By Eric McCarthy

Corrizo Plain and hills in bloom as far as we could see. (Eric McCarthy)Cruising along serenely with my friend and fellow CAP squadron-member, Derek, we passed over the LA Coliseum at 8,500 feet en route to Van Nuys VOR (VNY). We were flying up the Central Valley for one of my photo missions in my friend, Rich’s, Cessna. It was a beautiful day with few clouds and unlimited visibility. We had a bit of a headwind as we traversed the mountains on V107 north of the Fillmore VOR (FIM), and had been anticipating some turbulence, but it never materialized, and we were able stay at 8,500 feet for the crossing.

There’s some pretty inhospitable territory in those mountains, with not many options for an emergency landing. Subconsciously, I began to “cheat,” adding a little “insurance altitude” by climbing to 9,000 feet; Derek called ATC to request a block of airspace between 8,500 feet and 10,000 feet. Other than the airliners passing way overhead and a couple of business jets on their way to Van Nuys (KVNY), there was no other traffic, so our request was immediately granted.

Entering the Central Valley south of Taft, the scenery changes dramatically – from rugged, forested mountains to rolling hills and flat agricultural land that stretches to the horizon. Much of the land below us throughout this area has been scarred by oil production, a pock-marked labyrinth of drilling sites, empty pads, and storage facilities, but to our left is a spectacular view of the Southern Coastal Range and Carrizo Plain in full bloom. The recent winter rains brought out the vibrant greens and brilliant yellows of the wildflowers covering the hills and valleys as far as the eye could see! These hills and valleys are usually a monochromatic tan suede color, so to see them in bloom like this was quite a treat!