Marc's Public Blog - Flying

2023/04/23 San Carlos' Hiller Aviation Museum

π 2023-04-23 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

It had been a while since I had been to San Carlos' Hiller Aviation Museum, so it was nice to do another visit while I was there after landing from a FOG trip:

See more images for San Carlos' Hiller Aviation Museum

2023/04/23 FOG Tour Of Victorville's Southern California Logistics' Airplane Graveyard

π 2023-04-23 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

I have flown over VCV a few times, always a very cool sight. I went to look for older pictures for history, and finally got lucky enough to get a tour on the ground thanks to San Carlos Flying Club's FOG tour.

2007

Flew to Victorville for the Darpa Urban Challenge (passenger in a 737 ;) ), it was a bit basic back then:

2017

This was my first flight to San Bernardino, and I got some good shots of VCV then

2022/03

My 2nd flight to SBD was still during the 737 Max debacle. Boeing, due to their greed and stupidity, had all their new badly designed planes grounded for close to 1.5 years and lost billions over their terrible decision making. This led to them having so many planes that couldn't fly and be sold, that many were stored at VCV, filling an entire runway and taxiway:

The boneyard was still there of course:

2023/04

This was my 4th time, and the best by far, this time it was with FOG and they SCFC nicely organized a tour of the facilities on the ground, that was very cool. By then, the 737 Max had been removed from runway and taxiway.

First time landing there:

FOG members had a good time in the FBO Million air:

golf, even :)

obligatory group picture

Then it was my group turn's for the van tour of the grounds (it's big). During the tour, I found out that indeed part of the airport is used for scrap, planes that exceeded their safe design limits, and that can be used for spare parts, or recycling of the metal. There are also boeing planes that are being parked there until they can find a new customer (planes that were ordered during covid and then the orders cancelled).

so long Victorvile, it was a very cool visit, thank you to Million Air for the private tour.

See more images for FOG Tour Of Victorville's Southern California Logistics' Airplane Graveyard

2023/04/22 Socal USAF Airshow at March Air Reserve in Riverside with FOG

π 2023-04-22 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

Flyout Group organized a trip to Socal for the USAF Airshow at March Air Reserve in Riverside, and I was thankfully able to join last minute.
Even though we had a hotel almost next door, traffic was a complete mess. We left 1h30 early and the van I was in got almost nowhere in 3h and ran out of gas before making it to the entrance. Thankfully I made the call to get out and walk, it was a long walk (30-40mn), but I passed all the cars that were stuck in line, and got it before they nicely decided to close that entrance to pedestrians, so the poor people behind me were sent on a 1h30 walk all the way around the base, ridiculous :(

that was more than 20mn into my walk in, at least by then I was in the base and going towards the visitor entrance

The flight line and displays were interesting:

first time I see a B1 outside of a museum

cool to still see snow in the background

It was definitely warm and sunny, thankfully I found a tent to hide in :)

The airshow was quite good, here are some pictures:

had never seen a B1 fly before

So happy to see a F35 fly for the first time, both an F35B (vtol) and F35C:

short field takeoff

Nice to see this performer again with precision flying, including landing on the top of a van:

And the show ended with the thunderbirds:

All in all, a good show, nice to see some planes I had never seen outside or in flight

See more images for Socal USAF Airshow at March Air Reserve in Riverside with FOG

2023/04/16 Paso Robles Estrella Warbird Museum

π 2023-04-16 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

It had been almost 10 years since I last went in 2013. My original plan wasn't to go back, but I got stuck at PRB with a low overcast, so that gave me time to go visit it again :)

See more images for Paso Robles Estrella Warbird Museum

2023/04/16 Flight over Carrizo Plain To See Wildflowers

π 2023-04-16 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

We had a superbloom this year, so it was a good time to fly over it to have a look while flying from Paso Robles to Solvang:

that's a *lot* of flowers

and they go far

even the hills

Once it got to to the hills towards LA Coast, it was over though (and also a nice overcast):

See more images for Flight over Carrizo Plain To See Wildflowers

2023/04/14 Flights From Palo Alto to Oceano, then Paso Robles, Santa Ynes (Solvang) and back to Palo Alto

π 2023-04-14 01:01 in Flying, Nflying

It had been a while since I had been to Oceano and its sand dunes, and I also wanted to see Field of Lights at Paso Robles, as well as Solvang, the Danish town, a bit more south, so it was a good excuse for an extended weekend flight.