Somewhere over South Dakota.
Last week, two air crews from North Dakota Wing Civil Air Patrol spent some time in Houston working on an assignment from FEMA. I was the pilot for one of those air crews. We were doing aerial survey work tracking the aftermath of the Hurricane Harvey disaster. In a future Journeys With Johnbo, I will share some of my experiences on that journey. Continue reading
San Antonio, Texas.
Near the Alamo and a large mall and shopping complex in downtown San Antonio, St. Joseph’s Catholic Church sits surrounded by a multi-story retail center known as Rivercenter. I’m in San Antonio for a conference being held at the Rivercenter Marriott hotel. In the mornings, before I spend the day sitting in conference meetings, I go out for a walk. If I head west from the hotel, I pass by this beautiful old church. Continue reading
Keystone, South Dakota.
On this week’s Travel Tuesday, our journey took us to the Mountain of the Presidents, Mount Rushmore. Even though I brought my “good camera”, I know I need posts for Cellpic Sunday. I usually grab a shot or two using my cellphone to feature here. Did you know how long George Washington’s face is? Continue reading
West Fargo, North Dakota.
Each summer, Pyrotechnics Guild International (PGI) hosts a week-long convention of their membership. Of interest to the general public, they offer nightly competitions for judging, vendor’s demonstrations and other displays. The conference is held in a different city each year and over the years, it’s been held in West Fargo at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds on eight separate occasions. The 2017 convention was held in West Fargo. Continue reading
Jamestown, North Dakota.
Early on a Monday morning, a colleague of mine and I were on our way to Bismarck for a week-long skills development class. Along the way, we stopped at Jamestown to grab some coffee and a quick restroom break. When we came out of the station, I noticed a caravan of two classic antique vehicles being fueled. Continue reading
Mandan, North Dakota.
Lately, I’ve been to the Mandan (ND) Airport several times for various reasons in connection with my volunteer service for Civil Air Patrol. Recently, after landing, we pulled up to Hangar 42 and parked. Unlike fueling your car, aircraft aren’t always ‘filled to full tanks’ for each flight. Fuel needs are determined by educated estimates of fuel flow for the aircraft in gallons or pounds of fuel per hour. Then enough fuel for at least an hour’s reserve is added. Carrying more fuel than necessary decreases performance and limits our passenger and equipment capacity. After we determined our fuel load for the next flight, the fuel truck operator from Clear Skies Aviation drove up and readied his gear to refuel our tanks. Continue reading
Valley City, North Dakota.
This week, I happened to be on a Civil Air Patrol flight and our route of flight was over the city of Valley City. Coincidentally, this week’s Travel Tuesday here, features the many bridges of Valley City as they cross the Sheyenne River on its southward trek through town. The largest bridge in the city, High Line Bridge, is an obvious feature at the north end of the city. Being a passenger on this flight, I had plenty of time to grab my cellphone camera and take a few pictures as we flew by. Continue reading
