[rvmills]

It was great to see everyone up at Big Bear on such a beautiful day! I rolled to a stop in front of our hangar at 1045 CDT last night (yep, chickened out over the potential for morning snow at BB today and flew back after lunch yesterday), and will post some pics when I get caught up.

Bob, you putting the "Fourth Sorta' Annual" event on your calendar?

Paul

Yes, it was great seeing everyone...just wish we all had more time to mingle and chat. It was great spending the time we had with those we met!!

And yes, 4th Annual NYDBBB is on the calendar, and my Father-in-Law is already starting the countdown!

Paul,
Good call on the weather, after yesterday's smooth, clear air it is a little ugly here today. Thanks for the great gathering!
John Clark

John, wish we had the chance to chat! I stayed a bit too long, and will leave the airplane in Agua Dulce for a few days. But it worked out well, as I had to change the rear brakes on my wife's car before she drives back to Reno, and now I'll drive, deliver some left-behind baggage to Scooter on the way home; and it turns out that flying the airplane back will dovetail nicely with assisting Greg with his cylinder replacement and chasing him home (hopefully!). Perhaps stuff (even weather) sometimes happens for a reason!

...I hereby vote to eliminate the "Sorta" from the Annual NYD Big Bear RV Gathering. With 20 RV's and over 40 people showing up, I'd say it's an official event. Thanks for a great time, and hope to see you up there again in 2012!

Good idea Scooter...Louise's call of course!

Will post pics of lunch, Scooter's and Condor's (with Louise aboard) smokin' departures, and Paul's thumbs-up from the Val when I get back home!

Happy New Year all!!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[Ironflight]

Pictures from the 2011 NYD Big Bear RV Fly-in

Here are a few pics I pulled off our camera:

It was a beautiful day in the mountains, and this was the ramp before it was invaded by 20 RV’s! Plenty of space to park a lot more airplanes when next year rolls around….

See the post above for pictures of the formation fly-over – here is a shot that Louise took of the pilots (and passengers) involved in the merriment!

When the RV Bunch takes over a restaurant, it REALLY takes over a restaurant! This shot misses a number of folks – the camera’s lens just wasn’t wide enough…

What a great way to start the year – and Louise and I didn’t even have to worry about whether the weather would be good enough to “fly in” – all we have to do is taxi!
Paul

 

[AZtailwind]

More Pics

Here is Roger's Pics from the 1-1-11 at Big Bear
Thanks Louise, a great day to open the new year-

 

[Louise Hose]

Let's make it "Annual"

I hereby vote to eliminate the "Sorta" from the Annual NYD Big Bear RV Gathering. With 20 RV's and over 40 people showing up, I'd say it's an official event. Thanks for a great time, and hope to see you up there again in 2012!

Agreed! Actually, the "Sorta" only refers to Paul and my participation. Last year, weather didn't cooperate and we didn't make it to BBC for the holidays. No reason the party can't go on without us, however!

Thanks to everyone for a great gathering.

 

[rvmills]

There's always a story to tell...

Here's a few more pics from the 3rd NYDBBB, with a lil' story:

Started out as a launch from snowy Reno, for a little escape from the snow and a visit to the in-laws' place in LA, with the goal of making it 3 for 3 for my Father-in-Law as a pax for the NYDBBB (up) in the SoCal snow of BB (feel the snow theme yet...its the punchline too...)

Left Stead, and headed over Tahoe and the Sierras, with a deep blanket of the white stuff covering the countryside:

My copilot Matt assumed the usual position for a kid awakened early by Dad for the trip:

Met up with Scooter Chastain in his gorgeous 8 over Bakersfield, and made a few smokin' passes at Rosamond (L00), before stopping in there for a visit at the manufacturing HQ of Smoking Airplanes, LLC with owner/chief cook and bottle washer, John Manduca. Great visit down the block from Rosie:

Then we headed to Agua Dulce, spent New Year's Eve with the family, with Scooter entertaining the kiddos all night (go figure, he's a teacher...must a great one!) In the morning, as we preflighted, I hooked up a makeshift blow dryer engine heater, and stole the extension chord from Scooter's Reiff sump heater, since his motor was toasty warm (gotta get one!).

You've seen pics of the fly-overs (done above pattern altitude due to a lot of arriving traffic into Big Bear as we flew the passes) and of the Raven team outside, so here's a couple more of the folks at lunch:

Ravens Hog (-8), G-Force (-7A) and Eddy (-8), and their (way) better halves

Paul on left, mingling about, and some of the gang from San Diego and elsewhere in SoCal in the background...I think there was a -4, a -6 and a -7A represented there:

Ravens Scooter (-8) and Tailwind (-7A)(two thumbs up) and bud Roger from FLG.

Sam (L) and Armin Irvani (-10, she's a pilot for AA, he's a pilot for SWA), up from Oceanside. First time I'd seen Sam since their wedding (a while back...now we're all RVers...cool!) They showed me all through their really nice -10!

Paul, my Father-In-Law, and Raven Condor Sobek...and I don't have any pics of Louise...what's up with that!?!?

It was a really fun time! A few more airplane pics in the next post...

 

[rvmills]

mo pics

After brunch, "Happy New Years", and "So Longs", the RVs started blasting off to all points of the compass. Here is Scooter's smokin' go, followed by Condor's smokin' go (I know they want to compare smoke...both were good, Scooter's $$ oil hung a little longer, but Condor's econo oil did very well too).

Actually I do have a pic of Louise, as she was in Condor's airplane getting a ride to Cable and then Ontario for her ride on her "executive transportation" home...no mail tube...ahem!

There goes Tailwind in his -7A, headed back to Flag:

And then Sam and Armin in "Crazy Moose":

Here's Paul and the Val, getting ready for the long haul back to Houston

With the RV family on the way home, we launched back to Agua Dulce, where car repairs for my wife's car delayed launch ("honey, what's this sound in the car?" is never a good welcome home from a flight!). Weather moved in, so I decided to drive and come back later for the plane (and Greg Arehart's rescue mission).

Car brakes done, tried I-5 (closed with snow on the grapevine), tried I-14/I-395 (moving at 15 mph), and forget 101...all NorCal refugees headed north would be there with other routes closed. One more night at the in-laws it is, plus a little "get-there-itis" (car and plane) discussion with the kiddos.

To make that last part RV related, the funny thing about this "escape from the snow" trip is that it ended up covering my RV in snow...in LA...and not in the mountains! Here's what the Agua Dulce ramp looked like tonight!

Crazy, eh! An airplane from Reno that has never been out in the snow, gets a winter blanket in LA...geez!

I know its a long story, but its about the people and the planes, right!!

Thanks again for a great time, and see ya next year!!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[Ironflight]

Great story Bob - and, uh....I know where there's a hangar sitting empty in Big bear....better than all that snow covering the airplane....

 

[rvmills]

Might take you up on that Paul, but as they say in Maine, not sure I can get from "he-are to they-are", (and back!). Thanks very much tho!

Blue skies on the western horizon this morning...fingers crossed!

Cheers,
Bob

 

[PerfTech]

A FEW MORE PICS!!!!!!!

A FEW MORE PICS!!!!!!!
Nice day, Great people and beautiful airplanes. What more could you ask for?
Regards all, Allan