Take a look at this posting

This may seem a little unusual, but Please got to my Blog List and click on the Jellystone Air Park blog. There is a nice story about a Travel Air I recently came in contact with while on vacation. I hope you enjoy the story.    

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/FAA-Western-Hemisphere-Flight-Standards-Meeting-.html?soid=1102793168390&aid=8Wwk9jgqQPk

This is a great opportunity to be part of the process. Check it out.





http://myemail.constantcontact.com/FAA-Western-Hemisphere-Flight-Standards-Meeting-.html?soid=1102793168390&aid=8Wwk9jgqQPk

North Pole Airport Expanded Operations

In case anyone missed these charts during the Holiday Season, I thought I'd post them up for viewing. The North Pole Village Airport has expanded their operations center, and there are now some very specific rules and regulations that we must adhere to. Note the Cautions and Notes on the 12-25 RNAV (GPS) RWY 18 page. There are also new restrictions on page 2 under the Additional Runway Information page, so please be advised.  I hope you all had a Great Holiday Season, and may you have a Healthy and Prosperous 2014.

Signs from my Travels this Past Summer

Dutch village honors Santa Rosa WWII pilot | The Press Democrat

Checkout this great story about a Santa Rosa local, you wont be disappointed.  

Dutch village honors Santa Rosa WWII pilot | The Press Democrat

Cabotage Service Is Not The Answer

 Cabotage Service is Not the Answer

 

Yesterday an article by Matthew Yglesias appeared in Slate asserting that repealing our nation’s cabotage laws and allowing foreign airlines to service U.S. routes would revive airline competition and provide cheap fares to consumers. In response to this flawed position, ALPA has commented:

“Apart from starting from the erroneous premise that the airline industry is not vigorously competitive, Mr. Yglesias hasn’t thought his proposal through. Cabotage would mean that a foreign airline does business in the U.S. domestic market subject to the laws of its own country rather than U.S. laws. If Air China were permitted to operate cabotage service, for example, it would be doing business in the U.S. domestic market as a Chinese business, subject to Chinese tax law, not U.S. tax law, Chinese labor law, not U.S. labor law, Chinese environmental law, not U.S. environmental law, etc. We don’t permit this in any other business sector: if Toyota wants to build cars in the U.S. it must set up a U.S. corporation to do so and have its U.S. plants be subject to U.S. laws; if Airbus want to build planes here it must do the same.

There is no good reason to treat the airline sector differently. This misguided “cabotage is a cure” idea has been raised repeatedly over the years, usually by commentators with no experience in the airline industry. Not surprisingly, it has been consistently been rejected by policy makers of all stripes. We don't need foreign airlines operating in the US domestic market under foreign laws. We need government policy that supports a level playing field for U.S. air carriers so that they can compete in the international marketplace and continue to provide safe, affordable air transportation for travelers.” 

  

Just thought that I'd throw my hat in the ring on this subject. Now you know where I stand.  

Hiking Down to Emearld Bay State Park on Lake Tahoe

Now, you all know that Capt'in Fletterhozen, Owner and Chief Operating Officer of Royal Air Fletterhozen Airways, usually takes his family on the most Exotic Vacations imaginable. And of course,... this year was no exception; as you'll see from the series of posts coming your way.

The first posting of the series has the Fletterhozen family taking it easy in the Northern Lake Tahoe region of California, enjoying everything this area has to offer. For the first outing, the family made the hike down from Highway 89 to the beaches of Emerald Bay on the Southwest side of Lake Tahoe. Nestled on the West end of the Bay is the Great Vikingholm house, and here is what the California State Parks webpage says about this historic home.    

Vikingsholm is one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the western hemisphere. Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight purchased the property encompassing the head of Emerald Bay and Fannette Island in 1928 for $250,000.

Before starting construction of the summer home late that year, Mrs. Knight and her architect traveled to Scandinavia to gather ideas for the construction of the house. Work on the home ceased at first snowfall in the winter of 1928, and was started up again in the spring of 1929.

Two hundred workers were brought to Emerald Bay and started hand hewing the timbers, carving the intricate designs, hand planing the wood for the interior walls, and forging the hinges and latches. Most of the materials to construct the home came from the Tahoe Basin.

Trees were cut for their size and lack of knots, and the granite for the foundation and walls was quarried from behind the house. The ideas for the construction came from buildings dating as far back as the 11th century. Some sections of the home contain no nails, pegs, or spikes.

One of the interesting architectural designs is the sod roof which covers both the north and south wings of the complex. The interior of the home has paintings on some of the ceilings and walls and two intricately carved dragon beams. The six fireplaces are of Scandinavian design with unusual fireplace screens.

Most of the furnishings in the home were originally selected by Mrs. Knight and reflect typical pieces used in Scandinavian homes of the period. A number of original antiques were purchased and others were reproduced to exact detail, even to the aging of the wood and duplication of scratches.

The furnishings on the second floor were reproduced from the architects drawings of 18th and 19th century museum pieces. A step into Vikingsholm is like a step back into medieval times and a chance to gain an appreciation of a unique style of architecture and the person who had it built.

This home is so authentic to Scandinavian homes of the period, there is even a sprinkler system installed to water the roof where local grasses grow to this day.

 After taking in a swim on the beach, the Mrs. and the Fletterhozen children took to the water in Kayaks to explore the surrounding Bay.  They are on the left side of the boat in the foreground.

And while they were underway, the Capt'in spotted a BEAUTIFULLY restored wooden Chris Craft powerboat cruising by the beach. Coming down Emerald Bay to take pictures of the Vikingsholm just behind the beach area is a favorite pastime.      

  That is it for Day One, a good time was had by all!