I will miss working for Stand Up. There was never a dull moment and the people I worked with and for were just terrific. It has been a great experience.

I wasn’t looking for a new job. The phone rang and there was a job offer on the other end of the line. This is only the second time in my life that this has happened to me so I felt compelled to take the offer seriously. After a lot of thought I decided to make a move.

I’ll be going to work at Independent Lifestyles in the capacity of a sales person. I worked in sales for many years prior to the last 4 where I’ve primarily been working with people who have disabilities. It will be great getting back into sales while continuing my work with the disabled. It seems like a perfect match.

To all my friends at Stand Up, Inc. I’m going to miss everyone. I loved working with you.

LR

Very easy put in and take out with excellent facilities in the park which include picnic areas, restrooms, bath houses, and campgrounds. If you are looking for an inexpensive place to rent tubes or canoes this is a great choice. They also have a shuttle service for only $2 on this short float which means you only need to take one car. Here’s a link for more info on their services http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/jrlivery.shtml

James River State Park is about 50 minutes from Lynchburg and is perfect for a 1/2 day adventure without having to rough it at all. Fishing wasn’t good but it could have been that I was there in the middle of the afternoon and the water temperature was extremely warm. There was also a lot of activity on the river. It was still fun and will do it again if I’m looking for a short day on the river.

LR

The River above Buchanan is beautiful. The fishing was great. We caught quite a few 2+ pound smallmouth on this run. This is an easy float but has enough riffles and class 1 rapids to keep it fun without a lot of flat water paddling required. I can’t wait to do this stretch of river again. This was a really great day on the river.

LR

There is a choice of two launch sites. On the Lynchburg side of the river you have the city public boat ramp and on the Amherst County side you have the boat ramp at the James River Float Company which used to be the Smiley Block boat ramp. We decided to put in at the Lynchburg City boat ramp.

The water was running about 5 feet which is a little high. We enjoyed ourselves and didn’t really have any problems. We did bounce off of one rock which was submerged just before a rapid which was a little scary but we managed to get through it without capsize. We did learn something about planning the route through the rapids far in advance as things come on you quickly when the water is high and fast.

The fishing was OK but nothing to write home about. The swift water may have hindered fishing a little. We saw a Bald Eagle fishing the river. This was a real treat. Overall, I’d say that our first float went well and it’s good to have it under our belt.

LR

The Flying Circus was terrific reenacting the old barnstorming days of the past with their squadron of vintage bi-wing airplanes. The wing walking and the tail hook mail pick up were a couple of my favorite demonstrations. They also bombed the “Black Baron” with flour sacks which was pretty funny.

The Flying Circus is located in Bealeton VA between Culpeper and Warrenton. They perform there every Sunday May-October. Pilots give rides in these old vintage airplanes for those who would like to experience open cockpit flying. You can find out more about it by clicking here.

I attended the Saturday show and once the show was over things got ugly. Everyone headed for the gate at the same time. An estimated 30,000 people headed for shuttle buses to return to their vehicles. It turned out to be about a 3 hour wait to get away from the airport. People were dropping like flies from dehydration and heat exhaustion. The police obviously didn’t know what to do and the situation quickly became every man/woman for themselves. It was frankly pretty scary for awhile. I really felt bad for families with small children and the Senior Citizens. This situation was particularly hard on them.

Organizers made changes in exit traffic patterns for the Sunday show and things appear to have gone much smoother.

I had a great time and enjoyed the show. We were blessed with a beautiful day and it was good to have something of this caliber in our area. Now, if this sunburn would just soak in….

Sunburned Aviation Fan

Lynchburg featured the Blue Angels at an airshow 29 years ago and I saw them then. Little did I know at the time that I wouldn’t see them perform again for almost 30 years. I remember how impressed I was at their last performance and I’m really excited to have the chance to see them again.

Lynchburg is a much different place than it was 29 years ago. How will the city do at hosting a big event like this. I’ll let you know how it goes… stay tuned. One things for sure. It’s gonna be LOUD & PROUD!

Here’s the link detailing the event… www.LynchburgAirShow.com

Aviation Lover