#santa-rosa — Public Fediverse posts

Flights to nowhere can be fun

I hadn’t planned on my brief visit to Vancouver for Web Summit’s second annual conference there to include any flying between my landing at Vancouver International Airport Monday and my departure from YVR Thursday morning. But sometimes, your event schedule has a gap just large enough for somebody to pilot a floatplane through.

That idea of taking an aerial tour of Vancouver got lodged in my head at Web Summit Vancouver last May–when I found myself distracted by aircraft departing from and arriving at Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre, next to the convention center and its bitmapped-orca Douglas Coupland sculpture.

And as I was nearing the end of my first five appointments on an overscheduled Tuesday, I realized that a) I had almost two hours before my next appointment and b) the weather looked ideal for flying, at least compared to Wednesday morning’s forecast of clouds and possibly rain. So I booked a 20-minute tour flight on Harbour Air’s site at what seemed a workable time before I had to walk a few blocks away for an offsite panel.

The flight on this 67-year-old de Havilland DHC-3T Turbine Otter was what I hoped and expected it to be, going from my experience taking a floatplane ride above Seattle out of Lake Union 13 years ago. Taking to the air and returning from it without solid ground below the wing feels like cheating at flying; being in a plane small enough where you can see the pilot adjust the controls and almost immediately see and feel the aircraft respond provides an extraordinary demonstration of aerodynamics at work; the views from a large and non-pressurized window maybe 1,000 feet above ground are magical.

(The timing of this particular flight was less than magical, in the sense that it seemed that Harbour consolidated its 3 and 3:15 p.m. tour flights into one that departed at 3:20 and then left me hustling to get to my panel. I’ll expand on my avoidable scheduling fail in this Sunday’s weekly recap.)

Avgeeks sometimes call out-and-back bookings like this “flights to nowhere,”1 and I’ve now taken enough of them to realize I may have a bit of a flying problem.

My introduction, as far as I can remember, took place at a 1997 air show at College Park’s airport–the oldest continuously-operated airfield in the world–at which I recall paying $20 in cash for a flight in what years-later searching suggests was a Stearman Model 75 Kaydet biplane.

I then went almost 16 years before the next such flight, my Lake Union joyride–and then followed that days later with a balloon excursion above Sonoma County, Calif., that remains my slowest-ever aviation experience.

2014 bought a work-related flight to nowhere, a hop out of Austin during SXSW on the inflight WiFi operator Gogo’s business jet. That company invited me to try out the ground-to-air connectivity on this Canadair CL-600 by texting people, so I taunted a friend on the ground with “I’m texting you from a private jet. How are you?” and got the reply I deserved.

I had another Gogo flight to AUS and back in 2016 on the 737-500 that Gogo had acquired in the meantime, on which I saw a travel journalist successfully ask the pilots for a chance to experience takeoff in the cockpit jumpseat. That led me to make the same request before another Gogo flight on that 737 in 2017, treating me to an EWR-departure experience unlike any other.

In 2019, a friend took my wife and I on a tour above Sonoma County in his Diamond Star DA40 single-engine, four-seat aircraft. That remains my smallest-plane experience, and the only one in which I got to touch the controls. Briefly.

In 2021, I had my loudest-plane experience when I spent $450 to fly on a 1945-vintage B-25 bomber out of Hagerstown, Md., my only flight to date to allow a view from a tail gunner’s seat.

And in 2023, JSX treated me and other invited journalists to a DAL-DAL hop to try out Starlink WiFi on an Embraer 145.

The last two years tacked on ORD-ORD and LAX-LAX flights courtesy of United Airlines to test their deployment of Starlink on an Embraer 175 and then a Boeing 737. And with this week’s joyride above British Columbia’s metropolis, I have to accept that I’ve developed a moderately expensive habit here.

Which is okay with me.

1. The bad kind of “flight to nowhere” involves a long-haul international flight that experiences some sort of malfunction that requires returning to the departure airport, even if that requires backtracking across much of an ocean. ↩︎

Aviation weather for Santa Rosa International airport (Ecuador) is “METAR SERO 101300Z 06003KT 9999 FEW016 28/25 Q1010 RMK A2984” : See what it means on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/sero/en #santarosainternationalairport #airport #santarosa #ecuador #sero #etr #metar #aviation #aviationweather #avgeek vl

Hype for the Future 148K: The Bay Area Defined

https://novatopflex.wordpress.com/2026/03/28/hype-for-the-future-148k-the-bay-area-defined/

I decided to plan my next art show. I will be showing my landscape and plein air work. Here’s the twist: I specifically want this to be held in a public community building like a library or the Finley Center, or local government building. City hall or whatever. Because I really want this to be accessible to the general public, and a gallery sometimes makes people think they have to buy something.

I also think with the way our society is going we need to have community oriented things.

This may be odd because I actually do have a gallery connection and could set up a rental situation again but I can’t help but want this to be different right now.

I’m calling around Sonoma County to see if this could happen.

#sonomacounty #santarosa #art #artist #artshow

https://youtu.be/bEBGkQ4hckw?si=TMrEH-TGnEaB2ztt

La meva #CançóDelDia per al dissabte 7 de març és aquesta de la #JescaHoop #SantaRosa #Folk #Jazz #Blues #Pop #Veu #Guitarra 🕯️!

North Bay landscaping company unveils new shop, rebrand https://www.allforgardening.com/1635629/north-bay-landscaping-company-unveils-new-shop-rebrand/ #garden #landscaping #SantaRosa #SoilandConstruction

Another #CampaignFinance drop! Data for #SantaRosa going back to 2013

https://santarosa.ca.civic.band/

#OpenData

TikTok star Shirley Raines, known for bringing meals and respect to people on LA's Skid Row, dies at 58

Raines began working with #homeless communities in 2017.
Jan. 28, 2026
#SantaRosa #California #SantaRosaCalifornia #English

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/01/28/shirley-raines-obit

#TidySearch Bot3 (1481-198323)
Visit http://search.mpaq.org for more.

Aviation weather for Santa Rosa International airport (Ecuador) is “SERO 261600Z 35003KT 9999 SCT010 BKN070 29/24 Q1015 RMK A2998” : See what it means on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/sero/en #santarosainternationalairport #airport #santarosa #ecuador #sero #etr #metar #aviation #aviationweather #avgeek vl

Thoughts on the "Take Better Photos on iPhone" workshops at the Santa Rosa Apple Store?

Just upgraded and I want to maximize my photo skills. I prefer an in-person workshop versus something online. Bonus for it being free.

#iphonephotography #santarosa #california #bayarea #apple #iphone

Aviation weather for Santa Rosa International airport (Ecuador) is “SERO 231700Z 36005KT 9999 FEW010 29/23 Q1011 RMK A2987” : See what it means on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/sero/en #santarosainternationalairport #airport #santarosa #ecuador #sero #etr #metar #aviation #aviationweather #avgeek vl

I don't know if I have many fedifriends up here in north bay/sonoma/napa/marin, but if you're in the area... I'm singing with Cantiamo Sonoma and our Christmas concerts are next week and they're going to be *excellent*. This is honestly one of the most accomplished choruses I have ever sung in. Really good programming, excellent musicians.

Superb a capella choral music from the 17th century through modern day.

December 2, 4, 5 (No tickets at the door, just fyi.)

https://cantiamosonoma.org/events

#music #choralMusic #sonoma #napa #marin #santaRosa #petaluma

Oldtimers in #SantaRosa lament the loss of the old library, and it *was* fantastic (you get a great look at it in SHADOW OF A DOUBT) but I also love the 1967 replacement. It's easy to miss as it's fairly low-slung and dominated by trees, but there are some very cool #midmod details. #architecture

Hey North Bay folks: I'm giving away an over-the-door make-up storage cabinet with a mirror front. In decent shape. It has shelves, compartments, etc inside. They run about $100 new I think.

I don't need the extra storage space anymore. Can do a trade, for what I don't know. Surprise me.

I'll take a photo tomorrow. I thought I would try here before Next Door because this place is nicer.

#sonomacounty #santarosa #free

Aviation weather for Santa Rosa International airport (Ecuador) is “SERO 241400Z 24003KT 1500 -DZ SCT006 OVC016 22/22 Q1014 RMK A2995” : See what it means on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/sero/en #santarosa #ecuador #santarosainternationalairport #sero #etr #metar #aviation #aviationweather #avgeek #airport vl

Our crew at yesterday’s #NoKings #SantaRosa

Aviation weather for Santa Rosa International airport (Ecuador) is “SERO 181500Z 00000KT 9999 VCSH SCT010 OVC020 23/21 Q1014 RMK A2995” : See what it means on https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/sero/en #santarosa #ecuador #santarosainternationalairport #sero #etr #metar #aviation #aviationweather #avgeek #airport vl

Why have the folks in charge of planning such things allowed the city of #SantaRosa to push the No Kings rally to Doyle Park of all places? That's literally as out of the way and invisible as you can get inside the town. As a reminder, being polite is what got us into this shit in the first place.

机场Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County 在 Santa Rosa (USA)航空天气 是 “KSTS 171753Z COR 15003KT 10SM CLR 13/11 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP165 T01280111 10128 20072 50004” : 查看上的含义 https://www.bigorre.org/aero/meteo/ksts/zh #santarosa #usa #charlesmschulzsonomacounty #ksts #sts #metar #aviation #航空气象 #avgeek # vl

Here’s his massive, prized gourd https://www.allforgardening.com/1477086/heres-his-massive-prized-gourd/ #BrandonDawson #california #garden #gardening #GiantPumpkin #GiantPumpkins #Gourd #HalfMoonBay #NorthernCalifornia #SantaRosa #WorldChampionship

CPH Daily Bulletin 9/30/2025

22,500 homes lost. Over five years later, only 38% rebuilt: What #California fire survivors face

https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2025-09-30/rebuilding-california-after-major-wildfires

#Wildfires #Rebuilding #ClimateCrisis #NaturalDisaster #TubbsFire #NorthComplexFire #ButteCounty #SantaRosa

Anybody in or near #santarosa in need of kid furniture:
https://www.freecycle.org/posts/100312074
https://www.freecycle.org/posts/100312076
https://www.freecycle.org/posts/100312078
https://www.freecycle.org/posts/100312080