73 planes for Friday nights fire!

46 at Stump Ally now....

Akt

For any of you guys who couldn't make it, don't worry--we're not having any fun at all down here.

I hate you guys.

+1

emflys wrote:I hate you guys.

I hate them more! But honestly guys, 73 planes, thats an impressive turn out! Particularly given the weather that kept alot of you back! Well done

Everybody is lined up for gas!


Gump

GumpAir wrote:Everybody is lined up for gas!


Gump

Even planes get thirsty in the desert!

In truckee with a flat tailwheel. May not get back until the morning.

I'm jelly

CamTom12 wrote:I'm jelly

I'm not, got a lot done around the house today, mowed the lawn, cleaned gutters...

Beats sittin around a fire drinking whiskey with a bunch of nut cases, goading each other into doing really stupid things with their airplanes they would never dream of doing otherwise.

Second thought...actually, sounds kinda fun...

Fly safe!

Had a blast over there. Fun to put faces to screen names!

Gump

GumpAir wrote:Had a blast over there. Fun to put faces to screen names!

Gump

No way... the hermit made it?!?!?

Only stayed for one day but that was a blast!

Drove home last night. Picked up a spare tube. Drove back this morning.
Tailwheel fixed. Frost wiped off the wings. Warming the oil.
Headed back to 3SGS to break camp!

A friend called me, almost in tears, to tell me there was a mid-air this morning at the High Sierra Fly-in. Apparently two OR ships, a 170 and EDIT (not an Avid Flyer). Maybe both flying into the sun. Fatalities. Details all unconfirmed of course.

I had left late last night as my golden retriever was not happy with the fireworks and I couldn't see waiting and subjecting her to the Tannerite.

My God this is awful. I'm so sorry to hear about this.

bumper

Saw the smoke plume and debris falling. Prayers go up for all involved.

Cross-posting from the other thread:

Joey (AvidFlyer) was not involved. He is okay and was the one who texted to tell me the news.

According to multiple sources, it was the 170 of TomW and the Savannah of Chosstronaut. Bad day. I am gutted.

I would ask that we refrain from discussing the cause of the accident or speculating about the pilots. I hate to have to go into this mode but I will heavily moderate that until the investigation is over.

Thanks.

Zzz wrote: I am gutted.

Me too. This is tough. I have grown very close to Tyler. I am sick right now.

I just got home... was standing at the fire pit when the collision occurred. An amazing, incredible event capped with a terrible, horrific tragedy. RIP ;(

BATTLE MOUNTAIN BREAKDOWN
I, against my earlier better judgement re: the WX on my return, took off Sat, morning for the fly-in. Figured better late then never. I had a throttle cable break in Battle Mountain, which didn't bring me down, on the contrary, couldn't land until killing the engine. On the Rotax, which has 2 carbs, if you lose one throttle linkage it goes to full throttle while you still have control over the other, this confuses the hell out of the engine. By the time I MacGivered it back to a somewhat airworthy status, it was late enough, and more importantly the repair was so half ass, to make it kind of pointless to continue, so I took advantage of the bastard headwind I had earlier and scooted home, not touching the throttle the entire time. It was pretty damn dark and the weather was really iffy, so I texted a neighbor who's a ski patroller and has some common sense and first aid experience ("stop by in 40 min., got throttle problems, could be an interesting landing"), to his credit he was there, and with a fire extinguisher AND a video camera . The approaching storm and the darkness AND the frigging throttle all combined, of course, and I made my first deadstick landing on my uphill strip (no other way to get it slowed down). Came real close, due to the rapidly approaching darkness, to landing in a farmers field a few valleys over and spending the night, camped out in the rain, but pushed on and squeaked it in, I should have listened to my own earlier advice on this trip.

Had that all typed out, and then heard about the mid air, Tyler and I flew together earlier this summer and we were looking forward to doing it some more, in fact he was one of the reasons I pushed it trying to make it there. Not much to add other then damn shame, good kid gone too early. Both him and TomW of course. Glad Joey is OK.