CHARTER A HELICOPTER TOUR FOR REAL EXCITEMENT
Story and Photos by Mike Russell
On a warm, windy and bright fall day, a Robinson R-44 helicopter landed at Big Bear Airport. In minutes we were off on another Executive Charter to emphasize to our readers how convenient it is to fly long distances in a short time over many types of terrain and in various weather conditions for any number of purposes.
My helicopter pilot was Robert Graham. We took off at 9:35 a.m. flying east over to,
and around, 7,623 ft. Tip Top Mountain, approximately 9 miles east of Big Bear City in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Tip Top Mine has been closed for many years however, it is still a tourist attraction for those with 4-wheel drive vehicles.Next we flew over Big Horn Wilderness and across an ancient landslide that slid down the north side of Black Hawk Mountain 10 million years ago. It is estimated that the slide sped down at over 100 mph after catching air beneath it. Today the slide is a mile wide and 50 ft. high above the Mojave Desert floor.
I noticed the huge rock pile nearby that is where migrating California Turkey Vultures stop to rest on their trip to Mexico each fall. There are thousands of them in flocks. They circle and glide their way south.
We headed northwest for an aerial view of a giant granite pinnacle we showed you in our last issue.
Giant granite pinnacle
In a few minutes we arrived at Daggett Field just a few miles east of Barstow, Calif.
north of Highway 40 that used to be the historic Highway 66.
Daggett Field
From the 1920’s to the 30’s Daggett Field was a refueling stop for mail planes on their way between Amarillo, Texas and Los Angeles. Though it was not common knowledge, Daggett Field was a training base for Russian pilots who were being taught how to fly the new Douglas A-20 Havoc attack bombers. Donald Douglas, leader of the up-and-coming El Segundo Aircraft Company was a participant in the Lend Lease Program that allowed Russia to order these heavily armed attack aircraft from the U.S. The A-20’s were being modified by a team from Douglas and lived next to Daggett Field for some two years.
The aircraft were being modified with 20mm nose canons. Afterwards they were flown to Alaska and then out along the Aleutian Island chain and then to the USSR.
Early in his career Donald Douglas got together with Jack Northrup and Ed Heinemann and a group of Wright Field technicians who designed the early version of the A-20 which first flew in 1939. It was one of the most popular and effective light bombers of WWII. It has been reported that the Russians ordered 3,000 of the 7,478 manufactured. The British and later the French also ordered a number of the speedy attack bombers.
Jets - Daggett field
Ed Heinemann
Ed Heinemann
Acclaimed Military Aircraft Designer for Douglas Aircraft
Ed Heinemann (b.14 March 1908, d. 26 November 1991) was born in Saginaw, Michigan, moved to California as a child and was raised in Los Angeles. He was a self-taught engineer. He joined Douglas Aircraft as a draftsman in 1926, but was laid off within a year. He found a number of other jobs in aviation until he re-joined Douglas after it acquired Northrup. Heinemann became Douglas’s chief engineer in 1936 where he remained until 1960. Later he joined General Dynamics as corporate vice president of engineering during which time he oversaw the development of the world famous F-16. He retired in 1973.
Designs During his long career Heinemann designed some 20 combat aircraft for the U.S. Navy, including the following:- SBD Dauntless dive bomber
- A-20 Havoc attack aircraft
- A-26 Invader attack aircraft
- A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft
- A-3 Skywarrior bomber
- A-4 Skyhawk light bomber
- F3D Skyknight night fighter
- F4D Skyray carrier-based fighter aircraft
- Douglas Skyrocket and Douglas Skystreak research aircraft
- 1953: Collier Trophy (for the F4D Skyray)
- 1978: Guggenheim Medal
- 1981: National Aviation Hall of Fame
We flew past the many million dollar estates of the stars and other famous personalities.
Home Along Santa Rosa Mountains
Note the geometric roof designs
There are hundreds of power-generating windmills that are clustered
around the west end of Coachella Valley furnishing power for the businesses and residences.
White Water, near Palm Springs - General Electric Power
Water pours into Coachella Valley from the California Aquaduct
and drains into a natural aquifer that stores life-giving water for the valley residents.
California Aquaduct
It was a windy flight up through the White Water area out of Coachella Valley and into the Riverside area’s Chino Airport where we landed, refueled and took off for Los Angeles.
The large dairy farms that have for years been a big business in Riverside County are now visibly turning into huge new housing tracts. The dairy farming business is quickly disappearing only to be replaced by thousands of new residences, parks, schools and businesses.
As you have read in our La Quinta issue, the Coachella Valley’s huge date palm groves are also disappearing and are being replaced with housing tracts. The Indio area is soon to be the largest population in the Coachella Valley.In a few minutes we flew over beautiful Chino Hills, Highway 73 and then up into the Los Angeles basin. As we approached the metropolitan area from the southeast, we could easily pick out the tall pointed-top of Los Angeles City Hall. The City Hall was designed by John Parkinson and Albert C. Martin and was completed in 1928. It has 32 floors and is 454 feet tall. Prior to 1960 no buildings in Los Angeles were permitted to be taller than City Hall due to possible seismic concerns .Some say it was due to the desire of city politicians and businessmen of the era to stretch the city out into the basin area. The City Hall was the tallest building in the city from 1928 to 1964. The top of the edifice was constructed to look like the Mausoleum of Massollos, a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus (presently Bodrum, Turkey).
Los Angeles City Hall
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