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We bugged out of the city for a quick couple of days at Laughlin, Nevada. We're not gamblers, but the lodging is cheap and there are some good restaurants. We enjoyed a sightseeing cruise on the Colorado River.

The Bullhead City AZ airport (KIFP) is just across the river from Laughlin. The trip was just an hour and a half each way in the Skyhawk, even with doing an end-run around the corner of the big active MOAs between here and there.

The route took us over one of my favorite places, Lake Havasu City AZ. I've been flying there since 1968 when there was hardly anything there except the old "Site Six" airport on the Pittsburg Point peninsula. That's where developer/oilman/industrialist Robert McCulloch flew in thousands of real estate prospects in his fleets of Lockheed Constellations and Electras in the 1960s and 1970s. McCulloch opened a factory in Lake Havasu City where he manufactured not only chainsaws, but also the star-crossed J-2 Gyroplane. Around 1990 the old airport was closed, and a new one opened a few miles north of town. Portions of the old runways can still be seen on Pittsburg Point, though. The population of Lake Havasu City is about 55,000 now.

Around 1968 McCulloch purchased the 1831 London Bridge, which was to be replaced with a new structure over the Thames. The bridge was shipped to Lake Havasu City stone-by-stone, and rebuilt in the desert. A channel was then cut under it, turning Pittsburg Point into an artificial island, and creating a British-themed tourist attraction.





Just north of the new Lake Havasu City airport are the colorful mountains and rock formations, from which a nearby California town takes the name "Needles".



Signature Flight Support at KIFP was kind enough to give us a ride to our hotel across the river in Laughlin, about a 7-mile trip.

From our hotel room we had a dramatic view of the sunrise over the Colorado River and the town of Bullhead City.



There's no scheduled airline service at KIFP these days, but there are casino charters, like this one.



View south along the river after takeoff from KIFP:

 
I always liked that they moved that whole bridge. What a totally silly undertaking.

Love that area too. Nice shots.
 
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Sunrise before sunrise, 17 October 2020. Departing southbound from Phoenix-Goodyear Airport, we have climbed high enough to see the sun before it breaks the horizon to observers on the ground (Sorry, #flatearthers
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). Crossing the sun's disc is a dark layer of smoke from the fire near Crown King.
 
<sad face> only 1200 hrs on it
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Ryanb said:
What was going on with it?
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Oil has had high iron for a while. Seems the reman cam in it started throwing bits of itself. Chewed up a couple of valve faces. Also found that each cylinder has cracks around the bottom spark plug hole. And, after inspection, the crank is toast too. Still waiting on the case inspection.

It's getting all factory new replacements this time.

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Flying_Nun said:
Oil has had high iron for a while. Seems the reman cam in it started throwing bits of itself. Chewed up a couple of valve faces. Also found that each cylinder has cracks around the bottom spark plug galley. And, after inspection, the crank is toast too. Still waiting on the case inspection.

It's getting all factory new replacements this time.

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Who did the reman?
 
With the prop out for overhaul and a tank being sealed, we pulled the rest of the tanks and did SB1006. Came back clean.

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NealRomeoGolf said:
Only have one. Other tanks aren't leaky. How many of yours are leaking?
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Both inboards. The right one leaves a little trail in flight, but no drips in the hangar. The other just has a little color around a couple rivets. Probably ought to do both though; I see they give a discount if you do.
 
Jim K said:
not me....I got 'em all. Got an airplane to pay for now lol
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Farmer Bob (as I call him....no idea his name) usually misses a few each year. I go out looking for them for fun. There is a low spot in the field that usually washes out an area and I think his machine (or him) for some reason misses a few in that area.
 
This is just a quick cellphone shot from the TAC Air ramp at KAPA. On the horizon you can see smoke from the East Troublesome fire exploding in size on 10/21.There is also a pretty good representation of mountain wave in the smoke if you look close enough.
 

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