Daedaluscan, at least he's not like your west coast beach wolves, pulling you out of the tent while you're sleeping.

Who knew airports would employ taxidermists???

Vargas a few years ago, he showed little fear

The past two days a Hughes 500 has been flying past my house then disappears over the ridge about a mile away. I can hear it buzzing around for a while then it comes back past me and lands about a mile down the road. Then it comes back again. I have been trying to take a picture but he is too darn fast for me to catch a good shot.

This one is the best I got yesterday. Too blurry.


I finally drove down the road today to see what's up. The helicopter was parked next to a house along the road and a bunch of guys were stuffing nets into bags. I stopped and talked to them. They are netting deer and putting tracking collars on them. A gunner sits on each side with the door off. They said its really cold today. They have 30 deer collared so far.

The helicopter company is from Olympia, WA. I finally got a good photo. With permission first of course.

10 Skycranes. Unmute to hear their names.

Olga, Mariah, Elsie, Incredible Hulk, Delilah, Jerry, Georgia Peach, Gypsy Lady, and Marty.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1453585887816609797

Helitanker, Three Forks Fire, Apache Sitgreaves National Forest, Arizona.

Having a great time with Mary on the Indian Nation Land. Really friendly for helicopters.

I've been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
'Cause there ain't no one for to give you no pain
La, la ...

NOTE: The desert is beautiful but extremely hostile if you get stranded. Stay in touch, carry shade and water. Watch out for rattlers, coyotes, and cougars (mountains). Flash floods can destroy an entire town in minutes. Never camp on the canyon floor during monsoon season. The sand storms can remove the paint on a car and blow over an 18 wheeler (ie Banning Pass). Many micro bursts have been recorded. Wind shears of 40 knots are not uncommon at varying altitudes. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! Always, have plan “B” ready.

Marge and I enjoyed teaching fourteen years on the Navajo Reservation at Tohatchi, NM. When my daughter in law from Seattle was first at Ft. Huachuca with Greg and worried about them buying a house there in the desert, I told her that she would know she had acclimated when she missed the smell of dust when it begins to rain. Without rain it is so dry you can't even smell the dust.

Fort Huachuca is the home of NETCOM G6 Signal. The G6 in Hawaii reports to them. Good place to retire in Sierra Vista, I’ve been told.

contactflying wrote:Marge and I enjoyed teaching fourteen years on the Navajo Reservation at Tohatchi, NM. When my daughter in law from Seattle was first at Ft. Huachuca with Greg and worried about them buying a house there in the desert, I told her that she would know she had acclimated when she missed the smell of dust when it begins to rain. Without rain it is so dry you can't even smell the dust.

Yesterday,

8GCBC wrote:Fort Huachuca is the home of NETCOM G6 Signal. The G6 in Hawaii reports to them. Good place to retire in Sierra Vista, I’ve been told.

contactflying wrote:Marge and I enjoyed teaching fourteen years on the Navajo Reservation at Tohatchi, NM. When my daughter in law from Seattle was first at Ft. Huachuca with Greg and worried about them buying a house there in the desert, I told her that she would know she had acclimated when she missed the smell of dust when it begins to rain. Without rain it is so dry you can't even smell the dust.

Fort Huachuca is also the original Buffalo Soldier Fort.

tcj wrote:

8GCBC wrote:Fort Huachuca is the home of NETCOM G6 Signal. The G6 in Hawaii reports to them. Good place to retire in Sierra Vista, I’ve been told.

contactflying wrote:Marge and I enjoyed teaching fourteen years on the Navajo Reservation at Tohatchi, NM. When my daughter in law from Seattle was first at Ft. Huachuca with Greg and worried about them buying a house there in the desert, I told her that she would know she had acclimated when she missed the smell of dust when it begins to rain. Without rain it is so dry you can't even smell the dust.

Fort Huachuca is also the original Buffalo Soldier Fort.

Brings back good memories.

Good morning from the Arizona Desert! There are still many (many) places in CONUS completely isolated.

2022.08.31:07:00:00MST LZ solo, photo Android cellular telephone

I missed you May 30 post. I was in the 9th Cav. Brought back and integrated as Air Cavalry, I was Apache 21 Alpha Troop 1st Squadron 9th Air Cav Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Division. Yes, the division had to change to 1st Cavalry Division Air Mobile when 101st Airborne became the second Air Cavalry Division (exact same TO&E as 1st Cav) and with their history there was no way they would change their patch. Highers than me make those decisions.

Anyway, great tradition. The 9th and 10th Cavalry Regiments were all black troops with white officers. More medals of honor in the war against the Apache than any Regimental size units before or since. The same government agents who were ripping the Navajo and Apache off on reservations were selling the 9th and 10th half dead mules. These troops walked to and from many battles in the desert.

Be my virtual guest…climb aboard all you cowboys and cowgirls….it’s the Sunday Morning Cowboy(girl) Show! Yee haaaaa!

Took the family out to some hot springs, then to a mountaintop to hike around a crashed B25 reportedly was carrying $2 million in Nazi gold bars.

Nice smooth rock LZ without those little rocks and sticks that give you that wobbly feel setting down.

Under the moon. Today in Montague, California:

Finally a nice "day" with some winter arctic flying! Only have about 4 hours of sun right now (soon to be 0) so back to flying mostly on instruments and NVGs! Picture taken at one of the North Warning System radar sites doing a routine maintenance check in near Cape Peel.

If your Huey was prior service and you can find the old military number, the first two digits were its birth year in the last century.

Any war stories starting up (or shutting down) in high winds? Anybody hold your blade until you powered it out of his grasp? We subbed a 412 in Goose Bay for those windy trips north. Still rolling drums?