Bush Flying Around the Patch - Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

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Bush Flying Around the Patch

Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

I must have said it already a hundred times, and uh-oh here it goes for the 263rd time, "Huskies are the best bush planes! Short trips, long trips, runways optional, adventures guaranteed."

Since Jimmy's bird has been grounded for some time, our good friend lent us his beautiful Aviat Husky A-1B so we went and set her free above the local desert. What a beautiful flight that was! Ideal weather conditions secured air as smooth as glass and the spectacular views we were rewarded with humbled me once again. I never take a single flight for granted. I feel very blessed to be able to fly with Jimmy the Squirrel who is, amongst other fantastic things, an excellent bush pilot. There is another level of freedom and it opens only to those who fly, and especially to those who master bush flying.

Passing over the compass rose. The one in KELP is pretty big and quite spectacular. I wonder if a new paint coat would fit it better but I must admit, I love its beaten state of existence. It shows character.

Do you also find the orientation marks on the ground at the airports photogenic? I do!

Leaving the 8L - 26R runway marking behind and off we went! It felt great to be back in the air. The destination for today - Timberon, NM.

Who here was missing the marbled hills landscape as bad as me?

After we left the marble hills behind us, we entered a flat desert terrain with shrubs, grazing cattle, and wildlife. Flying above these wide open spaces speaks to the depths of my heart. Why is it, I have no idea, I only know that it feels like home.

Here and there we could spot cattle grazing, chillin', and walking towards the water tanks to drink. If you squint really well you can spot a tiny turquoise blue spot at the middle of the star-like texture in this landscape. The blue spot is a water tank and all those lines leading towards it are the pathways carved by the cattle and ranchers. Pretty cool seeing it like this from a bird's perspective, huh?

Flat desert started rising and we were welcomed by hills that looked like a soft duvet was nonchalantly thrown over them.

A detailed photo of a fantastic addition that is also color synchronized with the bird - the red clown nose. What a genius idea to use them as a cover for the flap hinges. The sharpness of those darn hinges is legendary (as every Husky pilot knows), therefore, solid cover is necessary. Not only do these clown noses offer reliable protection of your head when walking below the wings, they also look good. Score in both departments of functionality and good looks.

One look over my shoulder made me see all three different landscapes. A bit of glare stole the perfection of this shot but sometimes I cannot eliminate all these little flaws no matter how much I lean and hit my elbows. I am not complaining! The views and photos are all worth it.

The hills started rising even higher and we were about to fly over emerald green forest terrain in New Mexico. I could not believe we were getting ready for landing. How time flies when you are flying.

After we parked the bird, it was time for a photoshoot. Simple and classy paint job on this Husky is perfect. You can never go wrong with white, red, and accents of black.

I must admit, our friend lucked out on this one! I remember when he was evaluating the purchase and Jimmy the Squirrel said to him, "If you do not buy her, I will!" That basically sums up how awesome this Husky is and how glad we are to have her in the pack of the T-hangar mafia.

Beautiful white and red Husky in a "hangar by the forest" ambiance.

The day was moving forward and we decided to do some more bush flying and to mosey back to KELP.

El Paso International Airport was only a few minutes away and once again I realized that I completely lost track of time. No way we were almost home.

Radiant marbling of the hills welcomed us again. I always start craving marble cinnamon cake when we fly over this charming topography and who could blame me?

Almost home. On approach to KELP.

After we landed, we decided to clean our friend's Husky and then we spent the rest of the day around the T-hangars. I was glad we hung out at the airport until the evening because we got to witness yet another mesmerizing sunset that only Southwestern sky can paint.

View from the T-hangars. Super Guppy under beautiful cotton candy sunset. I was staring at the view in awe soaking up every bit of it because the hues of pink and blue were this gorgeous only for a few seconds. Then, they faded into dark blue velvet. What a great day it was. Good times came back again.

By Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

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