Monday, August 26, 2013

Today's METAR: QR787 09R LHR 25 08 2013.

Pulling out our secret decoder ring, here's the translation: Qatar 787, landing RWY09 Right, at LHR, on the 25th day of August, 2013.

See, that was not so hard, was it?

(Photo by David Kirk)

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Let's All Get High.


Make that High over Los Angeles.  This photo was taken on a staff trip from LGB, to WJF, and back to LGB.  To save some time (and for some excitement), we pushed that weezy, old, rental Cessna 172, with three souls aboard, up to 10,500 feet to get over the Class B LAX airspace (SFC-10000).

In the above photo, looking due West, the Pacific Ocean is self-evident, the Malibu Coast is in the upper right-hand corner, LAX is dead-center, Hawthorne Airport (HHR) is at the lower left, running parallel to the 105 Freeway, and Hollywood Park is the big round thing on the lower-right, next to the smaller round thing, the former Los Angels Forum.


Back at LGB.  Our creaky, old ride for the day.  Captain Eric Alford on the left, with yours-truly on the right.  Off to get some beers, afterwards.

Friday, August 9, 2013

It's Friday, And That Could Mean Only One Thing - Strippers!

Paint strippers, that is.  This U-2 is being prepped for painting, and that means she had to take some of her clothes off.

Shot location: PMD (Photo courtesy of our High Desert Bureau Office)

Monday, August 5, 2013