Looking for scenic flight near Redding CA

goatflieg · #1 03-07-2020, 02:48 PM

I have a friend in Redding who is looking for a scenic flight for their father, Ken. Ken is a former pilot who is battling cancer (multiple myloma) and they'd like to surprise him with a flight out of RDD, O85 or RBL. He is fully mobile physically and could handle a biplane or similar cockpit. My aviation contacts in the area are out of date and I'm uncertain of the validity of what I've found on the internet. Any advice would be helpful.

JonJay · #2 03-08-2020, 08:29 AM

Give the FBO at a Benton a call. The owner is well connected in the area and might be able to guide you. There is a Glider operation at Siskiyou County, or used to be, but it?s a bit out of the way from Redding. Pretty drive though.

NinerBikes · #3 03-08-2020, 09:11 AM

A nice calm sunny day south, down the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, then east, over south Lake Tahoe, then into the desert, then maybe North, follow highway 70 back to Chico, then north again back to Redding /Red Bluff, is a nice drive, but the perspective from the air, while flying, of Lake Tahoe is also new. Or maybe a bit further south to Yosemite National park, by air?

JonJay · #4 03-08-2020, 09:34 AM

I think he is looking for a plane and pilot in that area who does scenic flights.

goatflieg · #5 03-08-2020, 02:01 PM

Thanks to all who responded. Other sources confirmed my hunch that asking around Benton would probably get results. I've passed the info along to my friends. If I hadn't moved back to Michigan, I'd probably be based at Benton now... but it's nice having PTK as my home.

scsmith · #6 03-08-2020, 05:07 PM

There are far prettier directions to go than east from Redding.
Go northwest to the Trinity alps then north to the Russian and Marble mtns then home to Redding via Mt Shasta.

If my magneto weren’t marooned in South Carolina (5 weeks now on SB15-1A) I would do it for you. And if you can wait a couple of weeks we could do it.

There is also still the glider flights at Siskiyou. But the only two place currently is a 2-33. And the soaring is pretty spotty this time of year although one pilot made 18,000 ft in wave last week.