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LAX ModernizedOur 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.

Ramona insideOur 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). DB-1

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!

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

Our first dinner meeting of the new year on January 15 started off with a fascinating presentation of  the adventurous trip of DC-3 Flabob Express' trip from Riverside's Flabob Airport in May 2019 to the cliffs of Normandy, France to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6 plus the 70th Anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.  The total U.S. based DC-3 planes making the trip numbered 14.

The crew of the Flabob Express spent many months preparing for this historic trip, with private and corporate donations making it possible.  The Flabob Express touched down in seven different counties, each with their own unique set of logistical and aviation challenges. Those countries included:  the United States of America, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.

The crew faced numerous challenges including weather, broken airplane parts, lots of bureaucratic paperwork plus learning to deal with the private European air traffic control system. Unfortunately, a broken carburetor in England caused the Flabob Express to miss the June 6 festivities in France, but they joined up with the group a couple of days later.  After all anniversary celebrations, the Flabob Express and the other planes safely made the journey back to the U.S.

The Flabob Express Box Score:
6.5 Weeks, 98 hours flown, 9,500 gallons avgas, 70 gallons oil, two flat struts, six bad intake tubes, two bad generators, one bad carburetor, 13 border crossings and two North Atlantic crossings.

Thank you so much to our presenter Bill Tymczyszyn, one of the crew on this historic trip, for sharing this adventure with us.

2019 Holiday PartyThe Del Amo Flyers Holiday Party was full of holiday charm with a good time had by all! Everyone cleaned up quite nicely for this festive occasion at PVGC. Vince and Heather La Duca created the beautiful and illuminated table decorations that brought the holiday spirit to every table. We enjoyed wonderful fellowship, delicious food, along with terrific entertainment by the live band who kept the dance floor hopping.

Steve Sappington thanked all the volunteers that contributed this year’s successful fly-ins, dinners and events. He also thanked the 2019 Board of Directors for their service, but delayed the announcement of the 2020 Board until January, as a couple vacancies are in need of galant volunteers.

Kurt 20191120 202512-10179-800-600-100We had a great turnout for our November 20 dinner with speaker Kurt Robinson, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company. Kurt started out by sharing a bit of what it was like growing up in the Robinson household on Longhill Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes. In 1973, his living room, family room and garage served as the beginnings of the very successful Robinson Helicopter Company started in their home by Kurt's father Frank. Kurt didn't think it was unusual, doesn't everyone have a budding business developing in their family home? Doesn't everyone have technical drawings all over their dining room table? Kurt shared with us about the expansion of the business that would eventually take them to a 600,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility located at Torrance Municipal Airport. Clearly Frank Robinson, trained as an aeronautical engineer in Seattle at the U of W, had the determination and vision to make it happen.

Frank Robinson's vision was to produce the world’s highest quality, most reliable helicopters in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible. It became apparent over the years that their helicopters, in addition to personal use, would become useful in many commercial operations worldwide, including police, news agencies, cattle herding and cargo hauling. The R-66 Marine is also equipped with inflatable floats for over water travel.

Safety and training is a huge focus with Robinson Helicopter Company, with intense training available domestically as well as overseas. There have even been several Around-the-World trips taken in both the R-44 and R-66 Turbine. Since Robinson discourages any high risk flying, they are very happy when those trips are completed! The company continues to expand with various types of R-22's, R-44's and R-66's with more specialized purposes. There is also a focus now on manufacturing diesel helicopters. To date, Robinson Helicopter Company has delivered over 12,000 helicopters worldwide.

They manufacture over 300 units a year and sell most of them overseas. It is a terrific benefit having Robinson based at KTOA, ensuring many years of local flying opportunities for all of us. We thank Kurt for sharing with us about the past, present and future of his thriving company, in addition for the opportunity to tour his facility in February.