What an awesome February! Our fly-out to Santa Ynez was the best one yet. After three years of trying, all of the 99s groups made it in with beautiful weather… SLO99s, VC99s, Bakersfield 99s and San Fernando 99s for the 6th annual Santa Ynez Valentine’s Day Flash Mob. We had almost 40 pilots in attendance. We flew in, pulled out our tables, chairs and food and lunched right on the grass.
Susan and her valentine in Santa Ynez
The EAA had a meeting at 9 am and brought us donuts and many stayed to eat and visit. The manager gave us an overview of the proper departure guidelines, so we keep the neighbors happy.
We shared food, checked out each other’s airplanes, told stories, made plans and met new friends.
We find these gatherings to be a place where we can discuss our challenges, our fears, our goals. We make connections and find support from our fellow pilots. Friendships are forged, plans are made, wisdom is imparted.
If you haven’t been able to join us for a fly-out, try our March 14th event[see also in“Dates and Schedules” at the bottom]. It is a short flight(or drive) to Santa Maria for a safety meeting at the Airport Museum(now being run by a 99) at 10:30am[in the morning!] with lunch provided after the meeting. We will also have time to spend in the museum.
Happy March Everyone!
As you get out for a lesson or a fly-out or for just a flight, take pictures and share your journey with the group. We have four ways to do that.
If you have not already joined our Facebook page, please do and please post.
PLEASE CHECK OUT UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER
That’s THIS MONDAY!
Meet A Member
By Dana Davis
I can still remember the awe and excitement the first time I flew in an airplane. I was in fifth grade, and through a series of wonderful events aligning, my mom, my brother and I hitched a ride on a small private jet to go see my new cousin who had just been born in San Antonio. We flew from Indiana to Texas, with our lunch in a cooler, met my cousin, and flew home. Sounds a little like our SLO 99s outing to Santa Ynez last weekend! I still feel the same awe and wonder every time I fly. To be up in the air, looking out, looking up, looking down, just taking in all of the beauty that surrounds us in one expansive view is breathtaking.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to learn to fly. But it took until we moved to Pismo Beach last February for all of the pieces to fall into place and for me to be ready to undertake this exciting journey. I’m thankful that my brother flew through SLO and we met for a quick bite to eat at the airport restaurant shortly after I moved to town. Jill and Grace just happened to be meeting for dinner, and I was invited to my first SLO 99s meeting. My brother said something to the effect of,“You have to go.” That may have been the best advice he’s ever given me!
Meeting so many women, with such vast flying and life experiences has been enlightening. I am more excited than ever to continue my flight training and earn my private pilot’s license. The book work is harder than I expected—either because it’s really hard, or because it’s been so long since I had to focus and study so much. I never expected to find such a great network of women while learning to fly. The support and camaraderie of our friendly female pilots has been a valuable part of the learning process.
A little about me… My husband, Tim, and I moved to SLO a year ago, seeking adventure and fulfilling my dream of living on the ocean. We had been in Kokomo, Indiana, his hometown, for 16 years where I was a Community Volunteer working with our local Community Foundation, high school robotics programs, and mentoring young women. We’ve also lived in Boston and St. Louis. Before retiring, I worked in Human Resources, primarily in Compensation(how and why we pay people—I found it fascinating). We have two children, Elizabeth(28, Seattle), and Andrew(24, here). We love to scuba dive, travel, and cook and eat good food. I look forward to getting to know each of you better and learning about your adventures!
Local 99 Tiphani got married… on a plane!
Emergency? Or not…
By Jill Drexhage
Recently I took student pilot, Susan Mercer, with me on a quick flight. We just went for a quick 30 minutes. The weather was beautiful, the winds were calm, and it was the perfect day for a flight. We called up KSBP over Los Osos and headed in for landing. As we were coming in we heard a beeping noise, one that I had never heard before. It started off quiet and slowly got louder and louder. My first thoughts, ABCD, just in case this becomes a true emergency. Airspeed, Best place to land, Checklist, and Declare.
Chairman’s Message
Meet A Member
Emergency? Or not…