General Aviation

July 31, 2019

1 Seaplane + 0 Beach = What Would MacGyver Do?

ICON-nie at sunset on Lake Champlain

ICON-nie Lives the High Life

Our ICON A5, ICON-nie, has been a busy gal: flying Virginia’s waterways, attending a local Splash-in, and hanging out for “show and tell” activities at the Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport. June came, time for our annual vacation to a camp on Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont. Of course, we would take ICON-nie there for fun on the lake. That’s a no-brainer. Right? Kind of.

At the time Bruce wanted to fly the aircraft to Vermont, ICON-nie got called to work by ICON Aircraft Company. Instead of implementing the original plan, Bruce left her at a Lamborghini dealership in Sterling, Virginia.

Lamborghini to the left, Rolls Royce to the right, and ICON-nie is the only girl in town.
(Thanks to Jimmy Buffett for inspiration.)
Photo by ICON Aircraft Company

ICON-nie’s job was to show visitors how smart and beautiful she is. She is very adept at making a positive first impression.

Imagine a Lamborghini as your wingman.

She hobknobbed with two new friends, a racy, red Lamborghini and an elegant, black Rolls Royce, which further enhanced her WOW factor. While ICON-nie was living the good life, Bruce and I were making the two-day drive to Vermont, our MDX laden with fishing gear, water toys, clothes, and food.

Challenging Revelation #1

On day two as we were leaving Kingston, New York, Bruce discovered that a front was marching menacingly toward Northern Virginia where it would bivouac for four days. Instead of bringing ICON-nie to Vermont the next day as planned, Bruce immediately needed to go to Virginia to rescue ICON-nie before low ceilings and high winds trapped her there.

I drove as fast as the WAZE poice alerts deemed prudent, while Bruce searched for and found a 1:45 PM flight from Burlington, Vermont, to Washington DC. I dropped him off and proceeded to check in at our rental. Twenty-one agonizing flights of steps later, I had unloaded the car while Bruce was comfortably on his way to Virginia. His plan was for ICON-nie to depart Leesburg Executive Airport (KYJO) by 6 PM and see how far he could fly before sundown.

Challenging Revelation #2

In the meantime, I discovered something that Bruce didn’t know which would impact ICON-nie for most of our stay. There was no beach! The lake was flooded because of heavy winter snows and spring rains. The lake had “been above its 100-foot (30 meters) flood stage for almost six weeks” and was just beginning to recede. https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/38807/20190603/spring-flooding-of-lake-champlain-beginning-to-recede

Flooded lake wiped out the beach in front of our camp. With no room for the fire pit, there were no S’mores this year.

With no beach, how was Bruce going to pick up and drop off passengers? Maybe even more importantly, how was Bruce and his flying gear going to get from the lake to the house?

What would MacGyver Do?

At 12:30 PM Bruce flew in from Sarasota Springs, New York, where he and ICON-nie spent the night. He landed in front of the house and tied up to a mooring buoy. With no other recourse, Bruce swam to shore since the water was over his head.

Bruce ties ICON-nie to the mooring and then swims to shore.

With some McGyver-like thinking and trial and error, we formulated a plan. Bruce decided to take the camp’s kayak out to retrieve his gear, not realizing he couldn’t get into the airplane without a high risk of tipping over the kayak when he stood up. Empty handed, Bruce kayaked back to the house and found the camp’s paddle board. Channeling MacGyver again, Bruce found a serendipitous piece of ratty, old rope on the beach, which he used to tether the paddle board to the kayak.

Try #2: Kayak tethered to paddle board.

Here We Go Again

Try #2 was a success, or so we thought. At 2:15, 45 minutes after he landed, Bruce was finally able to step from the paddle board to the wing, so he could get his gear and put it into the kayak for the trip back to shore.

With the help of a kayak and a paddle board, Bruce retrieves his gear.

At the house, Bruce lugged the kayak and paddle board out of the lake, hosed them off, and dragged them to their storage spots behind the house. He then changed into clean, dry clothes only to discover that he had left his phone and keys in the plane’s console. After uttering a few expletives and re-dressing in his wet, dirty clothes, he again tethered the paddle boat to the kayak and floated out to the plane. Try #3 finally got the job done. Almost three hours after he first landed, ICON-nie was resting at her mooring, and Bruce was united with all his gear. I have never seen him make a martini so fast.

The Human Tugboat

Fast forward from Sunday to Tuesday. The water had receded enough that Bruce believed he could beach the airplane. He wanted to move it manually to protect it from being damaged by the rocks, seen and unseen, on the lake’s bottom. In a practical move, he made a run to Ace Hardware to purchase a new piece of rope, stronger and longer than the found one. Back at the camp, he ditched the kayak, but took the kayak paddle, the paddle board, and the rope out to the plane.

Bruce discovered that the double blades of a kayak paddle worked better for his purpose than the single blade of a paddle board’s.

Bruce then tethered one end of the rope to the plane and tied the other end around his waist, making himself a human tugboat. By alternately dipping the paddle in and out of the water, Bruce was able to pull the plane sleekly towards the shore. MacGyver would be proud!

Like a tugboat, Bruce positioned himself to bring ICON-nie to the shore.

Out-of-the-Box Thinking Pays Off

The water at the shoreline was then shallow enough that ICON-nie could sit on the lake’s sandy, rock-strewn bottom.

With a rope tied around his waist and tethered to the plane, Bruce paddles ICON-nie to the shore.

Bruce and our friend, Jim, were able to board the plane from ankle-deep water. Bruce then pushed the plane backwards off the lake bottom, jumped into the plane, and started the engine.

With a push, ICON-nie is off to deep water.

Bruce then turned ICON-nie from the shore to head to deep water. The canopy came down when she was in the final position for take off.

Lake Champlain is a Disneyland for exploring by seaplane. Bruce and Jim are ready for fun.

A Happy Ending

Unlike MacGyver, we didn’t stop a nuclear arms seller or dismantle a bomb with a paperclip, but like MacGyver, our story has a happy ending. Who knew that a kayak, a paddle boat, and a piece of rope could rescue ICON-nie from an assault caused by flood waters? Every story should end like ours with big smiles. Roger and out!

Jim and Bruce are happily airborne over Lake Champlain on Malletts Bay.
June 24, 2019

ICON-nie: A Shape Shifter Caught on Video

A bird’s eye view of life on the Champlain Islands
(Photo by Bryan Holmes)

A Shift Shaper

Can a seaplane change to a rabbit to a bird to a fish and back to a bird again? Our friend and major airline captain, Brett Garner, thinks it can. If fact, he calls our ICON A5 a “Shape Shifter.” While we were vacationing in Vermont, my husband, Bruce, and Brett flew ICON-nie to explore beautiful Lake Champlain from the air.

The Transformation

At Northern Lights Airfield (VT46) in Grand Isle County, Vermont, the plane hopped high off an emerald green runway into a cool blue sky. Then like a confident Canadian goose, ICON-nie soared over rippled water and peered down on luxurious estates hidden on scattered private islands. Dipping earthward, she landed on and darted along the water’s surface like a lake trout chasing an eager fisherman’s lure.

Your Turn

Why am I telling you this when you can see the sights for yourself? Take a look at the ICON A5 Shape Shifter in action. Brett is the primary videographer and producer of this YouTube video, which he supplemented with some footage taken by ours sons, Bryan and Matthew Holmes. Check it out:

(Video by Brett Garner)
December 18, 2018

Flying fromVacaville to Virginia in the Amazing ICON A5

The following blog is a collaboration between Bruce Holmes, my husband, and me, Connie Waetzig Holmes.  The piece is written from his perspective.       

Long, long ago…

Ten years ago to be precise,  the ICON Aircraft Company’s founders, Kirk Hawkins and Steen Strand, had a dream to create an aircraft to stimulate new consumers of the experience of flight, or unbounded liberty in the air as I like to describe it, reaching consumers outside of the traditional markets for light aircraft, for example from the power sports communities. Their design had to have capabilities and style that would be innovative, safe, and fun to fly, landing on both land water (“Bad Ass” as the company likes to describe it). The result:  The amazing Icon A5 went into design and production.

Full throttle ahead to delivery in 2018: I and my wife Connie now own one of these awesome amphibians.  I took delivery at the ICON plant in Vacaville, CA, on November 19. The next day began the epic journey home to Virginia.  Why the ICON for me?  More on that question later.

Flying from coast to coast in any airplane is a great means of getting to know your machine, intimately – even more so if the aircraft is slow.  The A5 has a maximum airspeed of 109 mph or 176 kph. What it lacks in speed, it makes up in maneuverability and efficiency.

Delivery and Keys at the ICON Aircraft Company Plant at Nut Tree Airport (KVCB) in Vacaville, CA.

Oh Happy Day!

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Passing of the Keys and the Delivery Inspection for My New A5.

Flight Day 1: Takeoff from Vacaville, CA. to Fuel Stop in Bakersfield, CA.

The beginning of the journey: takeoff from Runway 2 at Nut Tree Airport (KVCB), Vacaville, CA.  On the morning of departure, I called Flight Service, gave my flight plan for the route down the San Joaquin Valley toward the Tehachapi Pass.  The briefer said, “VFR Not Recommended …” and “…  expect IFR conditions all day, all the way to the southern end of the Valley.”  His caution was proper and was due to the smoke from the California wild fires, still burning north of us and farther south near LA.  Because of clear sky overhead at Vacaville, I decided I could take a safe look; I could always come back and re-plan if needed.  The briefer was accurate (about the smoke) but also inaccurate (about the ceilings and visibility).  Actually, the ceiling was unlimited, and the visibility was more than 6 or 10 miles all the way to Shafter-Minter Field (KMIT), a crop duster airport near Bakersfield at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley.

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Runway 02 at Nut Tree Airport (KVCB) the Beginning of the 2,613 st.m. Journey to Virginia. (Bruce Holmes)

The Plan

The final trip itinerary did not actually emerge until about Day 3, but here is the routing that I ended up taking.  As a means of managing total situational awareness for the mission, I enlisted the help of a long-time friend, fellow aviator, and business colleague, Robert Wright (Wright Aviation Solutions). He and  I organized the idea of a “virtual copilot” operation.  We would hold daily briefings on the usual matters of wind, weather, and fuel planning. We also discussed a range of ancillary issues such as lodging options, crew-car availability, fuel price, sunrise/sunset, density altitude considerations in runway choice, etc.  Many of these topics were much easier for my “co-pilot” to investigate ahead of real-time changes necessitated by unpredicted winds or weather, all making for a higher level of confidence and comfort along the way.

We also discussed, but did not execute, sight-seeing side excursions from the route plan (e.g., Grand Canyon).  My single-minded mission was to bring the airplane home.  The splash-ins sight-seeing can wait for future flights.  As you will see, this trip had plenty of eye-candy along the say.

We used satellite tracking and text messaging tools during the day for double checking each of the flight segments as they unfolded.  We can imagine that prospective ICON flyers using the A5 for multi-day adventure flying and visiting America’s waterways might have enhanced fun with an “adventure concierge” support mechanism such as we employed.

Vacaville to Virginia

The Route Plan: Vacaville, CA – Bakersfield, CA – Victorville, CA – Flagstaff, AZ – Santa Fe, NM – Liberal, KS – Clinton, MO – St. Louis, MO – Lexington, KY – Chesterfield, VA – Williamsburg, VA. (Bruce Holmes)

The ICON has a cosmic viewing portal (AKA windshield) to the world.  I can imagine how the astronauts on the International Space Station felt when they got their new panoramic viewing window a few years back.  Airliner windows are way too small; in fact, if they would fix up a viewing bubble with seating on top of the fuselage, I’ll bet they could find a new way to generate revenue.  The sun was in my face for the three hours of flight down the Valley, but my vision was saved by the sun film.

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Simple and Low-Cost Sunscreen. (Bruce Holmes)

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Smoke over the San Joaquin Valley from the Wildfires in California. (Bruce Holmes)

When I arrived at KMIT, the crop duster pilots were on lunch break and came up to the ICON exclaiming, “Wow, what IS that!?”  They would take pictures of each other with the aircraft, while I took pictures of them taking pictures.  This was the first of a performance that was repeated everywhere I stopped on the journey home to Virginia. After selling me some fuel, they asked if I’d had lunch and treated me to some of their box lunch offerings.  Below are pictures of my plane and two of the agricultural aircraft.

 

Refueling at Shafter-Minter Airport (KMIT). (Bruce Holmes)
In the Foreground, a Crop-Dusting Drone (UAV) and its bigger brother, the Turbine Thrush in the background at KMIT. (Bruce Holmes)
Ayers Thrush Commander at This Crop Duster Airport (KMIT) near Bakersfield, CA. (Bruce Holmes)

Navigating through the Tehachapi Pass into the Mojave Desert.

After eating a bite and filing the flight plan for the next leg, I took off headed toward the Tehachapi Pass, the entrance to the southwestern desert.

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CA Route 58 Snaking Along the Tehachapi Pass from Bakersfield into the Mojave Desert.      (Bruce Holmes)

Spread below me in the Mojave Desert are Edwards AFB and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. These venues are where the future of aviation is unfolding with electric propulsion system research, supersonic boom flight testing to re-open the supersonic transport era, and the opening of space tourism with the recent successful flight of Richard Branson’s Virgin Spaceship Unity. It blasted to 51.4 miles above the earth and landed on the runway you see in the distance in the photo.  The spaceship/aircraft was created by colleague Burt Rutan and his The Spaceship Company. (Gotta love their address: Mojave, California, Earth.)

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Edwards AFB, NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center and the Mojave Air and Space Port in the Distance. (Bruce Holmes)

Next, I landed in Victorville, CA, at Southern California Logistics Airport (KVCV), kind of a “spook” airport. (Lots of aircraft festooned with lots of antennae and painted gray.)  I parked at Millionaire FBO.  Ramp crew showed up — wanted pictures of themselves with the ICON.  I think I held the record, at least that day, for the smallest aircraft on the field.  I took advantage of their waived parking fee for topping off my fuel load.  I imagine they were not thinking about an ICON showing up, needing only five gallons of fuel.  I picked up the keys to their crew car and headed to my hotel for the night.

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Millionaire FBO Ramp Crew Member at Victorville (KVCV) Taking Pictures of Himself with the ICON. (Bruce Holmes)

Flight Day 2: From Victorville, CA, Across the Desert Toward the Next Fuel Stop in Flagstaff, AZ, then on to Santa Fe, NM.

I was up at dawn, dropped the crew car back at Millionaire. In my adrenaline-fueled excitement taking delivery on Monday, I flew away on Tuesday from Vacaville with the keys to my rental car.  Before I departed the FBO in Victorville, I left the keys with the person at the desk, who kindly assured me the keys would be shipped back to the rental car company on my behalf. Lesson: Take a deep breath every now and then and ask, “Self, what have I missed?”

The ICON A5 and I were then eager to continue the journey. I departed eastward from Victorville — into pure, beautiful, desolate desert. Over the miles, the hazy terrain gave way to unlimited views of desert and the distant horizon.

 

Mesmerizing, Endless View. (Bruce Holmes)
Morning Haze Flying Eastward from Victorville, CA. (Bruce Holmes)
Serious Desert! (Bruce Holmes)

Looking north over Bullhead City, AZ, on the eastern side of the Colorado River and Laughlin, NV, on the western side, I saw green terrain. These two cities are known for their casinos, outdoor activities, and various sorts of nighttime entertainment.  Tempting, but not on my flight plan.  Bullhead City Airport (KIFP) has a runway long enough to handle private jets and the Sun West charter flights reserved through Harrah’s for “high-end gamblers.”  A Sun West Boeing 737 climbing out in the distance in front of me was one of the small handful of other aircraft I saw during the entire trip.  Needles, CA, is off to my right to the south.  These were the last fuel stop options for almost two hours to Flagstaff, AZ, ahead.  In the eastern U.S. from 10,000 feet, AGL, fuel stops are within gliding distance in many places.

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The Colorado River Dividing Bullhead City, AZ, and Laughlin, NV. (Bruce Holmes)

I arrived at Flagstaff, AZ, Pulliam Field (KFLG), for fuel and lunch.  The field elevation is 7,015 ft. MSL with a runway length of 8,800 feet.  Even the ICON would need about half of the runway on a hot day because of density altitude.  Here, I saw the second aircraft in my airspace so far, a SkyWest regional jet headed to Phoenix.  As was the case for more than 90-percent of the journey, my awareness of other traffic was mostly from interactions with air traffic controllers helping the big guys at the flight levels find smoother rides.  This brings up a point:  I experienced virtually no turbulence for most of the trip.  I thought about giving advice over the air, but settled for automated Pilot Reporting (PIREPS) through the apps on the iPad.

 

Flagstaff AZ Airport (KFLG); Elev. 7015 ft MSL; Runway Length 8,800 feet. (Bruce Holmes)

Mesmerizing Canyon-land and Desert Scenery from Flagstaff, NM to Santa Fe, NM.

The view from just above the landscape of mesas, canyons, gorges, and desert looks like being on another planet.  Here are samples from the flight leg between Flagstaff and Santa Fe. A thought that recurred was, “I wonder what this all looked like a couple of millennia ago?”

 

 

Wondering If This is a Trout Stream? (Bruce Holmes)
Not a human in sight. (Bruce Holmes)
Endless Views of Mesas and Canyons. (Bruce Holmes)

Here are more samples of the captivating view getting closer to Santa Fe.  Except for the industrial site on the mesa in the lower left-hand image below, there were few signs of human activity for much of this part of the journey.

 

 

Simply Fascinating Geology. (Bruce Holmes)
Industrial Activity on a Mesa, Approaching Santa Fe. (Bruce Holmes)
Dramatic Evidence of a Tectonic Fault line. (Bruce Holmes)

I touched down at the Santa Fe Airport (KSAF) and parked at their Signature Flight Support FBO for the night.  The next day would be one of the longest of the trip, so I found a hotel not far from the airport, called Uber, and prepared to be at the airport before sunrise the next day.

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Signature Flight Support at Santa Fe Airport, NM (KSAF). (Bruce Holmes)

Flight Day 3: Dawn Launch from Santa Fe, Skirting Their Mountains, to Liberal, KS for fuel, then on to Clinton, MO and St. Louis, MO. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Pre-Dawn Pre-Flight in Santa Fe. (Bruce Holmes)
Rounding the Bend at Santa Fe Toward Kansas. (Bruce Holmes)
Love This Technology for Terrain Awareness. (Bruce Holmes)

I left Santa Fe at 0-dark 30 and headed toward Kansas. The orange sky in this sunrise image is a likely a lingering consequence of California wildfires that I witnessed as far east as Kansas City.  This is one of my favorite images of the trip.

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Flying Eastward from Santa Fe. Orange Smoke at Sunrise from the California Wildfires.       (Bruce Holmes)

Sunrise East of Santa Fe, Turning the Corner Toward the Plains of Kansas.

Flying out of the desert to the plains, I saw irrigation crop circles in southwestern Kansas. I have been told that they are visible from space.

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Crop Circles Dotting Southwest Kansas. (Bruce Holmes)

I re-fueled in Liberal. KS, about 70 miles east of the state’s southwestern border. I called the FBO manager the night before about getting gas on Thanksgiving Day.  He explained, yes, his kids would be running the desk and gas would be available. Aviation is often a family affair, and this family delivered.

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Thankful to Find Gas on Thanksgiving Day. (Bruce Holmes)

After gassing up, I flew over Cheney Reservoir, northwest of Wichita, KS, a temptation for a splash and dash, but not on this mission plan. Eisenhower Airport (KICT) in Wichita.  Runway 32, aligned with the view in the bottom image, is the one I flew from on my first solo flight under my father’s watchful instruction. He exited our family airplane, stood in the grass along the runway on January 22, 1966, and witnessed the beginning of my 50+ years of flying.

 

 

Across the Kansas Plains from Liberal to Clinton, MO (KGLY), For Self-Fueling.

The left photo below shows the austere exterior of the pilot’s lounge at the unattended airport in Clinton, MO. It was not the least bit austere on the inside with leather seating and a large-screen TV.  Pilots like their comforts.  At first the self-service fuel pump would not read my credit card (oh-oh!).    I re-read the instructions and got it right, then continued on to St. Louis, flying over the Lake of the Ozarks.

 

 

Lake of the Ozarks.  

The Lake of the Ozarks is one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States and a playground for fishing enthusiasts, boaters, and seaplane pilots. In fact, while most of the state’s large lakes are open to seaplanes, they have some restrictions because they are Corps of Engineers Lakes..  The good news is that the Lake of the Ozarks is the only lake with no restrictions. It merits a return visit.

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Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Splash In Next Time! (Bruce Holmes)

The Junction of the Osage River Joining the Missouri River 

I had been following the contours of the Missouri River. I saw the Osage River to the right below and continued to follow the Missouri River straight ahead.  I plan to return in the future, following the trail of the 1804-06 Corps of Discovery Expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark.

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THE Missouri River of Lewis and Clark Fame to the Left and Straight Ahead. (Bruce Holmes)

Because I am flying low over the water, I have  limited ability to see the airport in the distance. The tower controller at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS) in Chesterfield, MO. offered to help by turning on the approach lights,  so I could pick out the runway better from a distance.  Bingo, there we are!  In reality, the GPS-fed moving map does a great job of providing detailed guidance, but it is nice to have controllers who want to help.

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Runway 08R at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS). (Bruce Holmes)

Arriving at Spirit of St. Louis Airport, Chesterfield, Missouri (KSUS).

This arrival at “Spirit” was at the end of the longest day, 8-plus hours of flying from Santa Fe to St. Louis, MO, about 1/3 of the distance across the U.S.  The flight reinforced for me how much the low-workload makes flying the ICON such a low-fatigue experience. Happy Thanksgiving indeed! It was show and tell time to the family and friends at Spirit.

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Connie Meets Her New Aircraft with Family Members Enjoying the Fun.                               (Marlene Waetzig)

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My Brother-In-Law, My First Right-Seater, but Only in the Hangar Unfortunately.                 (Connie Waetzig Holmes)

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Introducing the ICON A5 to the Next Generation of Potential Pilots. (Connie Waetzig Holmes)

Flight Day 4:  St. Louis (KSUS) to Lexington, KY (KLEX) for Fuel and Final Overnight Rest.

Heavy rains in the area grounded me for two nights in Chesterfield, allowing me happily to celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday and our nephew’s birthday on Friday with Connie and her family. I woke up on Saturday to beautiful blue skies and sparkling sunshine. Connie captured my takeoff from Spirit Airport in an awesome video.

 

 

A short 3 1/2 hours later, I landed in Lexington, KY., and spent the night. I do love a good bourbon, but this wasn’t the trip to imbibe.  I did, however, put a bottle of Kentucky’s finest in the baggage compartment.  Following Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail may have to be on my wish list for future trips.

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No Problem Finding Great Bourbon to Toast the A5! (Bruce Holmes)

Flight Day 5: Lexington, KY (KLEX) to Chesterfield County Airport (KFCI), VA.

“Did the weather affect your flight?”  This is a common question from friends listening to this story.  The short answer is, not really, except for a six-hour fog delay in Lexington.  I eventually took off and knew I was almost home when I saw the beautiful blue haze blanketing the peaks and ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

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The Last Leg from Lexington to Home Over the Blue Ridge Mountains to Virginia. (Bruce Holmes)

My goal was to land in Chesterfield, VA, before sundown.  Utilizing the advantage of good tail winds, I landed about five minutes before sundown. I then bedded down the A5 down at Dominion Aviation at Richmond Executive Airport in Chesterfield, MO.  Connie, flying Delta from St. Louis to Richmond, picked me up in our SUV, and off we went to the Williamsburg Inn in our hometown to celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary and our ownership of the A5. What a celebratory week!

First Engine Inspection at Dominion Aviation at Richmond Executive Airport (KFCI) in Chesterfield, VA.

Dominion Aviation at Richmond Executive Airport (KFCI) is an authorized ICON A5 maintenance center. The Rotax engine manufacturer (BRP of Wels, Austria), schedules a post-delivery inspection of the engine, including a download from the Flight Data Recorder of all the engine and flight information data from a plug inside the fuselage.  The technicians emailed the data file for the hours of flying to the engine company, to ICON, and to me.  Good news – No news!  In the future, perhaps these data can be sent to the manufacturers over a 4G or 5G LTE air-to-ground advanced connectivity solution for real-time analysis and pilot advisories.

 

 

The Wings Fold Back to Maximize Space in the Hangar. (Bruce Holmes)

After the inspection was completed, I returned to KFCI and flew the airplane on its first business trip  to Raleigh Durham Airport (KRDU) for work with my firm there. (I know, it is not really a transportation machine, but it works!) Finally a few days later, I flew the airplane to its home airport, Williamsburg-Jamestown Airport (KJGG) in Williamsburg, VA.

Since the airplane needs to work for a living, in addition to occasional business travel, I am working with the manufacturer to make the aircraft available for flight training and discovery flights in Virginia and Vermont, as well as in other parts of the eastern seaboard where water-flying has so much appeal.

The Flight By the Numbers

Here is a summary of the big numbers for the whole flight:Slide2The Aircraft By the Numbers (IconAircraft.com)

Here are some specifications for the aircraft:
Slide1

 

Aviation Aids I Would Not Want to Be Without

I employed the following leading-edge technologies available in aviation today:

  • Garmin inReach Mini (TM).  The device is a satellite-based position-reporting (over the GEOS system) and text message communication device (over the Iridium Next system).
  • Virtual Co-Pilot.  My long-time business and aviator colleague, Robert Wright, and I schemed up a trial of a concept for flight operations support (e.g., an “Adventure Concierge”) service using our texting capabilities and daily briefings, covering everything from fuel availability, to crew cars, to lodging, to winds and weather, to sights-to-see along the trip.
  • Garmin GDL-52 Navigator and Aera 796(TM) “Glass” Cockpit Technology.  The device integrates with the radio system to make radio management as simple as touch-screen can be.
  • iPhone and iPad – goes without saying.

In the not-to-distant future, we can expect to see advances in air-to-ground, air-to-air, and air-to-satellite broadband connectivity solutions that will enable many capabilities impacting efficiency, convenience, and safety for flight deck applications, aircraft systems management, and cabin and passenger services.  These capabilities will be enabled through bi-directional, low-latency, low-cost, highly scalable radio systems technologies that are undergoing rapid advancement today.  I expect these capabilities will be of increasing value to aircraft small and large, piloted and unmanned, fast and slow, and yes, even amphibians.  If you want to know more about what is coming, see SmartSky Networks, LLC.

Why the ICON A5?

As I described in the opening paragraph, the vision of the company’s founders to create new markets for aviation, markets beyond the past aging and mostly male consumer base, was compelling for me.    The A5 aircraft embodies both the new market appeal and nearly all of the technologies in which I had a hand in developing over the years. During my NASA career, I was involved in aeronautics research and technology development programs across a spectrum of speeds (subsonic to hypersonic); vehicle sizes (general aviation to large transports); and applications (from personal, to business, to public mobility).  The motivation that wove through all of those experiences was an early passion for flying and a maturing understanding of all that flight could mean for society.

Over the decades at NASA, I advocated for the idea that smaller, more advanced aircraft, advanced and simplified airspace management concepts, and community and neighborhood landing facilities would become vital to the mobility of future generations.  Today, we stand at the threshold of one of the most significant revolutions in aviation since the jet engine of more than 60 years ago: electrically propelled, clean, safe, and affordable aircraft. Electric aircraft are poised to transform the human experience of flight, the field of aeronautics, personal mobility, and even society itself over time.  While the ICON A5 is not powered by electric motors, all of the components of the aircraft — the structures and materials, the digital engine controls, the aerodynamics, and the flight deck systems — were  derived from work that I, my NASA colleagues, and our industry and university partners worked on over the years.  For me sitting alone in the aircraft, crossing the United States from Vacaville to Virginia, was “living in the message.” Now my ICON goes to work, sharing this message with fellow pilots, students, and the public who would like to learn about the joy of liberty in the air.

Question for Other ICON Owners:  What was your experience of flying the ICON A5 from Vacaville to your home?

 

 

 

October 30, 2016

Lake Bled, Slovenia: Of Churches, Castles, Cream Cake, and Cessnas

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Lake Bled, Beautiful Lake Bled! There are a few ways to see this glistening aquatic gem.  You can lazily glide over the lake in a rented rowboat or picturesque plenta to visit the tiny island that is home to the baroque 17th century Church of the Assumption. This church showcases ancient fresco fragments and an iconic restored belfry.  If you walk the 99 steps up to the church and ring the “wishing bell,” your wish will come true.  Local custom dictates that a groom carries his bride up those steps to ring in the couple’s wish.  Lucky for you, there are less strenuous ways to see this attraction.

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You can bike or stroll around the lake’s perimeter, always in sight of the church and the medieval Castle Bled.  At the latter, you can take time out to visit a museum showcasing the lake’s history.

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When you get weary,  you can stop at one of the eateries for the famous Lake Bled cream cake, which nestles  whipped cream and rich vanilla custard between flaky  puff pastry crusts.  This version of cream cake was born at Lake Bled’s Park Hotel in the 1960s.  (Photo below from http://www.bled.si/en/what-to-see/symbols-of-bled/cream-cake )

We ate ours at the Restavracija Penzion Mlino.  While the meals at the restaurant earn varied reviews, the cream cake consistently gets accolades. We took a respite on the lovely lakeside patio to savor sweet silkiness followed by a pungent sip of espresso.

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LAKE BLED FROM THE AIR

While boating, biking, and walking may be the best ways to explore the museums and restaurants, the best way to experience the beauty of Lake Bled is to  take off to the blue skies with the Karavanke Alps and Julian Alps beckoning in the distance. But . . . I am getting ahead of myself.

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TOP-NOTCH CUSTOMER SERVICE AT LESCE-BLED AIRPORT

October 6 found our traveling companions and us at the Lesce-Bled Airport. This homey little field tucked in the Radovljica Plain of the Alps hosts a myriad of opportunities for their flying family: fixed wing planes, gliders, parasailing, skydiving, and panoramic flights.  And everyone is treated like family.  We walked in without a prior reservation, wanting to know if we could book a plane ride at this busy airport.  The manager said that nothing was immediately available, but we were to return in a couple of hours to give him time to try to work something out.  Before we could even get to our car, he called us back.  He had gotten in touch with his son, an Airbus pilot on vacation who was hiking nearby.

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Gaspar kindly hiked out of the woods and into the cockpit of a Cessna 172 with a diesel engine.  This engine provided a smoother ride with less noise and three times the fuel efficiency than a standard engine.  Gaspar is an experienced pilot who has traveled extensively and flown all over the world.  So what was the drawback to this plane ride ?  Nothing, according to my husband Bruce.  For me, the plane’s size: a small, four-place Cessna that was going high, literally sky-high, over the awesome Alps. Gulp!

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FLYING OVER THE ALPS (GULP!)

I put on a confident face and climbed into the back seat.  Bruce, the pilot in command, was in the left seat, with instructor-pilot Gaspar in the right seat.  I buckled my courage in and off we went, heading toward Triglavski Narodni Park, the only national park in Slovenia. It is tucked into the north-west corner of the country, bordering Italy and Austria, named after the highest Slavic deity, Triglav,  who according to legend, had his throne at 9396 feet,on the highest mountain top.

THE LITTLE AIRPLANE THAT COULD

We climbed, we climbed, and we climbed, our reward being pristine views of Alpine lakes and craggy summits.My heart was thump, thump, thumping, as we continued our ascent to fly over the mountain range. Our little Cessna was buffeted to and fro and up and down by the winds, but continued to push itself upward and forward with the heart of the Little Engine That Could. “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” I heard in the whir of the engine. As I began to relax, believing, “We got this,” our upward momentum ceased and we plummeted downward, my stomach experiencing the sinking of stepping off an unexpected ledge. Well, the Cessna did “have this”; it’s made to maneuver in updrafts and downdrafts.  We continued onward, skirting over the snow-dappled mountain tops and onto the other side. Surprisingly, I found myself calm and enjoying every bumpy moment.

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The antidote to the poison of fear is obviously beauty. More mountains greeted us, their green forests topped with a white cape of clouds and a netting of filmy fog.

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CIRCLING LOVELY LAKE BLED

Leaving the park, we then headed east to see Lake Bled from the air. The church floats almost mysteriously on its tiny island in a vibrant blue lake reflecting the verdant vegetation and cumulus clouds. Buildings are scattered about, wearing white faces and terra-cotta or gray hats, basking in the sunshine. People flock to Lake Bled to experience this beauty, most by land, and a gaggle of tourists can crowd the town. Since Lesce-Bled Airport offers panoramic flights, anyone can enjoy the scenery, quietly and serenely, flying above as the swans do that inhabit the lake.

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On landing, we found that the Radovljica Plain offers its own prettiness: a kaleidoscope of patterns reflecting myriad hues of greens and blues.

BACK TO BASE WITH BRAGGING RIGHTS

Back on the ground with bragging rights and pumping adrenalin, we joined our friends, Bob and Marcia, who had flown the same route. It was time to settle in for lunch at the airport’s restaurant, Na Kležnk, so the two pilots and the two crew members could compare stories over seafood soup and salads with roasted vegetables and shrimp. We logged more than time in the pilots’ log books; we logged an experience fitting to be on anyone’s “Bucket List.”

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FINDING ORVILLE AND WILBUR

Leaving the restaurant, we were surprised to see two friends from Kittyhawk, North Carolina:  Orville and Wilbur Wright.  It seemed fitting to take Bruce and Bob’s photo with these two men looking over their shoulders, men who have inspired their long careers in aviation.

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ADIEU TO THE FAIRY TALE 

Yes, I was there, too, castle behind me, my handsome prince beside me, feeling like a princess for a day.  We were only one week into our almost month-long trip.  It was now time to step out of this fairy tale to experience other adventures that lie ahead.

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October 17, 2016

Working and Playing in Slovenia: Airplanes, Horses, and Gourmet Dining

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AIRPLANES

Slovenia:  Land of Surprises!  This was primarily a work day, but it was full of serendipity. My husband, our two friends, and I discovered the future of aviation at Pipistrel, a light aircraft manufacturer and one of the world’s leaders in aviation. Its paradigm-breaking aircraft include electric models and the first hydrogen fuel-cell airplane. Before the day was over, we also made three more discoveries: the iconic Lipizzan horses, the illusive bottle of gin. (See Really Life? You’ve Now Taken Me to Slovenia?), and another gourmet dinner at our guest house.

After meeting Ivo Boscorol, the company’s general manager and founder, we took a factory tour led by his genial daughter and public relations manager, Taja. Her enthusiasm was not hype. We saw the ground-breaking airplanes and the technology that produced them:  3-D printers; a water-jet cutting machine and an 8-axis robot-mill to fabricate parts; a quality control system designed and used by Toyota; and the building itself, a “green building,” which is energy-efficient and self-sufficient. Seeing the creativity of the process from conception to execution, plus observing the human team making all this possible, made us appreciate Taja’s animation even more.

Pipistrel is the winner of many aviation awards, but the one that is garnering the most attention lately is the NASA Green Flight Challenge Award, which has a prize of $1.35 million, the largest prize in aviation history. According to NASA, the award was “created to inspire the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and spark the start of a new electric airplane industry.” The goal was a lofty one:  to design an airplane that could fly 200 miles in less than two hours while using less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity. Pipistrel’s electric-powered Virus not only reached the goal, it exceeded it.  It flew using just over a half-gallon of fuel per passenger, thus achieving twice the fuel efficiency required. Pipistrel not only won this award once, it won it three consecutive years.

My husband understands firsthand what technological leaps Pipistrel took to win this award. He worked at NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia, for 33 years.  During that time, he was a member of the government-industry partnerships that developed technologies that now inhabit virtually every airplane around the globe, including the Virus:  glass cockpits, composite airframes, crash-worthy airframes, and laminar flow aerodynamics.Today, his consulting business has taken him to work in the field of hydrogen fuel-cell electric propulsion. How  satisfying it is for him to see his work reach such a successful conclusion!

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Our only disappointment of the day was that we were not able to fly in one of these awesome aircraft.  Pipistrel’s headquarters sets in a valley in Ajdovščina which falls victim to some very forceful predatory winds.This day, the Bora wind phenomenon was clocked well below the 125 mph that can occur, but high winds still held us hostage, so we were grounded.

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LIPPIZAN HORSES

After my husband finished his business with Pipistrel, we were able to hurry over to Lipica, the home of the oldest European stud farm to be continuously breeding the famous Lipizzan horses. We arrived too late for a tour, but early enough before sundown to see these beautiful horses grazing in the field. A return trip is warranted!

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GOURMET DINING 

We made one more stop in Lipica at a Lidl grocery store where we finally found a bottle of gin after a two-day search. There was one choice only, Castelgy London Dry Gin.  If we had wanted schnapps, our shopping cart could not have held the selection. I discovered that we found a very special brand of gin, Lidl’s own. The Guardian reported that in a taste test of both inexpensive supermarket brands of gin and more-expensive brand-name gins, Castelgy, the cheapest at 9.99 euro a bottle, did very well, earning second place.  (Beefeaters came in fifth.) We also un-expectantly found a bottle of bitters, so visions of Old Fashions started to dance in our heads.  Along with the gin and the bitters, we bought an orange, a lemon, and sugar cubes, so Happy Hour was just a car ride away.

Back at Apolonia Guest House in Sezana, the four of us raised a toast to a fun, productive day with three classic Old Fashions, plus a new concoction of gin, lemon, and a dash of bitters. The cocktails were elevated compared to ones we drank the evening before and a fitting introduction to another gourmet dinner prepared by our innkeepers, Marissa and Manuella.The first course was End of Summer Zucchini Soup, which was a work of delectable art in a bowl.  I don’t know what herbs and / or vegetables other than zucchini the gals put into the soup to make it so green.  The vibrant green was a beautiful canvas to highlight the dabs of pink shrimp, brown croutons, and the white dollop of cheese wrapped in a sliver of cucumber.  It was as delicious as it was beautiful.

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Tonight was “Fish Night,” and Salmon with Sage made an impressive main course.  It was moist and flaky, garnished with tomatoes and sage leaves.  Accompaniments included buttery potatoes and grilled zucchini slices.I have never had sage with salmon before, but the flavors marry very well. In fact, I found a similar recipe from NYT Cooking  that I want to try at home.

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A crisp Slovenian white wine, which I won’t be able to find in Virginia, complimented the dish. Instead, I believe I will pour a glass of Citizen Cider’s Unified Press; it’s off-dry, crisp, and excellent with all seafood.

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Manuella, with a bottle of excellent Slovenian white wine,  is an accomplished chef and gracious hostess at Apolonia.

Dessert wasn’t an afterthought.  Even though it was called “A Cream with Fruit Sauce,” its plebeian title didn’t distract from its royal taste.  In fact, it was so good, we didn’t even take time to ask what fruit concoction the rich, creamy pudding was swimming in.  The puff pastry cookie  and crumbles on top added the perfect “crunch.”   When we thought the meal couldn’t get any better, Manuella brought out house-made blueberry liqueur to end the evening sweetly.

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We still had one more meal to look forward to at Apolonia:  breakfast. Each day starts  with an omlette or sunny side up eggs, three kinds of meats, cheese, a basket of rustic bread, fresh croissants, and rugelach, plus juice and coffee.  As I write this, I have been in Europe for two weeks, and Apolonia has  had the best accommodations and the best dining of any of the B & Bs / guest houses we have stayed in.  Thank you, Marissa and Manuella!

Now, it was time to return to our rooms and snuggle into our large, comfortable beds.  Visions of not only sugar plums, but also airplanes, horses and gin would swirl in our heads, never a nightmare, just a perfect dream of all the varied surprises we found in Slovenia.