January 21-28, 2003
Trip to Connecticut and Flight to Naples, Florida
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Tuesday January 21, 2003.
Karen and I are on a 6:45 AM United Airlines flight to Hartford Connecticut.
The typical flight out of Newport Beach's John Wayne airport heads out to the ocean before doing a U-turn. Lots of low level clouds. Mountains in the background.
The first night we spent at Doug Schumann's 5,000 square foot A-Frame home in Southington, Connecticut. The guest bedroom on the 3rd floor has an all glass view of the valley and woods below. Doug is a long time friend. His company P-Q Controls, Inc. was an essential sponsor of my Robosaurus invention back in 1989. We have done bicycle tours together on both the East and West Coast over the years.
A zoomed in look at a home across the road from Doug's property. Wednesday, January 23, 2003. A giant thermometer reading 4 or 5 degrees above zero greets us on the first morning!
The above thermometer can be seen on the tree at the edge of the woods next to Doug's home. Doug Schumann, president of P-Q Controls, Inc. www.p-qcontrols.com/ triathlete, entrepreneur and jet pilot. Anke, checks her EMail early in the morning. In Doug's office at P-Q Controls. Bart Guthrie, PhD - VP Operations, Sales & Engineering, Doug Schumann - President and founder, Doug Malewicki - visiting "mad inventor".
Bart did his PhD thesis on MRI's (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). He gave me his "MRI made easy" CD. I am just starting to study it. Hope I don't have to take a test next time I see Bart!
Doug's Cessna Citation Jet being readied for our takeoff from Robertson Field, Connecticut. Controls and computer displays. Back in 1968-70 I worked at Cessna Aircraft's Military-Twin Division as a Senior Flight Test Engineer. I was the 10th person ever to ride in the original Citation N500CC prototype. I was really looking forward to this part of the trip!
Pilot Doug Schumann and pretend co-pilot Doug Malewicki get to enjoy the best view. I was really impressed by today's Flight Control computers. All based on GPS (the Global Positioning System that uses data from multiple satellites).
Doug's wife, Karen gets to play Jet Setter for the first time in her life! This sure beats hassling with the airlines! Anke makes everyone comfortable. Traveling with us was Doug's friend Bob Hauseman, who is Event Operations Manager at the Mohegan Sun Arena - an Indian casino and entertainment complex. Near the top of this picture you can see the skyscrapers of downtown Manhattan, New York. Just about past the Southern tip of New Jersey. A strong 155 mph jet stream was against us today. We were seeing direct headwind components close to 100 mph at times. We tried different altitudes between 37,000 and 41,000 feet to minimize the effect. There was a weather front near Jacksonville, Florida. The collision of the hot air and cold air masses forms a line of clouds that extends to the horizon. This is our view of the front from up above. This is Long Boat Key on the Gulf of Mexico (next to Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida). After landing at Naples, Florida. "Copilot" Doug M. exits the Citation Jet after a great flight Doug M., Karen, Anke and Pilot Doug Schumann.