Exploring Catalina

Yea that’s fun scenery, having spent many summers on Catalina in the 50’s & 60’s.
My parents had a beach house in Avalon and we flew there every summer when I was a kid. We took all the different air services out of San Pedro, Long Beach & Burbank. They included the Catalina Air Transport’s gooses, the Sikorsky’s VS 43 & VS 44 Mother Goose’, Avalon Air Transport’s DC-3’s to the Airport in the Sky,( a good challenge to land) and the de Havilland Dove. Here is a page from the local newspaper from Sept. of 64 showing some of the other airservices when I was thirteen.

 
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when my grandmother was a child,my great grand parents,,Rose and Lee Bennington lived, on Catalina.Grandpa Lee (the great grand,but we just called him grandpa lee) was a shipwright and finish carpenter,he built Zane Greys home and some other buildings on Catalina,one day while my great gran (GeGe) was at a small cafe',she was having lunch and doing some writing (she was an Author herself,which is how grampa lee got connected to Zane Grey,as she was at her table,the movie actress Norma Shearer sat down at her table and began speaking to GeGe,they became fast friends and she hired my grandpa lee to go to her home on the mainland and finish her home,her "man" had left mid construction.my mom still has a china cabinet full of "cut lead crystal" glasswear and plates..yes they are see through.she told GeGe she could have the set for a church bazzar to sell.but GeGe liked them,and kept them..at the time,Miss Shearer had said they were atleast 100 years old.so they are approching 200 years old now.it was also on Catalina where grandpa lee met both Mr Wrigly and Mr Kiaser,it was at that point they moved to Floristan Ca,which is east of Truckee along the truckee river,the house they lived in is still there,if you are eastbound on I80 as you cross the river,look on the hill just a 100 yards or so from the road now,there is a yellow two story house,thats where they lived,grandpa lee took the train daily to Tahoe City,where he was working on Kiaser and Wrigly's homes,he then worked on the original Cal-Neva lodge and casino.it was at this time,another contractor he worked for defaulted on payment,and when grandpa lee confronted him,,he gave G-Lee,100 ,one acre water front lots,but G-lee said they were useless and sold them for $10.00 dollars an acre.actually that happened before the cal-neva was built..also..my fathers uncle bill and his wife owned and operated a cafe and gas station on the north shore from 1914 to 1936 when Bill was killed when the wife lost control of the car,a brand new 36 Studebaker coupe,she hit a southern pacific railroad underpass abuttment at high speed,killing Bill instantly,this was on the old Lincoln highway/route 40 over donner,,the underpass is still there just east of Wiemar Ca.
 
Small world

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The Goose taxiing up the ramp in the newspaper ad belonged to, and was flown by, Bill deCreeft. He married us in Alaska, while we stood on the floats of his 1929 Travel Air 6000B.

He took the Goose up there in the 60s, but ripped the bottom out of it on an engine block sunk in the mud as an anchor. Acquired a Beaver and an Otter and flew the wings off them going places you can go any other way except paddle and walk.

Thrice named Alaska Man of the Year for selfless rescues, he quit flying a couple years ago with over 30,000 hours.

See http://alaskaseaplanes.com for more history.
 
Catalina scenery

This is great scenery. It brings back many great memories. I used to fly into KAVX regularly to get lunch or go to Avalon usually in a Cessna 172. From Torrance (KTOA), it is a 20 minute flight and one of the best. KAVX is always like landing on an aircraft carrier. The scenery is just is I remember it. If you really want to make your flight realistic, just add a 5 to 10 knot cross wind blowing from the WNW (290 degree Magnetic) which is the way the winds normally blow in the afternoon. The normal runway that is used is runway 22. The winds can make it real exciting on occasion.:untroubled:

Radioman123
 
Radioman123 said:
If you really want to make your flight realistic, just add a 5 to 10 knot cross wind blowing from the WNW (290 degree Magnetic) which is the way the winds normally blow in the afternoon. The normal runway that is used is runway 22. The winds can make it real exciting on occasion.:untroubled:

Radioman123
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Too true! Also for this time of year add the daily fog that rolls in over the South Bay, that always makes flying out of KTOA or more to the point getting back in a little interesting in VFR.

Great scenery, is the same scenery that comes with their LA package?

Cheers,
Sketchy
 
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