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Holiday USA JULY 1997
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Anglo American Aviation at Gillipsie Gillipsie Airfield
Its May 1997 and time to sort out a holiday, I had been looking at the States again intending to go back to Fresno until a pal at the Hong Kong Aviation Club, Andrew, recommended I should try out Anglo American Aviation in Gillipsie. The rental rates were very reasonable as was the accommodation which was a bike ride away from the airfield. San Diego, Mirimar and the coast were some 20 miles away to the west, LA to the north, Mexico to the south and the Nevada Desert to the east. The area was steeped in places to fly to, local stuff to see and all that varied food. Listening to Andrews adventures I was soon sold on the place. After confirming my booking I sat back for the next 2 months looking forward to flying in real Top Gun country.

The Admirals House San Diego - The Admirals House
First day out and I was taken for a local tour of San Diego by Andy, one of the flying school owners. We flew down past the famous Mirimar air Base, home of Top Gun and on down the coast for the harbor. The picture shows the "Admirals House which was apparently used for the back drop for the scene in Top Gun where "Maverick" finds out the truth about his father.
"What I'm about to tell you is classified..." etc. etc. the scenery here was great, flying just of the ragged coast line and past the occasional beach.

San Diego marine base San Diego Marines Base
I thought Hong Kong was cool to fly down the harbor at 500 feet but 500 feet here is flying alongside the Pacific Fleet, with carriers, warships, subs and sorts of good stuff to look at. Here on the right hand side is a Marine base full of heli's.

Big Bear City Big Bear City
A day or so later and I'm off to Big Bear for high altitude training. At 6,748 feet this was a pretty high place and on a hot day the effective altitude can be a lot higher. We landed after about and hour and a quarters flight. A short break and a couple of cool drinks later in the local bar it was back to the airfield. A brief checkout, all aboard and were set to go. Lining up right at the end of the runway, grabbing every inch of it, brakes on throttle to full power, release the brakes and were away. As the end of the runway begins to approach its spring the flaps to t/o position, and we slowly climbed out. Passing a few hundred feet over the lake at the end of the runway the climb was very noticably slow but climb we did. The lake is basically hemmed in with rocky hill sides on all faces, save for a gap at the right hand end of the lake and the ground rapidly disappeared beneath us. Whew !, this is not a place to make mistakes.

Parked Up In Las Vegas with the strip in the distance Las Vegas
At last after a flight test I'm checked out and its time to experience the southern Californian skies. It was 26th July and I had decided on Vegas, I was looking forward to my first visit to Class B airspace and the the legendary streets of Las Vegas. Flying from Gillipsie across the Nevada Desert, carefully avoiding the restricted airspace which seems to fill the desert end to end, I managed to make it without any cock ups. The desert crossing was quite and fairly easy with VOR's all the way, great vis and best of all good old USA Flight Following". I had decided to come in over the tail end of the Grand Canyon, but the weather was becoming hairy by the minuet with the afternoons CB's bubbling every where. It was play safe and head for Vegas, the quite flight suddenly became very busy as I was vectored in and joined a multitude of other planes all heading for Las Vegas. After an uneventful landing, and a follow me car to help me find my way to the FBO, I was well pleased. I spent the night in a local hotel and took in the sights of the strip... The following day, the Grand Canyon was still in weather so I headed back to Gillipsie vowing to return.

LA Smog, LA is somewhere beneath it. Los Angeles - Smog
The next grand trip was Columbia, an old mining town up in the hills near Yosemite, the Lonely Planet guide promised to reveal an interesting old town kept as it was some 150 years ago. I had been here once before for a landing with my instructor Marco when training for my license at Mazzie. Heading north from Gillipsie I planned to fly over the mountains behind LA to Palm dale which would avoid the busy traffic around Los Angeles. It was a little hazy on route and the closer to LA I got the hazier it became, although a some 9,500 feet I was out of the filthy air. To the left the extent of the LA smog was all to apparent.

Eleven and A Half
Climbing over the range of hills behind LA on my way to Columbia I popped over the top of the range at 11,500 feet, the highest yet. Very aware of what altitude sickness can do I checked myself for any signs of euphoria, vowing to descend as soon as I stopped felling cautious. As is was I was feeling very cautious all the time and 10 minuets later descended through bumpy air on the other side of the range, no sense in tempting fate and hypoxia at this altitude. As I dropped down into the great plain on the other side, Palm dale and Edward's Air force base could be seen in the distance.

COLUMBIA
Flying past Portaville and over Fresno, I eventually reached Columbia in northern California, Arriving in the late afternoon after 4.2 hours on the hobbs, the airfield was deserted. Out comes the Lonely Planet Guide and I call up a local hotel, apparently a living museum decked out with original furniture, just as it may have been over 100 years ago. Were in luck, they have a room and arrange for a cab to be dispatched to the airfield. Arriving at the hotel, a very nice lady dressed in period costume advised no staff would be available after 9.00pm and the restaurant was closed that night. I queried why but she assured me its not because its haunted, however coming back from an evenings meal in the town down the road later that night, the cab driver told the story of an old miner that supposedly roams the hotel looking for his gold. There were a few creaks and groans as the hotel settled down that night but no ghosts were seen. I woke the next day to a bright sunny morning and a hearty breakfast before taking a brief walk around the town and heading back to the airfield for the flight back to Gillipsie.

THE GRAND CANYON

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Anglo American Aviation at Gillipsie	Gillipsie Airfield Its May 1997 and time to sort out a holiday, I had been looking at the States again intending to go back to Fresno until a pal at the Hong Kong Aviation Club, Andrew, recommended I should try out Anglo American Aviation in Gillipsie. The rental rates were very reasonable as was the accommodation which was a bike ride away from the airfield. San Diego, Mirimar and the coast were some 20 miles away to the west, LA to the north, Mexico to the south and the Nevada Desert to the east. The area was steeped in places to fly to, local stuff to see and all that varied food. Listening to Andrews adventures I was soon sold on the place. After confirming my booking I sat back for the next 2 months looking forward to flying in real Top Gun country.
The Admirals House	San Diego - The Admirals House First day out and I was taken for a local tour of San Diego by Andy, one of the flying school owners. We flew down past the famous Mirimar air Base, home of Top Gun and on down the coast for the harbor. The picture shows the "Admirals House which was apparently used for the back drop for the scene in Top Gun where "Maverick" finds out the truth about his father. "What I'm about to tell you is classified..." etc. etc. the scenery here was great, flying just of the ragged coast line and past the occasional beach.
San Diego marine base	San Diego Marines Base I thought Hong Kong was cool to fly down the harbor at 500 feet but 500 feet here is flying alongside the Pacific Fleet, with carriers, warships, subs and sorts of good stuff to look at. Here on the right hand side is a Marine base full of heli's.
Big Bear City	Big Bear City A day or so later and I'm off to Big Bear for high altitude training. At 6,748 feet this was a pretty high place and on a hot day the effective altitude can be a lot higher. We landed after about and hour and a quarters flight. A short break and a couple of cool drinks later in the local bar it was back to the airfield. A brief checkout, all aboard and were set to go. Lining up right at the end of the runway, grabbing every inch of it, brakes on throttle to full power, release the brakes and were away. As the end of the runway begins to approach its spring the flaps to t/o position, and we slowly climbed out. Passing a few hundred feet over the lake at the end of the runway the climb was very noticably slow but climb we did. The lake is basically hemmed in with rocky hill sides on all faces, save for a gap at the right hand end of the lake and the ground rapidly disappeared beneath us. Whew !, this is not a place to make mistakes.
Parked Up In Las Vegas with the strip in the distance	Las Vegas At last after a flight test I'm checked out and its time to experience the southern Californian skies. It was 26th July and I had decided on Vegas, I was looking forward to my first visit to Class B airspace and the the legendary streets of Las Vegas. Flying from Gillipsie across the Nevada Desert, carefully avoiding the restricted airspace which seems to fill the desert end to end, I managed to make it without any cock ups. The desert crossing was quite and fairly easy with VOR's all the way, great vis and best of all good old USA Flight Following". I had decided to come in over the tail end of the Grand Canyon, but the weather was becoming hairy by the minuet with the afternoons CB's bubbling every where. It was play safe and head for Vegas, the quite flight suddenly became very busy as I was vectored in and joined a multitude of other planes all heading for Las Vegas. After an uneventful landing, and a follow me car to help me find my way to the FBO, I was well pleased. I spent the night in a local hotel and took in the sights of the strip... The following day, the Grand Canyon was still in weather so I headed back to Gillipsie vowing to return.
LA Smog, LA is somewhere beneath it.	Los Angeles - Smog The next grand trip was Columbia, an old mining town up in the hills near Yosemite, the Lonely Planet guide promised to reveal an interesting old town kept as it was some 150 years ago. I had been here once before for a landing with my instructor Marco when training for my license at Mazzie. Heading north from Gillipsie I planned to fly over the mountains behind LA to Palm dale which would avoid the busy traffic around Los Angeles. It was a little hazy on route and the closer to LA I got the hazier it became, although a some 9,500 feet I was out of the filthy air. To the left the extent of the LA smog was all to apparent.
	Eleven and A Half Climbing over the range of hills behind LA on my way to Columbia I popped over the top of the range at 11,500 feet, the highest yet. Very aware of what altitude sickness can do I checked myself for any signs of euphoria, vowing to descend as soon as I stopped felling cautious. As is was I was feeling very cautious all the time and 10 minuets later descended through bumpy air on the other side of the range, no sense in tempting fate and hypoxia at this altitude. As I dropped down into the great plain on the other side, Palm dale and Edward's Air force base could be seen in the distance.
	COLUMBIA Flying past Portaville and over Fresno, I eventually reached Columbia in northern California, Arriving in the late afternoon after 4.2 hours on the hobbs, the airfield was deserted. Out comes the Lonely Planet Guide and I call up a local hotel, apparently a living museum decked out with original furniture, just as it may have been over 100 years ago. Were in luck, they have a room and arrange for a cab to be dispatched to the airfield. Arriving at the hotel, a very nice lady dressed in period costume advised no staff would be available after 9.00pm and the restaurant was closed that night. I queried why but she assured me its not because its haunted, however coming back from an evenings meal in the town down the road later that night, the cab driver told the story of an old miner that supposedly roams the hotel looking for his gold. There were a few creaks and groans as the hotel settled down that night but no ghosts were seen. I woke the next day to a bright sunny morning and a hearty breakfast before taking a brief walk around the town and heading back to the airfield for the flight back to Gillipsie.