Two planes headed south with a good tail wind and clear skies. We could see all the Channel Islands from Anacapa to San Miguel. Elizabeth Dinan was in my right seat and Allison Perrine was in back with Kay[the dog].
We were anticipating some turbulence that never materialized. There were a few burbles but no real bumps.
Elizabeth in Santa Paula KSZP
There was plenty of activity at Santa Paula. It was busy place with several planes in the pattern when we arrived, and planes parked on the side the entire length of the runway. There was room at transient parking in front of the the restaurant. Robin Shatto was coming from Santa Maria and, as seems to be the usual, she arrived a few minutes before and was tied down and waiting when we taxied in.
It did not take long to get seated on the patio to enjoy some iced tea, good food and engaging conversation.
In the cockpit
(sorry for the damaged photo file)
The flight home was a little slower of course because now we had a headwind but still no significant turbulence. Robin had taken off a little bit ahead so we followed her along the Santa Barbara coast and could see her white plane against the mountains. We had to reassure ATC that we had the Cessna in sight. All the Channel Islands were silhouetted and reached across the entire southern horizon, surrounded by a pale thin haze between the blue of the sea and the blue of the sky. What an amazing view!
Oxnard plain, Santa Barbara Channel, and the Channel Islands
It took some willpower to turn inland when we got to the San Marcus pass, but I did have to get home for another event that afternoon. Once we were over the pass at 4500 feet, it seemed that we might have a little less headwind at a lower altitude, but no luck. The headwind persisted at 2500 feet and the wind was blowing 17 knots right down the runway when we landed with a straight in approach at KSBP. Even with the headwind, the flight time home was just a few minutes longer than the flight south.
What a remarkable day to fly!
Toys for Kids Event in Oceano on December 4th
By Jolie Lucas
Our Toys for Kids event is Saturday December 4th. As usual it takes a village to get the word out and a lot of volunteers to be successful. Here is the sign-up genius for the event:
Eric Patin(Avery's father) is hosting an event for the Cal Poly Aviation Club to host student introductory flights at Hangar 40 on November 6th from 9am to noon. He is looking for pilots and airplanes for the introductory flights. If you are interested, please contact Eric at the following number:
Susan and her captain 🙂 before the formation training flight
Visalia Formation Clinic(10/23/2021)
Photos by Susan Steeb
Text by Janice Odell[added 11/1/2021]
I learned about formation flying for GA pilots from Susan, who has done this for a few years and flies formation to Oshkosh. It seemed to be a good way to improve stick and rudder skills and get a better feeling for the airplane and energy management. Besides, I wanted a new aviation adventure, so I decided to give it a try.
This clinic is put on by a group called the Beach Boys(or Beech?), a Nor Cal group that pulls in volunteer pilots across mostly Bonanzas, Mooneys to host formation clinics throughout the year. The clinics are geared to learning the basics, learning to fly formation to Oshkosh or training for flying in official airshows. The Beach Boys follow the guidelines from Formation Flying. Inc.
https://ffi.aero/ promotes and supports safe, standards-based formation flying at airshows or aviation events that operate under a Certificate of Waiver. FFI is a recognized industry organization accredited by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to evaluate pilots seeking industry credentials to fly in formation in such airspace. This clinic was training to FFI standards and in fact, there were a few having their oral and practical exam - two for wingman and one for lead.
I was sent a copy of the formation guidelines and standard procedures put out by Formation Flying, Inc, which I read. I was also later sent The Formation Pilots Knowledge Guide and watched some videos on YouTube.
I flew to Visalia Thursday night and walked to the nearby hotel where everyone stayed. We met in the bar for dinner and despite me not knowing anyone except Susan and Eric, well, get a bunch of pilots together and you need no more introductions.
I was the only inexperienced pilot and they called it an‘advanced clinic’! Nevertheless, they were so welcoming and generous that I never felt like a burden or felt pushed in any way to go outside of my comfort zone. Most flew Bonanzas and Mooneys, but also two Barons, a Grumman and a few RVs.
During the first flight I was simply right seat in a formation flight of four: a Bonanza, a Baron, an RV and a Debonair(that I flew in). We started with a thorough briefing of the flight, including frequencies, the element takeoff, maneuvers and the element landing. A formation flight is any flight with 2 or more airplanes flying in respect to one another. All flights are made up of‘elements’ which is a flight leader and a wingman.
Fly-out to Santa Paula KSBP (10/9/2021)
Toys for Kids Event in Oceano on December 4th
Cal Poly Aviation Club Event on November 6th
Visalia Formation Clinic (10/23/2021)