The Fall Series Continues - Checking Out T89 - Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

ISSUE 906 - November 19, 2024 • Over 7,000 Total Ads Listed • 1,000+ NEW Ads Per Week
This eFlyer Has Been Sent To Over 156,000 Subscribers

Home

Browse All Classifieds

eFLYERs

BARNSTORMERS eFLYER… a collective effort of the aviation community.
YOUR photos, videos, comments, reports, stories, and more…

SUBSCRIBE TO eFLYER • SEND BARNSTORMERS eFLYER TO A FRIEND

*If images aren't loading, please try refreshing your browser.

The Fall Series Continues - Checking Out T89

Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

With Fall in the air and cooler temperatures during mornings, it is always a great idea to plan for some flying adventure. And so we found ourselves airborne again flying down the Rio Grande on the way to re-discover Lajitas, TX. T89 identifier was at the end of our magenta line and the mountain ranges and hills were flowing below us.

After approximately one hour and fifteen minutes of flight we were on approach. A beautiful canyon that was hiding our destination opened up in front of us and Jimmy the Squirrel sailed through it beautifully.

"This is probably the best-looking RV we have seen here so far!", Lajitas airport manager waved at us. "Beautiful Mustang paint job!", he continued. The manager who welcomed us was professional, helpful, and even secured a safe spot for our bird in one of the hangars. He was there on Sunday early morning too to make sure our departure went smooth. Shout out to T89! While we were taking our backpacks out of the airplane, a shuttle minivan from Lajitas Golf Resort pulled up and with a warm welcome from the driver we jumped in and went to the resort. So far so good! The middle of nowhere and such good service!

Rewards like these may come to all those who wake up early in the morning and fly somewhere nice. The golf resort and spa in Lajitas was a very pleasant destination and sleep-over.

Early Sunday morning ambiance and our time to fly back home. The Sun was just about to pop out on the horizon which was a perfect time for me to snap a photo of Jimmy's RV-8 in a very flattering soft light. She is a looker, let me tell you. Do not ever sell her, Jimmy!

As we were doing the walk-around and pre-flight, something atypical in the sky caught my eye.

"My Gosh, must be the ATLAS comet!", I pointed at the sky and engaged my zoom lens. I was so happy to finally get my shot of the comet when I realized that several things were off. That object was on the wrong side of the sky, at the wrong time of day, and it was moving way too fast while leaving bright smoke behind it. Something falling from the skies burning through the mesosphere? That is not a comet, it must be a meteor. AHA! "A meteor!", I screamed. I have never seen one! Score in the meteor department! I was so happy I could scratch that one off my list. However, my excitement did not last long because guess what. I was wrong with the meteor too! Only later when we arrived home, we realized what that phenomenon on the sky truly was. It was Elon's rocket's fuel base coming back to dock on launchpad in Boca Chica! 500nm to the East.

Is it a comet? Is it a meteor? No! It is Elon's Super Heavy rocket booster on it's way to dock itself back on the Mechazilla Launch Tower!

On our way home, morning light dressed the rocky hills and mountains in beautiful pinkish and orange-ish hues which glued my nose to the canopy in awe.

The glares were destroying my photos but I liked them. That way the photos looked real (from closed cockpit, that is).

We arrived home pretty early and even with the long stop at home at the farm we made it back to town to witness the second day of the Amigo Airshow that was held on the grounds of the Biggs Army Airfield. Since we did not purchase tickets to go to the show, we were left out with the option of pinning our eyes to the sky in the near vicinity of the event. We made it just in time for the legendary Snowbirds.

KELP ATC app on speaker - CHECK!

Folding chairs - CHECK!

Pecan nuts to munch on and a refreshing beverage - CHECK!

Even though we could not tune into the frequency for the airshow with our ATC app since there was an Air Boss onsite, we tuned KELP ATC anyway because the Biggs Army Airfield is located only 1.5 miles from KELP. If something interesting was about to happen we would probably hear the Tower communicating it. Out of the blue, a Captain of an airliner that was about to be pushed back from the gate politely made a quick request if the Tower could say "Hi" to the Snowbirds from the former Snowbird number 11 back in 1992! "No way!", I turned to Jimmy whose eyes were wide open in pure excitement. I guess you never know how cool your Captain just might be! Next time you board your flight, you may fly with a former Snowbird!

As usual, the high standards of the Snowbirds were mesmerizing. Beautiful and precise formations glued my lens to the sky.

A little skywriting from the Snowbirds. I bet on a heart symbol. However, Jimmy the Squirrel offered a different spin on the heart angle which made me explode with laughter spilling my drink all over the place.

And here were the two rascals who put a giant butt on the sky. Heart! I meant heart! Look what you have done, Jimmy! Now I cannot unsee it.

Star burst - a break maneuver. Even though I know that this means the show is over, I enjoy these maneuvers. The fact there is a precision behind something that looks so chaotic is mind-blowing to me.

And off they went. The Airshow was over. Let the battle with the folding chairs begin again.

Landing gear down. One after another, the Snowbirds were landing.

Not a bad score for the weekend. Flying adventure - CHECK. Accidentally witnessing and documenting Elon's great success - CHECK. Enjoying Snowbirds this year again - CHECK.

Until the next one!

By Dana Brejakova, Contributing Writer & Photographer

Visit www.barnstormers.com - post an ad to be viewed by more than 1,000,000 visitors per month.
Over 20 years bringing more online buyers and sellers together than any other aviation marketplace.
Don't just advertise. Get RESULTS with Barnstormers.com. Check out the Testimonials