Oct 2015, 15:12

The H-NACT becme PH-ACT and was in KLM service from 2-10-1925 untill 10-05-1940 when it was destroyed in the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands.

washoutt,
I'm confused. When I looked up H-NACT, I saw pictures of her in a museum - Lelystad, I think.

Planemike

24th Oct 2015, 18:25

Replica......methinks !!!

treadigraph

24th Oct 2015, 23:03

I42, cheers, all is clear, I thought you were besmirching an icon, I reckon I was actually thinking of the ASW-15 !

India Four Two

25th Oct 2015, 02:33

treaders,

An icon as you say. I would cheerfully hop into any ASW, except the 12.

India Four Two

25th Oct 2015, 06:27

I left Tofino in the morning and drove east across the island to Qualicum Beach and then south through Nanaimo to Victoria. On the way, I passed through Duncan, which I knew as being famous for the world's largest hockey stick and puck. :) However, I had been forewarned by Innuendo to look for something else:
Enjoyable reading and the Shay engine info answered a few questions.
There is one on display at the entrance of the BC Forest Museum on Vancouver Island just north of Duncan.
Here it is - built by the Lima locomotive works in 1911 and operational until 1958. Different in design from the one I saw at Travel Town - offset boiler and firebox, three cylinders and an external driving mechanism:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3105_zpshmhakicx.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3102_zps4qxrmt62.jpg

The "skeletal engineer" is a reminder that Halloween is coming up.

prospector

26th Oct 2015, 03:19

After seeing such brilliant pictures from Tofino, a place I had never heard of before, and then this headline in a local paper, in New Zealand it took the shine of the video of the Beaver Flight a little.

Canadian authorities: Whale watching boat carrying 27 sinks off British Columbia - World - NZ Herald News (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11535312)

India Four Two

26th Oct 2015, 03:33

prospector,

That is very sad - I hadn't yet heard of the sinking. Very close to home for me - I had thought about staying one more day and going on that very vessel, but decided against it, because it is near the end of the whale migration season.

Here's the latest CBC report:

At least 4 dead after whale watching vessel sinks off Tofino, B.C. - British Columbia - CBC News (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/tour-vessel-sinks-off-tofino-with-fatalities-1.3288191)

Rosevidney1

26th Oct 2015, 16:49

I remember visiting Duncan. A quiet place I thought but my Canadian cousin told me that it once had a bad reputation and was known as Drunken Duncan! Strangely enough I have travelled from Duncan to Santa Monica but only by car.

54Phan

26th Oct 2015, 17:37

Thanks for posting more pictures of your progress, sir. What a dream trip!!:ok:

India Four Two

28th Oct 2015, 00:40

I went to the Victoria Flying Club restaurant with an old friend of mine, who retired to Vancouver Island some years ago. He and I have a very similar flying history - UAS and then many years gliding and towing in Calgary. However, because he is 12 years older than me, when he was in a UAS, he flew Harvards in his last year!

We had breakfast with David, a pilot who I had exchanged emails with but never met. There was a very nice view out of the window of the restaurant - a turbine Widgeon:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3106_zpsbhbqzisg.jpg

While we were eating and exchanging flying stories, David asked me if I was doing anything after breakfast. I said no, so he asked if I would like to go flying. I felt a bit guilty in abandoning my UAS friend, but only a little bit, because David took me flying in this - a CJ-6A Nanchang :ok::
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4391_zpsdql5opth.jpg

Rear panel - the gear lever had been removed and the mag switch disconnected to avoid any unfortunate incidents due to non-pilot passengers:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3108_zpsixwghl5s.jpg

We took off and flew south over the city, talking to Victoria Harbour Radio, who manage the float plane traffic in the harbour and then negotiated an airspace block, with Victoria Approach, over the Strait of Juan De Fuca. David demonstrated some rolls and loops and I had a couple of ham-fisted attempts, one of which resulted in an inadvertent cockpit-floor FOD check! I requested to knock it off after about 15 minutes, because my G-tolerance is not what it was. We then flew back up the coast and joined right-downwind for a run-in and break. Most exhilarating.

9GADWcWT2Sg

I’ve got a few hours in a Yak 52, so it was interesting to compare it with the Nanchang. The Nanchang is much nicer to look at than the Yak, particularly when the gear is retracted, but it doesn’t have the brute-force power of the Yak - 260 HP versus 360 HP. However, it is a much nicer aircraft to fly. The control-run torque tubes are supported by needle roller-bearings, which results in beautifully harmonized, light controls, dare I say it, better than the Chipmunk's, although to be fair, it is many years since I’ve flown a Chippie. There was no free-play in the controls and no break-out force - it was a joy to fly.

After our flight and having re-fuelled:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_4389_zps6omarhgd.jpg

and put the Nanchang away, we went over to have a look at a Catalina, which is being restored to airworthiness:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3114_zpsnfiuzlgd.jpg
TAPs will immediately notice that these are DC-3 props and not the proper "toothpick" props. ;)

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3113_zpsspq1syss.jpg

Thanks David, for an unexpected adventure.

Jhieminga

28th Oct 2015, 12:52

washoutt,
I'm confused. When I looked up H-NACT, I saw pictures of her in a museum - Lelystad, I think.
Replica......methinks !!!
Not really a replica. This is an original Fokker F.VIIa which was part of the Balair fleet and later saw service in Scandinavia for many years. It was still airworthy in 1955, most likely the last airworthy pre-war Fokker civil airliner, and was flown to Amsterdam for the then-Aviodome museum. The aircraft has since been restored to the markings of KLM's first Fokker F.VIIa, H-NACT. It is currently painted up as H-NADP, still not its own markings (this airframe never flew for KLM) but another notable KLM F.VIIa.

India Four Two

9th Nov 2015, 04:54

Jhieminga,

Thanks for the clarification about H-NACT.

Well, it's been a while. I've been back in Calgary for two weeks and after nearly three months away, there was a lot of boring stuff to do that kept me away from posting. However, as my alter-ego is still on Vancouver Island, 1000 miles away, I had better get cracking!

My UAS friend (also called David) and I drove back to Victoria Airport to visit the British Columbia Aviation Museum at 1910 Norseman Road :ok:

A very nice museum, with most of their collection under cover. We were shown around by a very knowledgeable volunteer. I've already posted the Bolingbroke and Eastman Sea Rover on What Cockpit. Other aircraft that appealed to me included:

Fleet Model 2:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3124_zpssxb3yfwt.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3122_zpsuf1rfidu.jpg
When this aircraft was retired in 1971, it was the oldest airworthy aircraft in Canada. Interestingly, the engine looks like a Scarab, which would technically make this a Fleet Model 1.

Prototype Trigull:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3132_zpsdqeqh67o.jpg
One of the three prototypes built. Two were flown before the company ran out of money. Originally powered by the ill-fated Tiara engine.

TCA Viscount:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3144_zpsuyhndik6.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3134_zpsojpmlwg2.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3145_zps0quax1us.jpg
Nice to see it under cover. The first time I've ever been in a Viscount. I see why everybody liked the cabin windows.

Norseman:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3139_zpsmsrq4qnr.jpg

Westwind IV (tri-gear Beech 18 with PT-6 engines):
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3136_zpss7hp8gye.jpg

Ironically, the aircraft that I had wanted to see - an R4D-8 (Super DC-3) - had been scrapped and all they had left was the cockpit!

India Four Two

9th Nov 2015, 06:18

This is a bit of thread drift but it is nostalgic for me and there is an aeronautical connection. After leaving Tofino and driving south through the Pacific Rim National Park, I turned off the highway and made a detour to Ucluelet (You-CLUE-let), which like Tofino, I hadn't visited for many years.

I drove through the town right to the end of the road at Amphitrite Point (named after HMS Amphitrite by Captain G H Richards, who subsequently became Hydrographer of the Navy) and walked down to the lighthouse:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/IMG_3099_zpsdav0gfdr.jpg

Back in the early days of my career, I had been supervising a marine seismic survey in these waters and we used SHORAN for navigation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SHORAN#Use_in_petroleum_exploration

SHORAN was originally designed as an airborne navigation system, but was modified into a blind-bombing system. An excellent description of SHORAN and its operational use in Korea:
http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id763.html

Two SHORAN base stations were set up on shore, usually near lighthouses, because of the ease of access and the availability of reliable geodetic benchmarks and one of these base stations had been at Amphitrite Point. Two operators would camp at the base station to keep the transponder running and point the high-gain Yagi array at the seismic vessel.

We used one station to measure along-track distance and the other for cross-track deviations, a bit like Oboe. The intersection angles were usually far from ideal and sometimes we were a long way offshore, so the absolute accuracy was 200-300 m, but that was good enough for the reconnaissance work that we were doing. A far cry from today's GPS precision.

The current lighthouse, which is now automated, was built to replace an original wooden one, which was swept away in a storm in 1914. I found the choice of location rather odd, since there is high ground inland from the point, where a conventional lighthouse tower could have been built, that would have been immune to storm damage.

India Four Two

5th Feb 2016, 04:46

Finally, I've got back to this journal. Some more interesting things to come, I hope!

I left Victoria and drove to Swartz Bay to catch the car ferry to Tsawassen, south of Vancouver, near the US border. Rather than take the Trans-Canada Highway back to Calgary, I had decided to drive back into the US and then drive east through Washington and Idaho to Whitefish, Montana, where I was planning to stay for a few days, with a colleague that I had worked with in Vietnam.

Since I would be passing through Bellingham again, I decided to call the Maritime Museum again and see if I could see their PACV (SR.N5) hovercraft. I was surprised that the female voice on the answering machine was English!

I left a message and while I was waiting to catch the ferry, I had a call back from Belinda. I explained what I wanted to see and she apologized and said that it had been sold and I would have to go to Chino to see it. I explained that I had already seen it and had been wondering how there could be two PACVs still extant.

After further conversation, I discovered that her father and her husband, Mike, had both been hovercraft pilots with Hoverwork and that she had known my father, when he worked there!

We arranged to meet in Bellingham for dinner.

The ferry route to the mainland goes through a Z-shaped pass called Active Pass - relatively narrow and with strong tidal currents:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2016/active_pass_zpscrdrmvkc.jpg

Because of the schedule timings, the ferries often pass each other during the transit of Active Pass. I once motored a sailboat through there. Small craft only do it at slack-tide as there are some nasty whirlpools and overfalls during the ebb and flow. If the skippers are sensible, small craft also keep to the sides of the channel to avoid the ferries.

These days, the BC Ferries are the only large vessels allowed through the pass. This rule is due to a fatal collision in 1970:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2016/Active%20pass%20collision_zpsqqvfjvda.png

After crossing the border at Blaine, I drove down to Bellingham and met Belinda, Mike and their grandson for dinner at a very nice seafood restaurant on a wharf, overlooking Puget Sound and spent a long time exchanging stories.

Belinda had met my father under very tragic circumstances. Her father had been piloting a hovercraft, being used for a shallow-water seismic survey, in Abu Dhabi. The survey was using dynamite as an energy source, and due to a mistake by the "shooter" on the back deck, the wrong charge was connected and the hovercraft was blown up and several people on the craft, including Belinda's father, were killed.

My father had told me about this accident but I didn't know any details. He was working in the Ryde HQ and Belinda was extremely complimentary about the way my father took charge of all the logistics and arranged for her and her mother to go out to Abu Dhabi and then organized her father's repatriation. Of course, my father wouldn't have dreamed of telling me or anyone else about his involvement. Typical ex-army stiff upper-lip!

Concerning the museum, they told me that because of the economic down-turn, they had had to temporarily close it and sell the PACV to the Yanks Air Museum in Chino. However, they still had an SR.N6, stored in a field, so I arranged to meet them next morning to see it. It turns out that this particular craft has a very interesting history.

Dora-9

5th Feb 2016, 06:52

More please.

India Four Two

5th Feb 2016, 16:40

Thanks for the encouragement, D9. ;)

Before I continue with my trip to see the N6, here's a great video of Mike explaining the history of the PACV and the amusing story of how he acquired it. I once imported a glider from the US to Canada and I know from personal experience, that showing up at Customs without the right paperwork is not to be recommended!

"We're US Customs. Everything's got a value!"

7awLCBdZ8cw

I met Belinda and Mike at the appointed location on the outskirts of Bellingham and they took me to a field with this rather forlorn, dismantled SR.N6 sitting in it:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3148_zpsaxdizimx.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3149_zpsldqbizid.jpg

A very nostalgic moment for me, because I had traveled on this craft when it was operating on the Southsea-Ryde service. However, this craft has a unique claim to fame. It was the one that was taken to South America for a National Geographic expedition that went up the Amazon, through the Casiquiare Canal and down the Orinoco (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casiquiare_canal).

There is a description of the journey in the obituary of Graham Clarke, who was the captain for that trip: Graham Clarke - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1565257/Graham-Clarke.html)

I could only find two pictures. This one:

http://www.robinsbooks.co.uk/index_htm_files/391.jpg

and then of all things, a Typhoo Tea card (I had completely forgotten about those):
http://images-02.delcampe-static.net/img_large/auction/000/167/092/144_001.jpg?v=1

I have been unable to find the documentary of that trip online. If anyone knows where it might be, please PM me.*

I have just found this video, where Mike is describing the N6:

ZkaJ4ELOYzQ

Mike is trying to raise funds and logistical support to move his N6 from Washington to the Hovercraft Museum in the UK. A very worthwhile project for such a historic hovercraft. If anyone can help or can contribute, please PM me and I will put them in touch with Mike.

I then left Bellingham, to meet Belinda's daughter, who just happened to manage an aircraft museum! Then a trip to Whidbey Island to pass the time and see a Catalina, before an early-evening appointment to see a Tiger Moth and a Queen Bee! A busy and very eclectic AH&N day. Pictures to follow.

* I've just found some spectacular footage -see 42:50 in this video:

1sDMOa5jqHA

India Four Two

7th Feb 2016, 06:37

Driving south out of Bellingham on I-5, I headed for Skagit Regional Airport in Burlington, the new home of the Heritage Flight Museum. (http://heritageflight.org/)

The museum was founded by Bill Anders, who was in the Apollo 8 crew, which was the first manned spacecraft to go into lunar orbit, in December 1968.

The museum was not yet open to the public, but I met Belinda and Mike's daughter, Kate who manages the museum and she showed me around.

PT-19 Cornell:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3155_zpsvy3wram2.jpg

F-89 Scorpion (the second one I saw on this trip):
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3156_zpssqf6tudp.jpg

A very nicely restored O-1/L-19 Bird Dog:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3153_zpszusniszw.jpg

A MASH H-13 (waiting for a tail-rotor) and behind, an O-2 Skymaster:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3166_zps15xemmct.jpg

Not part of the collection, but the first Carbon Cub I had seen:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3159_zpsh2u1verd.jpg

After chatting to two people working on the Cub, I spotted this engine:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3161_zpsksooicpm.jpg

One of the guys working on the Cub shouted "What's that?" and in my best TAP voice, I said "It looks like an early Gnome Monosoupape."

He laughed and said "Look more closely!":
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3162_zpsvw00crwo.jpg

One of only two Indian (as in motorcycle) Rotaries, built by the Hendee Manufacturing Company:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3163_zpsbd2t8qxs.jpg

I left the museum about lunchtime and since my next appointment was east of Everett at 6pm, I decided to drive over the bridge to Whidbey Island to go to the PBY-Naval Air Museum in Oak Harbor.

On the way into Oak Harbor, I passed a couple of impressive gate-guardians at the entrance to NAS Whidbey Island:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3171_zpskx1zvsac.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/942aa581-4b63-437c-a265-ed6a9a3d05ec_zpsbdqurf1e.jpg

The museum was closed but I was able to have a look at the PBY. It looks a bit odd without its wingtips and floats:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3168_zpsiujiuuuz.jpg

I then drove the length of Whidbey Island and took the ferry across to Everett, drove past Paine Field and the Boeing factory:
http://images.travelpod.com/users/sotas/4.1255097223.boeing-factory.jpg

India Four Two

7th Feb 2016, 06:39

... and headed east into the Cascade foothills to meet Ian, a British engineer who works in Everett, and in his spare time has at least four restoration projects under way! I first got in contact with him after finding his website: N-5490 - Index Page (http://www.n5490.org/) He very kindly showed me what he had stashed in his garage.

Pieces of N5490 - his Tiger Moth:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3178_zpsele4roxb.jpg

Two pre-war Austins. A 1930 Morris Minor fabric saloon (with 4,000 miles on the clock from new):
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3176_zpsgeczb9r7.jpg

and a 1933 McEvoy Special Minor Sports:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3175_zpsjlmgpqy2.jpg

The unexpected highlight for me was a DH-82b Queen Bee drone, that Ian rescued from being sent to the dump by a technical college in Port Townsend:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3174_zpspwvcde7y.jpg

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3179_zpsbhppwdqn.jpg

What you can't see clearly in the pictures, is the flat metal braid that was inlaid into the wooden skin, in order to bond every metal piece of the aircraft, to prevent interference with the radio control receiver.

And here is the marvelous pneumatic autopilot:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c309/india42/California%20Trip%20-%20Day%2012/IMG_3180_zpskqeu3hb2.jpg

Ian has certainly got his work cut out and if that's not enough, he's got a DH-60 Moth in boxes!

By the time we had finished chatting about these treasures, it was dark and so I had a three hour drive through the Cascades, without seeing the scenery, to Wenatchee, east of the mountains, in the Columbia valley, where I spent the night.