Archive for 2008

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Loose Ends

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

You don’t often see a tooth brushing its teeth.

You don’t often see a tooth brushing its teeth.


I’ve got pictures piling up around my ankles since I decided to stop updating the Photos section.

So here are some that didn’t seem to warrant individual blog entries, but nonetheless deserve this small moment of fame.

The tooth brushing its teeth that begins this gallery might seem off topic. Except that it’s a sign in the front window of a dentistry storefront near Baylands and I notice it whenever I visit the nearby Taco Bell for lunch. And I’m fascinated with self-referential signs (chickens carrying platters of fried chicken, for instance). And, of course, every pilot should practice good oral hygiene.

On the day that I shot this the sky was bright, which is why the tooth appears to float in the sky, a glass reflection of the Sunnyvale heavens behind me.

(more…)

Posted in Baylands, Gallery | 4 Comments »

The Never-Ending Battle

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Burt Rosensweig photographs a lively battle at Baylands.

Burt Rosensweig photographs a lively battle at Baylands. See the video on the Movies page.


Every weekday a cloud of wings zips up from the Baylands flight line right around lunchtime.

On Monday, seven Wild Wings tore after each other, spinning, circling, near-missing and, very occasionally, smacking each other.

Bruce Crawford, who often flies at Foster City, brought his friend Burt Rosensweig to see the mayhem. Burt fired up his little video camera to document the action.

As far as I can remember, Monday’s hooligans were Bruce, Dave North, Rick Carmichael, Frank D, Larry Smith, Mike Nadler, Bill Smith and me.

It’s very difficult to shoot good video of combat. The wings look like gnats veering unpredictably all around a small patch of sky. Collisions—the dramatic moments you want to capture—are nearly as rare as baby pandas.

But Burt’s a lucky guy. He shot a minute’s worth of video and managed to catch one of those rare events.

It might’ve been the blow that folded Rick Carmichael’s wing in half. Or perhaps it was a less dramatic pileup. It’s hard to tell. You can clearly hear the smack, but the combatants still look like gnats.

Thanks for the video, Burt.

Posted in Baylands | 2 Comments »

A New Field for the PCC

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Alonzo Richardson poses by a sign dedicating the field in his name.

Alonzo Richardson poses by a sign dedicating the field in his name.


The Peninsula Channel Commanders flying group has quickly rebounded from the loss of its Half Moon Bay flying field at the end of October.

George Golda, a member of the club, asked John Giusti, a Half Moon Bay farmer, if he had any land that he might be willing to lease to the group.

John said yes.

The club is still working out the deal, but the prognosis is sufficiently favorable that the club invited members to look at the field on Sunday.

It’s a good-looking flying site, bigger and far less hazardous than our last Half Moon Bay site. No cliffs, no ocean, no ravines.

(more…)

Posted in Gallery, PCC | 5 Comments »

Ruination

Monday, November 17th, 2008

A big ole airplane decided to chew up my poor combat wing.

A big ole airplane decided to chew up my poor combat wing.


When a lightweight Wild Wing collides with a large Ugly Stick, the result is, well, UGLY.

This morning I was flying combat with Mike Bowns, Mike Nadler, Frank D and Dave North, all armed with Wild Wings or close relatives weighing 6 ounces, give or take.

We fly on the left side of the Great Meadow, low and close to the flight line, out of the way of other pilots. They can easily avoid us by flying to the right, or over our furball, or farther out.

But sometimes they stray into our airspace.

(more…)

Posted in Baylands | 3 Comments »

Aftermath

Sunday, November 9th, 2008

My everyday combat wing took one hit too many.

My everyday combat wing took one hit too many.

I’ve built four Wild Wings to use in combat.

The first had orange fins & feathers. The next had blue plumage. Then came red, then green.

A smarter person would’ve stuck to one scheme. Then I’d always know which color to hunt for in the scrum and my competition would always know which wing to atttack.

But I liked the Lifesaver Look, a cheerful spray of color in the box I use to transport them.

Early on, the orange wing was my regular steed. But orange and red are the two most popular colors for flying wings. To aid recognition, I settled on the blue wing as my everyday vehicle.

(more…)

Posted in Baylands | 1 Comment »

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