August 16, 2022 New Horizons

The Liberty Gazette

August 16, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

After becoming empty-nesters, William Bartz and his wife, Katie, of Mont Belvieu, looked forward to more freedom, especially travel. So, when William was laid off from his job in oil and gas, it seemed the perfect time to get serious about learning to fly. He wasted no time starting his journey to a new career as a professional pilot. Within two months, William earned his private pilot certificate, a major accomplishment. He has already taken the written exams for his instrument and instrument instructor ratings; he's on a fast-track at ATP flight school at Ellington, a great place to learn to fly with a variety of air traffic – military, corporate, occasional airline, students, and NASA. 

His schedule is intense, studying and flying seven days a week. It’s been a while since he was in school, so the challenge is exhilarating. He feels sharper, engaging his brain to such a degree. And William’s no slouch. With a mathematics degree and a background in finance and business development, he’s done a fair amount of learning. But this is new and different, and he’s giving it all he’s got. 

“There’s so much to learn about flying,” he says. “Like the illusions of night flying. They’re real! Learning to land at night is completely different. And weather. I look at the sky and find myself analyzing what’s happening in the atmosphere. I have names for what I see now that I hadn’t known before. And I was surprised to learn that even here in Southeast Texas, where it’s hot, there can be ice at higher altitudes.”

He’s fascinated by flight. Aeronautical engineering has captivated his sense of wonder. When he considers a certain part of an aircraft, such as the pitot tube, he wonders, how did someone think of that? Imagine inventing a way to detect air pressure and provide a read-out instrument, so a pilot knows the altitude of the aircraft. These are the kinds of things William contemplates with awe. 

All the firsts are amazing. “The first time I took off,” he adds, “my first landing, first solo, I thought, ‘I just did that! I can do this! Why not?’” He can see his skills improving, and it’s incredibly satisfying to grease a landing. Especially if it’s in a crosswind. And it has led to increased confidence. 

He’s looking forward to being in control of a large jet aircraft, to having a career that depends fully on his performance, and now he knows he can do it. His end goal is a career that will allow him and Katie to travel. While that may be an airline job, William is open to the options. Besides, he owes her a trip to Italy, after that snafu on their honeymoon when they landed in London, with his passport expiring in less than six months.

“But,” he laughs, “a more immediate goal these days is flying an airplane with air conditioning.”

Here’s to the exciting journey ahead, William. May your new horizons be full of blue skies.

 

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com

August 9, 2022 The Results Are In!

The Liberty Gazette

August 9, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Linda: Last month we spilled the beans about ordering coffee from four small businesses selling aviation-themed java, and we promised to let you know how it all poured out. Here it is. 

Mike: We’re not tasting experts, but it might be fair to call us coffee snobs. We also believe in supporting small businesses, which means our support excludes what one pundit described as “a ‘social justice’ company that just happens to sell overpriced, burnt coffee.”

All of the coffees that arrived on our doorstep provided a good experience. We may have our favorites, but taste is individual. The choice of fine, medium, or course grind, and the ratio of coffee to water, will also lie with the consumer, as will the brewing method (we medium-grind and use a drip coffee maker). Therefore, please take all variables into consideration.

From these four companies, we ordered seven different coffees on the internet on the same evening, July 5. The first to arrive was a bag of whole beans from Aviation Coffee, in Havana, Illinois. This was their Brazil Cerrado, which is a light roast. The beans released an inviting aroma when I ground them, and the coffee has a nice, stable flavor. A neat plus is that this company is owned by a husband and wife who are both pilots.

Linda: The next to arrive was “Blend 172, First Flight,” from JetFuel Coffee, in Orlando, Florida. They really delivered on their promise. This organic Arabica is sweet, spicy, and rich. Makes for a good morning pre-flight start. This one well suits my preference for an exciting light roast. 

Mike: The next one to find its way to us was the Lost Aviator. We ordered four different kinds, and we can confirm that we found great coffee. Their light roast, “Aurora,” has a rich, full flavor, and the aroma from grinding the beans is out of this world. Their Kenya single-origin medium roast, “Destinations,” and “Prohibition Roast,” a barrel-aged Brazilian dark roast, are so unique, it’s tough to decide which I like better.

Linda: Lost Aviator, from Guelph, Ontario also has a medium roast, “Constellation,” which fit into the category of a good classic taste. I, too, love “Destinations.” It’s low acidity and full-bodied, with notes of toasted nuts and plum. “Prohibition Roast,” with gifts of whiskey for both nose and palette, is like nothing I’ve had before.

The last to arrive came all the way from Vancouver, British Columbia. Threshold Coffee’s medium roast (no fancy name) is just as they advertise, a rich, classic taste and vibe. Plus, a portion of our purchase went to charity.

A word about customer experience: Ordering was quick and easy from all four companies. An extra boost goes to Threshold because the shipping company damaged the first package, and in rapid response, they rushed to roast a second bag for us and shipped it out pronto, with excellent communication. 

Conclusion: You can’t go wrong with any of these. Order at aviation-coffee.com, jetfuelcoffee.co, lostaviatorcoffee.com, and thresholdcoffee.co.

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com

August 2, 2022 A Runway Engraved

The Liberty Gazette

August 2, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Mike: We were on approach to the Savanah/Hilton Head International Airport when my co-pilot commented that we might see a ghost. When I asked why, he replied that people were buried in the runway. What? After touchdown, we slowed to a crawl and two headstones on the north side of the runway came into view. I thought it was a joke, but the embedded graves are real. In fact, they are even included in professional aircraft simulator graphics.

Richard Dotson was born March of 1797. Catherine Smith was exactly five weeks older. The couple met, courted, and married in 1820. They bought farmland in what was then known as Cherokee Hills, in Chatham County, Georgia, and in 1833, their son Sampson was born. He blessed his parents with four grandchildren, who begat many more generations. It seems that sense of honor and respect for their ancestors was instilled throughout the family tree. Catherine passed away in 1877, and Richard joined her seven years later. They were buried side-by-side in the family cemetery on their farm they toiled over and loved.

In the Golden Age of Aviation, Chatham Field airport was built on the neighboring land. And 58 years after Richard had passed, when our country was steeped in World War II, the federal government included Chatham Field in their expansion plans. By this time, the city of Savannah owned the property 

and leased 1,100 acres to the Army for a command base for training the heavy bombardment combat crew of the Army Air Corp’s second bomb wing. The land lease included the Dotson family cemetery. 

Now this kind of development is not unusual, and in most cases, the party doing the building pays to have remains moved to another cemetery. The only requirement is the approval of the next of kin. That’s what stopped the feds right in their tracks. The descendants agreed to moving the bodies of family, enslaved people, and employees from approximately 100 graves to the Bonaventure cemetery in Savannah. But there were four family members whose relocation they denied: Richard and Catherine, and two others, John Dotson and Daniel Hueston, who they knew would wish to rest forever on the land they worked. But we have to wonder just how restful a place it is these days.

When the Army Air Corps was ready to pour the concrete for the 9,351-foot runway, they had no choice but to place it over the Dotsons. B-24 “Liberators” and B-17 “Flying Fortresses” would be landing and taking off here in defense of freedom. 

Today, at the approach end of runway 10 at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, formerly Chatham Field, are two grave markers: “Catherine Smith Dotson, born February 14, 1797, died November 23, 1877, age 80. Gone home to rest.” And “Richard Dotson, born March 21, 1797, died March 29, 1884, age 87. At rest.” John and Daniel are buried just off the runway. Family members can visit the graves but can’t leave any flowers.

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com

July 26, 2022 Cool Places

The Liberty Gazette

July 26, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Historic vacation spots are cool. Here’s one for fellow history lovers and aviation kindred spirits: The Grosse Ile Pilot House in Grosse Ile, Michigan (“Big Island,” named by creative French explorers in 1679). The Pilot House, now a hotel, was formerly the mess hall and dormitory for the U.S. Navy Reserves, which moved to the island in 1929, during the Golden Age of Aviation. 

Also at the Grosse Ile Air Field was the Aircraft Development Corporation, building an all-metal blimp, the ZMC-2. The Navy flew it for ten years before retiring it. And, the renowned aviation company, Curtiss-Wright, built gliders there and introduced them into the Navy’s training program at Grosse Ile. Life was so good that the Marines couldn’t let this place pass them up, so they brought a couple of units to the aviation base. 

Sadly, as we all know (and are marching toward a repeat), heading into the 1930’s, bad times were dumped on the citizenry of America the Beautiful. We all know who did this, and it’s the same worthless group inflicting harm today. They put the Curtiss-Wright facility out of business, which made the property ripe for takeover by the federal government. Nothing good about that, except that the Navy then built new runways and taxiways (which surely private enterprise could have and would have done eventually, had they not been sacked).

The airport emerged as a primary flight training base, where many Naval Aviators learned to fly before moving to Pensacola for advanced training. By the time we were nearing our involvement in the Second World War, 2,900 pilots had been accepted into the ramped-up training program in its first three months. Cadets came over from Great Britain, too, making Grosse Ile the leading training center, and by 1944, this place housed over 800 cadets from here and abroad, all learning to fly and to defend freedom in America and the world.

By VJ Day, however, when many training bases became ghost towns, the Navy implemented a postwar program at Grosse Ile, which kept the base going until 1969. That’s when the feds decided not to maintain military aviation training (peace out, man), and Grosse Ile Township took over and turned it into a civilian airport. Today, the airport beckons travelers to land on the little island that sits at the confluence of the Detroit River and Lake Erie.

Today, you can stay in the old Curtiss-Wright barracks. It was first renovated as the Pilot House in 1981, welcoming pilots, aviation enthusiasts, and others. They also host special events, such as weddings and banquets, on the upper floor, and you can see the original dance floor and two original fireplaces in the section that was the Officers’ Club.

If you hadn’t thought of a reason to visit Michigan, perhaps that will give you some incentive. It’s a cool place for your escape from this smothering heat and humidity. We hear the highs in Grosse Ile this week are in the low 80’s.

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com

July 19, 2022 A Jumpin' Good Time

The Liberty Gazette

July 19, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

It’s grand fun for us to spin our yarns for our neighbors here in Liberty and for folks around the world who follow this column on our blog. Last month, we celebrated 15 years of dropping words on this page like pilots drop skydivers. Good parachute jumpers know how to maneuver in the wind to land on a spot. They call it “in the peas.” Ask Chad “Jetboy” Hall. When Jetboy gets into something, it’s full-monty. 

It started when a co-worker invited him to Skydive Spaceland. He had done it once before, but this time, the bug bit. That day, he took two tandem jumps, went through ground school, and soloed by sunset. He became so hooked that he made 576 jumps the first year, earning his A, B, C, and D licenses, coach and pro exhibition ratings in that time. In his second year, he fell through the air 513 times. Of those, 200 were mentor jumps, where he helped others with 100 or fewer jumps.

While making a name for himself in the tight-knit skydiving community, he earned certification as an aerial videographer. He nailed the filming of the jump scene in the movie, “Narco Sub” in just one shot.

Other credits include video for George Bush’s funeral and former Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire skydiving. His favorite though is filming tandem jumps (first-timers) and night jumping. He’s won over 40 medals in competition, most of them gold, and is a member of a world record holding team, “POPs,” Pops Over Phorty, the +40 skydivers.

Years ago, when he was flying radio-controlled airplanes, he was so enthusiastic that one guy called him Jetboy to make fun of him. Chad embraced it. He put it on his license plate, it’s his social media handle, it’s embroidered on his canopy (parachute), rig, and gloves. He even got Oakley to etch it into his sunglasses.

Today, he has 2,500 jumps to his credit, and he’s incredibly focused. He could land in a five-gallon bucket, which means landing on the 50-yard line at a football game is no problem. Like when he touched down and delivered the game balls at a school off loop 610. Piercing Hobby’s airspace after a delay for a Boeing 737 made it all the more interesting. You may have seen him as part of the Re/Max team at Wings Over Houston. He’s also one of McNeese University’s “ParaPokes.”

He’s had some close calls, like the time his foot got temporarily stuck while jumping out. That was after the Florida ballot debacle in the 2000 elections, so he put a face to the whole “hanging Chad” thing. 

But skydiving isn’t all this engineer-by-trade has accomplished just in the last ten years. He also earned his private pilot certificate, bought an airplane, and has flown over 1,000 hours. He says that parachuting, that is, canopy flying, is “way more fun than airplane flying. Like a driving Corvette versus pushing your little brother in a cart.”

Wanna try jumping? Check out https://houston.skydivespaceland.com/.

ElyAirLines.blogspot.com