John & Anne Wiley

2011/12/05

More MV

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random — John @ 07:37

I have to share a few more of the low quality pix from our Monument Valley flight, because they’re just so fun to look at! Gotta go back. Meanwhile, here are more shots thru the window. First up is the context as we approached, showing how cool all of the rocks are in the area.

0275 Approaching MV

0275 Approaching MV

We came in high, wanting to ensure we weren’t disturbing people and to get an overview. Quite a delight to see this formation from above.

027 Tribe Overview

027 Tribe Overview

To me, it’s a small tribe striking out across the plain with a tall scout out front. Next another overview, lower and closer now as we come in from a slightly different angle. Yes, that’s the propeller in the middle thru the windshield over Rusty’s nose.

0280 Prop Totem

0280 Prop Totem

Maybe these pix are only disgusting due to the low quality. I find them distasteful when comparing to what they could have been, and to what we saw. But my hope is they give you some clue of how incredible this place is to explore by small plane. For example, in the following shot imagine how differently we’re seeing it than those people in cars at the bottom right.

0281 Point of View

0281 Point of View

We saw many more sculpted towers than we snapped, and few of the snaps came out well due to the cheapo camera and windows. Still, here’s one example that’s passable. Doesn’t that look like a sculptor’s portrayal of someone looking back at the fortress on the right?

0288 Statue

0288 Statue

2011/12/03

Memory vs Memento

Filed under: Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,Nature,People,Random — John @ 22:10

I don’t recall any time that our memento from a flying trip matches the power of our memory. Most often the mementos that come closest are the photos, and sometimes our diary or blog entries from the day. Zubair said in email today that he’d searched the blog for references to the 2007 flight that stands out among our most powerful memories. The reason he didn’t find any is that back then Anne was sometimes uncomfortable with the windows open while we were flying, and we had only a low-resolution snapshot camera. Thanks to his reminder though, I reviewed the pix and found this one that came out ok.

0292 Monument Valley

0292 Monument Valley

This pic is actually good enough that I’m putting a larger version on my Photo Page. Monument Valley is among our absolute top bucket list places for a return flight with open windows and Nikon SLR (or better) camera. The topic actually came up because I was coaxing Zubair to fly and meet us there with his family. Anyway, here’s another pic that better reflects what we saw while also demonstrating the drawbacks of camera and closed windows.

0290 Relective Memory

0290 Relective Memory

You can see the interior of Rusty (the plane we flew back then) reflected on the inside of the closed window at the right, and the camera’s inability to capture detail or the “dynamic range” of rocks in shadow against bright background. What I most see reflected here though, is the powerful emotional experience of wandering at will amid these towering stone sculptures. Many of the “monuments” evoke our ancestors who themselves wandered here, now represented as individuals standing alone, in silent families, and in small quietly mournful tribes. I wish these mementos could better convey the memories of flying there, a collection of moments outside of time.

2011/12/02

Get to the Point

On a recent flight to L.A. we rediscovered something worth remembering: get to the Point. That is, if possible, get to Point Mugu. It’s beautiful, and there are often fun treats there for aviation buffs.

7900 Mugu Munitions

7900 Mugu Munitions

Next to the intricately beautiful wetlands at the beach, some munitions bunkers hunker down into the sand to stoically invite the somber question: what’s inside?

Whether in the air or on the ground, there are always aircraft and related things to take in as well. This trip was no exception, with a colorful background for two Navy E2 carrier-based radar planes flying in circles around one of the runways.

7903 E2 For You

7903 E2 For You

With no other private planes around, it felt like they were doing their practice carrier landings on a small part of the big runway – just for us.

Wrong Coast

After some years in SB my friend and fellow pilot Zubair moved to the wrong coast, settling near Boston. I tried to talk him out of it, but I have to admit he’s happier there. Tonite looking thru pix from our MeriTimes Adventure I found this view of his cozy home in the woods there, nestled among the magnificent Fall colors. I think that’s his beautiful wife Momina standing outside the front door (click the pic to see the larger version).

9862 Right Stuff

9862 Right Stuff

Clearly his choice of coast was right after all. Still wrong for me, but perfect for him right now. He has at least yielded to my relentless bugging him about getting back in the air after a hiatus of several years, as you’ll see on his blog (click his name above). Sadly though, he doesn’t have a great plane like Tripp with windows that open and wings up out of the way for viewing the planetary pleasures. But even if in the “wrong” plane for crisp pix like this, at least he’s flying, right? See what I mean about relentlessly bugging him? 😉

Shipping News

Along the coast toward L.A. past Ventura, we admired the harbor and marina and several ships at Port Hueneme just beyond.

7880 Port Hueneme

7880 Port Hueneme

It’s fun to snap something during a flight, then take the time to google it later. I wondered why this ship was the only of its kind there.

7884 USS Paul Foster

7884 USS Paul Foster

Turns out it’s the USS Paul Foster, decomissioned in 2003 after an illustrious career that began in 1976. Clearly the story didn’t end there, and according to the wiki link above she’s just been used to test a new laser weapon. Thee other ships were docked nearby.

7886 I Saw Three Ships

7886 I Saw Three Ships

The big blue one is the Japanese vehicle carrier NYK Cronus Leader. The red one is NYK Cool container ship Ditlev Lauritzen, and the closer one is container ship Hansa Visby. Before looking these up, I had no idea there are several websites that follow global shipping movements. Sort of like “train spotting” I guess, including people who post photos for everyone to enjoy. Next up was a fabulous view past the slough and Point Mugu NAS to the distant mountains.

7895 Point Mugu

7895 Point Mugu

« Previous PageNext Page »

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.