shortfielder,

Please keep me posted on your digs at Eagle Roost. Your new airpark was in my top 3 during my search. We are 305 nm apart, for you a short hop, for me and my trike a serious cross country. The door is always open for you and others to visit.

As you settle in I'm sure you will post a new thread, please post a link here because I'm very interested in your airpark,

This is a picture looking west over the 3 airparks. The strip on the left is mine, 1st Aero Squadron Airpark and is 4000' long at 4070' elevation. The next one is Windsock Airpark @ 4800' length but don't use the eastern end as the dirt is soft. The next one that is hard to see is paved.

DO
I wont be at Eagles Roost, a nice spot, but a little formal for me. I am at the next one west. Sampley's. Dirt strip, a little less refined.
Come on over, and I'm happy to visit ya when in the area.
Gary

shortfielder wrote:DO
I wont be at Eagles Roost, a nice spot, but a little formal for me. I am at the next one west. Sampley's. Dirt strip, a little less refined.
Come on over, and I'm happy to visit ya when in the area.
Gary

Gary,

Sounds like my kinda place. When do you move in? Got pictures of when you first checked it out?

DO
I still have work here and will stay here, for the most part, through the summer. The place needs some TLC, so I will probly make a couple trips during the summer for that, but, for the most part I will stay up here until it cools a little down there and try to drum up some work down there once it cools off a little, Tentatively planning on being down there full time around October.
I had some pics, but they seem to have disappeared. I'll probly be down there again next month and try and get some more pics then.
G

shortfielder wrote:DO
I prefer SW az over NM. A lot of Restricted areas in NM, and I am pretty familiar with AZ having lived there in the past. I ended up committing myself to an Airpark south of Aguila, about 20 mi west of Wickenburg. Pretty active flying community, lot of 4 wheeling and fairly close to Lake Havasu. It seems relatively affordable, laid back, and I am getting 1800 sq. ft. home, 50'x50' hangar,10 acres, nice 360* SW views, room for visitors. Hoping it will be a good fit.

Hey Gary. Good to see you pulled the trigger on a winter place. We will almost be neighbors. I'm only 1:15 HM by air from Bermuda Dunes. I hope to see you this summer in the mountains and this fall. Remember, if you get to Oregon I got a room for ya.

Cheers...Rob

shortfielder wrote:DO
I still have work here and will stay here, for the most part, through the summer. The place needs some TLC, so I will probly make a couple trips during the summer for that, but, for the most part I will stay up here until it cools a little down there and try to drum up some work down there once it cools off a little, Tentatively planning on being down there full time around October.
I had some pics, but they seem to have disappeared. I'll probly be down there again next month and try and get some more pics then.
G

Hey Gary, good to see you pulled the trigger on the winter place. We will almost be neighbors when I'm in Palm Desert, if you call 1:15 HM by air neighbors. That's a nice fun flight time. Anyway, hope to see you in the mountains this summer and this fall in the SW. Remember, come to Oregon I got the beach, valley, and high desert covered for ya.

Cheers...Rob

Hey Rob
Thanks
That all sounds easy/fun. We'll meet for sure somewhere, at least by fall. Pretty cool spot. We'll keep the fire lit.
I'll let ya know once I'm there. Ya know there'll be a party. Probly Oct.
G

I hadn't realized you were down almost to the border with Mexico!

Asta wrote:I hadn't realized you were down almost to the border with Mexico!

Yep Astrid, just 6 miles away. BTW, have you watched the Canadian TV series "Heartland"? I think of you because a large animal Vet plays a prominent role.

I have as a matter of fact. It is hard to believe that it has been on since 2007.Most of it has been filmed around High River in Alberta. Unfortunately I don't always get to watch it, but it's not a bad show by any means and is somewhat addictive. Then again, I suppose it wouldn't have been running steadily for eleven seasons if it wasn't.

Ásta

I never got around to asking you on CF, but of your five major accomplishments (I'm sure there is more), what was the order? Vessel Captain, pilot, military, Med School, Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine. I listed them in the order of my guess. Does Canada assist their military with college expenses?

I think you can catch episodes of Heartland on either NetFlix or Amazon. I binge watched all 10 seasons on one of those on my Firestick.

I never got around to asking you on CF, but of your five major accomplishments (I'm sure there is more), what was the order? Vessel Captain, pilot, military, Med School, Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine. I listed them in the order of my guess. Does Canada assist their military with college expenses?

Close. I went to university for my BA in Arizona, after which I joined the Canadian Forces and attained the rank of Petty Officer 2nd class which equals a sergeant in the Army. I did benefit from educational assistance, but it comes with a price. One has to serve an additional two months service for every month of educational assistance. In my case I received assistance for the first two semesters which came out to my having an additional 16 months of service added on to my 3 year enlistment. I could have gone direct entry as a commissioned officer after going through the required training programs, but I really did not want to make a career of it. During my undergraduate work I learned to fly as you already know. Following my naval service I went back to univeristy and got my DVM. I had already been sailing since I was quite young, going out frequently with my father while we still lived in Iceland. When I was 11 he took up a position in medieval history and literature which entailed moving to Canada. While my mother and sister went direct to British Columbia to set up housekeeping, I helped my older brother and father sail his yacht from Iceland to Vancouver.That helped me sharpen my boat handling and celestial navigation skills (I still have my fathers C.Plath sextant he acquired when he was younger--I think from a German submarine which surrendered in Iceland at the end of WW2. I do not really remember the story of how he got it though, but it is the one Iearned on. )



I also have a Hughes & Son Admiralty Sextant that I normally use now

While in school I was a RCN Sea Cadet which kept me busy and in touch with sailing. I inherited the boat from my father when he died, while my sister inherited our house. That worked out well actually, since I was more at home on the boat than on land. Anyways, I flew a MS 502 from the late 40s and 50s. It was something of a restoration project i.e, therapy project for me, but it was fun to fly around in, and selling it to a French collector helped finance the more practical Husky.

Ásta

Wow Asta, sounds like you have had quite a well rounded and exciting life! Kudos!!!


On the topic of airparks, I am going to start my search again. Had a bit of a issue last year that put everything (including flying) on hold for several months. I had driven down to Lino Lakes, Mn to pick up a couple of replacement wheels for my 172. I slipped in the bed of my pickup truck when I jumped in to load them, I landed on my back and must have really screwed up an old injury. I was immobile (felt like I was paralyzed) for nearly 30 minutes before I could even reach my phone. Called for the ambulance, several days in the hospital and then several months of recovery. I was able to get down to the SW but couldn't manage to look at many places for future 'snowbird' activities.
I am hoping to resume my search later this year. DO, I did drive the your airpark but time constraints only allowed me to give the area a quick drive around. Had to be in TX for my mother's 80th B-day.

Did I mention I am a reasonably accomplished hunter?

When you slipped and fell, did you slip a disk in your back and pinch a nerve?

Ásta

Asta,

I can visualize you flying a 70 year old, radial powered taildragger. Do you still live on your boat? How far is your float plane from your boat?

Hi Bob,
Yes, I still live on board the boat. The distance from where my boat is tied up to the Alliford waterdrome is about 5 nm across Skidgate inlet. Sandspit airport is roughly twice the distance if one goes straight across the Skidgate Inlet by boat. In tolerable weather I will step the mast on my dink and sail over. Otherwise, drive, cycle or motorcycle over depending on how inclement the weather is. One does have to watch out for some of the locals if on bike or on foot though:



AKA ursus americanus carlottæ

Ásta

In case you are interested, Ásta is the diminutive of Ástríðr (my father wanted me to have an old Norse name) and the Á is pronounced like the ous in mouse or German aus. In my formal name, r is trilled like in Spanish and some German dialects, but shorter. The í is like ee in meet, and the odd looking ð (Ð) is the eth which has a short th. I found it easier on English speaking friends if I used Ásta, Asta, or Astrid.

Asta,

Ahh, I am just a bit of a hunter myself! I especially enjoyed archery hunting for many years but sadly haven't done much of it in the past few years. Funny you mention the bear. I had traveled to NC/SC a couple of weeks ago and when I returned home, one of my cameras took a picture of a bear right by my deck. Also, last thursday we got a bit of snow, when I got up in the morning there had been a bear that wandered all over the yard and came up one side om my deck, walked past the door and then exited off the other end of the deck. He then must have gone over to my shed and laid down and took a nap!

I shot a nice 9 1/2 that weigh a few pounds shy of 300 lbs with my bow near my place a couple years ago.

The back injury, I'll send you a PM

Asta,

I have to admit your old plane prior to the Husky has character. I know it isn't the exact one but the anchor insignia is appropriate.

Nice picture of a Cricket of the Aéronavale de La Marine nationale. For those who might think the plane is a little familiar, it was a post-WW2 production of the German Fiesler Storch utility and recon plane but had a radial engine rather than the German Inverted V-8 Argus.

Current ride is this:


which has a much better range at about the same speed.

Thumbs up!