BajaNomad

Wings Over Baja

dravnx - 7-31-2020 at 07:56 AM

Stumbled upon this in an aviation forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usM0aa9IBM8&feature=yout...

motoged - 7-31-2020 at 08:53 AM

Good find !

Those were the days....

cliffh - 7-31-2020 at 09:39 AM

Great video 😎mix a c-cktail and enjoy

BajaNomad - 7-31-2020 at 09:45 AM

Quote: Originally posted by dravnx  
Stumbled upon this in an aviation forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usM0aa9IBM8&feature=yout...



elgatoloco - 7-31-2020 at 10:09 AM

Snap shot in time. :cool:

David K - 7-31-2020 at 10:10 AM

Great!
Mid-1960s and a Piper Cherokee passengers visit Tijuana, meet Captain Muñoz there... then to L.A. Bay and meet Papa (Antero) Diaz...
Next, to San Lucas Cove and on down to Mulegé (fishing, mission, prison).
On to Loreto and the Flying Sportsman Lodge. Landing a dolphinfish (dorado/ mahi mahi)!
Next is La Paz then the twin resorts Rancho Buena Vista and Bahía de Palmas.
Finally, the two luxury hotels: Cabo San Lucas and Palmilla, each with their own runway.

chippy - 7-31-2020 at 12:10 PM

Great vid! Nice sized vela in Cabo.

TMW - 7-31-2020 at 12:36 PM

Great find, thanks.

dravnx - 7-31-2020 at 01:58 PM

Sadly, that aircraft crashed in 1978, killing the 4 occupants.

freediverbrian - 7-31-2020 at 02:02 PM

Loved seeing the Flying Sportsman bar and old pier in Loreto. It brings back lots good memories.

chippy - 7-31-2020 at 02:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by dravnx  
Sadly, that aircraft crashed in 1978, killing the 4 occupants.


More info please.

dravnx - 7-31-2020 at 03:16 PM

Looks like the propeller cracked due to improper maintenance. Young pilot, maybe a female.

3-4239 78/12/22 KENNETT,MO PIPER PA-28 CR- 1 0 0 NONCOMMERCIAL PRIVATE, AGE 23, 132
TIME - 0540 N5716W PX- 3 0 0 PLEASURE/PERSONAL TRANSP TOTAL HOURS, 66 IN TYPE,
DAMAGE-DESTROYED OT- 0 0 0 NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.
DEPARTURE POINT INTENDED DESTINATION
PIGGOTT,AR PLAINS,GA
TYPE OF ACCIDENT PHASE OF OPERATION
PROPELLER/ROTOR FAILURE: PROPELLER IN FLIGHT: CLIMB TO CRUISE
COLLIDED WITH: TREES LANDING: FINAL APPROACH
PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
PERSONNEL - MAINTENANCE,SERVICING,INSPECTION: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND INSPECTION
POWERPLANT - PROPELLER AND ACCESSORIES: BLADES
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - FATIGUE FRACTURE
FACTOR(S)
MISCELLANEOUS ACTS,CONDITIONS - SEPARATION IN FLIGHT
EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES - FORCED LANDING OFF AIRPORT ON LAND
SUSPECTED OR KNOWN AIRCRAFT DAMAGE
PROP/ENGINE VIBRATION

[Edited on 7-31-2020 by dravnx]

David K - 7-31-2020 at 03:38 PM

Quote: Originally posted by freediverbrian  
Loved seeing the Flying Sportsman bar and old pier in Loreto. It brings back lots good memories.


Famous for being on the cover of Ray Cannon's 1966 book:




What is left of it (in 2017):

freediverbrian - 7-31-2020 at 09:48 PM

I spent lots of time as a kid fishing off the Flying Sportsman pier with a "Baja spinning reel "a teacate beer can with some scavanged line and a rusty spoon.

BajaBlanca - 8-1-2020 at 02:07 AM

We had a Mexican family come to La Bocana last week. He had been here once before in the 70's and not again until last week!

BajaMama - 8-1-2020 at 06:18 AM

That was a fabulous watch! I'm surprised the Hotel Punta Chivato wasn't included.

David K - 8-1-2020 at 06:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  
That was a fabulous watch! I'm surprised the Hotel Punta Chivato wasn't included.

Punta Chivato was not built yet (or still under construction) when the video was filmed... otherwise it probably would be! Photos of it under construction are in Erle Stanley Gardner's 1967 book, 'Off the Beaten Track in Baja'. It's original name was Hotel Borrego de Oro.

LancairDriver - 8-1-2020 at 11:19 AM

Excellent book on Baja history from that era or before.

“One Hell of a Ride” by Lou Federico who built and ran the Hotel Mulege across the Rio from the Serenidad Hotel. He then moved on from there and tackled the big job of building the hotel at Chivato. Lots of interesting stories about the characters around there at the time.

From a 2014 post...

David K - 8-1-2020 at 11:29 AM


Erle Stanley Gardner was so impressed with the construction by Dixon Collins, four photos were included in his 1967 book, 'Off the Beaten Track in Baja':









Interesting that Lou is not mentioned by Gardner. The photos in his book came from his 1966 Baja expedition.

In 2017:





bajaric - 8-1-2020 at 11:29 AM

Nice video, and thanks for including a thumbnail instead of just posting a blind link.

I want to hear the narrator say "And the wives scream in terror as the husband puts the Cherokee into a steep banking turn just above the water, with the wings almost vertical!"

You can notice another plane and also a solo pilot in some of the shots, I think they had a professional pilot along with them that did some of the flying scenes. Still, a great adventure --

BajaMama - 8-1-2020 at 11:46 AM

David K, I read the book about when it was built and the guy who build it years ago - for some reason I thought earlier, but my memory is fading these days. It is a sad sight now, out of business for years, something about water rights. We used to think it was a money laundering property. The web-site always said completely booked, but few guests were rarely there. We had dinner there once around 2011. I always wanted to go inside so we made a reservation. We were the only table and only one item on the menu!

Don Pisto - 8-1-2020 at 11:48 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  
David K, I read the book about when it was built and the guy who build it years ago - for some reason I thought earlier, but my memory is fading these days. It is a sad sight now, out of business for years, something about water rights. We used to think it was a money laundering property. The web-site always said completely booked, but few guests were rarely there. We had dinner there once around 2011. I always wanted to go inside so we made a reservation. We were the only table and only one item on the menu!


what was it?

bajaric - 8-1-2020 at 11:52 AM

Why, the Dixon Collin's Hotel, of course.
somewhere in mulege

David K - 8-1-2020 at 12:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
Why, the Dixon Collin's Hotel, of course.
somewhere in mulege


I don't understand this, Ric?

I wonder if Lou Federico was the financial partner or was it Dixon? Clearly, in 1966, Dixon was the big cheese on site.
I do not have Lou's book... Is Dixon Collins mentioned anywhere in it?

LancairDriver - 8-1-2020 at 05:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
Why, the Dixon Collin's Hotel, of course.
somewhere in mulege


I don't understand this, Ric?

I wonder if Lou Federico was the financial partner or was it Dixon? Clearly, in 1966, Dixon was the big cheese on site.
I do not have Lou's book... Is Dixon Collins mentioned anywhere in it?



David, you really need to read Lou Federico’s book. Dixon is all over the book. Dixon Collins put up the money for the Chivato Hotel which he obtained by using the divorce settlement money from the woman he hooked up with at the time. That woman had just received a large divorce settlement from her ex husband, who was Otis Chandler, the owner of the LA Times newspaper. Lou did all the planning and handled the construction of the hotel. Dixon was quite the operator and has an interesting history in California and an expert in self publicity.
I have verified most of the information Lou has written in talking to a long time Baja friend of Lou’s over the years who knew all the players.
Much of Lou’s book is very graphic so be warned. The book gives a very good description of what Baja was like on the early 60’s. Wish I could have been around in those days as I just experienced the tail end of that era.



[Edited on 8-2-2020 by LancairDriver]

David K - 8-1-2020 at 07:49 PM

Great, thank you!

BajaNomad - 8-1-2020 at 11:45 PM

Quote: Originally posted by LancairDriver  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaric  
Why, the Dixon Collin's Hotel, of course.
somewhere in mulege


I don't understand this, Ric?

I wonder if Lou Federico was the financial partner or was it Dixon? Clearly, in 1966, Dixon was the big cheese on site.
I do not have Lou's book... Is Dixon Collins mentioned anywhere in it?



David, you really need to read Lou Federico’s book. Dixon is all over the book. Dixon Collins put up the money for the Chivato Hotel which he obtained by using the divorce settlement money from the woman he hooked up with at the time. That woman had just received a large divorce settlement from her ex husband, who was Otis Chandler, the owner of the LA Times newspaper. Lou did all the planning and handled the construction of the hotel. Dixon was quite the operator and has an interesting history in California and an expert in self publicity.
I have verified most of the information Lou has written in talking to a long time Baja friend of Lou’s over the years who knew all the players.
Much of Lou’s book is very graphic so be warned. The book gives a very good description of what Baja was like on the early 60’s. Wish I could have been around in those days as I just experienced the tail end of that era.



[Edited on 8-2-2020 by LancairDriver]



http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=83582

BajaMama - 8-2-2020 at 09:15 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Pisto  
Quote: Originally posted by BajaMama  
David K, I read the book about when it was built and the guy who build it years ago - for some reason I thought earlier, but my memory is fading these days. It is a sad sight now, out of business for years, something about water rights. We used to think it was a money laundering property. The web-site always said completely booked, but few guests were rarely there. We had dinner there once around 2011. I always wanted to go inside so we made a reservation. We were the only table and only one item on the menu!


what was it?

https://mexfish.com/mulg/mulg/af040510/af040510.htm I believe it was One Hell of a Ride.