The Desert Odyssey in Photos – All Good Things...

[mrhenniger]

You may remember that earlier this year I was asking for tips when planning a road trip...
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=41361
...my route took me from San Francisco, south to SanDiego, east to Tuscon, north to Reno and west back to the coast.

Since I was already planning to travel to the west coast I decided to surprise my wife with a weekend in San Francisco. Catherine had to return home for work the next week, so we flew west on a Thursday evening and stayed in a hotel at the Fishermens Warf for a few days. After an Alcatraz tour, cable car rides, shopping, shopping and more shopping, I took my better half to SFO for a VERY early flight on the Sunday. I got Catherine to security and waved good bye. Now the road trip fun begins.



Thread Table of Contents
Day 1 – San Francisco to Mojave - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&p=433070#p433070
Day 2 – Mojave to L.A. - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=15
Day 3 – L.A. to San Diego - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=30
Day 4 – San Diego to Buckeye - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=45
Day 5 – Buckeye to Tucson - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=60 - Pics start on this page… viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=75
Day 6 – Tucson to Tempe - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=90
Day 7 – Tempe to Flagstaff - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=120
Day 8 – Flagstaff to Reno - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=150
Reno! - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=165
Reno to SFO - viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=165 - Pics start here… viewtopic.php?f=3&t=43090&start=180

Last edited by mrhenniger on Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:53 am, edited 14 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

The first leg of my trip had me heading south and inland. If you are interested in seeing my route go to...
Aerial Visuals – Trip Tool – Desert Odyssey, San Francisco to Mojave

If you would just like to kick back and relax you can watch a slideshow of the pictures I took that first day here...
Aerial Visuals - Airframe Gallery Featuring Photos by Mike Henniger

Last edited by mrhenniger on Fri Jan 27, 2012 11:31 am, edited 2 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

So I was able to get Catherine checked in and to security at SFO rather quickly. In fact I hadn’t planned on leaving the airport so early, so here I was heading out a little after 4 AM (yawn) and I was on the road. As a result of leaving the airport much too early I arrived at my first stop much too early, it was still dark. There was no sign of sun on the horizon. Fortunately the UH-12 I was looking for was displayed along side the parking lot of a Burger King in San Carlos. So I pointed the rental at the helo, flipped on the high beams and snapped a few shots. It also helps that my 7D handles low light conditions very well.

Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Burger King - UH-12

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:13 am, edited 2 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

So after getting my pictures of the H-12 I continued on. The original plan was to try and get pictures of F-86 remains near Morgan Hill, however since it was still practically the middle of the night I decided to abandon the effort and continued on to Hollister. The original hope to was spot a few Trackers on the ramp...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention - OV-10, S-2, S-2
...but as I got closer to Hollister I was just hoping there were be enough sunlight and the fog would thin out! So far my success rate was not great. I did manage to get a few shots despite the low light and fog but the results were not good.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 1S0569 MASDC, c/n 232C, c/r NR445DF {2}


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 1S0593 MASDC, c/n 307C, c/r NR449DF {2}


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 1S0587 MASDC, c/r N434DF


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - OV-10A, s/n 155427 USMC, c/n 305-38, c/r N415DF

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:15 am, edited 2 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

So from Hollister I headed east around the San Luis Reservoir, and after a short stint south on the I-5 I was at Oro Loma...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Central California Historical Military Museum - 9 airframes
...I was able to find NOTHING about this place on the web before traveling. Of course it was not open when I got there. What could I expect? It was still only about 7:45 AM. The hangar was not open but there was a Huey and Harpoon on the ramp. Gotta love the Poon!

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - UH-1H Iroquois [205], s/n 64-13656 US Army, c/n 4363



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - PV-2 Harpoon [L-15], s/n 37462 USN, c/n 15-1428, c/r NR7414C

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

So after I filled up the car with gas and myself with caffeine I continued east through Firebaugh, Mendota, Kerman to get to Fresno. I wanted to get some good photos of the planes displayed along McKinley Ave...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - California ANG - 144th Fighter Wing, Fresno, California, United States - 7 airframes
...Last year when I was there it appeared they were working on a new parking lot, at least that was my optimistic guess. As it turns out they were working on a new gate and driveway. When I stopped by the place was not open. I didn’t have a chance to ask if photography is permitted.

I continued on to the end of the street then turned north to find the ANG...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - California ANG - AH-1

They have a UH-1 displayed there, but there is almost no place where you can stop safely to get a picture. I was only able to get this extremely crappy shot with my point-and-shoot when I drove by...
Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - AH-1S Cobra [209], s/n 70-15966 US Army

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

On my way to the ANG I passed by the CDF...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention
...I knew there was a base in the area, I just didn’t know where it is. Keeping your head on a swivel when you drive by an airport really pays off. I made sure to return to the CDF base and I managed to get a few pictures of the planes on the ramp. Fortunately there were no fires at the time or else they would have been away.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 149265 USN, c/n 109C, c/r NR431DF {2}


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - S-2F3AT Turbo Tracker, s/n 1S0570 MASDC, c/n 289C, c/r N424DF {3}


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - OV-10A, c/n 305-164, c/r N407DF {2}

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I continued on my journey, first to the east, then south at Minkler to Reedley. There is a college there with a few items in a compound.
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Reedley College - 8 airframes
I could see clearly in the satellite image what appeared to be an O-2. It turns out it was only a 337, since I was there I snapped a few photos anyway.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - 337 Super Skymaster, c/n 337-0183, c/r N2283X


Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - B35 Bonanza, c/n D-2653, c/r N5261C

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I continued south to Sequoia. I found the airport, but the grounds have little to do with airport operations anymore. The site has been converted into a prison!
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Sequoia Field Airport, Visalia, California, United States - C-130, S-2
The C-130 and S-2 were still there, but there was no way to get a good vantage point. No pics.

[mrhenniger]

Continuing even further south I was off to Porterville...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Porterville Municipal Airport, Porterville, California, United States - A-4
...This leg was to make up for an error last year. I missed getting pictures of the A-4 at the airport because I entered the wrong set of coordinates into my GPS. I didn’t miss it this time!

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - A-4L Skyhawk, s/n 147727 USN, c/n 12491

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

So after I got my pictures of the A-4 I continued south. I didn’t go far before I came the local CDF base...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention
...and with my good luck there was an OV-10 on the ramp.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - OV-10A, c/n 305-122, c/r N400DF


Interesting though... no S-2s in sight. None. I wondered where they were. (this is call literary foreshadowing)

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:18 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I visited Shafter last year, but I wanted to return since I learned there was an A-26 parked on the ramp...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Shafter Minter Field, Cawelo, California, United States - 8 airframes
...I found the A-26 and a bonus.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - RB-26C Invader, s/n 44-35456 USAAF, c/n 28735, c/r N5625S



Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - CM-170 Magister, s/n 555 ALAT, c/n 555, c/r NX555FA

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I visited the museum last year...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Minter Field Air Museum - 10 airframes
...but I thought it would be smart to stop and take a look since I was driving by anyway. As it turned out stopping was a good thing to do since they added another H-34 to their collection.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - H-34A Choctaw, s/n 3H059 AMARC, c/n 58-589

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:19 am, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I stopped here last year as well...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Kern County Fire Department - AH-1, T-38, UH-1 (fuselage - mounted on trailer?)
...but I ran out of light before I could take a look around. I didn’t have a chance then to look for the T-38 on the south side of the airport, but I made up for that miss on this trip.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - T-38A-60-NO Talon, s/n 65-10441 USAF, c/n N.5860

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:20 am, edited 2 times in total.

[mrhenniger]

So now there was only one stop between me and the Mojave, I was going Huey hunting in Tehachapi...
Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Tehachapi Municipal Airport, Tehachapi, California, United States - UH-1
...My drive had me heading east on route 58. Once I got clear of Bakersfield I could see a column of smoke rising way off in the distance. I didn’t think much of it at the time and just enjoyed the scenery, and there was some fantastic vistas to take in along the way. When I got to Tehachapi I found my way to the airport and located the Huey.

Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - UH-1B-BF Iroquois [204], s/n 62-4590 US Army, c/n 650, c/r N70105


I mentioned I saw a column of smoke, well as it turned out the smoke came from a good sized fire just south of Tehachapi on the mountain side. Apparently a small plane crashed earlier in the day and sparked the fire...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/0 ... ml#s350119
...and by the time I got there it was really burning. I was miles away but I could easily stand there and see the flames while I filled up the car at the station along side the highway. The fire appeared to be working it’s way up the mountain. I don’t think I had ever seen a brush fire before.

Next stop... Mojave!

Last edited by mrhenniger on Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:20 am, edited 2 times in total.