I was sitting at a bench over by the Glendale Municipal Airport this morning, taking a break and watching the airplanes come and go.
I watched a small (Cessna 152, maybe) airplane take off and just as it reached the end of the runway, just before the point where many of the smallest planes start to turn either right or left, maybe 200 to 300 feet in the air, it suddenly went completely silent. I thought that seemed like an odd place to cut the throttle. He suddenly made a hard 180 and headed back down to the runway. Just before he set it back down, the engine started briefly then sputtered out again. If it had happened one second earlier, he would not have had enough altitude to turn it around.
I can't imagine a worse time to loose power. I'm guessing he was a very lucky guy. It was about 100o and dead calm.
Damn lucky he wasn't a statistic. Standard procedure says maintain wings level and pick a landing spot. Turns induce drag which cause a loss of airspeed which can only be made up with altitude loss without a working engine. He must have been super lightweight to get away with a turn back at such a low altitude. Many many pilots have become smoking holes trying this. I'm glad it worked this time but the FAA is probably going to have questions.
I watched a helicopter hovering over the river bottom, next to the airport. By the sound, I knew he was struggling. After a minute or two, he began to rise and I could see why. Suspended beneath him was a smaller helicopter. He picked it up and took it over to the airport and set it down. I didn't see any damage to the little one, but I was probably about a half mile away. I wonder if it was worked on by the same guy who worked on the little airplane a couple weeks ago
Caught this water spout while walking the dog at the beach. Only lasted a couple of minutes but it got my attention.
They aren't usually that dangerous but a few years ago one formed right off the shore about 3 miles north of us, ran up on land and turned into a tornado. The path went right through a camp ground and killed a family of 4.
A Roadrunner skittering across the bicycle path and an Osprey dining on a fish over by the stadium in Glendale Arizona.
Yesterday I watched three Northern Harriers ride a thermal from just above the treetops, round and round, higher and higher until they were completely out of sight.
[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 10-06-2017).]
I guess I startled a javalina, he sure startled me. I was on my bicycle as he darted across my path at full bore. He tried to make a hard left to go through a hole under the fence, but lost traction on the concrete path, spun out and slammed ass first into the fence. He picked himself up, did a javalina burn out and made it through on his second try. I wish I had my GoPro running. It was hilarious.
[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 11-22-2017).]
Fine, mostly, and back home. No fall but slight dizzines was one of my problems. Lost a lot of blood via urine over Thurs/Fri/Sat and in to Sunday but cleared up Sunday night & Monday. Caused partially because of a specific blood thinner I have to take but I am now (again) off of it, probably permanently ..which is in itself going to be problematic and require a bit of hardware implanted in my heart's left ventricle.
"A wonderful bird is the pelican His bill can hold more than his belican He can take in his beak Food enough for a week But I'm damned if I see how the helican"
-Dixon Lanier Merritt
Pelicans in the desert, five miles from home on today's bicycle ride.
[This message has been edited by williegoat (edited 02-22-2018).]
I think this is a young Bald Eagle, probably less than two years old. Maybe someone who knows better can confirm or correct me. All I had was my cell phone and though I tried to sneak up, he kept an eye on me and flew away when he had had enough.
I did not create this video, but I have seen this holiday-decorated commuter train twice in the last few days as I drove towards a nearby railroad crossing, each time during the evening, and the holiday lighting of the train really standing out in the twilight.
If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have deemed this as permissible for me to present.
My mobile phone's photo and video capture capabilities are primitive.
[This message has been edited by rinselberg (edited 12-03-2018).]
A beautiful December afternoon in Glendale with temps in the low 70s.
I just figured out why I don't do good selfies, I wear progressive lenses and I have to look through the bottom of the lens to see the camera. So, I tilt my head back and I look like I am trying to be arrogant.
This is a great thread! I think I need to tote my camera around more. Everybody sees cool stuff but doesn't always share it. I hope this helps to keep this thread current till I can post some boring things (to some) in my small world.
Yesterday, I saw a small dog wandering around the park wearing a complete Santa Claus outfit. No, I was not drinking, but I figure the dog's owner might have had a few.
(Yeah, I'm bored. Hanging around the house listening to Rush and waiting for Buster Brown.)
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