Postcards

Desert paradise awaits you in California

It's in the desert, yet it's nestled under mountains that rise above 10,000 feet msl. It has an international airport, but small airplanes are welcome if they can follow roads. The main airport and two nearby airports are located inside a terminal radar service area (TRSA) — one of the few left in the country. Its main streets — Dinah Shore Drive, Frank Sinatra Drive, Gene Autry Drive, and Bob Hope Drive, to name a few — are named after stars that made the town famous.

Anyone who has ever been will say there's no denying that this place of many dichotomies — Palm Springs, California, and the entire Coachella Valley — is packed with fun and entertainment. Add AOPA Expo 2006 to Palm Springs, in November, and experience three days to remember (see " AOPA Expo Returns to Palm Springs," August Pilot).

Palm Springs — the area

With the exception of Joshua Tree National Park — one-half million acres set aside to preserve desert landscapes, vistas, animal life, and habitats — almost all other attractions branch off Palm Canyon Drive. This wide road peels off from U.S. Highway 10 a few miles west before meandering through old Palm Springs at the northwestern end of the valley through the towns of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, and Indio. It's also known as state Highway 111. When flying into Palm Springs International Airport from the west, pilots will be directed to track this highway to set up a left downwind for prevailing-wind runways 31L and 31R.

Local attractions include the Palm Springs Air Museum (see " Flying History," page 122), Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, about a million golf courses, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. You'll also find world-class jewelry stores and shopping along El Paseo Road in Palm Desert, and a wide range of hostelries ranging all the way up to renowned, luxurious resorts with relaxing and revitalizing spas. There are great restaurants with menus that stretch from beer and barbecue all the way across the board to dishes such as quail stuffed with sweetbreads served with black rice in a Chablis wine sauce. There's even a wide variety of food from the street vendors at Palm Springs Villagefest (kettle corn, oh, boy!), which takes place every Thursday evening on Palm Canyon Drive.

The aerial tram shouldn't be missed. Cable-suspended cars slowly rotate as they climb steeply from the desert floor (411 feet msl) to 10,381 feet msl during the 15-minute trip. It may be cold at the top of the mountain so bring a coat. The mountain station is located within the 14,000-acre Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area. Upon arrival travelers are free to sightsee, follow posted nature trails around a short loop, or hike along the 54 miles of trails. Camping also is allowed in the wilderness area with the required permits. There are two restaurants and a variety of vista viewing areas in and around the mountain station. Trams run all day and there's never more than a 15- to 20-minute wait for the next tram.

Visitors to AOPA Expo on November 9, 10, and 11 will enjoy average temperatures that reach highs in the mid-70s, with evening temperatures dipping slightly below 50. These temperatures are perfect for a round of golf, or a couple of sets of tennis before or after a day at the show.

Additional outdoor adventures include The Living Desert. Revenue from admissions helps this nonprofit organization feed, care for and rehabilitate, and release more than 1,000 desert animals yearly. This 1,200-acre site is located in Palm Desert and is home to more than 450 exotic animals such as the bat-eared fox, collared peccary, Grevy's zebra, aardwolf, badger, sand cat, and slender-horned gazelle in naturalized habitats. There also are hiking trails, a large botanical garden, and a variety of kid-friendly programs such as Gecko Gulch and a petting kraal. A variety of tours including a senior fun package, self-guided tour, and guided walking tour also are available.

Then there's fishing, more hiking, horseback riding, off-road all-terrain-vehicle and motorcycle rentals, soccer, swimming, biking, and bowling near or in the valley.

Inside Palm Springs

The Palm Springs Art Museum is located downtown. During November, themes include the Best of the West II celebrity photographs from the museum's permanent collection, and twentieth-century sculpture.

The exhibits at valley art galleries range from old masters to new works by up-and-coming artists. Eight live stages dot the valley. Two noteworthy shows are within walking distance of the convention center. One that's sure to please is the Fabulous Follies. Touted as "music of the '30s and '40s, it has a cast old enough to have lived it!" one of the cast of veteran troupers — who range in age from 57 to 82 years young — knows vaudeville, song, and dance, and it shows.

Another venue that's close by is the Palm Springs Pavilion Theater located near downtown Palm Springs at North Palm Canyon Drive and Taquitz Can-yon Way. Cirque Dreams is scheduled to appear during AOPA Expo.

There are two gaming casinos in the valley. Spa Resort Casino is located within walking distance of the convention center in Palm Springs. There's also a 228-room hotel, a spa, and the Well Spirit Fitness Center on site.

Flying in

Palm Springs International Airport is located close to the convention center. Two other airports are located inside the TRSA in Coachella Valley — Bermuda Dunes and Jacqueline Cochran Regional, which was formerly known as the Thermal Airport. Cochran Regional is 21 miles southeast of Palm Springs International, and Bermuda Dunes is 13 miles down valley. TRSA controllers probably will direct arriving pilots to follow the routing of U.S. Highway 10 — it closely parallels the runways at Palm Springs International and Bermuda Dunes. Palm Springs is a great getaway with a wide range of leisure-time activities. Because of this, and the typical great weather, Palm Springs has proven to be a favorite site for AOPA Expo.

It will be great again this year. For more information on AOPA Expo, including special procedures for flying to Expo, visit the Web site.

E-mail the author at [email protected].

Flying History

Palm Springs Air Museum spans the generations

BY PATRICK J. MATHEWS

This year's AOPA Expo in Palm Springs, California, will give attendees an opportunity to visit the venerated Palm Springs Air Museum. This is no reliquary. All but two of the 23 World War II-era aircraft on display are in flying condition and represent an exalted cross section of the warbirds that brought victory to the United States and its allies in both Pacific and European theaters.

There's much to see and do, so allow ample time — two hours minimum — to tour the aircraft, take in the rubric of the docents, and visit the extensive library and gift shop. AOPA Expo 2006 will coincide with the touring Da Vinci exhibition "Code to Flight" that will be open to all visitors to the museum.

The aircraft are arranged in three spacious, air-conditioned hangars. Although named after some of the museum's generous contributors, the hangars are better known as the Army or Navy hangars with aircraft being displayed respective of their field of endeavor. The aircraft sit in silent respect to the men and women who flew them and to the fierce battles in which they prevailed. Around them hang spectacular original paintings and murals by local artist Stan Stokes, whose articulate work helps us better understand the perilous wartime duties of pilot and airplane. To help the visitor better put the history of these wars in geographical order, giant polychromatic wall maps describe major battles and highlight key milestones to victory.

The museum's stated objective is to honor our veterans past and present, to educate present and future generations about the horrors of war and about the sacrifices made by men and women for freedom, and to preserve the machines that served as the instruments of the war that ended the terror and oppression between 1939 and 1945. On Veterans Day, November 11, 2006, the Palm Springs Air Museum will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its opening in 1996.

How to get there

The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, when it is closed. It is located on the north side of Palm Springs International Airport at 745 North Gene Autry Trail. For more information and prices of admission, please go online or call 760/778-6262.

Although the museum enjoys contiguous ramp space with the airport for its flight demonstrations, it cannot accommodate pilots arriving in private aircraft. The closest FBO is Atlantic Aviation Services at 145 South Gene Autry Trail. Subject to availability, a free shuttle service is available between Atlantic Aviation's ramp and the museum. The FBO offers visiting pilots tiedowns, unusual facilities such as a swimming pool, showers, and towels, plus a big-screen TV, computers with free Internet hookup, beverages, and friendly service.

The Loft, a small restaurant on the premises, offers excellent meals for breakfast and lunch. For more information, telephone 877/316-7483 or visit the Web site.

Patrick J. Mathews, AOPA 1134012, of Indian Wells, California, is a freelance travel and aviation writer. He is a private instrument-rated pilot and owns a 1993 Beechcraft F33A Bonanza.

Museum docents breathe life into exhibits

If the remarkable collection of airplanes is indeed the Palm Springs Air Museum's very heart, then the docents must surely be its soul.

The docents, all volunteers, do more than staff the museum. Organized as the Victory Squadron and now numbering more than 300 strong, these dedicated men and women serve primarily to bring their wealth of knowledge and historical perspective, and often interesting personal experiences, to visitors. Some have flown the World War II aircraft on display in combat. Others flew in later wars or worked in supporting roles as navigators, gunners, and bombardiers. All services are represented, bringing an extraordinary reservoir of collective knowledge from which visitors can benefit, just for the asking.

Younger docents pay a filial loyalty and homage to their peers.

Some come from related technical or manufacturing fields and some help out because of their intense interest in military history and aviation. The docents also lend a hand in serving the youth of the community. The museum has an active outreach program to surrounding schools for children of 10 years and older, paying special attention to teenagers who are currently enrolled in ROTC classes. Through generous grants and gifts, the museum often pays to transport children from their schools to educate them on site at the museum. Here, too, the docents play a substantial role in teaching and conducting tours and patiently working alongside the children in the library and on computerized flight simulators. Docents also run the museum's busy ramp operations, ensuring safety and security during flight demonstrations. They staff the well-stocked gift shop, host corporate evening events, archive extensive book, magazine, and memorabilia collections in the library, and conduct group tours for visitors from around the country, and the world. The more engineering-inclined volunteers dedicate their skills to restoring older aircraft with authentic precision, updating displays and generally keeping the museum in tiptop mechanical condition.

On your visit to the Palm Springs Air Museum for the AOPA Expo evening event on November 10, or if you plan to visit independently, ask one of the docents to show you around. — Patrick J. Mathews