A Geek Goes Flying

Well, I couldn’t get to the slopes in Big Bear (both Lyft and Uber informed me, repeatedly, “no cars available,” and I missed the bus pick-up; thinking it might be worth buying a $1500 beater to keep at the airport, monthly car parking is $25…). But I did get a chance to practice my mountain flying skills. First landing and departing at Big Bear, and then, since I didn’t want to waste the day, I did a “no pressure dry run” flight up to Mammoth, up the Owens Valley. Stayed to the east side of the valley (prevailing winds from the west, staying away from the leeward side meant a significantly reduced chance of mountain wave downdrafts) and brought power back to about 19" manifold pressure and 2350 RPM at 10,500', which kept the plane comfortably at or below V A (135 MPH indicated airspeed), and also meant my true airspeed was a bit lower, which would have been handy had I needed to make any turns inside the valley. (Did a mountain flying training trip with a Proteus instructo

There’s great skiing a 1-3 hour flight away from L.A., but once you’re on the ground at the airport, how do you get to the slopes? Right now, the slopes are looking good : Back-to-back winter storms this year have blanketed California’s mountain ranges with snow, making this a banner winter for skiers and snowboarders. The storms have covered Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood with more than 8 feet of fresh snow this winter, while Big Bear Mountain Resort has received more than 10 feet. This season has provided the best conditions for snow sports in roughly a decade, said John McColly, vice president of sales and marketing at Mountain High, who added that it “feels like a real winter this year.” ( A February to remembrrr in L.A.: It never even reached 70 degrees , LA Times, Feb. 28, 2019.) Mammoth ( MMH ) Per the customer service folks at Hot Creek Aviation: Rental car is the most dependable and fast way, you'll want to call well ahead Enterprise (760)924-1094 or Hertz (