Earning My Wings at Quincy, California: Lessons Learned

Quincy California 'Snow-Bowl' with Airport in Center

Airport is 80 miles from My Former Home in Paradise

Johnny Moore, Manager of Sugarpine Aviators in Quincy

in a Photo Dated 1967 at Benton Airport in Redding, Ca.

"We do get a number of you flatlander wanna- be pilots at our Sierra airport" beamed Johnny Moore, crop dusting pilot, Alaska bush pilot, fire bomber pilot, author and Manager/Owner of the Sugarpine Aviators Flight School at Quincy, California's Gansner Airport-- on my first meeting with him.

He continued: "We will take you to proficiency and your ticket in just a few days."

I found these statements bewildering and confusing! I must admit, I was incredulous based on my experiences until now! Read on and, hopefully you'll understand.

I was at a loss for words. I had no idea what he was talking about. You see, all I knew was 16 months had elapsed since I had started on my private pilot's license journey on my birthday May 24, 1978 and I felt I was getting nowhere fast.

Yes, my instructor at Chico Airport was competent (he was flying charter) and guided me on my first solo flight on July 8th (what a super feeling!), my first dual cross county on August 11th: CIC/Chico, CCR/Concord, Hayward, Oakland, Napa and CIC) logging 3.9 hours with the logbook notation: 90 day-OK. This was followed by my own Cross Country solo on August 11th in 387 Charlie: CIC. Lincoln, Woodland and then CIC, ( 2.6 of tachtime). Then two more solo short cross country flights with my August 20th one totalling 4.9 hours. Only my long Cross Country lay ahead of me. I was buoyant.

Wow, with such accomplishments under my belt, I thought I would be ready to go for my private pilot's checkride in another 30 days. In fact on October 4th, I completed my 5.7 hour Long Cross Country from Chico to Fresno to Hayward back to Chico.

But then, a strange thing happened: though I was flying with my instructor three times weekly through February 1979 and accumulating a staggering 90, yes, ninety hours of flight time, I was getting nowhere fast; or, as my instrument instructor Al Stockstead of Eugene, Oregon was fond of telling me: 'You don't need to bore holes in the sky."

(BORING FOR ME, INDEED)

I recall one training session at Willows Airport where we practiced cross wind landings (35-45 MPH winds blowing across the runway) for 90 minutes. Though my instructor, with much concentrated effort, was able to land our trainer consistently, I failed in four attempts. Naturally, I came away disheartened.

After all, I was responsible for the predicament I was in: I loved flying, I was naive and, above all, flying was inexpensive then... so I suppose I stayed with him much longer than I should have. On July 8, 1979, after doing some VOR tracking and short field takeoffs, I made up my mind to locate another instructor. As luck would have it, I chanced by Quincy Airport where I had been transacting some business; here I met Johnny and his assistant Tom Rahn; I took a flight with Johnnie and liked him immediately.

I spent a week at Quincy Airport early in October, flew twice daily with Tom. Withing four days, they certified me and voila, I earned my wings. I mean to say I earned my wings the hard and long way.

Johnny and Tom later explained to me that my instructor was using my flight time to build up time towards his ATP rating so he could fly big planes for the big airlines. Teaching me was secondary to his career. And this explains, my increasing frustration after flying with him.

At Sugarpine Aviators Flight School, I realized that teaching came first and my instructors imparted their love, devotion and precision mountain flying to me. Their student focused work ethic was so evident that I came away not only with my 'ticket' but a love and appreciation of my skills.

Within 6 months I owned my own plane: A Piper PA-28-181, Archer II with dual Navs/Coms, DME and low tach and engine time.

How is that for turning things around! Learn from my experiences, check out your instructor first. Be sure his main preoccupation is you --the student! If not, continue your quest for a full time instructor.

And, secondly, don't sweat the time. Though you can get your ticket in as little as 40 hours, 60-90 hours is perhaps more realistic. So hang in there as I did.....it's well worth it.

Image source (1)

Image source (2)

As a post script: Johnny has published three books: his first is Breaking Into Agricultural Aviation, which he autographed for me. His second is a classic on his aviation experiences entitled I must Fly which makes for fun, hilarious and serious reading

My blogs on aviation include articles on: A Salute to All American Veterans, The Plane: The Ultimate Time Machine, The P-51 Mustang: 65 Years Later and its World War II Flying Aces, Chuck Yeager's 86th Birthday Flying Feat, Doolittle's Raiders Celebrate 68th Reunion, Lindberg Earns The Congressional Medal of Honor, The New Biomass Alternative Avgas Pioneered by Swift Enterprises Ltd. Coming up shortly articles on Frank Luke, World War I, US flying ace, Jackie Cochran, first aviatrix to break the sound barrier and Glenn Curtiss, aviation pioneer and founder of Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, now part of Curtiss Wright Corporation. Stay tuned.

My Passion for Flying Updated

Yours truly, Tell It Like It Is Blogger with Cherokee 387Charlie

Chico, California, circa 1979

Dear Aviation Enthusiast:

Here is a letter, composed earlier today to a fellow pilot who inspired me to share with him and you the following electronic missive. And I quote:

"Mark, I love your passion for what you are doing, your timely and informative articles and all the positive comments that attest to your success. So, with your permission, I am taking precious time out to write about some enlightening SIMILAR- experiences.

Flying has been such an integral part of the my last 30 years that I am constantly blogging about outstanding historic aviation personalities such as Jimmy Doolittle, Chuck Yeager, Robert 'Rosie' Rosenthal, John Gillespie Mcgee, Jr., Jackie Cochran, Harold I. June, Johnny Moore and too many others to enumerate. So, please read on.

Likewise, I discovered flying while living in the most beautiful areas of California, Chico/Paradise. What turned me on was the positive energy and excitement about aviation from my wife,  herself a pilot, and her family who were involved in aviation insurance in the Portland, Oregon market.

Before long I earned my wings from Sugarpine Aviators, up in the Sierras at Quincy Airport in Plumas County. My instructors were Johnny Moore, a crop duster and ATP rated (author of I Must Fly and Breaking into Agricultural Aviation) and Tom Rahn-- who both still run the school some 30 years later. They introduced me to the love of flying that includes a respect for mountain flying since Quincy and its airport are situated in a natural bowl, surrounded by mountains at about 3,000 MSL ; the airport is beautiful in winter creating a natural snow bowl and is  a 40 minute flight to Lake Tahoe. See by blog on this subject: http://tinyurl.com/296jtqd. My website is www.richardjschwartz.com

That's me shortly after accepting delivery of Cherokee 1029H

Oroville Municipal Airport, Oroville, California, May, 1981

I purchased a slightly used Archer II (this is 1981 and the plane cost me less than $30,000, equipped) from my neighbors in Paradise, CA (who ran Horizon Aviation in Auburn) and went on to fly my Archer II, fully equipped with dual Navs and Coms and DME.. She was hangared first at Oroville Airport in the Sacramento Valley (where I took further instruction with Orville and his assistant David) and then at Mahlon Sweet Airport in Eugene, Oregon where I was fortunate to do lots of instrument flying and DF steers in the morning fog with 6,000 hour airline pilot Al Stockstead, and lots of under- the- hood training up and down Washington/Oregon coast.

My best memories are of: getting up at 4 AM in Paradise, driving down to the Valley and doing lots of touch'n go's and night flying in the Sacramento Valley-- which is awesome flying in the calm under the stars before morning sunrise.

A few month later I did a long cross country from Eugene, Ore. to Charles Lindbergh Airport in San Diego landing 29'erHotel just as the fog cleared. The flight over the Tehachapi Mountain from Bakersfield south in early morning is magnificent; Route 5 below is a ribbon of slow moving traffic winding its way across the mountains towards Los Angeles.

I particularly enjoyed doing lots of touch and go's at Kneeland Airport, with its 2250 foot long runway. It's an unattended mountain airport at 2700 feet above sea level, 10 miles southeast of Eureka, California, along the coastal range. http://tinyurl.com/38n3ypj. Eureka is fogged in so much of the time, local pilots must land at Kneeland.

Finally, nothing can match flying, with clearance, in Glacier National Park, (located in Montana and Canada) in the winter with lots of mountain photographs of the awesome experience. Look for a forthcoming blog with a special slideshow from my experience in Kalispel, Montana.

One of the saddest days of my life was selling back 29H to the original owners 300 hours and two years later. It was like losing a long lasting friend.

Flying has been such a positive experience for me that I have maintained my AOPA (Airline Owners and Pilot's Association) affiliation all these 30 years; I have flown from Glacier Park International Airport (GPI) and from Danbury Airport (DXR) here in Southern Connecticut and blog constantly about aviation. 

I would love to fly up in New Hampshire--especially from the small airports near Bennington, NH in Hillsborough County. I look forward each summer to spend vacations in the Francestown area with awesome views of the Monadnocks.

Have an inspired day, all!

Keep your safe flying articles flowing."

Earning my Wings: My First Flight

That's me above with Cherokee Cruiser PA 28-140 (2+2), N8387C at
Chico Municipal Airport in May, 1978

2009 marks the 30th year since I earned my Private Pilot's wings at Gansner Field, Quincy, California in Plumas County with Tom Rahn, my instructor and Johnnie Miller, CEO of a crop duster business and Certified Flight Examiner.

My inaugural flight was at Chico Municipal Airport (CIC) on my birthday May 24, 1978. I flew Cherokee Cruiser 140 N8387C (November 387 Charlie). My logbook simply records: 1.5 hrs, dual, up Deer Creek.

My instructor is the first of many instructors I will have over the course of the years. He is tall, lean and fair haired. He boasts that his other students include TV Soap Opera stars who have moved to Chico from New York. He introduces me to Teal Nichols, a good looking well built blond lady. (Teal is a member of a group of 14 adults and 15 children who left New York in 1961 to avoid the fallout from a nuclear holocaust in the east, which never happened). I later learn that he is building time for his commercial license and that his real motivation is flying large jets.

An aerial view of Lassen Peak, locale of my first dual flight

Deer Creek is a scenic route that that follows Route 32 as it winds upward from Chico to Chester (near Mt. Lassen National Park, scene of a 1914-1915 volcano). The average altitude of the terrain is 3000 feet so we fly at 5500 feet The California terrain is awesome and Lassen Peak is stark dominant!

We logged 1.5 hours. As pilot in command, my instructor controlled all aspects of the flight from the initial check and visual inspection of mechanical systems, propellor, fuel tanks, oil level,
pitot tube, ailerons, flaps etc of the plane while still tied down, followed by firing up the engine, checking the basic instruments, magnetos, electrical readings, tuning radios, then radio communication to the tower requesting permission to taxi into position to hold and then tower command to take off. It was a sunny, clear day with little wind and my first takeoff is awesome: first pushing the throttle full forward to accelerate to lift off speed with rotation at 70-80 knots and then climbing out at 90 knots until we reach flight attitude.

Total cost $49. A great introduction to flight

Look for my next post in this series: The Cherokee Cruiser as The Time Machine and then followed by a blog on earning my wings .

Jack Sanoff, A Mentor for all Ages: The Ninth Transformative Event, Part III

Inspirational role model and mentor Jack Sanoff and I reconnect in November 2010 in San Ramon, CA, celebrating a 40 year plus relationship

In essence, Jack taught me several arts simultaneously: cold calling, selling and renewing. There was 'me'-- the product of an Ivy League education with three degrees under my belt and my mentor a product of the great depression, a native son of Newark, New Jersey whose real-life education began at age 17. He had an easy way of 'schmoozing' the client catching them off-guard with a joke or two and before I knew it, he pulled out a renewal agreement and signed them up for another year. He made the sale look so easy... and what really impressed was his massive portfolio of ads in a huge leather- bound three ring binder organized by category beginning with the letter 'A' for Air Conditioning specialists and Auto Dealers with dozens of ads pasted up on black paper with a cellophane cover around each page. The book must have weighed 15-20 pounds. 

 After a month of training with Jack in the Bay Area, serving accounts in Emeryville, San Francisco and Berkeley, I heard that there was an available sales territory north of Sacramento; so with my few belongings packed into a U-Haul securely fastened to my vintage Mercedes, I headed north and took up digs first in Old Shasta, California; in short order, I became Jack's man covering the North Valley selling ad space in Redding, Yreka, Red Bluff, Weaverville, Eureka, Arcata, Crescent City, Susanville, Chico, Quincy, Placerville, Sacramento, Nevada City, Auburn, South Lake Tahoe, Reno and Gardnerville (Nevada). In no time, I was able to save enough to buy a Sierra foothill home in scenic Paradise (CA), replete with outdoor swimming pool, two car garage, three bedrooms, two fireplaces and, of course the towering pine trees. It became the perfect weekend retreat for me. Jack continued to be there for me via the 1-800 phone number directly to the office in Hayward. And we spoke daily, sometimes twice. He was always ready with a list of new business from the McCords weekly of new businesses registrations. 

 We were Jack's men, the Magnificent Seven, who covered Northern California from Fresno north to the Oregon border: Derek S. , Kenny U. , Howard G, Hal S., Elton S., Harry L. and yours truly. We would meet twice a year at Hayward when the big brass would come up from LA to hold a sales/awards meeting. Our residences were far flung from Fresno, to Monterey/Carmel to Novato to Mount Diablo, to Sacramento. (It was thrilling to attend these meetings flying from Oroville to Hayward airport in my Cherokee Archer II-- earning my wings and time machine by being one of Jack's guys!)

 Jack would send out monthly sales blasts often pitting one salesman against the other for top performance. After a hard month of turning 6-8 deals (with his help) it was great to have my performance heralded in the bulletin (with a courtier character blowing his trumpet at the top). And there was always a $250-$500 bonus, to boot. Did Jack ever learn to pit me against his other hot-shot salesman!?! When I left Jack to open up the Dallas/Fort Worth office in the mid-80's, I knew that I owed so much of my success to him and because of him. Thank you Jack, you are a man for all seasons in my book!

   Sadly, I learned that Jack had recently passed away. 

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In Celebration of the 35th Year of earning my wings: Accolades to The Glenn Martin Company, builder of the WW II B-26 Maruader Bomber, to Peyton Magruder designer and Stephen Spielberg archivist

B-26 Marauder built by the Glenn Martin Corporation
(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

It's time to celebrate my 35th year of earning my wings at Gansner Field in Quincy, California. 

Just five years ago, I celebrated my 30th anniversary of earning my wings by recalling my first flight at Chico Municipal Airport and then completing my training under two crop duster pilots, Tom Rahn and Johnnie Miller, operators of Sugarpine Aviators.

Today, I would like to pay tribute to a World War II 'hero', the B-26, Marauder, a  Twin-Engine Medium bomber designed by Peyton Magruder, then built by the Glenn L.Martin Company and first used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, then in North Africa and finally in Western Europe.

5,288 of them were built by the Glenn Martin Corporation between February 1941 and March 1945 at a cost of $102, 000 per plane.

They were known for their high survival rate. The Marauders flew on over 130,000 missions and had a loss rate of LESS than 1 per cent, the lowest of any USAAF bomber. 

"Above All"-- they were  instrumental in destroying the Nazi war machine.

Stephen Spielberg

Click on the above you tube video to watch 1945 footage 

of B-26 Marauders in flight with soaring music

(courtesy of the Steven Spielberg Film and Video Archive, 

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Kudos to the AOPA PILOT MAGAZINE on its  feature article  B-26 Marauder: World War II's Unsung Hero , Mastering Martin's Marauder  in its September 2015 issue. (click here to read)