In March 2023 I decided to take a flight in a helicopter that I have wanted to since obtaining my certificate. And that was to fly out to view the site of the old Maricopa Wells stage stop from the air. I was finally able to do so in the Enstrom I have been flying with its owner and my instructor, Glen Roberts.
This time of year the desert wildflowers were really in bloom. Especially right here in the Gila River basin.
Yours truly at the controls of the Enstrom F28C. This helicopter has no governor so you ARE the throttle governor. It is somewhat unusual with three seats.
A closer view of the very colorful Gila River basin. It is not normally like this in the summer.
Technically this is Pima Butte, but most pilots call it "M Mountain". The M has not been whitewashed since the 80s but still stands out rather well.
This is the site of the Space Fence. It was a set of antennae that broadcast a wall of radio energy into orbit. The reflections were then picked up to monitor space debris.
The goal of this flight. This is the site of the old trading post, wagon train, and stagecoach stop at Maricopa Wells. In the nineteenth century this place was a bit deal with the wagon trains stopped to water up before beginning the run across the "40 mile desert" stretch of the trail to Gila Bend. The rectangular features are traces of the old foundations. The ground near here is littered with old fragments of bottles.
The southern tip of the Sierra Estrella range known as "Montezuma's Head" and "The Porch".
These rocks near the bottom of the ridge in the prior photo have petroglyphs etched in the side of many. Including a famous 19th century fake that marked the alleged boundary of a land grant.
The Estrella Sailport to the south of the mountains. One of the busiest gliderports in the US and the world.
The "White Spot" which often creates thermals and which glider pilots often request a tow to.
This time of year the desert wildflowers were really in bloom. Especially right here in the Gila River basin.
Yours truly at the controls of the Enstrom F28C. This helicopter has no governor so you ARE the throttle governor. It is somewhat unusual with three seats.
A closer view of the very colorful Gila River basin. It is not normally like this in the summer.
Technically this is Pima Butte, but most pilots call it "M Mountain". The M has not been whitewashed since the 80s but still stands out rather well.
This is the site of the Space Fence. It was a set of antennae that broadcast a wall of radio energy into orbit. The reflections were then picked up to monitor space debris.
The goal of this flight. This is the site of the old trading post, wagon train, and stagecoach stop at Maricopa Wells. In the nineteenth century this place was a bit deal with the wagon trains stopped to water up before beginning the run across the "40 mile desert" stretch of the trail to Gila Bend. The rectangular features are traces of the old foundations. The ground near here is littered with old fragments of bottles.
The southern tip of the Sierra Estrella range known as "Montezuma's Head" and "The Porch".
These rocks near the bottom of the ridge in the prior photo have petroglyphs etched in the side of many. Including a famous 19th century fake that marked the alleged boundary of a land grant.
The Estrella Sailport to the south of the mountains. One of the busiest gliderports in the US and the world.
The "White Spot" which often creates thermals and which glider pilots often request a tow to.