Flying Tiger Heritage Park in Guilin, China

Artist Rendition of Approach and Museum Interior Shot of Actual Cave

Artist Rendition and Floor Plan

We are moving ever closer to our goal of creating a historical reminder to honor the friendship created by the Flying Tigers with the Chinese during WW l l. The Chinese have come up with a great plan to turn General Clair Chennault's com and and operations cave into a Heritage Park. The Chinese will be spending about 1.5 million US Dollars and we will raise another $400,000 to contribute to this effort. We are setting up a corporation right now so that we can get a 501 (c) 3 tax exemption. (Non Profit Corporation, donations will be tax deductible) More information on the cave project on our web site- http://www.flyingtigerheritagepark.com/.

Our mailing address is-

Flying Tiger Heritage Park Foundation

P. O. Box 258

Groveland, CA 95321

Retirement Flight To End A Career

Photo By Sam Chui
www.samchuiphotos.com/






At the ripe old age of 60, airline pilots are required to retire by federal regulation. Nothing like being put out to pasture while you are still snortin' and stompin'. But I reached that fateful milestone in January of 2001. My last flight was to be that month but because I was so junior (seniority wise), I could not predict what I would be flying on my last flight, thus making it very difficult for friends and family to join me, (fools that they are), Soooo I decided to see if I could charter the 747-400 for a couple of hours to fly my friends and family around as my parting shot at driving the heavy stuff. United said "no problem, pony up $15,000 dollars and if we can keep all the 747-400's healthy on the day that you want to fly your last flight, you can use the spare 747-400 we have standing by at SFO to cover the Asia flying". I signed that contract before the paper hit the desk and then the fun began. Who gets to go? (Amazing how many friends one has when one is doing something like this). What can we, my wife and I, do to make this special? What happens if the airplane goes bye-bye to Asia? What if the weather is the pits? What if I get sick? On and on the questions and insecurities go. Took a full year to plan and execute this flight, and in the end, it was a serendipitous occasion. On my trips around the globe I bought small gifts to give to all the passengers- Silk Scarves, bracelets, Flash Lights engraved with Final Flight, Brass Key Chain that said on one side "Nobody's Perfect"___ and on the back side it said "Except The Captain", a little Teddy Bear with a "T" shirt that said "Final Flight", Large Teddy Bears for the 12 flight attendants (all volunteers), each seat had a head rest cover with each passenger's name on it and a roundel depicting all the aircraft I have flown circling the globe and the date Jan. 6, 2001. My co-pilot was a volunteer also. He was a retired Air Force SR-71 Blackbird pilot and there are only 135 of those guys in the world! We wanted to serve drinks and dinner during the flight but decided not to because we didn't want to block the aisles. We wanted all the passengers to be able to visit the cockpit and crew rest areas on the 747-400. (I understand five passengers use the rest area to join the mile high club, can't confirm though). Instead we had boxed crew meals (quite good) boarded which we passed out to all the passengers and we sat the liquor carts up around the airplane. We also had a couple of beautifully decorated cakes for desert. More on this later. The flight left SFO at 3:00 PM so it was important to have food as most of the passengers would not get home until late. January 6, 2001 dawned bright and clear. A perfect day for flying. First bullet ducked. Showed up at the airport at 2:00 PM, all the flights had left for Asia. Second bullet ducked. Got my dispatch clearances, checked in with the co-pilot, talked to the flight attendants, preflighted the airplane, all was copasetic, those bullets ducked. On entering the terminal at SFO the departure board showed my flight -9060 -as Captain Larry Jobe's last flight departing from gate 82. All the 200+ passengers where in the boarding area and the plane was at the gate. I popped up through the crew escape hatch on the top of the 747-400 and waved to all, then I took a parachute we brought along for the occasion and proceeded to walk into the boarding area announcing to all that "I didn't know what their plans were but I planned to come back from my Final Flight". The effect was priceless. Now, as I describe the flight, you must remember that I am taking off at a weight which is below any weight I have ever flown the 747-400 at including landing. We only had the 200+ passengers, no bags, no cargo, and 90,000 pounds of fuel. Rarely did we ever land with that little fuel. We used runway 1R for departure and with reduced thrust, we broke ground before the runway 28 complex and climbed at such a steep deck angle that we dumped one of the cakes on the floor before anyone got to see it. ATC knew what we were doing and they where great about letting me go where I wanted and at the requested altitude. We wanted to make a low pass over Pine Mountain Lake Airport (1000') so we had warned all the law enforcement agencies in our area in case there were any calls about a crashing or landing BIG AIRPLANE-(there were). When I passed over Pine Mountain Lake we were below ATC radar altitude, so center was after me to climb before we went over Yosemite. Not thinking about the weight, or lack there of, I cranked in 15,000' in the altitude window of the auto pilot and the plane's flight guidance system commanded a climb, which it entered. About this time I get a frantic call from the head flight attendant (a dear and old friend who also resides in Pine Mountain Lake, Jeannie Tasker) telling me to "cut the deck angle-you are dumping the liquor carts over". 747 sure likes to climb when it's lite. We proceeded to fly over Yosemite (circled Half Dome) then up the back bone of the Sierra Nevada’s (over Lake Tahoe) and the Cascade Range to Crater Lake where we turned towards the ocean for the trip back down the coast to San Francisco. The sun was setting we proceeded down the coast with a beautiful golden under cast to the cloud layer which was over the ocean. We came in over the Golden Gate Bridge and around the city of San Francisco, after dark, for a perfect landing, (one of my best). Now you have to understand that the real danger in doing this flight was- IF I SCREWED UP THE LANDING, I WOULD HAVE 200+ WITNESSES TO REMIND ME OF THIS THE REST OF MY LIFE! Something else you should know is- with a big transport category airplane the lighter it is the harder it is to land smoothly, and this puppy was lite. Last bullet ducked, whew! We taxied off the runway to an arch of water provided by the SFO fire department "testing" their two pumper trucks water cannons. Everyone then assembled inside the terminal building for a short ceremony and last good by. Jeannie Tasker, my “A” flight attendant, did me the honor of retiring my wings. It had been my honor, only a short couple of years earlier, to pin Flight Attendant wings on her. Did I mention that one of our very beautiful ladies came up to the cockpit during the flight and wanted me to sign her BRA. Once I regained a semblance of my composure I located a felt tipped pen (actually it was in her husband’s hand) and signed her BRA which started a stampede of BRA signing. Sure beats BRA burning. My co-pilot, being the steely, sharp-eyed, professional that he is, had a hard time flying during this time period too. It's a good thing we were both airline pilots and not easily distracted by a bared and occupied BRA.

That Big Puppy- The 747-400- Can Really Stop

My first flight in the 747-400 was a revenue flight to the big island of Hawaii. As you may know, most airlines train in a simulator right up to and thru the check ride. Then the newly rated pilot gets 25 hours with a training check airman, all on revenue flights. Thus the landing at Kona was my first real landing in the 747-400, also known as the Aluminum Overcast. Little did the unsuspecting passengers in the back know they were Ginny Pigs.

On any over water flight we carry quite a bit of extra fuel which means when we land we are going to be heavy and our approach and touchdown speeds will be higher requiring greater stopping distance. Now on this particular day Kona was landing down hill with a tail wind, all of which makes for increased stopping distance. All this is going through my mind as I plan out my approach. Since I don’t have a clue how good this big airplane will stop I resolve not to go sailing off the end of the runway on my first landing ever in the 747-400.

I aim to touch down right on the end of the runway, get on the brakes, and go into full reverse with the engines as soon as possible after touch down. This I did to a tee. After a very solid (hard landing) touch down, I applied full braking and reverse and came to a screeching halt, my concentration focused on stopping. Looking around I see a taxiway exit and proceed to take it. About this time the tower at Kona says “gee not many of you guys make that turn off”. I have managed to stop this big puppy in less than 2500 feet on a down hill runway with a tail wind. Had I not have done it personally I would not have believed it. The passengers deplaned, somewhat silently, having survived what can only be described as the closest thing to a cable arrested carrier landing in a 747-400. I never again worried about landing and stopping the 747-400.

Yosemite in a 1911 Hudson

Our adventure begins from Groveland, a town that pre dates our car. Tank full of gas, radiator filled, tires pumped up (55 PSI), and passengers seated in the open with no seat belt. We opt to follow the original highway into Yosemite as much as possible. This is to retrace the historic route and to stay off the high speed highway whenever possible. Our top speed is about 45 MPH, but this is just a guess as we don’t have a speedometer. However, in an open car with no seat belt 45 feels quite fast enough.

Driving an old car on modern highway’s and with modern traffic presents some obvious and not so obvious problems. For sure our slow speed is an aggravation for faster traffic, so we do our best to keep the pace up when on the regular highway and try to pull over whenever possible and prudent. I say prudent because pulling over and stopping on an incline means starting out going up-hill which is hard on the old cork clutch, and then gaining speed back is another matter. Usually when we pull over in a passing lane people are able to get by us before we have to stop and that is what we try to do. Few modern day drivers realize how little stopping power old cars have. Modern four wheel power disc brakes with anti skid have all but eliminated most braking problems and allow the modern day driver to stop in the shortest distance. Our 1911 Hudson has brakes only on the rear wheels and they are primitive drum type, non-power, linkage operated brakes. Our tires are 55 PSI and very narrow tread wise, so our stopping footprint on the road surface is quite small. All this combined makes for very long stopping distances at even a moderate speed and on a wet surface we may have little to no braking ability at all. What this means is that we try to maintain a good amount of distance between us and the car in front. Unfortunately, many drivers take this as an invitation to pass and fill in the space which makes for a hazardous situation until we can again create safe spacing. The last concern is steering and suspension. Modern cars have power steering and suspension which keeps the tires on the road surface through out most conditions. My 1911 Hudson has Armstrong steering and the suspension is stiff, which means when I hit uneven pavement I may not be able to keep the car where I would like to. (In the old days they would say the car would walk) This can be dangerous on a corner if the car wants to “walk” into the on coming lane. So you can see there is a lot to think about when driving one of these vintage beauties.

Just a short distance out of Groveland, headed east on Highway 120, we turn right on Old Highway 120 and follow it for about 2 miles before rejoining Highway 120. Another mile or two we turn left and follow Sprague Road west for a couple of miles, rejoin Highway 120 for a short distance, then turn right on Sprague Road East. We follow this until rejoining Highway 120 at Smith Station Road. Now we are on Highway 120 for several miles passing through Buck Meadows and over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River. Rain Bow Pool is located here and it is a favorite swimming hole for locals and travelers alike. Our next piece of old road is at Hardin Flat. A right turn puts us on several miles of very scenic old highway. I believe this is part of the original Big Oak Flat/ Yosemite Highway. We rejoin Highway 120 just a mile or two outside the Highway 120 entrance to the park. At the entrance we try not to get hung up in the long line of traffic waiting to enter the park, remember that cork clutch.

Once in the park we are almost as fast as normal traffic, plus no one should be in a hurry when viewing this beautiful scenery, so I am not as self conscious about being slower than the rest of the traffic. These old cars do remarkably well on down hill grades because they are standard transmission, and we use the compression of the engine to hold the car back when going down hill. Lower gears also allow us to go up fairly steep grades, albeit at a much slower speed. From Crane Flat on it is down hill into the Valley Floor. The new highway crosses the original highway along this route; however I have never seen it from the road only the air. The original road was one way . Traffic was allowed to go down for two hours then up for two hours. You can still hike this road, and you should be able to see it from the road which enters the park via Wawona. Touring the park in an open car is by far the best way for all to enjoy the sights. We do a loop of the Valley Floor, stopping for lunch along the Merced River. When ever I stop I try to be on an incline because I have to hand crank the engine to start it. It starts well when cold but is balky when hot. However if I can just get the car rolling a little bit it will start easily by popping the clutch.

We make a complete loop of the Valley Floor and then reverse course to head back to Groveland. The entire trip takes most of the day and puts us back into Groveland just in time for dinner. We have gone back in time when the pace was much slower and retraced, as much as possible, the original route into Yosemite National Park. This trip would have taken at least two days, and perhaps more, in 1911.

Maybe on your visit to Yosemite National Park you will see some old cars doing as we did. Enjoy them, talk to their owners (generally they are proud to tell you about them), and remember that their drivers have a lot to think about, especially stopping, so give them room, and enjoy a safe day in the grandeur of Yosemite National Park.

Capt. Larry “Sez” Jobe

Pine Mountain Lake Airport- Aviators Portal to Yosemite

Groveland is blessed with one of the best airports, if not the- BEST AIRPORT IN THE WEST, BAR NONE, Pine Mountain Lake Airport. We are a county owned and maintained airport with aircraft accessible residential properties surrounding the field. Pine Mountain Lake field elevation is 3000 feet; we like to say “above the valley fog and below the snow”. We have a hard surface runway 3600 feet long, it is lit for night operations with PAPI or VASI on either end of the runway (27/9). GPS instrument approaches for each runway, fuel on the field available 24/7, a restaurant, along with very knowledgeable maintenance people help round out our airport.

For a pilot, living with their airplane is a dream come true that few realize, and to be able to live with our planes in a community as unique as Groveland/Pine Mountain Lake is more than a dream come true. We have an eclectic mix of planes and pilots and a very active pilots association. Our Pine Mountain Lake Aviation association, www.pmlaa.org, has around 500 members with about half being pilots. We have pilots ranging from student right on up to retired and active airline pilots, retired military pilots, flight instructors, a designated pilot flight examiner, a professional aviation accident investigator, WWII pilots, professional and dedicated aerobatic pilots, helicopter pilots and I am sure I missed a few. When ever Pine Mountain Lake airport (or indeed our community) is in need we all band together to accomplish what ever it is that needs to be accomplished. This Groveland community spirit is something that is hard to describe, it has to be experienced. It is this spirit that has allowed us to make many improvements to our field (and community) without government money (for the most part). Our own labor, our own talents, and our own money (mostly from fund raisers) give each of us the feeling that we have contributed to the betterment of Pine Mountain Lake Airport for the enjoyment of the public and pilots alike.

Pine Mountain Lake Airport is used for pleasure flying and as a commuter airport for weekender’s and people who work in the Central Valley or the Bay Area. In addition, Pine Mountain Lake Airport is used for staging fire fighting operations to fight wild fires in the Yosemite region. Pine Mountain Lake Airport is the medical evacuation field for medical emergency’s and accident victims along and around the Highway 120 corridor. A special nonprofit camp for medically handicapped children operates nearby. Pine Mountain Lake Airport allows for any child who needs urgent care, from their own physician, to be flown to that care, and the camp was located here for that reason.

We have airplanes from J3 Cubs to corporate Jets that come and go on a regular basis. Some of Pine Mountain Lake’s resident pilots own and fly antique aircraft which you would normally only see in a museum. In fact we have a couple (Kent and Sandy Blankenburg) who have turned their beautiful home and hangar into a display of memorabilia and aircraft that we all refer to as “The Smithsonian West”. Kent owns and fly’s a Lockheed Electra, Spartan Executive, Cessna 195, several Luscombe’s, and a Sea Bee. Other old aircraft residing on the field include- Stearman’s, Waco’s, PT 22’s, Cessna 140, J3 Cub, Navion’s, and a Beech D18. Several of our pilots have built their own aircraft with the most popular being the RV’s and Glass Air’s.

For aerial photos and shots of Pine Mountain Lake, Yosemite, and the Groveland Area go to my web site www.pmlairportproperties.com.

If you are not a pilot, come on out to the Pine Mountain Lake Airport and experience for your self the uniqueness of a small airport. If you are a pilot, then experience what a residential airpark is all about. Pine Mountain Lake Airport is not only “THE BEST AIRPORT IN THE WEST- BAR NONE’ it is also the FRIENDLIEST!

Capt. Larry “Sez” Jobe
UAL Retired

General Claire Chennault's Opp's Cave in China

Every year we do a tour to China, always in March for better weather and lower prices. Over the last several years we have been honored to have Flying Tigers with us. Our tour is a one of a kind aviation oriented tour which goes to an airfield that the Flying Tigers operated out of in WW11. Located on this airfield is a cave that General Claire Chennault ran his operations from. It is accessible but not restored, and the only evidence of its importance is a couple of plaques put up by the Chinese and Madam Chennault. In years past we have been able to look out over the old airfield and recognize scenery which we have seen in archival film of the Flying Tigers. Last year the old field was being turned into housing and town sites. We realized that we would be the last Americans to view this historic sight and the thought crossed our minds that if we didn’t do something to preserve the cave it would be lost too. We asked the Chinese to give us a proposal for turning the cave into historical, memorial, and tourist site to honor the Flying Tigers, General Chennault, and the Chinese who fought so bravely against the Japanese invaders. We offered to raise the funds if the Chinese would do the design and development work. The Chinese readily accepted the offer and we are presently working towards our goal. We are not yet at the stage of soliciting funds for this project, but I will keep you updated on our progress via this blog.

Capt. Larry "Sez" origin.

After we moved to Pine Mountain Lake Airport, I taught several of our pilot's wives to fly. I had to deal with the fact that there are a number of ways to do the same thing in an airplane. No one method is absolutely right or wrong. So I used to tell my students that I didn't care how they did something in the plane as long as they could tell me why they were doing it the way they did it. Likewise I had a reason for doing everything the way I did it. This was of course to help head off the problem of a pilot husband telling his wife she was doing something wrong and confusing her. Now, like most students, the wives were going to believe me before they would believe their husbands and invariably would quote me when the discussions would ensue. Usually the sentence started something like this "Well Larry says" and the wife would continue to espouse my method or viewpoint to her husband.
We have a coffee shop on Pine Mountain Lake airport called the Corsair. Every morning we (the general airport community) gathered there for coffee, conversation and comradeship. One morning I walked into the coffee shop and sitting around the table was a group of the husbands wearing "T" shirts that said "Who the hell Is "Larry Sez". They continued to wear these shirts at various airport functions over the ensuing months. About this time I was finally able to up-grade to Captain with United Airlines, (purely a matter of seniority). My wife had a party and celebration for me after I completed my up-grade and at that party the husbands presented me with my own "T" shirt that said " I'm Capt. Larry Sez", thus the nick name which has stuck,(much to my delight). Our airport community is very supportive of one another and a real pleasure in which to exercise the privileges of an instructor certificate.

Capt. Larry "Sez" PML is Aviation

This is my first blog and day one. Content and pics to follow, in time. I live, love, and fly (live to fly, love to fly) in one of the most beautiful places in the world- the Sierra Nevada's and Yosemite National Park. I Hope to share with others who have experienced the joy of flight, for real or vicariously, and experiences and experience.