Rosamond Skypark & Rosie, and the Day Filled with RVs
Last week I found myself in Palmdale for work, and with an unexpected Sunday off made a long-shot and last-minute decision to reach out to VAFs very own Paul (Rosie) Rosales via email. Having read others' stories of hanging out with Paul and following his many Caribbean adventures here, I was excited at the possibility of meeting him and talking shop for a few hours. Because it was done with absolutely no advance planning, however, I didn't expect he'd be free that day.
Imagine my surprise when he emailed back nearly instantly, saying that he was just finishing breakfast and to come on up to Rosamond to hang out! I got in the car as soon as I could and headed north.
We only had a few hours to "play", but boy did we fit a lot in!
Upon arriving to his house I was immediately greeted by Victoria who was an absolute delight and couldn't have been more welcoming. She immediately made me feel at home and as though I was among old friends. Soon Paul walked toward the house and after greeting we went out to the hangar. I had no idea what was about to unfold!
Seeing Paul and his RV6A in person, which I had followed along in the forums through several trips to the Caribbean while dreaming of doing the same, found me oddly star-struck:
Quickly, though, he put me to work. Knowing that I had built my own RV9A, he asked me to help change out a battery to get another plane on the field started - an RV8. I like to think that I did at least acceptable work, as the battery swap went smoothly and the RV8 started right up, so we hopped in and taxiied it to Paul's hangar for some further work.
I realized how many friends Paul must have when at one time he had about 3 other people on a conference call simultaneously, arranging an opportunity for a friend who was finishing his private license to go flying with an instructor that very day in a Piper Warrior. California had gotten some storms recently and was due for more, but on this day the weather was good and it shouldn't go to waste. This guy knows how to make introductions!
Soon Paul received another call that some paperwork he had been waiting for was completed, but the friend with the paperwork was some distance away. No worries, both Paul and this friend had RVs and the distance turned into just a few minutes flying time for each of them to meet halfway in Porterville (KPTV). Paul looked at me and asked if I was up for a flight. Umm, YES!
Not long after we departed Rosamond in his 6A, another familiar voice came on the air-to-air frequency. This friend flies an RV4 and was interested in taking some photos.
Paul let me land in Porterville, and despite the speed difference between the 6A and my 9A, and flying from the right seat for the first time in forever, I think I did okay. We met his friend, exchanged some papers, and soon it was time to depart for home. Paul and Victoria had a play to attend that afternoon and we needed to get back.
Departing Porterville, I was struck with how green California is this time of year. Nothing at all like Kansas:
On the way home, some clouds had settled into the valleys. No worries, we were plenty high, but the beauty of the area was breathtaking:
An obligatory selfie of two happy aviators:
One last thing he showed me was Willow Springs Raceway, where some of the filming of Ford vs Ferrari took place:
After landing back at Rosamond, we met more of his airpark friends, wrenched on airplanes some more, and all too soon it was time for me to go.
I want to publicly thank Rosie for his hospitality and for a wonderful day filled with RVs. I couldn't have asked for a more fun and rewarding way to spend a day off!
For anyone who finds themselves in the area, reach out to Paul. Meeting him is bound to turn into something truly memorable.