Saturday 8/20/11

The morning overcast gave me some time for some ramp pics.

Here is a British 60-year-old trainer, the 1951 Dehavilland DHC-1 CHIPMUNK

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s. 

The Stearman (Boeing) Model 75 is a biplane used as a military trainer aircraft, of which at least 9,783 were built in the United States during the 1930s and 1940s. Stearman Aircraft became a subsidiary of Boeing in 1934. Widely known as the Stearman,Boeing Stearman or Kaydet, it served as a primary trainer for the USAAF, as a basic trainer for the USN (as the NS & N2S), and with the RCAF as the Kaydet throughout World War II. After the conflict was over, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold on the civil market. In the immediate post-war years they became popular as crop dusters and as sports planes.

The converted to turboprop Navy S-2 firebombers and the OV-10 Bronco "spotter" were ready but not used today.

Daniel brought Laura in for a Hollister Hop.  He had two rides in the past and wanted to share!

As anyone can see, Laura was enjoying her ride and the view from the front seat:

Jeanette and Tom were next for Hollister Hop to 3000'

A view of the ramp shows the line of Stearmans in yellow and the CalFire planes at the top right.  Glider trailers are in a line at the lower right edge behind three gliders still tied down:

Here's the 2011 Swank Farms Corn Maze, farm stand and "kiddie" park just north of runway 24:

Jessica and Timothy took the Mile High Mountain Ride to 6000' over the Quien Sabe Valley in the Diablos east of Hollister seen here during the "wet" season:

  On the way back we did some "maneuvering" which they both enjoyed!

Mark and Mark took the Silver Hawk Ride to 4500' towards Fremont Peak and they could see the trails of the Hollister Hills Off-Road Park where they ride motorcycles.  On the way back we flew over their new house and circled so they could see it.

Matt and Andres enjoyed their Hollister Hop!

While I was giving rides, my friend Kurt was exposing a visiting German friend to cross-country soaring in the high-perfomance DG-505 during a 3 hour flight down the Diablos and back!  Below is the flight trace of a similar flight:

Here they are after their landing: 

This sailplane/glider, N505KM, is owned by a club of pilots whose members enjoy dual flights in either of our two-place ships and solo flights in our three single-place "birds"(as the Brits call 'em!).  During the spring-summer-fall soaring season half the fleet is based in Truckee for flights over Lake Tahoe and along the Sierras.  There are also commercial rides available at the Truckee and Minden, NV airports.