Xplane11.30 Some more over eastern AZ

[Guest John_Cillis]

Over my homespun Ortho4XP AZ scenery, not far from the AZ/NM border out of El Paso, headed to Phoenix Sky Harbor.  My last flight out of El Paso was in a CRJ 200, an aircraft I loved to hate because the windows were so low you had to crane your neck to see out.  The CRJ 700/900 fixed the problem in spades, my two fav regional jets with their 2x2 seating.  Last flight I took on a CRJ 700/900 was to Santa Ana with my lovely daughter on our way to Disneyland to celebrate one of her birthdays with my grammar school principal and 81 year old friend, Henry Aschbrenner and his wonderful wife Dixie, who came to Disneyland that year to surprise my daughter with a birthday dinner and $50.00 Disney gift card.  Mr. Ashbrenner works for Concordia Lutheran University even past age 80 as a fundraiser, former dean  of the University and I helped inspire his IT program.  We meet yearly for dinner and good spiritual fellowship.  He knew of my dream to fly aircraft and was so proud to hear I became a student pilot. 

In 1975 I did a science fair project on the Rogallo wing vs. the conventional wing, which inspired the Space Shuttle design.  My project won third place in the California State science fair and inspired motorized trikes, which I later learned to fly in 2008.  My tiny contribution to aviation.  I was invited by a CFI for IASCO, which trained JAL pilots on Falcons, Beech turboprops and Pipers, but I could not take them up on their offer due to my other schooling commitments.  I did not fly GA until a friend from Highschool, now a Facebook buddy Doug Brambrink, invited me and a friend up for a full moon flight over the SF Bay in 1979.  My friend and I felt the inkling to drive to Napa County airport and ran into Doug who simply said "wanna go up".  Like the Godfather Don Corleoni he made us an offer we could not refuse or maybe me being an Italian and Godfather of my family I made him a psychic offer he and my friend could not refuse, lol....  Enough of the backstory, on to my pics!

Cactus521

[P_7878]

The dreary desert is turning more and more interesting, John, thanks to your explorations and backstories....very nice shots of this unique topography!

[Pugilist2]

Great color in your shots!