It was a great place to attempt to simulate in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MSFS2020)—a low-level, risky flight that barely cleared terrain. 

As I get older, my real-life flying is becoming more conservative. In a flight sim, however, I’ll take risks. 

I targeted three unique destinations in Washington state, starting at Ranger Creek Airport (21W) near Greenwater, then Tieton State Airport (4S6) in Rimrock, and Strom Field Airport (39P) in Morton. I downloaded freeware scenery for each field in order to enhance the small airport feel and theme. Custom scenery for all the airports is available to download free here. 

High Terrain

This route brings you over some pretty high terrain, so I chose the recently released Beechcraft 60 Duke by Just Flight. 

The Black Square Duke is a “study level” complete version of the real thing, an airplane you must take care of and maintain realistically. This airplane is powerful, with turbocharged engines and a healthy climb rate. It will have no trouble getting over the peaks, even on a warm day of 70 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Ranger Creek sits east of massive Mount Rainier and is perhaps the closest airport to that famous dormant volcano. I have always wanted to go there in person, because it sounded mysterious and backcountry-ish. 

• READ MORE: Simulated Austria Is Wild, Wonderful

The scenery in these airports adds enough added objects to increase the immersion factor. I don’t believe it reduces any FPS performance to any noticeable effect over default, so most everyone should be able to use it well.

Choosing the recently released Beechcraft Duke was easy. The flight sim community has been awaiting this some time now, as beloved Black Square designer (famous for the redos of the default Bonanza, Baron, and TBM) had decided to design this entire airplane from scratch, modeling everything perfectly.

It doesn’t disappoint, and the couple of hours I spent on this article was not enough to begin to learn this fully detailed aircraft. It is a “living, breathing plane,” one of the new popular approaches designers have been employing lately to many releases on the commercial side. 

The route to Tieton State Airport took about 15 minutes as the direct line wasn’t easy with terrain, but I also enjoyed some relatively low-level, summit skimming and side swiping on such a perfect day. The live weather of MSFS2020 and sunshine will provide some thermals, updrafts and downdrafts, as well as proper shadowing of lift, such as lakes and ponds, having no updrafts, and fields providing the most thermal-induced results. The terrain is great practice to follow along with on a sectional chart, noting the accuracy and landmarks along the way, imitating the visual world almost perfectly in MSFS2020 default photo scenery. 

• READ MORE: Healthy Obsession: What Flight Sim Has Done for Me

The Duke has been completely retrofitted with the latest and greatest modern technology, as you can see. Engine analyzers and proper technique are required to maintain health. This really made me think back to my piston-twin days when I experienced the most complex flying of my career. I had nothing modern, sometimes no autopilot, flew in IFR alone, and often had to know how to perform holds and ADF approaches with passengers on a timely schedule.

The sectional via ForeFlight on iPad and the GNS750 doesn’t portray the huge, steep descent you’ll need to make to enter the pattern, losing many thousands of feet. It is one of the most breathtaking areas I’ve ever seen. (For Top Gun: Maverick fans, much of the recent movie’s high-speed chases were filmed here over Rimrock Lake. That is something to re-create using the F-18 available in Marketplace, coupled with the Top Gun: Maverick add-on for effect. 

An eerie pattern emerged with the mummification-style face rising from the terrain. It can get right in your way on a downwind. 

New Lessons Learned

The mummy face becomes much more of a huge rock as you maneuver a right downwind-style approach. You cannot do a left downwind at all due to the other mountain on the base at the final to that runway, so you must land over the lake—one way in and one way out.

Over the right base leg above Rimrock lake, it’s hard to not spend all the time rubbernecking the area. The calm winds made for a mirror of tranquil water below, perfect for a floatplane digression perhaps. But with terrain and uneven heating at work, I was not set up well for my first attempt, as I was clearly too high and unstable. That meant it was props full forward, power up, gear up, and get out for another try.

When writing about sim flights, I always learn a new thing or two. The sim behaves in many ways like real life with various parameters cropping up that you hadn’t planned for—which is fun. It’s also a valuable learning experience. You think pilots probably don’t go around in real life as much as they should, and this is really an issue in the sim world. I hardly ever go around on my PC, as it’s hard to be hurt in your computer chair. This is a bad habit to get used to. I am trying to go around more often now in my serious sim sessions as it’s so necessary to keep that real-life mental readiness in full swing. 

• READ MORE: Ultimate Realism ‘X-posed’ in 747-200 Classic

Along with go-arounds, even flying simulated low passes across an unknown field is good practice too. 

The leg to Strom Airport was quite scenic as I detoured south a bit over the lower valley, along a road, river, and lush farmlands. I could see the Randle-Kiona Airpark (WN55) along the way to my south, although I didn’t land there. 

I felt a jolt going over the terrain with lift initially then a noticeable downdraft on the leeward side. All fabulous fun with live weather. 

There is an endless world to explore with almost perfect photorealistic scenery worldwide. The freeware and payware airport enhancements out there really do add some immersion to low-level, small backcountry airstrips that may be worth getting on a case-by-case basis. 

I am not a huge fan of add-on scenery, in general, as the default world seems almost perfect. But in MSFS2020, it is easy to add without any real performance degradation. The details of handmade airports are really cool and often match the real-life counterparts perfectly. 

The new Beechcraft Duke (and Turbine Duke) are lots of fun and will get you in and out of anywhere without concern. These three airports can be accessible by any lesser-powered single as well in the sim. It would be fun to redo these legs on hotter days in weaker aircraft as well to see what kind of trouble I could get into. 

The post Taking Risks at a Trio of Mount Rainier Airstrips, Virtually appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The “parade of airplanes” flyover event, which is sponsored by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), will begin at 11.30 a.m. EST from Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK). The Washington portion of the flyover is expected to start around noon.

“The flyover will consist of 15 different ‘chapters’ telling the story of GA in America, starting in the golden age and continuing to the present day,” AOPA said in a statement. “Two dozen groups of aircraft will fly the 88-mile round trip from FDK down the Potomac River. The formation will be led by AOPA president Mark Baker in his historic Beechcraft Staggerwing.”

• READ MORE: ‘Parade of Airplanes’ Over Washington to Celebrate 85 years of GA

Parade Route

Washington has some of the most restricted airspace in the country and includes Prohibited Area P-56, which was created after 9/11. The event required coordination of more than 11 agencies, including the FAA, air traffic control, TSA, and U.S. Secret Service, according to AOPA.

According to AOPA, the flyover route will go past the Lincoln Memorial, down Independence Avenue, and over the Washington Monument.

The aircraft will be expected to fly at 90 knots at an altitude of 1,000 feet, ensuring they are visible from the ground. The flyover will also be broadcast online. 

The post How to Watch ‘Parade of Airplanes’ Over Washington appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt was the first sitting president to recognize GA, according to AOPA president Mark Baker. This year also marks the 85th anniversary of AOPA, an organization created to support GA.

The National Celebration of GA Flyover will be broadcast live on AOPA’s YouTube channel with commentary from longtime “AOPA Live This Week” host Tom Haines and journalist Miles O’Brien. The pair will be on a rooftop providing commentary as aircraft fly overhead. 

Haines noted that he’s spent a good bit of time researching the participant airplanes and was impressed to learn of their rich history.

Logistics

Mike Ginter, AOPA vice president of airports and state advocacy, will serve as the air boss for the event. Ginter said that all the aircraft will be strategically launched from Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK) in Maryland—the home of AOPA—beginning at 11:30 a.m. EST on May 11. 

The aircraft will be expected to fly at 90 knots at an altitude of 1,000 feet, ensuring they are visible from the ground and online. 

“The goal is to get aviation outside of the airport fence lines,” Ginter said.

For those who won’t be in D.C., pilots are encouraged to organize watch parties at their airports.

Sixty aircraft, representing 20 different chapters of GA, are scheduled to participate. The aircraft and pilots, most of whom are the aircraft owners, were selected months ago.

Baker will be leading the parade, flying his Beechcraft Staggerwing 17, an aircraft synonymous with the golden age of aviation. The round-engine Staggerwing biplane was one of the first to feature an enclosed cockpit. In the 1930s, it was the choice for executive transport and air racers.

“It’s going to be a special time for AOPA and for general aviation,” Baker said. “What a sight it will be to see the history of general aviation flying over the National Mall, as GA has given this nation so much over the past many decades. AOPA is uniquely positioned to plan this complex event and execute it safely and professionally.”

Among the aircraft planned to appear are a WACO UPF-7, Douglas DC-3, a Grumman Albatross, one of the only two Beechcraft Starships still flying, a Robinson R44, and a Piper M700 Fury certified this year.

The flyover will also feature an appearance by the Titan Aerobatic Team.

Parade Route

Washington has some of the most restricted airspace in the country. More than 11 agencies, including the FAA, air traffic control, TSA, and U.S. Secret Service are coordinating for the event, which will include flight in Prohibited Area P-56. The restricted airspace was created after 9/11. 

The route takes the aircraft past the Lincoln Memorial, down Independence Avenue, and past the Washington Monument.

GA, By the Numbers

Parade aircraft were selected to showcase technological advancements in aviation and demonstrate the ways GA has improved its safety records over the years.

According to AOPA, the GA industry enjoys the safest record ever due to better aircraft, navigation systems, flight training, and better, more engaging ways to stay proficient. General aviation aircraft fly more than 26 million flight hours each year, including about 30 million takeoffs and landings.

AOPA officials said they hope the event will help spread the word that general aviation often comes from small towns with small aircraft manufacturing facilities, such as Yakima, Washington; Vacaville, California; and Vero Beach, Florida. 

More information on the event, route, and planned aircraft can be found on AOPA’s GA Flyover campaign website.

The post ‘Parade of Airplanes’ Over Washington to Celebrate 85 years of GA appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The event will take place Saturday and Sunday. The show missed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so this year marks the 40th event.

Admission is $10 for adults, and children are free. The show runs from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. PST Saturday, and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday.= 

What to Expect

Dozens of aviation businesses and organizations display exhibits. If you are looking for information about a particular facet of aviation—such as floatplane flying, or an organization such as Angel Flight or the Ninety-Nines—you will likely be able to find it at the conference. In addition many airports are represented and provide information about their operations.

For those looking for a job in aviation, this is the place to make connections. The exhibitors include airlines, FBOs, and aviation supply businesses. There is usually a large contingent of flight schools and aviation college programs as well to help find a place to train for the career you seek.

The conference is rife with seminars on multiple topics, from specialized flying to best practices for the care and feeding of your aircraft. There is also an IA maintenance refresher training workshop and a career fair. If you are looking for a job, bring business cards and résumés and be dressed to interview.

According to event organizers, the event has “grown to over 75 hours of safety seminars and 122,000 square feet of aviation displays with an annual attendance of over 10,000.”

The show has a regular schedule of guest speakers. This year aviation author, educator, and humorist Rod Machado leads the lineup. Machado has been teaching people to fly in one form or another for 50 years, and his presentations are usually very well attended. His authored works include private pilot and instrument ground training as well as specialty products, such as interactive e-learning programs “Basic Cross Country Flight Planning for Beginners” and “Understanding Weather.”

The rest of the guest speaker lineup and more information on the conference can be found here. 

The post Northwest Aviation Conference Set for This Weekend appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Landon Wilkinson, who became a pilot in 2020, provided details surrounding the airstrip’s background and what makes the land surrounding it so special.  

“My dad has been a pilot all of my life and has owned several different airplanes,” said Wilkinson. “He acquired the property in 1991, and the airstrip was put in within a short period of time after that. For a while, it was grass, then he lengthened and paved it. And it’s funny. The name of the airstrip [a sign observed from the road] says ‘Landon Strip.’ It’s technically named after me, and I was the first of my dad’s three sons to land on the runway.”

Wilkinson now flies a Mooney M20E, which he owns with his younger brother and another partner. The property’s airstrip is a central figure in many of their aerial adventures but also for those who fly in for celebrations. 

“Oakshire Estate & Airfield is a wedding venue, although it was never designed intentionally for that purpose,” said Wilkinson. “My dad has planted a couple thousand trees on the property since he bought it, and the long, tree-lined driveway is just spectacular, as is the estate in general. Every year, they are refining the property…We have had weddings there over the years, but then several years ago, they opened it up to book a limited number of weddings there each year.”

Not only can people fly into weddings, they don’t have far to go from the ramp to the dance floor. 

“We have a lot of weddings that make use of the runway, which is basically 100 feet from the venue’s front door,” he said. “We have had people fly in, where the groomsmen will come and then walk up the aisle [after getting out of the airplane]. It’s been fun to have those things working together here.”

The 30-year-old private pilot saw the success that his parents had with the wedding venue and sought to bring other equally unique offerings to the property. He started by converting a 100-year-old barn that sat derelict for many years. While an ambitious project, he had been doing renovations and house flipping since he was a kid. 

“I purchased about 50 acres from my dad, which is southeast of the same road,” he said. “The first project of ours, in 2019, was the barn conversion. The shipping container home was completed about two years ago now. We have a really good view of the Yakima Ridge and thought that it would make a really good short-term rental experience for people. So, we basically did the shipping container and the barn conversion ourselves and put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into them. But I think that they turned out pretty special.”

Both the barn and shipping container are available for short-term rental. And while Wilkinson is proud of the rentals and has received rave reviews, he admits that the airstrip is one of his favorite aspects of his family’s property. 

“So, when you’re coming into land, it’s really a one-way-in airstrip, because of these pretty tall trees around the house on the western end,” he said. “Then there’s a wind turbine and a cell tower in the vicinity, about a quarter mile north. They’re not at all really in your way, but just something to be aware of. And the runway is wider at the outset. On the eastern end, I would say it’s probably about 30 feet [wide] and then it reduces to around 25 or so feet [wide].”

Wilkinson’s time spent marketing his short-term rentals has demonstrated an issue within that industry. He believes aviators are in perhaps the greatest position to take advantage of unbooked nights on short-term notice.  

“Part of the motivation for starting [booking platform website] Hostshare had to do with being a pilot,” he said. “As pilots we are usually more at the mercy of the weather, so we are often required to have a lot of flexibility as it comes to lodging. With a lot of the short-term rentals, the cancellation policy is usually nonrefundable, or at least a portion of it. Hostshare makes it much more economical to travel last minute with your family, if you own an Airbnb. That was part of the motivation.”

Wilkinson pointed out that sharing time equally among the partners in his Mooney fortunately hasn’t been an issue yet. But the process of sharing time in the asset with others was another component of his ongoing inspiration for his new website. Several fly-in destinations are already on the platform, including Beaver Creek in Maine.

The post Wilkinson Ranch Airport Features Wedding Venue, Short-Term Rentals appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The talents of One-G Simulation, the makers of FAA-approved flight training devices, and education technology company Cignatec have created two Sopwith Camel simulators as part of the Museum’s World War I exhibit.

The museum commissioned One-G to design and build the devices to give museum visitors an immersive flying experience through a range of user-activated scenarios.

About the Simulators

One-G produces FAA-approved professional grade aviation training devices. The company began in a Seattle-area garage when One-G CEO Xylon Saltzman, an engineer, flight instructor, and charter pilot was forced to travel to Arizona for type-specific recurrency training. He realized that there was a market for better access to equipment and the company was born. According to Saltzman, One-G received its first letter of authorization from the FAA in 2011. Today, One-G has approximately 100 devices in the flight training world ranging from primary training units that simulate round-dial and G1000 cockpits to the more advanced devices that are used for training by companies such as air ambulance providers that utilize TBM and PC-12s.

“As a longtime resident of Seattle, it has been a pleasure collaborating with the Museum of Flight, successfully bringing the experience of flying a Sopwith Camel into the hands of the general public,” said Saltzman.

• READ MORE: When the Nose of a Camel Starts to Wander

Cignatec is devoted to creating learning experiences through the application of technology. Josh Swanson, president of Cignatec, is enthusiastic about collaboration with One-G and the MOF. “As a long-time member of the Museum of Flight, and advocate for STEM education, supporting the museum with this project has been a privilege and a lot of fun — and of course, it’s always great to work with One-G.”

According to Drew Pine, chief simulation engineer for One-G, “We hadn’t done anything like this before. It was quite a departure from FAA projects that we mostly develop. We wanted to make it enjoyable for non-pilots.” To that end, the units have elevator and aileron control and auto-rudder. “It is more along the lines of an arcade educational device rather than a training device,” he said.

There are three scenarios: takeoff and landing practice, follow the leader (another Sopwith Camel), and flying through rings. The flights take place over rural Europe, circa 1917. The scenarios are selected by pressing a button, and last for approximately two minutes.

About the Sopwith Camel

The Sopwith Camel is an open-cockpit single-seat biplane from World War I. Introduced by the Sopwith Aviation Company in 1917, it became one of the best-known fighter aircraft of World War I. The airplane was also immortalized in the Peanuts comic strip as Snoopy, the cartoon Beagle with the rich imagination, pretended to be a WWI flying ace at the controls of a Sopwith Camel while sitting atop his doghouse.

About the Museum of Flight

The Museum of Flight is located at King County International Airport/Boeing Field (KBFI). The museum collection contains aviation artifacts that predate the Wright Brothers and extend through the space program. The MOF is one of the largest aviation museums in the country and has the added bonus that pilots can fly in to visit.

For more information visit https://www.museumofflight.

The post Fly a Virtual Sopwith Camel appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation Aviation division, the deceased cetacean is a fin whale. According to whalefacts.org, the fin whale is a baleen whale that can grow up to 90 feet long and weigh up to 130 tons, making them the second largest whale in existence after the blue whale.

Washington DOT has issued a warning to pilots about the whale on the runway, noting, “We’re asking pilots flying into the airport over the holidays to use extra caution as officials will be working to determine the cause of death of the whale, while other pedestrians and beachgoers could be in the area.”

Copalis Beach Airport is located 15 miles north of Bowerman Airport (KHQM), in Hoquiam. Copalis is one of the airports the state manages, and the only beach airport in its system where aircraft are allowed to land legally.

State wildlife officials add that at this time, they will be allowing the whale to decompose naturally and the tides to take its remains out to sea again. According to the state, “The airport access may be temporarily restricted if the tide moves the carcass and blocks the beach landing area.”

The fin whale is a brownish gray with a white underbelly and usually travels alone rather than in pods like the orca whales, which are more frequently spotted in the waters of the Pacific Northwest. It is not uncommon for deceased whales to wash up on beaches in the Pacific Northwest.

Removal of the whales from the beach has been treated with caution ever since the state of Oregon highway division used dynamite to remove the carcass of a 45-foot sperm whale that washed ashore near Florence. The idea was that the whale carcass would be destroyed and the remains would land in the sea.

Portland television station KATU was on scene for the event and captured the moment on November 12, 1970, when the eight-ton whale was blown to bits. Reporter Paul Linnman and cameraman Doug Brazil on the beach shooting on 16 mm film were a quarter of a mile from the whale at the time of the explosion. Linnman noted that when the pieces of blubber began landing around them, they realized they were too close and started to run.

“We were running away when we heard a second tremendous explosion in front of us. A piece of blubber the size of a coffee table hit the top of an Oldsmobile and completely flattened the roof,” Linnman wrote of the event that day.

The event went viral even before the invention of the internet. In the 1980s and 1990s, the filmed event was transferred to videotape and became part of the holiday blooper reel shown at television stations in the Pacific Northwest.

The post There’s a Whale on the Runway at a Seaside Pacific Northwest Airport appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After many years chasing aerial adventures, his most recent project will help keep him grounded. In July, he purchased A.J. Eisenberg Airport (KOKH) in Oak Harbor, Washington, which can now be found on sectionals as DeLaurentis Airport. 

“It’s really an interesting project,” said DeLaurentis. “Having led a [circumnavigation] project and having been to 53 countries and territories on my own, I have paid attention to what works and what doesn’t work. I think there are really two separate groups: pilots and the airports. I think that it’s an excellent time to blend the two together because there is always room for improvement. One of the things that I think is really cool about owning an airport is that I get to be a little bit grounded. I’ve always been in the air moving from place to place very fast, and it’s kind of like the restless soul gets to calm down a little bit and reconnect with the earth.”

Providing background on the project’s inspiration, DeLaurentis said that he moved to the Pacific Northwest from San Diego a few years back and quickly learned that nearby hangar availability was a real concern. 

“I went to this airport initially because it’s the closest one to my home,” he said. “I took one look at it and thought ‘No way! This place is just totally run out.’ No money had been put into it for probably 20 or 30 years, and it was just too big of a project. Then, I went looking for hangar space, and there was a two-year waiting list for just a small space out at Anacortes [Regional Airport (74S)]. I ended up finding a private hangar for my Cessna 182 on floats, which was $950 a month. The [hangar for] my tiny [CubCrafters] Carbon Cub was $800 a month, and for my Commander, [in which I flew] my pole-to-pole flight, they initially wanted $5,000 a month—which I eventually got for $3,000.

“The prices were so high because there were no hangars available. In addition to the existing structures, this airport has an extra 30 acres that I can develop. So, I can put in row after row of hangars and meet the need for pilots.”

DeLaurentis also shared his compelling vision for what he wants the airport to look like. 

“I would say that we will have a runway that’s 35 to 50 feet wide, and we will also lengthen it from 3,250 feet long to 3,850 feet long,” he said. “We will have jet-A and avgas, and we are going to have lots of rows of hangars, so that pilots have a place that they can be proud of that provides reasonable hangar fees. It will be a place where the community comes together, as I think all airports are, and a place of pride not just for my foundation but for the community too.”

In a short time frame, there has been considerable progress made at the airport toward these goals. DeLaurentis does not intend to seek or accept state or local money for airport improvements, instead relying on his own personal funds and levying landing and parking fees.  

“I’ll have about 70 percent of my renovation done by the end of the year, which is less than six months,” he said. “We’re moving at light speed. Right now, what you have probably seen online is that we’ve redone two rows of hangars. They have new roofs, new electrical, new siding, new doors, new paint, and they were all brought up to code with fire extinguishers, etc.. Our FBO is now done. We have a [U.S.] Customs and Border [Protection] office that I’ve submitted documentation for. Then we have an office for our flying club. Now I’m starting to turn my attention to the main hangar, where my planes and our museum will be.

“One of the outstanding items is the runway. We have already had a geo test for the soil underneath the runway, then we get an engineer working to tell us how wide it can be, [and] how thick it has to be to land the twin turboprops and light jets that I want to bring in.”

DeLaurentis hopes that by improving the runway he will attract more traffic, including companies that offer scenic flight, charter, and medevac services.

“My first commitment, though, wasn’t to the pilots,” he said. “It was to the community because it’s an island that’s connected by bridge with questionable ferry service (due to maintenance, demand, or tides) with a critical infrastructure need. I wanted to do something for the community. One of the things that I did, to get their support, was [inform] Life Flight [that it] could bring in fixed-wing planes. With our 25-foot-wide runway that’s rated ‘poor’ by the state of Washington, you’d have to be crazy to bring one of those in right now. I said to the county commissioners that if they wanted [the medevac organization] in, then I need a permit for the runway, and I need a permit for the fuel tanks. 

“This is a place where I don’t think a lot of people have focused much energy [until now], so it’s a great opportunity to have an impact. I’ve introduced some different rules to the airport. The pilots have to work on their planes, because if they don’t have a working plane, they don’t get a hangar. We had three junk cars and three junk planes, which sent a message that we were a junkyard and that nobody loved this place. Those are all gone now, which is a story in itself. Now you drive by and it looks nice.”

The post DeLaurentis Airport Proves to Be a ‘Really Interesting Project’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Most recently in 2014 (after living many places inside of and outside the U.S.), my wife and I were living just outside of London,” Martin said. “But we had both fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and we decided that Bellingham, Washington, would be a great place to settle. It is just this beautiful city and we moved here in 2015. I came for my profession. I’ve been a registered respiratory therapist for more than 30 years, with both clinical and medical device industry experience.

“We became aware of the airport probably six months after we started living here. I was a part of a flying club at another airport and, while it wasn’t discouraged to fly to Lynden Airport, the airport is kind of unique with a short, narrow runway with houses on either side. So, my first introduction coming here was flying VFR with my instructor to get a sign-off for the flying club. I have to say that I’ve probably landed here more times than I can remember because I knew that I wanted to live here someday and wanted to be ready for that. I had fallen in love with the airport and the community of pilots here. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Martin made his vision a reality a little over a year ago, he explains in a video on his YouTube channel, “Ginger The Plane.” The video, which has tallied more than 100,000 views, highlights the aviator’s passion for flying, as well as what led him to becoming an airpark resident.  

“Aviation has been a passion in my life from my earliest memories to the present day,” he said. “I grew up near an active U.S. Air Force base during the height of the Vietnam War and saw all types of aircraft in the skies above every day. I had hoped to pursue a career in aviation as a pilot in the military, but nearsightedness found me first. I decided to pursue a private pilot’s [certificate] and have been a general aviation pilot since 1990. 

“My wife, Kerstin, and I purchased our Cessna 172M Skyhawk in 2020 and bought a hangar at Bellingham International Airport (KBLI) soon thereafter. After buying an airplane and a hangar, we thought we had ‘made it’ until we found our airport home in Lynden in August 2022. Living close to a runway and your airplane is truly ‘next-level’ special.”

The economics of hangar homes in the area made the idea of living at the airport more of a dream than a reality, Martin explained. Luck was in his favor, though, as a home within the couple’s price range unexpectedly became available. But they had to act fast. 

“We were not looking to buy a house; our little condo was a great place to live,” Martin said. “A good friend let me know a house was for sale at Lynden Airport. I mentioned my friend’s text to my wife the following morning, and she responded pretty positively that we should at least look at it. We viewed the house later that day, and we had an accepted offer within 24 hours of my friend’s text. Wow, now we have to sell the condo and move!”

The change was an agreeable one, and the couple quickly felt at home in their new neighborhood, surrounded by aircraft and other aviation enthusiasts. The airport was immediately welcoming to them and their desire to give back. 

“Lynden Municipal/Jansen Field is a rare and precious jewel in our community’s crown,” Martin said. “It’s the only hard surface runway in Whatcom County besides BLI. In a natural disaster, such as the recent Nooksack River flooding, or much-anticipated Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, Lynden Airport will provide a vital staging point for air evacuation, delivery of medical supplies, and serve all northern Whatcom County area communities. This airport also attracts pilots from across western Washington who buy fuel and visit local businesses (for meals and gift shopping). My interest in serving the city as an airport advisory board member stems from a sincere desire to give back to my community. In addition, the airport community is friendly, warm, and welcoming. It’s the closest thing to pilot heaven that I’ve ever found/ We’re very happy here!”

As evidenced through Martin’s YouTube channel, he’s been putting in work in the air. He routinely explores parts of the Pacific Northwest within striking distance of his new home.

“Northern Washington is amazing,” he said. “And Washington as a whole has incredible things for pilots to see. I’m particularly partial to the northwest corner of the state, where we have the San Juan Island chain that we can fly to. There are all kinds of airports on most of the islands, and there are good restaurants out there. You can get from Lynden to any of the islands in 15 or 20 minutes. Also, we have Mount Baker, our local volcano. It has a 10,000-foot peak and is still an active volcano, actually. If you fly around the summit, you can sometimes see the caldera and get a whiff of sulfur, so you know it’s still alive in there.

“Something to keep in mind when you come here is that Canada is also nearby, so you can cross the border and easily get to Vancouver [British Columbia]. Seattle is also not too far away. In two hours, you can be down to the middle of Oregon, and in three hours you can be to the border of California. It’s really not that difficult to find things to do around here.”

Martin also mentioned that his one of his favorite things to do with his 1973 Skyhawk.

“I’ll tell you what blows my mind the most about living here is something as simple as a sunset flight.” he said. “You take off an hour before sunset, get to the western edge of the San Juan Islands, and the only thing left between you and the Pacific Ocean is Vancouver Island. You then watch the sunset. It’s just incredible and it humbles you. And when you turn back to the east to head home, you see the sun setting on the summit of Mount Baker. It is indescribable.”

The post ‘Ginger The Plane’ YouTube Channel Allows Pilot to Share Airpark Experience appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

“Our Boeing tour guides are brand ambassadors and are a diverse group of employees who are knowledgeable and passionate,” said Norman Mah, Boeing spokesperson. “The guides provide the public an inside look at the airplane assembly process with opportunities to learn about The Boeing Company’s deep roots in the Puget Sound area.”

The tour begins at the Boeing Future of Flight Aviation Center with a short video on the history of the aircraft manufacturing giant and a safety briefing. Because it is a working factory, there are rules, such as no photography, including phones.

Visitors are bused to the factory and allowed to access a balcony that provides a bird’s-eye view of the famous assembly facility that has produced some of the most iconic aircraft in history, such as the Boeing 777, 787 Dreamliner, 767, and the 747 that revolutionized commercial air travel.

This is not the same tour that was done pre-pandemic, says Mah noting “The company has made enhancements including an updated route and accompanying visual components throughout the experience.”

The tour takes approximately 80 minutes and includes a bus tour of the Boeing campus. Mah recommends buying tickets early, as the tours often sell out weeks in advance.

The factory building itself is a modern marvel, owning the record for largest building in the world by volume at 98 million cubic feet. The structure spans some 98.3 acres.

The tours begin Thursday, October 5. It is recommended that tickets be purchased in advance as they are the No. 1 tourist attraction in Washington, drawing some 300,000 annually.

“We are thrilled to reopen our factory tour experience to pilots and enthusiasts who want to see how Boeing airplanes are assembled and learn about the company’s role as a global leader in aviation,” Mah said. 

Ticket prices vary, and there are discounts for Boeing employees and seniors over 65 with valid ID. 

The post Boeing Factory Tours to Resume appeared first on FLYING Magazine.