Cross Country to Santa Paula

absolutely wonderful photos! Thank you!


.
 
I agree and the Predator having a Sleep Over for the night is also poster quality.

With your permission I'm going to add them to the Mentone Fly-in sideshow pictures.

Thanks for sharing the fun and pictures of it with us!

You both ROCK!!!!
 
Tim, Paul and John, thank you for the kind words.

I love to see the world though Edna’s eye and feel her need to share her experience through her pictures. I try to encourage her.

Hello John, as to including these pictures with the Mentone pictures.

They are Edna’s pictures so it is her decision. She is at work now.

I would have loved to fly the Predator at Mentone.

I did fly Chris’s Snowbird there.

The Predator did fly at Mentone in 2007 piloted by Gary Brewer.

Some feel that there is a difference in the topography between the Santa Maria Valley and Mentone that the sharp eyed might notice.

I, for one, would have trouble accepting that the tail shot of the sunset was taken at Mentone.

Thank you, Vance
 
Bob, Sir Real, Tim, Paul & John,
You guys are very kind. I believe a book would be very cool...I just wouldn't know where to begin. I love taking pictures I just wish I had a better camera. I'm constantly clicking and the camera doesn't respond quick enough and I lose what I am sure is valuable pictures! I also need a camera that can zoom in a great deal often I am very far away from something and I need closer shots. I am very new to photography so I'm not sure just what to look for so if anyone has ideas I'd sure love to hear them. I just want to say I appreciate all the kind words I know the pics aren't that great, but I have faith they can become better. I love the challenge to find new and exciting pictures to share with everyone!
Happy Tail Winds to All!
Cheers! Ed
Ps... to John you have my permission to add them to the Mentone Fly-in sideshow pictures. Thanks for making me feel worthy of your wanting to share it others!
 
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Vance, Edna, you really rock.

I'm not commenting every thread but I surely enjoy every one of them. Lovely photos and your precise recollection of radio and flying makes me close my eyes and try and re-live, Vance.

Edna, re-filling of a vehicle looks to many like a man's job, you prove them wrong and rightly so. I wish I had you for a co-pilot.

And added to the flying, the personal involvement is most exciting, too.

Keep them posts up, they are great.


Kai.
 
Thanks Kai!
Glad we can be an inspration to you...you are always welcome to ride along with us!
Cheers! Sgurl*Ed
 
Thank you Ed!

@Vance the only pictures I have are from Mentone so I'm adding them to the growing collection but not representing them as pictures taken at Memtone but of Ed and you on a Cross Country to Santa Paula!

Thanks for sharing the fun with all of us!!!

When is our next trip planed, and where are we going?
 
Thank you Kai,

I love it that the passion of aviation can come through across borders, language and culture.

Imagination is what makes the communication work.

The emotions of the experience are so much more than I am able to describe, without your application of imagination and experience they would lack color.

Knowing our friends are along adds to the fun.

Thank you, Vance
 
I concur with all you've said Vance!
Look at the adventure we have had over this last week and a half...
We are blessed with really good friends!
This was just another one of those oppurtunities to meet Special people like Captain Brown in this picture with Vance and I.
2804470557_44f95c5cc8.jpg

Hopefully soon I'll be able to add pictures of some of you folks from the forum when we go to El Mirage!!

Cheers! Sgurl*Ed
 
Camera Stuff

Camera Stuff

I love taking pictures I just wish I had a better camera. I'm constantly clicking and the camera doesn't respond quick enough and I lose what I am sure is valuable pictures! I also need a camera that can zoom in a great deal often I am very far away from something and I need closer shots. I am very new to photography so I'm not sure just what to look for so if anyone has ideas I'd sure love to hear them.

Ed and all --

The key to a good picture is getting the picture. I was an early adopter of digital cameras -- used them in the military as early as 1988, and had some of the first ones on the market (Apple QuickTake, Kodak DC40). I went through many many digital cameras -- I have a whole box of old deaders -- and working as an aviation photojournalist I kept losing the shot!

Many digital cameras will zoom. (What you want is "optical zoom". Sometimes they claim a high level of "digital zoom" but that usually means they are faking a blow-up of the picture, and it's not good). But most of them take several seconds to be ready to shoot, which is frustrating to those of us who remember the instantaneous action of film cameras.

I finally got frustrated when I was interviewing the head of NASA's Aeronautics program, a very distinguished scientist and manager who gave me valuable minutes out of his cramped schedule, and my camera forced him to pose unnaturally while the damn thing warmed up. That was it -- what could I get that was instant-on?

Turns out what I needed was a digital SLR. Next airshow, I borrowed a Canon from a friend and took amazing photos, and it was never unready. I did some research and bought a Nikon DC70, which was at the time Nikon's prosumer camera. I'm very happy with it, although it's bulky enough I don't always have it. It was also expensive -- not from a pro's point of view, and I suppose I could have written it off on my Schedule C as a business expense, but I paid $1200 for the camera, two lenses and some accessories.

If you don't know cameras it is a good idea to find a shop that caters to pros (there has to be one on the central coast somewhere!) and have them educate you. You will save money by buying from Amazon or Adorama but they will just sell you what you ask for, which means you need to know what you want! I believe that if the local guy teaches me and educates me, it's worth paying a small premium and the state sales tax for that service.

People ask -- Canon or Nikon? Both are good. I was a Nikon film camera guy and so I went with the Nikon digital thinking I could share lenses (in fact, I have wound up getting new lenses for the new features anyway). Most of the pro aviation journalists I know shoot Canon. Tyson Rininger, Howard Cohen (sp?) and Jim Campbell are all dedicated Canon guys, and Canon was the first with image-stabilized lenses, which are GREAT for aerial and air-to-air shots because they take out a lot of the camera shake. Nikon offers their version too; on the Canon lenses it's called IS and on Nikons VR but it's a very desireable feature both ways.

The only guys I know shooting Nikon on the airshow circuit, off the top of my head, are me and Dave Higdon (and I'm kind of retired from that right now). Dave is a pro photographer period, he & his wife have a gallery in Wichita that's worth seeing (they feature local artists, and show his best aviation and his fine art photography). Dave has taught me more about taking a good picture than all the camera store guys and the weeks of 12 hour days of photography classes I had in the Army put together. So my point is, it's the photographer more than the camera; both Nikon and Canon make great lenses and great cameras, so pick the one you like better and it will definitely up your game.

Both Nikon and Canon make an entry level package with a simple digital SLR and one or two lenses. For most people, the one zoom lens will do, something like an 18-70 (the lens in the standard kit). If you're going to be shooting across an airport or trying to shoot aircraft from the ground or ground details from the air, a lens that zooms to 200 (which is the second lens in the standard two-lens kit) will do it for most people. The humongous lenses you see the pros carrying are overkill unless you plan to sell a photo-essay to Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine or something.

The downside to a digital SLR? Bulk. It's a bit harder to manage and it's much easier to leave behind, leaving you dependent on cellphone pictures! They're also not cheap, but two ways to save money are to buy used or discontinued versions, or to buy the low-end body. The difference between low-end and high-end DSLRs is primarily the durability of the camera; pros tend to beat their gear up more than amateurs. Another difference is that some pro DSLRs shoot second and subsequent shots much faster than others, but those tend to be expensive (sports photographers rely on them).

A good camera shop should have classes and seminars, too. Like I said, I don't know if there's a good one where you live. But Tyson lives not too too far away (Monterey or Carmel, I think) and he's always willing to help people -- look him up. He probably has an idea where to find the right gear.

cheers

-=K=-

cheers

-=K=-
 
Your welcome John.

The Predator is down now waiting for the starter, because I am not the builder I have to have an A&P sign off the starter installation. It should be here on Friday.

None of these trips were planned for the time we took them. We get down to the airport and the weather and opportunity shows us the way. I imagined that I would not fly in the air show because it just seemed to exceed my level of proficiency. I didn’t have a plan for the show until after the first day.

We have a flight plan to El Mirage. That is how we got to Santa Paula. I don’t know if Edna can get the time off from work to fly up Thursday, hopefully I will fly back with Edna on Sunday. I am going to need a ground crew because on Saturday I need to be in Buellton to be inducted into the Dry Lakes Racer Hall of Fame at the annual Gas Up party 180 miles away. I would not want to fly that in the dark.

John Stevens has offered to be the ground crew if his wife is doing well.

One of my race bikes needs to be there so Mickey is going to bring the Sporster that we built in 1984.

Thank you, Vance
 
Your welcome John.
....
None of these trips were planned for the time we took them. We get down to the airport and the weather and opportunity shows us the way. I imagined that I would not fly in the air show because it just seemed to exceed my level of proficiency. I didn’t have a plan for the show until after the first day.
I like your style Vance and Ed!

You'll never be disappointed not making it to your destination because your destination is wherever you end up weather permitting then it's really is about the adventure of the journey itself every time.

I like your attitude.

...Saturday I need to be in Buellton to be inducted into the Dry Lakes Racer Hall of Fame at the annual Gas Up party 180 miles away. I would not want to fly that in the dark.
WOW! I have a friend that is being inducted into the Dry Lakes Racer Hall of Fame!!!!!! You are quite a man Vance? Congratulations!!!

Is there anything you don't do?

I can't wait to share this fact with my friends!
 
because I am not the builder I have to have an A&P sign off the starter installation.

Vance,

I recommend you check this. You may find that an A&P (for an experimental amateur built) is only required for the condition inspection.

FAR Part 43.1 (b) specifically excludes experimental aircraft. It states, "This part does not apply to any aircraft for which an experimental airworthiness certificate has been issued, unless a different kind of airworthiness certificate had previously been issued for that aircraft."

As a rule, anyone can repair, maintain, and return to service (sign off) an experimental aircraft. The condition inspection must be performed by an A&P or repairman.

Jim
 
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Thank you Kevin,

That is just the kind of information we need. We want to expand Ed’s capability without breaking the bank or learning through expensive mistakes.

I feel that if I get information from an enthusiast specialty store that is where I should purchase the item. If I don’t they won’t be there next time I need their expertise.

Thank you, Vance
 
. I am going to need a ground crew because on Saturday I need to be in Buellton to be inducted into the Dry Lakes Racer Hall of Fame at the annual Gas Up party 180 miles away. I would not want to fly that in the dark.

John Stevens has offered to be the ground crew if his wife is doing well.

One of my race bikes needs to be there so Mickey is going to bring the Sporster that we built in 1984.

Thank you, Vance

Wow! very cool, quite an honor, You have many accomplishments to be proud of Vance, as well as being an inspiration for many, (myself included)
Way to go!
 
Thank you Mr. Mayfield,

I was not comfortable telling the FAA representative he was iniquitous.

I find the FAR/AIM, of which I buy a new one each year, to be perplexing.

I suspected I had misunderstood the context or nuance of the regulations.

It says under Applicability, 43.1 b that “this part does not apply to any aircraft for which the FAA has issued an experimental certificate.”

91.319 spells out the operating limitations.

Appendix D in part 43 describes the annual condition inspection.

I was not able to find the scope of the mechanical manipulations that I am allowed to perform as the non builder of an experimental aircraft.

The FAA official from the Van Nuys FISDO was resolute about me needing a sign off after installing the new starter and he was definite that he had cut me some slack allowing me to fly after I had removed the broken starter. I felt that it was best to comply because of his direct knowledge of the starter. I believe he would have been embittered if I had questioned his prowess in front of his coworkers.

I felt intimidated by the four FAA officials that were scrutinizing the paper work and the Predator.

Thank you for clearing this up, Vance
 
Thank you Scott,

It will be very exciting to stand with some of the luminaries of hot rod history.

I haven’t personally raced much at Bonneville since 2003; it is something I need to get back to.

I have a 78 cubic open bike project about half finish but I have been busy with aviation and post divorce economic challenges. It should run over 200 miles per hour on gas and be very exciting to ride. It is difficult to describe the violence of the wind at those speeds. I find it more exhilarating than the Streamliner at 300.

Life is too short to chase every dream, but I try.

The streamliner went over 300 miles per hour. The open bike went 201 and set a record of 199.954 in 1985.

I have been involved to some degree in over 40 Bonneville and El Mirage projects from motorcycles to roadsters to streamliner cars and motorcycles.

Thank you, Vance
 

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Vance,

If you're not a member of EAA, it might be a good time to join. If the need ever arises to go over the head of an uninformed turf enthusiast in a FSDO, you'll want the help. EAA works with folks at the top of the FAA who want the FAR to mean what it says.

Are you sure this was not related to participation in the event? There may be higher standards for aircraft performing in a public exhibition, and that may have been the distinction here.
 
Thank you Paul,

I am a member of EAA and chapter 1, chapter 499 and chapter 1000.

A friend of mine who is an A&P at SMX signed it off for a lunch.

It was fun to take him to lunch and learn about aircraft and humor. He feels he has a good sense of humor and he is trying to help me.

The FAA official who asked for the sign off was kind enough.

I have long felt it is important to pick my battles judiciously.

Thank you, Vance
 
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