Path: mythinc!moon!pixar!uupsi!psinntp!rutgers!orstcs!jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU!mpucket
From: mpucket@jacobs.CS.ORST.EDU (Margaret Puckette)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Flying a "Beverly Hills millionaire" over Oregon
Summary: overflying a major LightHawk supporter
Keywords: LightHawk, Cascade Range, Weyerhauser
Message-ID: <1992Jun27.210434.10006@CS.ORST.EDU>
Date: 27 Jun 92 21:04:34 GMT
Sender: Margaret Puckette
Followup-To: rec.aviation
Distribution: na
Organization: CS Dept. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
Lines: 67
Nntp-Posting-Host: jacobs.cs.orst.edu


LightHawk, the Environmental Air Force, is sending me on some 
interesting missions.  My assignment last Wednesday involved 
flying one of LightHawk's largest contributors on his first 
trip over the Northwest's forests.  All I was told was to meet
him at Sunriver, and that he was a "Beverly Hills millionaire".

With me, I brought along the director of one of Oregon's most
successful conservation organizations, an East Coast lawyer type
who can spit out a tidal wave of facts and arguments...he wanted
to network with Money.  We flew east from the stifling hot valley,
across the Cascade Range to the high desert, scouting which areas 
we'd overfly with Mr. Beverly Hills.  Down at the Sunriver resort
lodge, we met him and his wife over lunch.

The man was super enthusiastic, and he enjoyed dropping the
names of well-known pilots he'd flown with (though he was not,
surprisingly, a pilot himself).  He and his wife have been deeply
involved in the campaign of a certain Presidential Candidate, and 
they were interested in providing material, money, and energy into
giving this Candidate an effective conservation-minded environment-
al policy.  They envisioned LightHawk as integral to making this
happen.  The talk over lunch was intense.

Back at the airport, I warned my passengers about the turbulence we'd
likely experience below 5000'AGL (remember, the ground around here was
between 4000' to 10,000' MSL).  We'd be high, hot, and heavy.  Mrs.
Beverly Hills needed some reassurance about this; I insisted (as I
always do) that no one need fly if they're uncomfortable, but NO WAY
was she going anywhere without her husband :-).  She ended up enjoying
the flight and doing fine.  We took off towards the 3 large volcanos,
using thermals off the desert floor to climb over to the greener western
side of the range.

Then the wheelin' and dealin' started in earnest.  My strategy is over- 
flying the good stuff first, so we enjoyed the Three Sisters Wilderness
area, an unbroken expanse of forest bejeweled by turquoise alpine lakes
and the curly gray swaths of 6000 year old lava flows.  The Sisters,
themselves, were an awesome snow-capped sight.  Abruptly, the forest
changes into an intricate mosaic pattern of clearcut and plantation,
mostly the former.  I explain that Old Growth is recognized by the
existence of a ragged multi-layered canopy interspersed with dead trees,
white skeletal trees 100's of years old.  We fly around for a while
looking for some, finding little patches here and there.  I and my
attorney/activist compatriot trade off explaining the history of logging  
in the Northwest.

Up ahead is the Big Mother Clearcut, a 10 mile long steep canyon cleared
completely from ridge to ridge (~7000 MSL).  My VIP passenger demands to
know who did this--Weyerhauser Corp.  "Have you ever met the Weyerhausers?",
he asks, "Are they aware of this?".  He is certain they would never approve
and plans to give them a call the next day...interesting, I would never
have thought of that!!!  But then, I just don't have the *clout*.  He takes
pictures for documentation and we head on back to the ranch resort.

On the ground, we shake hands and exchange business cards.  Mr. Beverly
Hills tells me I'm a hero for being "on the front lines", and his wife
(who only developed sweaty palms) thanks me for the smooth landing...
with a 17 knot crosswind, this was no small feat :-).  Aw shucks.  
They encouraged me to vote for their Candidate, and to watch for some
new eco-policy to pass his lips.  Well I hope so.

Can't wait to find out what mission I'll be assigned to next.

************************************************************************
Margaret "on the front lines" Puckette
AOPA Archer N1939G