New Horizons

Mahalo for Flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Mother Nature's Fury

One often hears that planes and flights are delayed due to weather. True. But, in today's age, the electronic device wielding passenger often says, "Hey, I just checked the weather there and it's beautiful!"

So we smile and say, "Yes, we know that too, but it's the weather between here and there that is causing the problem."

What we'd like to say is more like, "Yup, I've been doing this for 30 years. How 'bout you give me your work address and I'll be there tomorrow to tell you how to do your job? Until then, why don't you sit don't and have a drink and some peanuts and let me do mine?"

So, it's a pilot's job to avoid the big storms, because, yes, they can indeed cause some serious damage. Now that's a whole other topic, but let me talk about the storms just for a bit. Storms and what Mother Nature creates are amazing…amazingly beautiful and amazingly dangerous. Beautiful, powerful, yet mystically dangerous…damn that's sexy. Oh, I luv a good storm…from the ground or from the distance in the air.

I mean, check out this bolt of lightening thrown from this huge, 50,000+ foot high thunderstorm.

Pretty awesome, huh? And when flying at night, watching the storms develop, dissipate, and produce tremendous light shows within is absolutely mesmerizing. So, without spending too much time talking about a storm, because we all know what they are, feast upon this video of a powerful thunderstorm over the Southeastern United States.

And to make it even more beautiful and powerful, it's accompanied by Adele's amazing pipes sounding out Fire and Rain. Wow, ya gotta luv a woman with a great voice :) I do

And here is a YouTube link to the same video:

Mother Nature's Fury

Well, how was that? Pretty dang cool, huh? Maybe next time I can get a clearer, better picture, but sights like this don't come often. And a shout out to my buddy, Kevin, for helping capture video.

Mahalo for Storm Chasing with Captain Bobby Mitchel



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St. Elmo's Fire - Do You Believe?

What's the first thing that come's to your mind when you see the word's St. Elmo's Fire? The movie? Yeah, that's what I'm guessing. Oh, I'm not too sure you thought,

"A weather phenomenon in which luminous plasma is created by a coronal discharge from a sharp or pointed object in a strong electric field in the atmosphere." 

Am I right? Well, my brother, David, might have thought that, but, then again, he's a Physicist, and I had to spell check 'Physicist' before I finished this sentence. Actually, I'm guessing he thought of the movie too since it's a good movie with some good music and he's a music lover.

Honestly, even though the movie stars members of the 'Brat Pack," it's definitely no Breakfast Club, which is one of my all-time favorites. Well, look at that! Squirrel!

Okay, back on point. St. Elmo's Fire…What is it? In a nutshell, it's freakin' cool, that's what! From a pilot's point of view, it's basically static electricity (purple lightening bolts) that dance across our windscreen when we fly through the clouds at night under certain weather and temperature conditions. Ya know, like the quote above stated.

Here, take a look…

Pretty cool, huh? And on this night, we really didn't have a lot of "Fire" on the windscreen. I've been flying and have had the entire front windscreen filled from side to side with hundreds of dancing lightening bolts. Believe me, it is quite something to see for yourself.

It can also be viewed on YouTube at: St. Elmo's Fire

And while you ponder that video, ponder this:

Everyone and everything is interconnected in this universe 

Follow the signs, and you will uncover your destiny

Stay pure of heart and you will see the signs

                                                                   - Jeff 

So, with that, I just wanted to share a little something cool from flying that not too many people get to witness. Now, if I can just get a snap of one of those aliens that climb all over our wings during flight and mess with things, that would be cool. ;)

Mahalo for night flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel



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The Journey

Mahalo for traveling with Captain Bobby Mitchel


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Flying for the Soul

Mahalo for diving with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Sunset at 36,000 Feet

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel

A Shadowed Sunrise

Flying up the coast of California can often be a beautiful trip, from the big city atmosphere of Los Angeles in SoCal to the many beautiful mountains in the Pacific Northwest. This day happened to be one of these beautiful days where not a cloud was to be seen from the NorCal's Bay Area all the way to Seattle. Along the way, we were privileged to see the darkness surrounding the pre-sunrise beauty of Mount Shasta, California.

At 14,179 feet, Mt. Shasta stands out alone in the top of Northern California. While often shadowed by her mom, the little known and seldom photographed little son/daughter, "Diet Shasta" lies just beyond the immense shadow (to the left) in my photo above.

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel

Mother Nature's Beauty over the Rockies

Over the many years of flying I've come across countless reflections of Mother Nature's beauty, but yesterday, just outside of Denver, admidst the quickly brewing afternoon thunderstorms over the Rocky Mountains was this phenomena.

Now look closely...what do you see? At the same altitude of the distant building storm, the bottom of the cloud layer appears as the surface of the ocean with two large jellyfish floating along and the their tentacles dangling below the water's edge. Absolutely stunning!

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel