Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we had to cancel our dinner meetings since March. Dinner meetings in the near future are dependent on the relaxation of current COVID-19 government restrictions. Thanks for your understanding.Blue Sky Outing to Kern Valley Airport
We had 17 DAFers make it to the May 30 Kern Valley Airport picnic lunch. The weather cooperated and 8 airplanes made the trip, and we even had two planes that stayed to camp at the airport and enjoy beautiful Kern Valley. The cafe had just opened up the previous week, and most of us partook lunch on the spacious deck. Lots of blue skies and a light breeze at the airport made for a great spring afternoon.We had plenty of room to spread out, and all of us enjoyed being outside. Was a nice chance to chat with those we have not seen in a while. Most of us ventured for the short walk down to the river before we headed home. We all enjoyed the tailwind boost on the way to Kern, paid for it on the way back but it was all worth it. Click here for more pics!
Blue Sky Outing - KTOA Edition
Our first Blue Skies Outing to Santa Ynez was cancelled Saturday morning due to to marginal weather. A few decided to fly about nearer to home. Some DAFers came up with an alternative. They drove their cars to the TOA ramp and, at a substantial social distance, enjoyed their self-cater picnic lunches separately. But all enjoyed watching the aeronautical traffic come and go on a beautiful Spring day at TOA.
LET'S GET SOCIAL!
The Del Amo Flyers Board is proud to announce the launch of the new Del Amo Flyers Facebook and Instagram pages. These two social media platforms will not only facilitate closer engagement with you on activities sponsored by the club, but will also create a virtual place for you and your fellow DAFers to share experiences, discuss topics, or just sound off!In addition to the Del Amo Flyers public Facebook page, we’ve created a private, members-only group so we can communicate among ourselves regarding fly-ins (“hey, I need a ride...any open seats?”), share personal thoughts and images from fly-ins, announce ad hoc hanger hangs, or share with the members your latest project, tips and tricks, or grips!
In order to make the Facebook “launch” a success, we need each and everyone of you to ensure you’ve “liked” and are following the Facebook page. Follow these steps if you're not sure on how to do it:
1. Log into your Facebook account if you're not already
2. Go to the Del Amo Flyers Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/delamoflyers
3. Make sure you "LIKE" the page and that you are currently "FOLLOWING" the page
4. Click the "VISIT GROUP" button to move to the Private members-only group page:
This will ensure you receive all the public info the Club wants to get out to the World. You can also comment on and share posts with others that come from Del Amo Flyers. This is how you can spread the word about our club's activities with others outside the club, like if a great speaker is presenting at an upcoming dinner meeting.
5. Click "JOIN GROUP" to submit a request to join the private members-only group. We moderate who is allowed into this group, with current members only to be admitted:
Share any and all in the private group. As mentioned, it can be for fly-in coordination, sharing tips and tricks, or just yapping with fellow DAFers.
For those that share photos via Instagram, you can follow Del Amo Flyers on IG as well. The username to search for is DELAMOFLYERS. We'll do a primer on that platform next month!
LAX to arrive into the 21st Century!
Our February 19 dinner meeting presentation was an excellent education on the upgrades being done at LAX in their effort to make LAX traffic jams become a thing of the past! Our presenter, Stephanie Sampson, Director of Communications for the $5.5B LAX Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) filled us in on all the plans to make our LAX experience easier and stress free when we need to fly the jumbos rather than our own planes!The LAMP project includes a new 4,300 stall parking structure....an 18,000 stall (ConRAC) Consolidated Rental Car Facility (bad news for the 405!), a 2.25 mile Automated People Mover (APM), an Airport Metro Connector Station (AMC) which will connect to the Metro Green Lineand the Metro Crenshaw/LAX line plus many roadway improvements. All these additions mean a better LAX experience for the many who fly into LAX and for those of us who originate our travel adventures at LAX.
Another project mentioned but not part of the $5.5B LAMP project is the new LAX Midfield Concourse Terminal located west of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. This project will add between 12 and 15 international gate spaces, accessible only via underground tunnels. This new terminal space will open in late 2020.
There will be constant updates on the projects at LAX so for more info please visit www.FlyLAX.com/connectingLAX. A big thank you to Stephanie Sampson for her thorough update on the upgrades we can expect at LAX in the near future!
We also had a special presentation at our February 19 meeting from Nate Morresey of the FAA. Jim Piper received the prestigious Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, which recognizes pilots who have demonstrated professionalism, skill and aviation expertise by maintaining safe operations for 50 or more years.
February 2020 Ramona Fly-In to the Classic Rotors Museum
Our February 15th 2020 Fly-In took us to the Classic Rotors museum located on Ramona airport near San Diego. 18 DAFers attended a briefing at the Torrance GAC, and everyone took off for Ramona. In spite of our speed diferences we managed to keep the KRNM tower crew working hard as we all arrived pretty much in a bunch. The tower fit us into the pattern and there was plenty of excellent tie-down space.The staff of the Classic Rotors museum met us with 2 shuttle cars and ferried us to the museum (about 500') where we received a fascinating introduction to the Du Pont DP-1, a vertical take-off jet no one has heard of. The speaker had hovered and flown test flights in this aircraft (link here).
After this 1st lecture we had a huge BBQ lunch brought in the the staff, served in the museum's shaded outdoor seating area. No one left lunch hungry; it was an awesome display of BBQ finesse. During lunch Kel Vanderlip's high-school classmate Tom Pierpoint drove in from San Diego with memorabilia for the museum: Tom's father was the 3rd engineer hired by Frank Piasecki!
The museum staff took us in to the museum hanger in groups of 4-6, each with an expert guide, and regailed us with technical information, great stories, and views of helicopers (many flyable) which the museum had rescued and restored. The effort the staff have put into this acqusition and restoration task is almost too much to contemplate, but we were the benficiaries, and everyone come out more knowledable on the utility, quirks, dangers and joys of rotary wing aircraft.
So, a special thanks to museum President Mark DiCiero, organizer Chip Lancaster, and guides Terry Robinson, Joe Gwizdak, Howard Northrup, Bruce Klingman and Kevin Riedy for all their work setting up the transportation, exhiibits, lunch and tours. And more thanks to those Del Amo Flyers who came out and made the day possible!
A Ride-in to the Petersen Automotive Museum
Our first "fly-in" of 2020 was great fun. We had 26 people, DAFers and friends convene at the GAC early in the morning Saturday January 25 and took a luxury tour coach to the Peterson Automotive Museum. The morning weather was not too friendly, but the luxury coach make for an easy trip to the museum.First on the itinerary was a personal highlights tour, Leslie or docent gave us a wonderful introduction to the Peterson and some history of it. This gave us all a good overview and allowed us to revisit areas of interest. Leslie let us know some interesting trivia; informed us what the Peterson building once was, how the outside came to be, how the 'Miracle mile' name came to be. Once we had finished the tour it was free time, we had time for lunch and wander around the the museum taking in the collection.
The Peterson had a number of special exhibits going on such as Hollywood Dream Machines: vehicles of science fiction and fantasy; Building an electric future. If you ever wanted to see the DeLorean from Back to the Future, it was on display but we did not get a chance to get it up to 88mph as security was watching. Most all of us had lunch at the Drago Ristorante in the museum, and continued exploring.
A few people took a tour of the vault at the Peterson, where they large collection not typically on display. Quite a few ventured outside and to other museums later in the afternoon as the weather had improved, the La Brea Tar Pits was popular destination. After a long but enjoyable day, DAFers were ready for the return-home Happy Hour. Wine and snacks were freely distributed.
Thanks to all that made it and hope everyone had a great time!
Photos here DAF Peterson pictures