Home Again

Tuesday, April 12. It feels very good to wake up in our hotel room when we want to and not have to rush to meet our group. A leisurely Shoney's breakfast is obtained within walking distance and we call Joe to pick us up. We are so fortunate to belong to such a dedicated group of people who will do what ever it takes to keep the wheels greased and turning.
Joe arrives and he and Gene solve all the problems with aviation on the way back to Shelbyville. He offers a tour of his place and we eagerly accept. Joe moved down from Connecticut three years before. His wife is working up there so actually they go back and forth. Joe has a grass landing strip on 40 green acres. Living quarters are in a large metal structure. The living area is neat, clean and well decorated. A door in the foyer leads to a huge hanger in which are housed his two airplanes. There is also a workshop/workout room and a bathroom. There is an apartment on the second level. A bit of paradise for a pilot.
Joe then takes us to the airport to get our car which cranks immediately in spite of its long rest. We head for home, but take a break in Bell Buckle. Gene goes to the ice cream shop and I to the antique shop. I have been craving a piece of vintage mattress ticking for a long time and finally succumb to temptation. Instead of sitting in the rockers out front and watching Gene eat, I go to the Bell Buckle cafe and get Blueberry salad to go. Blueberry salad is like a dessert and to die for. After our snack, we hit the road and are home by supper time.
Things look green and overgrown. Thanks to neighbor, Kathy, the fish are healthy and fed. Azaleas and iris are in bloom. It is good to be home. The trip was good. We made new friends and bonded with old. We are tired but would do it again in a red hot minute. The closeness of our traveling band was amazing. Gene will go again on a shorter trip to Tulsa, but I will stay home as is involves riding a pass to Dallas and back again.

Last Leg

True to the nature of this herd of cats, plans change moment to moment. Dave Buffington and Zane Lemon have taken early passes back to Dallas as both are leaving on trips again on Wednesday. So we are down to six. The first plan is for a leisurely Mexican lunch in San Angelo. But Jacob needs to get back to school tomorrow in Kentucky and needs to get to DFW in time to catch a flight to Nashville. So, the plan changes to a quick lunch in El Paso. After we are on the plane, Peggy checks the flights and finds that there are three evening flights that are wide open. Then the plan changes to no lunch, push on through non stop. (Again, Patti, thanks for the snacks.) Sheryl and Gene decide to also try to get out that night and sleep in Nashville before picking up their car in Shelbyville.
So off we go into the cold and bumpy sky. I think this is our bumpiest ride yet. Jacob again sleeps in the aisle and risks real bodily harm as the others step around and over him while holding on for dear life. It also seems to be our coldest leg, though it may be just the longest sustained cold. Steve suggests we invest in lightweight sleeping bags for the future. There are a lot of snowy mountains as we head out of California and into the desert.
As we pass over a tiny town, Lewis gets a signal on his iphone and arranges for rides to the airport and for Steve and Peggy back to Ft. Worth. The time change means we lose two hours today. Bump, sway, bump. The pilots come back from time to time to advise of progress and Peggy and Sheryl take turns on the jump seat for a better view. There are a lot of wind farms and oil wells in West Texas, but very little else.
At long last we are on final at Alliance. Steve Jacobson makes such a wonderful landing that we area not sure we are down until we feel the tail wheel fall. He gets a standing ovation when we roll to a stop. Buff and Zane are there to ferry us to our destinations. After a delay to get Gene listed on Peggy's pass list and to list folks on flights, we are off to the airport. Buff hangs around to make sure that we get boarding passes and through security. The plane has arrived late and so leaves late but we all get on the first flight in first class. Then there is a mechanical delay and finally a weather delay as we are on approach at Nashville, making our arrival an hour late. But, gosh, that jet is smooth after the bouncy earlier flight. We bid farewell to Lewis and Jacob and finally arrive at a motel at midnight. I keep telling myself it is only ten Pacific time. We have called George Dennis and he has arranged for another member, Joe Roberts to pick us up tomorrow morning and get us to our car.

On the Road Again

We are nervous this morning about getting through security with our contraband. As on all the other mornings, we gather at the special DC-3 check in area and get "fake" boarding passes. Zane has does some negotiating and arranged for our bags to be "checked." And so we get through TSA without a hassle. Anil Kumar is there, as he has been everyday, to escort us to the plane. He is sick and has been on duty for 13 straight days so once he gets us in the air, he plans to go home. Meanwhile, he is as pleasant and helpful as ever.
The engines are running now, about 10AM, so I guess I am about to lose signal. The destination immediately is Chino to an air museum, then somewhere near Tucson for overnight. As soon as we are airborne, everyone is again into the snacks and thankful especially for the bagels Patti provided.
The flight to Chino is about three hours and en route we pass by a lot more snow covered mountains than we did on the flight out. It seems even colder in the cabin than ever and the passengers are huddled under layers of coats and blankets. Most of them are asleep and Zane jokes that sleep is what comes just before you freeze to death. Captain Buffington flies this leg and makes a wonderful landing. Steve Jacobson is co-pilot.
At Chino, the air is cool and pleasant. The first thing we see is a neat row of very attractive, large hangers in front of the plane. We ask for bathroom facilities and are directed to a porta potty quite a distance away. Young Jacob takes off at a run, followed at a much slower pace by Sheryl and Peggy. Along the way, they ask more passers-by for more suitable facilities to no avail. The stench of the place is pretty bad, but Peggy bravely heads in. Too late to save her, a golf cart magically appears and a nice man offers Sheryl a ride to a "real potty." He takes her and Steve to Les Whittlesey's hangar where there is the most pristine and shiny Lockheed 10 one has ever seen. He says that they had parked next to our plane at Sun and Fun two years ago and so knew who we were when we landed. He and another man then ferry the group to the Planes of Fame Museum.
The museum is very well done, covers a lot of ground and a good number of their planes can and do fly. It is a toss up with the Pima in quality. There are many, many planes and hangers and a real nice gift shop. They are in the process of restoring a B-26 bomber. At 3PM Sheryl's phone rings and summons her group of four back to the plane where the others await. WHAT? No lunch?? Thank you again, Patti, for the snacks....cause that is what saved us from starvation as no one had taken time for breakfast. While we were here, the temperature has warmed considerably and the interior of the plane is hot. It takes awhile, but at some point, everyone is bundled again. Jacob stretches out in the aisle and sleeps the whole next leg with the other passengers stepping over and around him.
Just at sundown we land in Tucson. The Executive FBO there has the best service of any we have encountered on our trip and we tell them so. They are immediately at our side with a large van to load our luggage and take us to our hotel. We opt for the hotel restaurant where the server not only remembers us, but remembers that Zane drinks diet soda. Well, folks the question from an earlier post is answered. Pilots either do run out of flying stories, or they run out of steam, because not a single one is told. This group of warriors are road weary. The core group has been together and on the road for 26 days. About half are one day from the barn, but the other half have "more miles to go before they rest." (Sorry, but brain dead me did not think to take photos today.)

Hitting a Home Run

Today is Friends and Family day at the new terminal and we will again be set up there. Our crew numbers six and Lewis and his grandson have gone into San Fran for the day. There is some confusion and we move twice before finally getting set up at a gate where our plane is clearly visible. There are a lot of people streaming in. Stages are set up at various points with ever changing entertainment. There are tables all over with things to give away, things to sign up for, and things to buy. All the shops and restaurants are also open.
Even though we are over in a corner, we get a lot of attention from the crowd. Unfortunately we have trouble getting people to the ramp to tour as no one has been through security and the TSA forbids it. We have a number of people pre-signed for a 2PM flight and we sign enough to all but fill the flight. Because of security, our passengers have to go to the old terminal, get a boarding pass and go through security, go to a gate, get on a van and be taken back to the new terminal gate where the plane is. Gee Whiz, what an exercise!
When the announcement is made to come see our plane take off, we suddenly are mobbed. Only Patti and I are manning the table and we are overwhelmed with questions and people wanting flights. Before we know it, we have filled a second flight and are working on a third. In the end we have sold 38 new memberships to the foundation and given three flights. The last one lands about 6PM which is later than we thought we would be here. We then load up the things that have been stored at the airport, fuel the plane and head for the hotel. It is 8:30 before we gather for dinner and 9:30 before we get food. Everyone liberally samples off the other's plates. We decide we have all been together far too long. The show is over and we are winding down. It is 11 before we break for bedtime.

The Crew Dwindles

Mary's son has picked her up Wednesday night to take her back to San Jose and the Gorrells have flown back to Utah on Thursday morning. Gene and Sheryl opted to arrive at the airport a little later this morning as did Peggy after the late night. Deanna is there with her suitcase trying to catch a flight to Dallas. She would head out to a gate and then 30 minutes later return until the next flight. Then she would repeat the whole scenario. There really are a lot of us for the work that needs to be done. We pick up 13 new foundation members including Sailesh's family and three people that he talked with at the gala the night before. Steve's sister, Mary Claire, is also a new member, as is Zane's nephew.
We continue intermittent tours. These are a little difficult because most of the people have to have an escort to the ramp. We get six Air Canada pilots in handsome uniforms to tour and there are several American Airlines employees too. A former Lufthansa stewardess comes by but does not have time to tour. She flew on DC3's in the 50's. She still has the glamorous and stylish look. At 2PM the plane flies with 7 of our new members on board and all of the crew except Buff, Lewis and Patti. Peggy has revived the old routine of serving candy and mints. She borrowed a tray from the Admiral's Club and talked them out of a bag of hard candy also. Deanna makes the 4PM flight and now we are 8 remaining. After that we pack up and head to the hotel. All in all this has been an easy day. We eat a casual meal of mostly salads and sandwiches in the bar. This has been the easiest of our days.
Gene and I have had an orientation difficulty after so many hotels of popping out of the elevator or the hotel room and heading in the wrong direction. Here at the Hilton, this is made more difficult by the fact that there are elevators on two walls, hence sometimes you go left and sometimes you go right. One good thing about today was that the wind died for the first time since we have been here and though the day was cooler, it felt a whole lot warmer.

Into the City

On Thursday, Rich Wood, is out front with two vans to get us back to the plane. Starship One had shared the hanger last night and we are hopeful to get there in time to see our two planes together. Alas, Rich was delayed by a wreck in getting to us, and the Starship is gone when we arrive. Then we are delayed by a hydraulic leak. Here, in the maintenance hanger is a good place for that to happen and workers swarm all over, working, cleaning and polishing. When we finally taxi to the terminal, about ten ground crew men ride with us and are as thrilled for the taxi ride as most folks are for a flight.
Today we are set up back in the old terminal, giving a few tours of the plane and manning the table where we hope to sell memberships, which come with a ride. It is decided that rides will only be on Friday and Saturday due to the wind. With no flight today, Gene is now free (he has to be aboard all flights) and we decide this is the day to head to the city. The Gorrells, Lemons, Mary and Patti will stay to man the display and the remaining seven will go into San Francisco. Steve lived here for fifteen years and will be the tour guide.
First step is catching a shuttle back to the hotel, where we put on warmer clothes and walking shoes. Second, we ride the shuttle back to the airport to catch the BART train. Figuring out how to get a ticket on BART from the automated machines proves almost too much for us. One looks at a chart of destinations and prices, then presses a button that starts you with a $20 ticket. From there you press buttons that add or subtract dollars and nickels until you get the amount you want, then you print and a card pops out. The card is inserted into a turnstile and pops out the other end. Finally we are underway. Most of the trip is underground, but we catch glimpses of the distinctive San Francisco style townhouse dwellings sprawling across the hills. After about a 30 min ride we disembark and ride an escalator up to the surface, popping right into the center of a very busy city. It is a shock. All around there is much hustle and bustle and wonderful buildings and strange people. Sidewalk performers are everywhere working for tips and some panhandlers approach begging for money. One black man with dreadlocks is singing opera so well that until I see him, I think it is a recording. Others are doing acrobatics of a very professional nature.
We head up the street at a rapid pace until locating a trolley car. It is an antique, and interesting in itself, but we also have the scenery to take in. The trolley takes us to Pier 39. There we walk through a myriad of shops until Steve directs us down a narrow passageway. On the other side we see a group of platforms anchored at water's edge crowded with sea lions. They are basking in the sun, but from time to time, one will become dissatisfied and begin bellowing and thrash around to find a better position. This generally upsets the others and they all express their opinions quite loudly. Someone asks if I had noticed Alcatraz, and sure enough, there it is, off to our right, and closer than I thought it was from the mainland. Between it and the sea lions is the Golden Gate Bridge. So right here is a flavor of San Francisco. We go up to the second level to Neptune's Landing and have tasty appetizers. We are right by a window and the view is breathtaking. There are seagulls riding the wind within inches of the glass. We celebrate eating real San Francisco sour dough bread.
After this interlude it is back on the street into the wind for a walking tour. We go by Cannery Row, most of the old buildings transformed into residences or offices. We see the Maritime Museum. Then we get to Ghirardelli Square, which used to be the home of the chocolate factory. At the chocolate store, they are giving a free sample just for stopping by. At the back of the ice cream parlor, there is a display showing the different steps of making chocolate and that was quite interesting. Next stop is a wine shop which also has gifts. Peggy and I admire two reasonably priced grasscloth totes which have zippers and are roomy. We decide they must belong to us. She gets lime, I get red. Seventeen year old Jacob seems to be having fun hanging with six sixty somethings. Then it is uphill and on and on a trek to locate the No Name Bar. Steve decides it is easier to herd cats if you do it from the rear of the pack. There is much meowing and "Here, kitty, kitty." It really does have a name, just no sign outside. An old haunt of Steve's. We arrive to find it very cozy and charming with lots of dark wood and stained glass. We are nestled in a corner. Somehow the conversation goes to a line from a Robert Frost poem about miles to go before I rest and Peggy Googles it and then reads it. The waitress waits patiently until she is finished and then tells us she was an English major. We again have appetizers that we share.
Unfortunately it is dark and cold when we emerge and the next destination is to find a cable car. After a long, long, long walk we get to a cable car stop only to find it closed for maintenance. We give up and take cabs back to the BART for the ride back to the hotel. A real good and quick taste of San Fran.

The Big Event

We meet in the lobby this morning, making quite a splash with Zane in his Captain's uniform, Peggy and Jane in their stewardess uniforms, and the rest of us in colorful shirts bearing the Foundation logo. We go to a gate in the old terminal and set up our information signs and table with help from two American guys. There we meet Patti McMillan, an American flight attendant, a member of the Foundation who has taken vacation to be with us for these four days. We await the press who will take a sight seeing trip around the bay. Gene will be the pilot, Steve will co-pilot, the three uniformed members will be the cabin crew. Buff will be the ground crew, directing the plane in and out. The rest of us will man the table. Twelve members of the press arrive, many from aviation publications. We have them sign waivers, fill out a manifest, and get them to sign a slip of paper for a prize. The prize is the opportunity to sit in the jump seat during the flight, getting a panoramic view and hear the pilots talk on the radio. Gene later says it was most scenic flight he has ever participated in.
Unfortunately, the view of the plane is blocked by two jet ways and people have to walk down to the next gate to see it. Several passengers and American employees come by to see what we are about. The event today is the opening of a new terminal to be occupied by Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines so the flight will leave from the old and arrive back at the new. Once the passengers go down to the plane, our two helpers show up again and pack all our things on a cart. Saleseh comes to escort his herd of cats from the old building to the new one. We have to go out on the sidewalk and as we do, the Flagship appears to our left, taking off against the blue, blue sky.
The new terminal is a beehive of activity, the grand opening is on Saturday and folks are scurrying to get things done. There are several restaurants where food is being cooked, but they are serving it only to designated tasters and trainees. Down at the end chairs and tables are being set up for a gala event for the evening. We were originally told that we were invited to this, then told that we were not because it was black tie and we did not have the clothes and that a "special dinner" would be served to us in the Admiral's Club. We opted not to come back to the airport and again later were told we were invited to the gala. This is an example of what continually happened with the right and left hands not in communication at all.
As we are setting up, Deanna looks at a passerby and blurts, "Bobbie Flay!" Sheryl says, "No, wrong color hair." Deanna explains that it was the only name she could come up with but she swears he is a Food Network Star. Sheryl takes off in pursuit and sees him disappear into one of the restaurants. As she comes abreast of it, she sees the name on the back wall, "Tyler Florence." And then there he comes right at her. So she tells him she admires his work and invites him to come and tour the plane. He is very gracious and asks her name, and shakes her hand. We later hear that Cat Cora will also be on hand.
Buff asks Sheryl to go back to the old terminal and meet Lewis Drake and his grandson, Jacob, who are arriving from Kentucky. Patti comes along as she is familiar with the terrain. With that done, we now number 13 folks. There is now a small stage and podium set up right next to our area and a platform plum full of press photographers in front. Just as our flight returns, politicians and dignitaries begin to speak. One person in attendance is Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon. Mary and Deanna approach and get their photo taken with him. Then Sir Richard Branson, owner of Virgin American, is introduced. Peggy has been dying to see him, but we cannot find her. When she returns, Sir Richard has gone into the crowd but she Jane and Zane, in their uniforms head in that direction. In a few minutes I see camera flashes and spot them along with two flight attendants also in vintage uniforms with Sir Richard in the center. Mission accomplished.
The only way to see the plane is to go into the nearby Admiral's Club. We go to take a look and find there is food. Small turkey sandwiches, cookies and a vegetable tray. The first of us grab a bit and go to tell the others, but alas most of it is gone and not replaced. Meanwhile all the important people and the press have gone. Tours of the plane are being given to employees and the table crew talks to a few interested parties, but most people are here to work.
Then word is passed to us that the winds are so brisk that the plane is in danger and will be moved to a hanger along with Sir Richard's Spaceship One. We must pack up and board quickly.
Soon we taxi out and it is evident that it is all Gene can do to control the plane in the wind, but before we know it, we taxi into a huge hanger. Buff remarks with a laugh that is the first time he has ever taxied into a hanger. Looking out of the plane I can see the ground crew's clothing whipping around them in the strong wind.
There we meet Rich Wood, Maintenance Shift Manager, a really nice person who proves to be very helpful to us. Rich has two vans brought up to ferry us to our hotel and promises to have them there again in the morning to get us back, avoiding security.
Peggy, Steve and the Gorrells go into San Francisco for dinner while the rest of us go to Kincaid's, a nice place next to the hotel. We are almost blown away getting there, but enjoy a nice dinner before returning to the hotel and falling into bed.

The City of Angels

Fortunately we are able to avoid having to go through security this morning as many of us are carrying contraband. The American Airlines people pick us up in vans and bring us through the employee gate. There is still some security there and we are rather amazed when they look under the hood of the van. They then open the back, take one look at the mountain of luggage and slam it shut. Thank goodness!
The pilots are off to attend to the plane and the escort of the ladies takes us on a little tour of the tower, this is an American Airlines tower, where they monitor the traffic on the ramp area. He then takes us to the Admiral's Club for awhile. We are waiting for a 777 to leave for Japan so that the Flagship can be brought up to that gate. In the Admiral's club we enjoy refreshments and chat. We have a good vantage point looking down on "our" gate and see the Japan plane leave and the Flagship arrive right behind it. We then go down to the gate and get escorted to the plane (we always have to have an escort to go out on the ramp and to return to the building from the ramp) Our escorts are very nice and very patient people.
For the next few hours we enjoy having the American employees tour the plane, they are very excited about it. This makes it so much fun for us. There is one American employee who has her father's log book and shows us an entry where he flew this very plane in 1945. WOW! Once the dignitaries have arrived, we close the plane and go back to the terminal to observe.
The whole gate area is decorated with flowers, balloons and Japanese lanterns, the dignitaries are making speeches in English and Chinese, and there is Chinese musical entertainment taking place. There is also a buffet set up and a view of the Flagship just beyond it. The gate area is crowded with passengers, onlookers and the press. Zane and Peggy are getting a lot of attention in their vintage-style uniforms. People in the crowd approach to ask us if they can tour the plane (they know us by our Flagship shirts), so we go down and open it up again. Suddenly a little after 2PM we are given a hurry up signal to get ready for departure as we will taxi our behind the 777 to Shanghai which leaves at 3. So we all start readying while still touring people through. One group of handsome fellows are the Los Angeles Firefighters who will form an arch of water over the 777 as it taxis out. Steve Jacobson has spent a lot of hours on flight planning and done an excellent job for this leg and the one preceding it. Zane Lemon is on the phone constantly as a liaison between us and the American Airlines people. American is paying for our hotel rooms and gas for the plane to have us here.
Then, off we go again...out to wait departure between two jumbo jets. As we pull out, we notice the two gate balconies crowded with AA employees waving and clapping for us. As we go down the taxi way, it is lined with ramp vehicles all stopped while the drivers are cheering us and taking pictures. We are really feeling so good about L.A. These folks have made us welcome and appreciated this ship we love.
The trip north along the coast is a breathtaking one. Dave Buffington is from Santa Barbara and he plays tour guide, telling us where we are. There are three tiers of mountain ranges on the land side, so green, so beautiful. There are homes nestled in the hills. This is our most scenic leg of the journey to date. The wonderful thing about flying the DC-3 is that we are low and slow, affording one a great view of the ground below. When we get to the San Francisco area, traffic is stacked up and we circle several times over the bay, but do not see the Golden Gate.
We taxied to the old terminal where we were met by our guide, Sailesh Narain, who has proved to be invaluable. We had been leaving some luggage and merchandise on board, but this time we had to completely empty the airplane. But now we have four females and the task goes more quickly...we form a bucket brigade and pass things down the aisle. The men then pick it up at the door and load it. Sailesh suggests that he take the luggage through to the baggage carousel but the former American people do not trust that system. The wind is whipping like a gale and cutting through our thin clothes. Just as we think we are leaving the area, the gas truck comes and the men start fueling the plane. The women beg to be taken somewhere out of the wind and we are led on a lengthy walk with all the luggage in tow that ends in the baggage claim area where we are finally warm and out of the wind. After the men come, we all gather luggage again and go out the front of the terminal into the cold wind to await a shuttle to our hotel. The wait seems awfully long, but right at 8PM it shows and ferries us to the Hilton. Buff remarks that this is our last "bag drag" for four days, we cheer. We have been receiving texts since we landed from David Gorrell, who has arrived with his wife, Jane, from Utah. Jane is still working as a flight attendant, but also has a vintage style uniform in blue that she made. When we go into the hotel lobby, the Gorrells are there to greet us. Due to the late hour and the cold wind, we decide to eat in the hotel. There are ten of us now. After the meal, Zane presents Mary with her Lifetime Membership plaque and there are toasts and much laughter. There is always at least one toast at each meal we share. And I might note here, that like a close family, there is usually sharing of food and drink with folks sampling each other's fare. The food on this trip has been wonderful! We have a 7AM departure so no one lingers long after dinner.

On to L. A.

No need to hurry this morning, so we meet at 9AM for the shuttle to the airport. But for some reason we take a looooong time to get in the air, it is 11 before we blast off. In the meantime, it is the loveliest of mornings. Clear blue sky, cool temps, the wind has stopped. As we are running the engines up, three fighter jets taxi by after landing. As they pass, each young pilot swivels in his seat and salutes our grand old lady....Peggy and I tear up.
I will pause here to say that Peggy is my new best friend. We each know the other's life story and we have parallels, a man we loved and left to marry the secure one which did not work out, a reunion with the first man, a much younger sibling and others too numerous to name. We are thinking the same thoughts, one starts to say something and the other finishes or the first one just stops mid sentence as she knows the other one understands already. We have a level of understanding that is uncanny for the short time we have known one another.
After take off, she and I are instantly hungry and get into the snacks. Gene comes back to check on us and gets into the food too. We never know when our next meal will be and sure enough it is nine hours later. We are going to fly high today to check our engine performance at high altitude and so we nestle in under our blankets. The terrain is different today. The color scheme is beige, taupe and black with occasional white salt deposits. Once I saw an area of blue tinge. Again very dry and more mountains. And even fewer signs of human habitation.
When we get into California, there is a lot more green, even on the mountains. We go over Palm Springs and see many golf courses. There are also snow capped mountains. Then we are in wall to wall humanity. Ick~ sure wouldn't want to live here. Zane offers one of us a seat in the cockpit for landing and I send Peggy. Dave Buffington is in the left seat.
Then the fun begins. Steve calls L.A. a logic free zone. There are a series of odd maneuvers that I do not understand. Steep descents, climbs and a circle over the ocean before finally landing. I find out that air traffic control brought us in way, way too high and a missed approach was declared. They again demanded the same altitude but the plane was unable to get that high that quickly before the next approach and so we go in 1000 feet lower, but still too high. It is a strain on the old plane and on the engines. We taxi to the old American Airlines hanger where the plane will be kept overnight.
And the guys are hot and bothered. They are really upset, buzzing around like hornets. Meanwhile there is quite a contingent of American managerial types and ground crew around the plane. And after some finagling, we get backed partially into a hanger. We have been assigned a TSA agent to watch us...we are told that if one of us goes to the bathroom, then all must go as we all must be within her sight at all times. (Peggy and I have already gone to the bathroom unescorted before the agent arrived) Ya'll this is what the Land of the Free has become, a bureaucratic nightmare. Then the baggage is unloaded and the cleaning begins. Peggy and I work on the interior, stowing things out of sight, putting the display pictures out and generally spiffing, while the men seriously work on the outside. They are all over the plane, cleaning, buffing and polishing. We are told that the Chancellor of China will be on hand tomorrow, maybe the CEO of American, the mayor, maybe the governor.
We then load up again and are driven to a gate where we enter and then exit the terminal and catch a bus to our hotel. On the way we stop at the Southwest gate and pick up Zane's wife, DeAnne, and her sister, Mary who will continue on to San Francisco with us. American Airlines is putting us up at the Embassy Suites where they overnight their crews. The hotel is mission style, beautifully landscaped on the exterior. The entrance is all tile and decor and flowers. The atrium is the same but with the addition of falling water and fish ponds filled with fish, turtles and ducks. Our rooms are true suites with living and sleeping areas. A sink and vanity in the room as well as the bath. A door to the atrium and a balcony on the other side. Really, nice.
The gang meets for happy hour and then for dinner in the restaurant. Today is our 13th wedding anniversary and Steve orders champagne for the occasion. We have a very, very good meal with excellent service and much laughter and several toasts. We know we are getting road weary as when DeAnne and Mary ask questions about the trip, we cannot remember. Where are we, how did we get here, what day is it? Somehow the subject of the Seven Dwarfs come up and we can only name six, in spite of singing the song.
Zane finally nails it: Bashful.
At the meal's end we are surprised that Steve and Peggy have ordered a molten chocolate cake with ice cream for us. We pass it around for all to have bites. Steve has also insisted on paying for our dinner. He is a great guy and a new good friend also.
Pick up is not until 10 on Tuesday. We have been needing to wash clothes and so I rise at 6 and get it done as the next days in S.F. will be hectic from what we have been told. The tension of the day is whether we will have to go through airport security to get back to the plane as we all have non regulation things in our bags. We are told that it will be handled and hope this is correct. So now it is SHOWTIME.

Did I say Phoenix?

Well, I meant to say Tuscon. That was today's destination. Out again early, blast off at 8AM for a little over a four hour flight. The land at Midland is flat and desolate and dry and that is the way the scenery starts out, then it starts to get bumps, not unlike skin eruptions, then it turns to billowing hills and finally there are jagged mountains. But most of all, there are few, very few roads and towns and even individual dwellings. It is mostly a vast wasteland. All of a sudden you will see a very green field which looks so out of place in this yellow ochre land.

At one point, we all crowd into the cockpit to see El Paso/Juarez. This is a huge built up area and the only town of any size we have seen all day. Finally we pass over a mountain ridge and there in the next valley is Tuscon. The first thing I notice is acres and acres of airplanes. Found out later that this is where old airplanes go to die.

When we emerged from the plane in Tuscon, the first thing I noticed is that all my hair had blown into my face, there was a stiff wind. Second thing was that is was very temperate, the temperature was quite pleasant. There is a lot of military action here and the first thing I see flying by is a GIANT helicopter with two rotors not lined up from to back but on goal post like arms to the sides. Next four military jets swoop in so very gracefully one after the other, very loudly too, I might mention. The ground crew was out there in numbers and so very helpful, so we were handing out hats and giving tours. Two, obviously wealthy, men from a near by jet also tour and are complimentary also.

Upon returning from the necessary visit to the facilities, Gene is in animated conversation with what I thought was a member of the ground crew as if he knows him. Turns out it is Eric Gorrell, Fred's son who works at another FBO and saw us come over. He calls his Dad and his uncle Dave to tell them who he is with. Turns out Gene was telling him about flying with the two of them the week before. Dave and his wife will join us in S.F.

The ground crew ferried us and our luggage to the FBO where we were picked up by a hotel shuttle. That shuttle also delivered us to the Pima Air and Space Museum, which is the reason for selecting this particular destination. The photos in shown here are of our fellow travelers pictured with the planes they flew in combat in Viet Nam. Makes you take a step back, stop and think about what these happy go lucky guys have been through in their lives. Gene tells me that my cousin Betty's Ken has three Distinguished Flying Crosses from that conflict. Good grief!!

The museum is huge, several hangers and a lot of planes outside. It is very well done. The guys are in heaven. They also have a cafe, to our relief, as the one in the hotel is only open in the evening. They have cleverly positioned the planes, some big ones on stands of about three feet so smaller ones will nestle under their wings, some hanging above. Outside, the wind continues, sometimes steady, sometimes like a sandstorm.

Peggy's brother lives here and he has joined us at the museum. She then leaves with him to spend the evening with his family. The remaining 5 meet later in the hotel restaurant for food, drinks, and, you guess it, more flying stories. After awhile I leave and am soon asleep. The extra two hours added by time change has made this a very long day. I think it was around 8 when I crashed. The good news is that we do not meet tomorrow until 9AM. Good thing as we will be on a tight schedule after that.

No Vittles in Midland

Yep, we were at the airport early. The "essential" luggage nearly filled the back of the SUV we hired to get us to the airport. Once at Alliance, we were treated like royalty rather than terrorists and another SUV drove us out to the plane where they guys immediately started preflight and Peggy and I packed ourselves into nests with all our needs within reach.

We blasted off just before 8AM and at 9:15 landed in Sweetwater, chosen for its cheap gas. They are so happy to see us! We give tours and free hats and koozies. We are on a goodwill tour now. The WASP museum is on the other side of the airport and they call people until they find someone to open it for us, the local bank president, who is a delightful fellow. Too much to tell, but look up the Women's Airforce Service Pilots to learn about these brave and unappreciated young women who served in WWII. Dave bought a book about them which I have been reading all afternoon.

The cockpit picture here is called, Four Captains. The one of Gene pushing the prop is pre-flight prep, and lying on the pavement is just him resting in Sweetwater where it was pleasant when we arrived, but hot when we left.

The museum tour puts us a bit behind schedule but off we go again, headed for Midland. The land below us is desolate and flat and we don't see much except oil wells and wind farms. The flight gets bumpier and bumpier. We are soon in Midland, hungry, and the wind is blowing a gale. The FBO (terminal for private aviation) restaurant is closed on the weekend, the terminal restaurant is closed on the weekend and our motel restaurant is, you guessed it, closed on the weekend. There is almost no one around and we get no help with parking the plane, no help with the luggage, so there are no tours, no free hats. But the FBO is spacious and well decorated and features some marvelous metal sculptures of oil and ranch life.

Oh, never mind, we need to see the Commemorative Air Force Museum. I really am hungry as I had opted to skip supper the night before and only ate a handful of grapes. Today a pack of crackers. But this museum is very professionally done and tells its stories with modern media of video, photo, and audio. Notably, they have a collection of bomber nose art, those pin-up girls that were painted on many of the WWII planes. They also told the stories of the men who painted them and showed the inspiration pieces they copied. Most of them were pretty racy and the quality of the art varies widely, but it was very interesting. There was a hanger of planes and a large and nicely appointed memorial water conservation garden. When we finished we were talking about where to eat and a girl from the visitors bureau came up to us who was in a tour and gave us a map of the city with all the restaurants on it. We opted for the Texas Roadhouse and arrived about 3PM and were surprised to see it in full swing.

We had an excellent meal, with much laughter and tale telling. A real meal was welcome after 25 hours. Today the topic was the inner workings of the airline industry. Returning to the hotel, Gene laid down across the bed and I curled up next to him and we slept for two hours. I never do that! But it sure felt good. Now he is off to meet the boys for more airplane tales. How many are there? An infinite number, I guess. We opted for an early start again tomorrow as hot air is bumpy air. It was 92 here but did not feel that hot with the wind. Tomorrow's destination is Phoenix, where again, it will be quite warm.

Still Hangin in there

Time is passing slowly at Camp Noknowhengo. Steve is such a sport to have taken us on for 8, count them, EIGHT DAYS, in his 1400 sq ft. condo. But, amazingly, we all seem to be having a good time with one another. Us girls keep waiting to see if the guys run out of flying stories, so far, NO. On Wednesday, Peggy and I go to a yoga class at the Y, an intense yoga class, but we enjoy it. Then all go our separate ways for the rest of the day, Gene and I had lunch then took a long walk around town to gardens and so forth. Supposed to have warmed up, but didn't. Thursday Peggy and I again go to the gym. We are well paired in our needs and wants. The sun has FINALLY come out and the temp has risen. After lunch we drop the guys at Meacham Field to fly Steve's award winning 170 and we do more shopping, not wonderful shopping, but WalMart where there are things we still need for the trip. We are eating some great meals here, hoping that I am counteracting the calories with the exercise. Fingers crossed. Yesterday just after noon, the airwaves come alive with texts, calls and emails. The big Sun and Fun Fly In in Lakeland, FL has been hit with horrific storms and winds which left a whole bunch of damaged airplanes in its wake. Steve would have had his plane there if not for this trip, and there is a good chance the flagship would have been there also. Many of Gene's pilot friends are usually there, but we check and find out that his closest friend, Jim, did not go this year as he just closed on a new house. Luck is holding. So far, we have not heard of anyone we know who was there. Today is our last day at camp. They guys left early for Alliance with Steve's car packed with our luggage, everyone keeping just what we need for the next day. Only the two of them can fit. They will meet two or three others there to do an inspection on the plane and ready it for departure early tomorrow. Steve has hired a car to take us to Alliance in the morning. Peggy and I clean the condo and she is about to get her hair done. The leisure part of this trip is about done. For the next week we will be on a pretty tight schedule. but we are ready.