Let's mix it up and fill in some experience gaps: RTW 2015

[mrs.dr.ron]

I know what an Explorer is It was the "LOTFAP" I didn't understand...

You need this list - I found it helpful -

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....ions/abbreviations-and-explanations-5056.html

 

[JohnM]

After leaving Springerville and heading S on the Coronado Way, the road rose quite qickly to about 8500 feet through the White Mountains. Not sure whether they are named after the rather distinctive pale soil or because it's very snowy there in winter. It's very much a hunting area in summer and skiing in winter.

There were initially some alpine-like meadows around a town called...Alpine! It then became pine forest for for much of the N half of the route, a lot of it still in the early stages of recovery from a fierce wildfire in 2011. Further S, the road neared some ridges and some view points appeared. The first was called 'Blue Vista' for obvious reasons. It is hard to get meaningful pics of such wide vistas when the contrast is washed out by the haze and it was very cloudy today. Anyway, I'll put up a few from my phone shortly and we'll see how they go.

Further S, as the road drops down to about 4000 feet through some nice hairpins, there is a huge Freemont copper mine that seems to be gnawing the side of a mountain away, as well as going deeply into a pit.

From there, it was down to the plain and over to the freeway for the run into Tucson. Detoured to the E Saguaro National Park on the fringe of Tucson to scope out the vegetation on the way in. Staying tonight in Tucson near Arizona State Uni.

Pics to follow.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Last one is prickly pear fruit - sorbetto, for the making of for those that read the wine thread .

 

[Infreq]

The pics are working well!

 

[JohnM]

I spent almost all of today at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson (Google it). It is the third largest air museum in LOTFAP after the Smithsonian in DC and the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

It's adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base which houses the 'Boneyard' Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. This is overseen by the USAF but all employees are civilians - apparently many retired military engineering and maintenance-type people find jobs there. Essentially, aircraft that have reached the end of their serviceable life or which are redundant to current needs are sent her to be sealed up for spares, possible return to service or for sale to foreign (friendly) countries who need some 'new' kit.

All the windows, doors and other gaps are sealed and then coated with a white reflective coating. Some things, like engines or smaller aircraft or helicopters still in serviceable condition are fully sealed in the film.

The array of aircraft at the museum has to be seen to be believed - ranging from the familiar to an incredible array of oddities and one-offs. There are some displays specific to events such as the European and Pacific theatres of the war (from a primarily US perspective, obviously), to a space-related display and a specific detailed display on the 390th Group B24 bombers in WW2.

I took heaps of pics that are a bit hard to sort into some semblance of order or theme on an iPhone/iPad so I'll just bomb the thread and try to add a brief note on specific items.

However, before that. I was lined up at the door before opening at 0900 and there were some very pretty flowering leguminous plants outside attracting some rather pretty butterflies so I put the iPhone camera to the test. Those pics will come first.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

A 787 is a recent addition. It's airframe 2 of the 3 experimental aircraft and has been donated by Boeing to the museum. The reason why it's in ANA livery is that ANA was the launch customer. One of the others is in Seattle and the third is in, or going to Japan for musem display. They are not fitted with seating, galleys etc,

That's a very diminutive JohnM standing in front of the nosewheels.

 

[JohnM]

The sort of chariot that JB747 used to fly, Blue Angels are the US Navy demonstration team (go to Navy Week in SFO in October to see some real action!), Tomcat, SR71 and a Bahrain Airforce Jaguar in their version of camouflage!

 

[JohnM]

Various helicopters including a skycrane.

Air Force One DC6B circa John F Kennedy, a Super Constellation.

 

[JohnM]

Mustang, Guppy, B-29, a British marine reconnaisance-type bird with funny contra-rotating props. They ran both to get speed to reach station, then switched to one to loiter, B-24.

 

[JohnM]

A few boneyard pics.

 

[JohnM]

Just checked in at PHX for a leisurely Saturday flying.

"Where are you going sir?" says the check-in agent. "SFO via DFW" says me. Guy's eyes just about pop out of his head. "You're the customer sir!".

Of course I am....

 

[RooFlyer]

Love it! Going to the Seattle Museum of Flight today.

 

[TomVexille]

Just checked in at PHX for a leisurely Saturday flying.

"Where are you going sir?" says the check-in agent. "SFO via DFW" says me. Guy's eyes just about pop out of his head. "You're the customer sir!".

Of course I am....

Haven't quite managed to get that reaction myself yet :mrgreen:

 

[JohnM]

Love it! Going to the Seattle Museum of Flight today.

That one is a cracker, too. Step inside a Concorde and the B707 Air Force 1 and there's a SR 71 there as well IIRC.

 

[JohnM]

Now that was a very pleasant Saturday! And a handy 180 SC in the bank.

I happened to look out of the window after what I must say was an extremely good lunch and wines (both white & red) on the AA bird DFW-SFO to see some stunning landscape below. The sky was clear and the sun on just the right angle to capture the landforms pretty clearly.

I figure I was over N Arizona and pretty sure over Monument Valley.

Pics follow.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

 

[RooFlyer]

Gorgeous! If I may intrude on your TR:

"The earth is a geologist's paradise."