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Ken Brock Freedom Fly In; packed and ready to go.
https://www.google.com/search?q=ken+...hrome&ie=UTF-8
The weather challenges are fog in the morning along the coast and wind in the afternoon in the high desert.
Santa Maria went visual flight rules (VFR) around noon but Santa Barbara (SBA) was still instrument metrological conditions (IMC) till one and there was some question about what would happen south of Carpentaria with the fog intruding inland. Oxnard (OXR) was still IMC at 2:00 just 11 miles west of Santa Paula (SZP), my first gas stop. The fog can move inland quickly.
I didn't want to try to land at El Mirage after dark (6:35) so I decided to launch at 2:00 despite conditions not being ideal. It is about a three hour flight and I had two gas stops planned so I would land at El Mirage with plenty of gas well before sunset.
I had lieutenant Pack as my back seater with four days of clean cloths, an extra helmet and my computer.
I checked the ATIS (weather) at SBA and it was marginal VFR.
I pulled up to the hold short line and contacted the tower with my request. I heard the magic words, "Gyroplane 142 Mike Golf, right down wind approved, runway three zero clear for takeoff."
She climbed out quickly and I was at 2,000 feet msl as I flew over the numbers on a right down wind.
Things looked a little challenging in the distance and there was a mist in the air.
I basked in the warm fall air and marveled at the ease we climbed to 3,500 feet for the San Marcos pass.
The Predator seemed pleased to be starting on an adventure.
Santa Barbara Approach gave me a squawk code and verified altitude. They were very busy because of the marginal weather and lots of instrument traffic.
I could feel the warmth on my face from the sun reflected off the surface of Lake Cachuma.
As I cleared the San Marcos pass and looked east along the shoreline the fog was coming pretty far inland so I stayed high along the mountains so I could go back over the ridgeline if the fog intruded further. I caught some lift and pulled the power back just sort of rumbling along effortlessly.
I basked in the ocean air and the magical view.
The fog was caressing the hills along the shoreline as I entered No Name Pass.
Lake Casitas was still a rich blue and as I came over the last ridge before Saticoy I could not see Oxnard (OXR) beneath the fog.
I found a gap in the traffic at Santa Paula and made a short approach and a very short landing to get out of the way.
I pulled up behind a Stearman that was having trouble getting started with a failing battery and I felt the joy as she burst into a rough slow idle when she was hand propped with all the pageantry of hand propping a big radial.
I hope to write and post the rest of the story this evening.