Highlights of March 2004

• Jim and Ken's Excellent Aerial Adventure
• First Angel Flight Mission
• Run for the Seals
• Trout Memorial
• Larry's Excellent Aerial Adventure
• Dinner Party
• Seaplane
• Tasmanian Devil

Click here to see what Jon was reading this month.

Jim and Ken's Excellent Aerial Adventure

On March 4, Jon took his colleagues Jim and Ken up for a bay tour. It was a beautiful day over the bay. Although we had a bit of wind, the flight was pretty smooth and Jim, who takes tranquilizers on commercial flights, handled the few bumps just fine. Jim even handled some 60 degree banked turns with no fear!

First Angel Flight Mission

On March 7, Jon flew his first mission for Angel Flight West, a charitable organization that  provides free transportation to medical treatment for people who cannot afford public transportation, or who cannot tolerate it for health reasons. Angel Flight also flies missions in response to other compelling needs.

Jon's passengers were David and his son Nick, who needed follow up for a kidney transplant. Jon flew them from San Jose to Truckee, where another Angel Flight pilot met them and took them to Provo, Utah. A final pilot met them and took them on their third leg home to Denver.

Jon's aircraft at Truckee. The Cirrus pilot took David and Nick on to Provo.

Run for the Seals

On March 13th, Jon, Care, and Asia ran in The Run for the Seals - a  benefit race for the Marine Mammal Center in the Marin Headlands. The Marine Mammal Center focuses on rescue, treatment, and education about marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, whales, etc.

The race began at 9am on a beautiful Saturday morning at Rodeo Beach in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. About 2000 people and dogs ran (or walked) the 4-mile course that traversed the valley.  Here we are preparing for the race...

And we're off...

Although we did not win - that was not the intent - Asia, Jon, and Care had a great time running and seeing the seals.

Trout Memorial

On March 14th, we held a memorial service for Trout on Mt. Burdell and scattered her ashes at the same location as Rizbee. The spot is in view of our house and the two lifelong companions are frequently visited by Jon and Asia on our weekly hikes.

Larry's Excellent Aerial Adventure

On March 14th, Jon and his friend Larry took a long flight around the bay. We landed at Oakland (KOAK), Half Moon Bay (HAF), Santa Rosa (STS), and Petaluma (O69).

The first leg was from Petaluma to Oakland - over the bay.

Standard approach to Oakland - over the Mormon Temple then  45 to the Oakland Coliseum for 27R. Put your mouse over Larry's picture to see why he looks like he is pulling multiple Gs.

Second leg was directly over OAK then over the San Mateo Bridge and Foster City to Half Moon Bay.

We took off from Half-Moon Bay, up the San Mateo coast and flew a bay tour over the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz





We then proceeded up the West Coast to the Buddhist temple near sea ranch. We then proceeded eastbound to Healdsburg and made a stop at Santa Rosa before doing some maneuvers and returning to Petaluma.
 
 


 

Dinner Party

After our flight, Leslie and Gordon joined Larry, Care, Jon, and Asia for dinner...

Seaplane

Later in March, Jon spent the weekend in the town of Angel's Camp, an old mining town in Calavaras County, in the Sierra Foothills, taking a seaplane course at Norcal Aviation. Jon now holds a single-engine Sea rating.

Takeoffs and landings

The New Melones reservoir where we practiced. We took off flying under the bridge.

Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil arrived.  Tasz is a female, red Siberian husky, 9 weeks old and a love bug.  She tears through the house at full speed until she is so tired she drops sound asleep for a few precious moments.

On to April