A rosy start to 2022...
Winters in California are always beautiful.
We’ve had quite a bit of rain the last two weeks so the local mountains have lots of snow on them. Pair that with the first sunrise of the year and some bougainvillea flowers and you have quite the view.
Here’s hoping that this rosy start to the year will keep going and that this year will be great all around. Cheers everyone!
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If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
LAX live!
This is for all the fans of plane spotting on Rennteam. The guys from L.A Flights do an amazing job and LAX is such a cool aviation hub. Happy new year again and enjoy!
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If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
Pilot:Another stunning PTS red 997.2 RS with the black DZL package like I have on my car... just beautiful!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVJMNBxFzMT/
Sold today for $315k. Cheers to the lucky new owner!
https://www.pcarmarket.com/auction/2011-porsche-911-gt3-rs-1/
If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
Remember this battery, guys?
I purchased it back in 2013 from an RS owner on the east coast. It originally came with his car, but I guess he never got around to install it.
Initially I was skeptical about my decision because of the battery's temperature and performance limitations. However, when I cut open the sealed box and saw this beauty in real for the first time I was so delighted by how beautiful and light it was (only 12 lbs). Now 9 years later its performance is still flawless and it’s never given me any issues. I do have to keep it on the Porsche battery maintainer if it sits for longer than two weeks, though, otherwise it starts giving warning beeps :)
If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
A quick flashback to 2014...
I was scrolling through the pictures from my 4th Street Bridge photo shoot in Los Angeles which, as some of you know, took place on quite a cold February morning. The breeze that swept across this historic bridge definitely wasn't helping so I knew I had to be quick otherwise Mrs. Pilot would have become a frozen statue :)
Depending on where you are in this world, beautiful sunrises can be rare. Here in California the absence of clouds can make the sky appear pretty boring most of the time. Thankfully on this particular day the clouds acted like little sponges, soaking up the colors of the sunrise and making the sky dynamic and beautiful.
For some reason I omitted this picture when I made the original posting. Seeing it now triggers warm memories of a seemingly different time that I wanted to share with you all.
If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
14.05.2022 10:33:02
Baking in the Summer
It’s been consistently hot lately here in California, but that doesn’t stop my daughter’s desire to bake, especially when there are such delicious summer fruit to use.
She made a festive cake with fresh fruit for Fourth of July and another one using fresh peaches and blueberries. They’re light and summery, delicious and beautiful. Her care for and attention to detail is great and I count myself lucky to be able to enjoy the treats she bakes.
So, who wants a slice and who will bring the coffee? ;)
If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
L A X
As many of you know, Los Angeles International Airport has a special place in my heart and its history, from the early days when it was just grass fields to today, is fascinating.
This picture of the Tom Bradley terminal is from a few days ago, courtesy of our daughter. She and a friend went on a photo mission since there was a “super moon” and she thought the airport would be a great place to get some cool shots. She said she couldn't resist capturing the ever-present energy and motion of the loop inside the airport too while she was there.
Just across from this terminal building, on top of the parking structure, there used to be a heliport. Many years ago I was lucky enough to land there to pick up Mrs. Pilot and our then very young daughter when they arrived stateside after a long overseas flight. The 747 they were on had just touched down on runway 25R below me as I crossed overhead and midfield. The helicopter arrival procedure was unique and specific since the final approach put me tightly between a pair of two major runways on either side.
Of course I had kept the helicopter pickup a secret so when we got to the elevator in the parking structure my family didn't know anything about the helicopter standing by on the rooftop. Being able to pull off this surprise and seeing their reaction made me so happy. Unfortunately, since then, this very centrally located landing pad fell victim to all the major reconstruction and modernization projects at LAX.
I’m sure it will all look and function great once it’s finished, and hopefully the fancy new people mover and Metrolink connection will help alleviate traffic in the loop, but it’s sad knowing that a place that held fond personal memories is no longer there.
In a similar vein, some of you may remember the photos in this thread (page 6) of the iconic LAX theme building that had been freshly renovated and retrofitted for earthquake safety. It was home to the fun and futuristically styled Encounter Restaurant, which offered great views of arriving and departing airplanes. For reasons unknown to me, it was closed down as well. It is so sad to see it dark and abandoned. We loved going there, it had almost a Jetsons feel to it.
It’s amazing, isn’t it, how much a single photo can bring up in terms of memories and emotions?
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If I don't fly, I drive my .:RS :)
OMG, that LAX traffic loop is the worse design I have ever seen. Mixing rental bus pickup with regular car pickup at the same spot for each terminals. Buses and cars are crisscrossing across 3 lanes of traffic..........
Whenever I fly into LAX, if I am getting picked up by a friend, I would request them to head to the departure level and I get in the car from upstairs.
They really should move either one of those pickups to inside the parking garage in the middle, creating a through road there. All the terminals are just a crossing of 3 lanes to the parking garage anyways, not a long walk.
LAX, I only connect there now. AfterCovid it’s just a logistics nightmare if you have to arrive or leave by car.
I’ve been spoiled by some great experiences at the smalller European hubs. HEL is my current fave… 20 minutes to transfer from my arrival from HND to my ZRH departure. So efficient and well organized, even though it’s a bit of a hike in the terminal.
Once I flew Swiss from ARN to HKG, connecting at ZRH. I had a 40 minute connection but the MCT for ZRH at that time was 35 minutes. We were descending a few minutes behind schedule when the FA said, “all Hong Kong passengers will be met at the jet bridge to assist with your transfer.” Myself and a couple had a tarmac transfer including passport control at a little booth on the tarmac. Total time in Switzerland was 12 minutes. Only Japan’s Shinkansen is better organized, that is my absolute favorite!
Pretty much all North American airports are a mess. European airports as a whole are very enjoyable, not many I dislike, well maybe CDG with FRA being a close 2nd.
With Brexit my UK passport is no longer an EU one and the passport control at CDG is an absolute horror show. FRA though is ok, perhaps it's just German efficiency.
For me from Vancouver, flying to Europe don't have a lot of choices for hubs, especially if I avoid North American airports, It's either direct to LHR, FRA, AMS, with MUC being a seasonal one and CDG 3 times a week. Between those hubs, I have access to One World, Star Alliance and SkyTeam and that just about covers all airlines and I can get to most cities on one hop. Also help that I normal jus book that first leg as a round trip to and from Vancouver, and I book the 'connecting' flights as a separate ticket to not limit my options.
Most of the time I leave the airport and stay overnight after the first leg of the long haul. I only do same day transfer if I absolutely have to. Easier on the body, not getting any younger.
Whoopsy:Pretty much all North American airports are a mess. European airports as a whole are very enjoyable, not many I dislike, well maybe CDG with FRA being a close 2nd.
With Brexit my UK passport is no longer an EU one and the passport control at CDG is an absolute horror show. FRA though is ok, perhaps it's just German efficiency.
For me from Vancouver, flying to Europe don't have a lot of choices for hubs, especially if I avoid North American airports, It's either direct to LHR, FRA, AMS, with MUC being a seasonal one and CDG 3 times a week. Between those hubs, I have access to One World, Star Alliance and SkyTeam and that just about covers all airlines and I can get to most cities on one hop. Also help that I normal jus book that first leg as a round trip to and from Vancouver, and I book the 'connecting' flights as a separate ticket to not limit my options.
Most of the time I leave the airport and stay overnight after the first leg of the long haul. I only do same day transfer if I absolutely have to. Easier on the body, not getting any younger.
Were you a Privium (AMS) member before Brexit? You can’t sign up for it now, but they will let you renew if you joined before Brexit. UK really hosed themselves with Brexit…
Nah I wasn't. I actually barely transit via AMS. My primary had always been LHR, and if I can't get a flight there I fly into Germany first.
I was never a fan of one person one vote kind of democracy. It will also ended up at the lowest common denominator, as every candidate will top each other to see who can go lower, i.e. who can "promise" to pay the most to the people, and the common folks cannot see the bigger picture outside of themselves to start off with.
What's done is done. At least when I go to the UK I get a nice 'Welcome back sir" from immigration. I get none of that here in Canada, where they think each and every returning citizen is a criminal and is smuggling back something.
I actually like MIA, airport isn't too big and it is easily accessible, especially with a rental car.
Dubai is OK as well, a bit too big for my taste (you need to walk quite a lot, especially if you want to take a look at the stores and your gate is far away). Munich airport is also OK but sometimes a big overcrowded.
I like LA only for one thing: Meeting celebrities. Met Arnold Schwarzenegger once and shook his hand (pretty soft ), he heard us talking German and asked us something regarding to German tax laws (not sure I gave him the right answer). Forgot to get an autograph in the process.
My daughter hugged Jamie Lee Curtis and got an autograph from her, she was there with her assistant.
Just a few examples of direct contact, saw many others there.
RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Lamborghini Huracan Performante (2019), BMW Z4 M40i (2022), Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk (2019 EU)
Come on guys quit ragging on US airports. Most are as good as any in Europe. No doubt each one of us can find fault with any airport.
Keep in mind that the US accounts for the top four busiest airports in the world and has 19 of the top 50 busiest.
The purpose of life is to enjoy the moment.
Busy doesn't mean an airport is good and flyers prefer to fly into them. It just means they are the hub airports and flyers don't have a choice.
Heathrow is one of the busiest in the world, yet it's enjoyable doing transfer there, even across terminals.
06.09.2023 18:14:27
06.09.2023 19:06:14