Sunday, May 30, 2021

Oregon

 Back in my old stomping grounds. There are still two days before we need to be in Cape Lookout State Park so last night was spent parked in the Evergreen Air and Space Museum's parking lot. The Museum's parking lot is a great place to almost boon dock. Last night we had Grilled Salmon, rice and a nice salad on the tarmac next to the RV.

 Evergreen was a love/hate job, I loved the work, hated the company. The flying was the most interesting of any job I had but the company was the worse managed of any company I worked for or even knew of. I flew both the GIV and several different LearJets for the company headquarters. You never knew where or even which part of the world you would be in next, many times the destination decisions were made at the last minute before takeoff or even while airborne. Dale Smith (RIP) was one of the last of the old school aviation pioneers. Dale was a brilliant innovator but a total asshole to work for, the old saying at Evergreen was "you were fired the day you were hired, You just didn't know the date yet".

If you have any interest in aviation you owe yourself a visit to the Evergreen Air and Space Museum if for no other reason than the 747 water park slide and a chance to climb over the Spruce Goose. 

While the trip up is long and slow, this time we came a different way. Up through the Nevada desert instead of either Hwy 99 or I-5 thru California's central valley and nearly 700 miles of some of the worst roads in the States. We did 500 miles the first day and spent the night in a rest area north of Vegas. The second night was after another 400 miles of mostly desert in a Susanville, CA Walmart parking lot. As bad as that sounds, it was one of the better places to spend a night. 

After The Susanville Walmart we made it to southern Oregon and spent a couple of nights in a commercial RV park next to Fish Lake, mostly so we could "dump" the black water tanks and use shore power. 

Tomorrow starts a two month assignment as Camp Hosts in Cape Lookout, Should be interesting.

10 comments:

  1. Steve D4:40 PM

    Safe travels.

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  2. Howdy Ken, the 395 from Edwards AFB up to Mono lake is one of my all-time favorite drives. I'm not familiar with the stretch north of Mono,but I'm guessing you drove some of it if you went through Susanville. Plenty of places to camp in the Southern stretch, and Bishop, Independence, and Lone Pine are great little towns...or at least they were 20 years ago.

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    1. Steve,

      We have always gone thru Calf's central valley, not anymore. The road from Vegas to Reno is much better. Plus Reno is where MsBubba and I decided we might fit.

      ken

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  3. Funny we had grilled salmon and rice Saturday for supper.
    And while I was not on the tarmac, I am only a mere 3 kms from an active one :-)
    Yes, I get lots of sounds to remember my life by... And I still crank my neck out to see planes flying

    Bob, the old aircraft maintainer on Maritime patrol ASW AC and Fighter jets

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    1. Bob,

      It was nice to RON in the Evergreen Space and Air parking lot, next to the "vomit comet" and the 747 water slide.

      ken

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  4. I am living about 6km from the end of the runway 25 L of Brussels airport (EBBR). 25L is the most used one.
    Fortunately most airplanes make a turn before overflying my house.
    But sometime in the summer, when in the garden, my wife was joking: "Did you see? The pilot has blue eyes."

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  5. Oops, I mean 25R.

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    Replies
    1. Sylvain,

      At least today's aircraft are quieter and make less smoke. Back in the 707 days it wasn't so.

      ken

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  6. With the pandemic, the traffic has been seriously reduced. Traveling for non essential reasons inside EU is again authorised but still "not recommended".
    EU is trying to define a common sanitary pass and protocols to make again the free circulation easier.
    Yesterday, a 747 in approach was rather low and my wife made the said joke without knowing I had made a comment about it. (the 07R was in use yesterday for landing).

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