Playing with airplanes

[whiteworks]

Packed up and hit the road for a few days to hold up at the Borrego Springs airport for the Hammerhead Roundup aerobatic competition. This place is pretty rad if you like airstrips in the middle of the desert with an attached dive bar. The event is not advertised as then it becomes an airshow with all the bureaucracy that a federal governments agency brings with it, it’s just show up and run what ya brung. Aircraft count is in the mid 20’s, they’ll be running all day today and tomorrow. We did this in October for the akrofest event, had a good time so here we are again. I set the motorhome up in the parking lot vs. staying at the resort down the road, cool old school vibe, sitting here watching the world go by.

Things I’ve learned, there is not Uber driver in town, seems to me that position is open of any of you retiring desert rats are looking for a way part time gig. I shouldn’t admit this let alone post it on a public forum, but I have no shame. Options for dinner transport 3 miles down a dark desert highway into town were to either push the slide in and roll the motorhome into town, or option 2 nuts to butts on the scooter I had hanging off the back of the motorhome. Long story short the Mexican joint was good and the margaritas are on point.

 

[whiteworks]

Decided to go for a little putt around the neighborhood on the scooter in between heats. Very cool rv resort and golf course on the way out to the serpent. Greens looked as good Ila’s I’ve ever seen, fairways were very nice aswell. I may move the motorhome over there as the pool was looking pretty nice as these temps warm up, by maybe I’ll just throw on my trunks and head over for a swim later this afternoon

 

[HTTP404]

Looks like a good time.

 

[Smupser]

Go hit up Carlee’s to find some local strange

 

[whiteworks]

In certain circles I’m known and take pride in being the worst crew chief ever. Currently hold position of worst crew chief ever for an offroad race team, Porsche cup car team, competition aerobatics, may need to find some activity in boat racing, however there is some completion in the boat racing arena for that title.

 

[TimeBandit]

Slice of heaven right there

 

[whiteworks]

Someone’s mom flew in to way hem them compete today, no shot they got out of this jet, loaded up a wagon with chairs, cooler, and ez up then processed to set up camp on the side of the tarmac like you’d see a family do at the soccer feild. You can’t make this shit up.

 

[whiteworks]

Chillin and grillin.

 

[rrrr]

In certain circles I’m known and take pride in being the worst crew chief ever. Currently hold position of worst crew chief ever for an offroad race team, Porsche cup car team, competition aerobatics, may need to find some activity in boat racing, however there is some completion in the boat racing arena for that title.
View attachment 1495615

I own that title for open wheel racing. I had two shots at Indy for glory.

I was the chief mechanic, 2005 Infiniti Pro Series (Indy Lights) Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, rookie Cole Carter (Pancho's son) driving. Built up the car over a two week period, and I made modifications to the undertray that were legal, but barely. It made the car fast, qualified second just .05 seconds off the pole. Cole spun it in Turn 4 on the pace lap, yellow flag and moved to the back of the field. It got worse. Green flag, Lap 1, Cole is trailing the field, spun in T4 again and hit the wall. DNF, last place.

Chief mechanic again for the 2007 Indy 500, low buck deal. Two cars purchased from Rahal, both "race ready" tubs of shit. Worked all month of May to rebuild one of them into a decent ride. Driver that hadn't raced at Indy in six years stuffed it into the wall first weekend of qualifying. Busted ass to repair damage by the following weekend, and the driver was replaced by the capable Roberto Moreno.

Down to last chance on Bump Day, finally found the speed and qualified 31st with fifteen minutes left in qualifying. We started on the inside of the last row. Green flag. Roberto passed a few cars, and on Lap 16, the right front went down. Roberto pasted the Turn 1 wall. Finished 33rd, last place.

I still have the T-shirt I got at the Last Row Party, held a few days before the race. We shared the honor with Ritchie and Phil, both pretty good shoes and funny guys.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Chillin and grillin.
View attachment 1495627

They wouldn't let you park that hoopty inside the fence? I'd have pulled right up next to the G150 like Cousin Eddy! "Morning! Shitters full!".

 

[12vMan]

Looks like a good time. I've only seen the dive bar at the airport open a couple of times over the years but never went when it was open. I stayed at the Springs a couple of times, but we usually stay at Palm Canyon. It's got its own little dive bar. The Red Ocotillo does have good Mexican food

 

[Ziggy]

Very cool I Drove by Borrego Springs airpirt on Wednesday and saw a boatload of small aircraft, beautiful looking planes. Wondered if Dillan was out there as I recalled his campout report of the event from last year.
Then on Friday I came upon this guy bobbin & weavin his way west along the 10 between Chiriaco & Eagle Mntn rd.. Must have been breezy up there cuz he was swinging left/right/up/down by hundreds of feet.

..
.
LOL, from long distance I said to wife that I see a UFO orb.
.

 

[whiteworks]

They wouldn't let you park that hoopty inside the fence? I'd have pulled right up next to the G150 like Cousin Eddy! "Morning! Shitters full!".

That little airport in the middle of the desert with no one around is tighter security that Compton airport in the middle of the hood LOL

The electric gate opener was broken and the airport manager put a chain and lock on it and would have to come unlock it and open it by hand everytime a car needed to enter or exit. It was kind of funny as the only people at the event were involved with the event, no one else around for miles.

Karen was on tilt with all these people under her jurisdiction, she was side eyeing the fuck out of me for having the scooter inside and using it as a tug to move aircraft to the start zone. There was some weird authority complex going on there, I assume the tenants of the hangars are “well managed” after seeing that program in action.

I don’t want to be under anyone’s authority nor did I want to be obligated as a volunteer runner on a 100* tarmac in the sun all day just to park inside. Had the AC running hard and awning up for shade, even took a nap at one point. Best to just do my own thing on my own time.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

There was a big push post 9-11 to secure all these little airports, so Uncle Sugar opened the spigot and gave them grant money to put in all those.fences and gates. Of course that didn't include money for upkeep so now you get the chain-on-the-gate situation you have there.

And surprisingly urban airports aren't as secure as you mention. I kept my airplane out at Aurora and the gate code (for all of them) wasn't much more than 1111 and half the gates were just open all of the time.

 

[whiteworks]

Short clip of one of our runs, I figure if there is no vomit on the canopy and it doesn’t hit the ground it was successful. Let’s face it the consequences of mistakes in this arena can come with extreme results, it was a well run event with no issues.

 

[whiteworks]

There was a big push post 9-11 to secure all these little airports, so Uncle Sugar opened the spigot and gave them grant money to put all those.fences and gates in. Of course that didn't include money for upkeep so now you get the chain-on-the-gate situation you have there.

And surprisingly urban airports aren't as secure as you mention. I kept my airplane out at Aurora and the gate code (for all of them) wasn't much more than 1111 and half the gates were just open all of the time.

Funny you mention that, I have done a bunch of ground pounding at SoCal airports to do marketing. Most the gate codes are the runway numbers of runway length. The opener at this place was just recently broken and the lock was put on by karen for the event, I saw a gate repair truck there working on it.

 

[mesquito_creek]

There was a big push post 9-11 to secure all these little airports, so Uncle Sugar opened the spigot and gave them grant money to put in all those.fences and gates. Of course that didn't include money for upkeep so now you get the chain-on-the-gate situation you have there.

And surprisingly urban airports aren't as secure as you mention. I kept my airplane out at Aurora and the gate code (for all of them) wasn't much more than 1111 and half the gates were just open all of the time.

The door lock assemblies on my slowdowner are $550 each so I don’t lock mine… I figure the 50 year old radios are cheaper to deal with than the damage done breaking in. I also put inop stickers on all the other other stuff LoL!