Starting every flight after glancing around to make sure nobody’s standing close to the propeller the pilot generally yells, “Clear!” That way when you start the engine, there’s less chance of startling anyone nearby with the sudden noise. Maybe I yelled it especially well a few days ago, because the air was SO clear!! Look at this shot past the Mission to the Santa Ynez Mountains!
0395 Clear Mission
Our mission on that day was clear: snap some scenic long shots. So we did, and the next one I like is this view from downtown SB toward Ventura along the coast.
0398 SB to Ventura
One particularly long view was of this little Goleta park on the way back to the airport. Years ago I joined my friends Bob and Steve one afternoon when they brought their young boys here to play.
0410 Distant Playground
The kids are now grown, and dear Bob passed away suddenly only a few months after the sounds of that playground romp had faded – soon joined by his wife Catherine. So for me, this is a long and thoughtful view very like the one I get flying over the waterfront SB Cemetery where B&C are resting together.
After the moment of reverie I noticed a Goleta housing tract with many courtyard homes. I can imagine a brisk morning wander out into that sheltered and private opening to the sky, hugging a cup of coffee and watching a small plane sliding past in a quiet descent to the airport.
0411 Courtyard Homes
For one last long view, how about this one from that neighborhood past the freeway at Patterson, beyond Hope Ranch and More Mesa out to the islands.
0412 Goleta to Infinity
John & Anne Wiley 
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