Some extra pictures of the trip...
Keeping it pretty low reduced the headwinds to an acceptable amount. It provided a tremendous view of the terrain, but we had to keep our concentration up a little more than usual. I had the benefit of a co-pilot and while I did the flying, Joel kept updating me with our position and desired route to Santa Monica.
These hills separate the Mojave Desert with the LA basin. Interestingly enough, there was
snow on these mountains despite the good Southern California weather. Edwards AFB can be
seen in the center of the picture.
Here is a closer image of Edwards. Note the tire rubber on the centerline at both ends. We
can also conclude that the prevailing wind blows in the direction we're facing since there
has been more rubber deposited on the far side. Remember, planes take-off and land into the
wind. The Space Shuttle landed here a couple of days later.
The Sierras conveniently have a valley right near Inyokern between the Mojave and Bakersfield.
The valley view was spectacular. Lake Isbella can be seen a few miles ahead of us with the
Bakersfield Area being past the lake and over the hills. We flew through several Military
Operations Areas (MOAs), but they were cold at the time (not being used).
