Cleared Direct

Snippets from flying small airplanes in California

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About

My aviation story

When I was in elementary school, I checked out the “J” volume of the World Book Encyclopedia from the school’s library and asked my mom to read the entry on Jet Propulsion as a bedtime story. I had a fascination with airplanes and machines of all kinds.

Later in life, I had the fortune of living in the San Francisco Bay Area, home of a vibrant general aviation community. I became friends with a coworker who was learning to fly. He first introduced me to flight training and the flying club where I eventually earned my own certificate.

I started flight training in 2015, after a camping trip to Mount Whitney. Located on the the far eastern part of state in Owens Valley, I realized that one could live in California their whole life and never see this part of the state. On the eight hour drive home, I counted the general aviation airports lining the highway: Lone Pine, Independence, Bishop, Mammoth, and Lee Vining. And I thought “how much more of this state could I see with access to a small plane?” A week later, I enrolled in an online ground school.

Flying today

In 2019, I relocated to Sacramento and later bought a share in a 1969 Beechcraft Bonanza V35A which lives at Sacramento Executive Airport (SAC). What better home base to explore California from the air?

I have a career in technology and fly exclusively for recreation. I have a commercial pilot certificate, an instrument rating, and I’m an advanced and instrument ground instructor. I am always finding something else to learn about aviation, and intend to earn my flight instructor certificate in the future.

Online

I am a member of COPA, AOPA, ABS and EAA (#1264790). Online, you can find me on BeechTalk, Reddit, or you can send me a message from the Contact page.