The Aviation Legacy Lives On!

Sequim Valley Clan…

Jack and Winnie Sallee gave us the Sequim Valley Airport and a group of men with Aviation in their blood. What are they doing now?

Andy Sallee is the eldest of the boys. He and his wife Jane live in Sequim and are both active in the Sequim Valley Airport management. 

Jane and Andy

Andy was a 727 captain for ASTAR Air Cargo (DHL) for 19 years, until the furlough came. His dream is to get flying again. In the mean time he is very involved with airport operations as the active President of the management team. What does a President do at a private public use airport? 

Everything. Andy has been involved in the design, all phases of construction, development, and the operation of the Sequim Valley Airport since it’s conception. His experience includes airport planning, zoning, public hearings, fund raising, right of ways negotiation, safety, easements, local airspace study, property acquisition and sales. 

He is also Member of the EAA, Washington State Airport Managers Association (WAMA) and Youth Activities Director for Sequim Elks. Andy and Jane have been married for 25 years. Jane Sallee assists with airport computerized financial data and is the acting Treasurer.

Joe, Will, Daniel (Andy's son), and Andy

Joe Sallee: Joe is a Captain at Jet Blue, married to Annette and they live in Florida. Joe has a 15 year old daughter.

William Sallee:  Willy is a Captain at Ameriflight piloting a Metroliner out of Boeing Field in Seattle. He is also the Sequim Valley Airport, Vice President. He’s been involved in many aspects of airport development and operations since 1983 and makes his home in Sequim. He also spends a great deal of time at the airport with his son Jake.

Note—My mother named all her daughters with a K: Kim, Karolee, Karlene, Karlayn and Krissy. I named my three daughters with a K: Kalimar, Kayla and Krysta. My eldest daughter named her daughters with a K: Kadence and Kohyn. Then my middle daughter named her son: Miles!

There is always one kid to break tradition....

Mike Sallee, married to Victoria, are the non-pilots of the family. But they both live in Sequim.

Sequim... the hidden treasure of the Pacific Northwest. 


Jack Sallee has left a legacy of Aviation, and that legacy continues tomorrow.



Enjoy the Journey!


~ Karlene

Kandyce Crandall: Why I Want to Fly

Kandyce

Wanting to fly has become a burning desire deep in my heart. I’ve got a nomadic, thrill seeking soul with a love of adventure and exploration. This has lead to many trips overseas. My favorite part of traveling is always sitting back in my chair and buckling my seatbelt in anticipation for take off. I love the sensation I feel when the plane thrusts forward & lifts off the ground. 

My thirst for excitement and adrenaline was quenched when I got my first motorcycle. Riding became my freedom and my sanity. I love the challenge of handling my bike and feel that the next logical step for me is to actually leave the ground.

One of my earliest recollections regarding aviation is seeing the Blue Angels perform at a local air show. The precision maneuvering, the sound, and feeling the power of them flying by at such wicked speeds was, and still is, one the most exciting experiences for me. I make sure to see the Blue Angels during Seafair every summer. I always wanted to be the first woman Blue Angel pilot but started a career in the healthcare industry out of high school.

Kandyce in Dublin Ireland

Volunteering at the Fly it Forward event at Renton airport in December was so enjoyable for me, that I plan to pursue flying as a career. Meeting all the wonderful ladies who have accomplished lifelong dreams of becoming pilots gave me the hope and encouragement that I needed to take the next step. 

I have been studying my private pilot’s handbook and doing a lot of research on different aviation programs. I realize that it’s certainly not too late to pursue this deep seeded passion. I can’t wait to have that private pilot certificate! My ultimate goal is to acquire a multi pilot license and fly jets. I have taken on another job and have begun building my clientele as a licensed massage therapist in order to save up some money to make this happen!

The thought of taking the controls of an aircraft is so freaking cool to me, there are just no words to explain it!! I know this sounds cheesy, but the passion I feel in my heart for flying… is a lot like the still smoking embers of a campfire from the night before. 

Thank you to the women who graciously flew girls & ladies like myself and helped get the fire blazing. Not only in myself, but in a lot of other young ladies as well! You are inspirational to us all. I hope that there will be other Fly it Forward events in the future so I can take young ladies on their first flights and ignite that flame.
 

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to KNOW that this is
what I want, you are amazing!


~Kandyce Crandall

Monday I wrote about an amazing man of local Aviation History.... Jack Sallee. Yesterday I posted the result of his dream. Tomorrow and Friday, I'll post the legacy he left in generations to follow. But today I'm posting one of our "Why I want to Fly" essays. 

Kandyce was today's choice because of her passion for aviation, the thrill she experiences with speed, challenge, and excitement, and the effort she is giving to achieving her dreams of flight. If Jack were to have a daughter, Kandyce would have been his pride and joy. She has aviation in her blood. 


Enjoy the Journey!


~ Karlene

Sequim Airport... the Legacy Continues

 Sequim Valley Airport

 

Imagination,  hard work and perseverance... Jack Sallee's dreams come true. 1983 and he saw the necessity for a community public use airport for Sequimm Washington.  With the help of local volunteers they made it happen. 1985 Sequim had a paved, lighted 3500 ft. runway.

For those of you have never been to Sequim, you don't know what you're missing. One of the Pacific Northwest's greatest secrets located along the Dungeness River, near the base of the Olympic Mountains. What makes Sequim unique is the low rainfall... Averaging less than 15 inches per year! And it's gorgeous.

Whether it's Dungeness Crab or Lavender you're after, or looking for peace and tranquility or fun and adventure... you won't have to travel far to reach the mountains, temperate rainforests or feel the cool breeze from the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

After Jack's death in 1997, his wife Winnie took the helm and was the driving force until her death in 2009.

Winnie Sallee

The Sallee family estate owns 70% of the airport. The rest is owned by private investors. Winnie's hard work paid off for the the county when she put new airport overlay zoning in place that enhanced zoning and helped protect airspace around the airport.

Running an airport is not easy task when there is no income. And the nominal landing fees help support the an airport that supports the community. They support the EAA by hosting meetings, pilot presentations and Young Eagles Days and BBQs.

EAA Event

Future airport growth includes mini storage, a newer terminal/office building with a possibility of a mountain/runway view restaurant, with a small winery of micro-brewery. Timing of the dreams are dependent on lot sales, or an additional partner.

What happened to Coastal Airways? The airline has been out of business since about 1990. They closed the company after encountering some non-safety issues with the FAA that made it impossible for them to continue. But "Coastal" lives on. The airline in my aviation thriller, Flight For Control is: Coastal Airlines, in honor of the Sallee family and huge part of my life.

Sequim airport hosts runway 9/27, which is 3500 x 40 feet, and has two full time mechanics available.
Sequim Valley Airport Maintenance

Budget Rental car will also pick you up and transport you to Port Angeles for a rental car. And there are lots for sale on the airport!

I would love to buy 20 acres in this paradise and build and operate the restaurant and bar. I'm going to definitely need a raise... or win the lottery. But this is what dreams are made of.

Could you imagine a small bookstore/coffee shop at the airport? Sequim is a great location to host a writers conference, ride your horses, or just write with the inspiration of the mountains out one window and the sea out the other.

Ever wonder who funds private public use airports? Who keeps them running? It's a challenge. But Jack's dream is alive and waiting for pilots to visit... but what happened to the family? Who's running the airport?  Where are Jack and Winnie's kids today? More on Thursday....

Visit Sequim's website by clicking HERE.  Visit the Sequim Valley Airport, and the Olympic Peninsula, by flying to: 48-05-53.3320N / 123-11-13.6440W  

Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene

Legacy of Aviation

Ever wonder what mark you will leave on the world, or the lives you'll impact along the way? Could the love of aviation be a genetic trait... or could it be the power of passion? This story begins with a young man born in 1931. Jack Sallee. A name that everyone knew at Braniff, and in Sequim, Washington and... I'm sure every place he traveled.

One might say that Jack Sallee began his flying career in the military piloting an F86, and ended that career with Braniff as a 747 Captain, and they'd  be right.... sort of.

It's what happened in the middle of that career where Jack left his mark on the world. While he'd also flown the DC3, Convair, Electra B720, B727 and DC8 aircraft.... it was a family, an airport, and Cessna 402 that sustained the legacy of his life.

I met Jack in the fall of 1986. After I finished college, I'd decided to get a job with a local commuter to build hours until I was ready for that airline job. I went out to SeaTac airport to pick up applications. They actually had them at ticket counters. When I'd arrived, I found an airline I'd never heard of: Coastal Airways.

At the time the agent was on the phone with what turned out to be the owner. Jack Sallee. She handed me the phone and he asked, "Why do you want to work for Coastal?" I'd said, "So we can put San Juan out of business." He laughed and said he'd becoming over to Seattle to fly his scheduled trip, a Braniff freighter flight, that evening. He'd like to meet me. Well, he also invited me to jumpseat to California and back. He wanted to get to know me.

How could I pass up that opportunity? Wow! Riding in the cockpit of a B727. Exciting. That was the night that I got to know Jack, too. He bragged about his wife, his sons, and his dream of turning Sequim Airport into something huge! He was also a man who colored outside the lines, and did what it took to get things done. At top of descent, arriving into Seattle, he told me to get in the right seat and take the landing. Are you kidding me? Nope... he wasn't. You had to know Jack.

I landed my first 727 before the type rating. I guess I did alright because he hired me to fly for Coastal. My job, flying Cessna 172's and Cessna 402's. I also flew with one of the sons while he shot instrument approaches under the hood... for hours. I'm thinking that was Joe.

One day Jack brought a friend to Longacres Race Track to have lunch with my husband and myself. Who was that friend? None other but Tex Johnston. That famous pilot who rolled the Boeing 707 over Lake Washington during the hydroplane races. My husband happened to be at the lake during that roll, so it was fun for  us both to meet him. Tex told me he took a shower with his boots on that night. Click Here to see that famous flight.

Jack lived large. He was the first official commuter when pilots didn't do that and had been written up in the paper with this amazing story. He told my eldest daughter, when she was five, that he loved little girls and if she came to live with him, he would buy her a pony. She clung to my leg.

If you had the great opportunity to meet Jack, you'd never guess anything other than roses grew in his path. But reality was, he had the same struggles that we all face... and then some. One of his sons, lay in a hospital bed in a coma after a car accident on his graduation night. Braniff was filing bankruptcy. He had dreams of building his airport and airline, but financial struggles prevailed. And his lovely wife Winnie, faced crippling arthritis. He had a family, a dream, financial obligations and huge loss...The stress on this family horrendous. But Jack always had a smile on his face and saw the positive side of everything. He never gave up.

Jack also experienced a dream come true when he was able to fly a commercial trip with two of his on a schedule Braniff flight. Yes... they worked for Braniff, too. That night they decided to call me and recruit me to ditch Evergreen and come fly for Braniff number two. As Jack said, "The airline is really going places!"

After I joined Braniff, they shutdown nine months later. Despite the outcome, I wouldn't have changed that decision. I loved Braniff. And Jack was confident they were going places until that last day.
That's who he was.

Sequim airport Runway in progress

1997 I found my way to Northwest Airlines. The same year that Jack died in an accident in his hangar. I didn't hear until months after it happened. Jack, you are missed by all. But you left a legacy in your wake. What did he leave behind? What happened to his airport and his dreams? Where is Coastal Airways? Where are those sons and what are they doing?

More to come tomorrow...

Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene

Cassie Matthews

Friday Fabulous Flyer!

Cassie Mathews

A few weeks ago I was at Renton Airport cleaning airport seats and I got to watch Cassie Mathews take her solo flight. I was upset because I'd deleted her pictures from my computer. But when Cassie heard what I'd done, she sent me some that her instructor had taken. And since then I've had the chance to learn a little more about this female aviator soaring into the sky and kissing the runway at Renton Airport.

Solo Success!

I love meeting new pilots and finding what it's like for them to fly, and their greatest challenges.

Cassie, originally from Port Aransas, Texas, a small "touristy" town on a barrier island on the Texas gulf coat, has wanted to fly a plane as long as she can remember. She told me that while growing up her friend's father had a plane and would fly in to to coach their soccer game, while they'd spent hours driving to location. How neat is that? Enough to spark the ambition of a young lady to want to do the same thing. 

She lived College Station, TX, for five years, and after graduating from Texas A&M University in mechanical engineering she headed up to Seattle to work for Boeing.

She has been in Seattle for four years now and is currently a Structural Analysis Engineer at Boeing, and works for Fleet Support Engineering on the 757 and 727 fuselage structures. 

Happy Landing

Cassie has been flying for a year now and her greatest challenge?

"Seattle's weather!"

I'll vouch for that. But after her Sunday flight, and huge amount of perseverance battling the elements, schedules and paperwork ... all while working full time... she has a total of 34 hours.

Her other greatest flying challenge, beyond mother nature's wrath:

"It took me a little while to get used to talking on the radio. I'm getting  a lot better at it, but I still freeze up sometimes. Also it's challenging because there is so much going on at one time that you have to pay attention to. For a pilot it is definitely important to be good at multi-tasking."

Cassie, not uncommon for new pilots. As your confidence increases, so will your radio skills. I like the multi-tasking observation. I hear women are really good at that. ;)

How do you feel about flying and how far your plan to go with your training?

"I just love to fly. It's an amazing feeling and although it is challenging, I really think it's a ton of fun. I'm not sure how far I would like to go with this.  I might get my instrument rating after my private license, but I mainly would like to be able to fly for recreational purposes. There are so many more factors than I ever realized that go into flying a plane, but I've really enjoyed learning all about it!"

Cassie and Mom, Mary Jo Matthews, overlooking Elliot Bay

I was so thrilled to be watching you solo. Can you tell me what it felt like?

"I was really excited/anxious/nervous as I was starting up the engine and right as I was turning onto the runway, but after I took off, I was just happy and excited, and the nerves mostly went away, and I was concentrating on what I needed to do.  I knew Mike was watching so I was hoping he was approving of what was going on up there.  It's a real confidence booster doing it alone your first time... a little like taking off training wheels."

The very cool thing was Mike, her flight instructor, was standing on the ramp with a headphone and portable radio so he could talk to her while she flew. 30 years ago when I took my solo flight, my instructor watched from the tower and we didn't talk until after I'd landed. Times have certainly changed.

Cassie, if you could give new pilots any message, what would that be?

"It's a major time and money commitment, but it is completely worth it if you enjoy flying as much as I do. I also think it was helpful to have done some actual flying lessons already when I took grounds school, because it's easier to understand the theory you are learning when you've experience it firsthand. Also, I might recommend getting your medical certificate taken care of ahead of time or at least as one of the first things you do."

Taking a couple lessons before ground school is a great idea! It makes everything make so much sense. And excellent plan on the medical, too. Then there won't be any delays on your journey into the sky.

Final approach

Cassie, we all wish you luck with your flying. I know a few lady pilots in the area who are learning to fly, too. Maybe I could connect you all and you can share the journey. Share the plane. Share the experience. Share the expense. And fly together. Might be fun.

Fly safe and keep the blue side up! Please keep us posted on your continued progress.

Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene

A330 Thrust Levers

"Non-moving" thrust levers took some getting used to when transitioning from the Boeing to the Airbus.

Well, they move... but not in direct proportion to the power with auto-thrust engaged. With manual thrust, they are just like any normal thrust lever. Push up for more power, pull back for less.

But when the autothrust is active the levers don't move. We place them in one of the four positions for power available "up to" that selected setting.

The four positions:

1. 0 ... Idle.
2. CL ... Climb.
3. FLX MCT ... Flex and Max Continuous
4. TOGA ... Takeoff and Go-around

Setting power for takeoff is easy. If we plan to use full power for departure we set the thrust levers at TOGA. If we plan to use a flex temperature for departure...which is nothing more than a reduced power setting... we set FLX. After takeoff, at Thrust Reduction Height, we'll pull the thrust levers back to CL.

They stay in the Climb position for the remainder of the flight until landing. Yes, even on approach. Conceptually it feels weird to have a Climb Power setting for arrival and approach. What we need to remember is that in the CL position power is available "up to" climb power. Whatever the plane needs for a given speed or power setting.

So we fly the entire trip in CL. Unless of course we lose an engine, then we take our operating engine to MCT. This enables power on the good engine anywhere from idle up to max continuous.

The red button is the autothrust disconnect pushbutton. But before we push that button it's important to pull the thrust levers back to match them with the actual power setting... noted on the EPR indicator.

If you don't pull the thrust levers back and match the power before disconnecting the autothrust, the thrust will increase to full climb power... the position of the thrust levers. This can get a little crazy if you're on approach when the power is lower and you inadvertently press that button and the power screams forward. If that happens, pull the thrust levers back and control it. Not a big deal. Just be prepared and respond.

A quick way to disconnect the autothrust is also to pull the levers to the 0 position, or idle. When they touch idle you have control of the thrust. Bounce them off idle and bring them back up, you have control manually. Quick and easy.

There is not a lot of mystery about these thrust levers. Initially I thought I would miss their movement as they found their way into my peripheral vision. But... really, it's not so bad. Just different.

Enjoy the journey!

~ Karlene

Ciara Thompson, Why I Want to Fly

When I was young, my dream was to be an engineer. With my mother’s help I was introduced to WAASPS, an aircraft building and flight training centre in Kpong, Ghana. That was the beginning of flying for me.

Ciara Thompson

My name is Ciara Thompson and I want to fly. My first flight experience was in an X-air Falcon with the registration number 9GZAA. That day was just another day for me. I did not expect anything. It was just going to be fifteen minutes in a small airplane. When I sat in the plane and took off, it was no longer nothing. It was everything. I felt like a bird, free. Looking down was another thing, the earth was beautiful- different patterns with a myriad of colours, miniature houses, humans, and animals- no painting can compare. The negative G’s made me feel like a lot of people do in a roller coaster. The G’s made me want to scream. The experience was a mixed feeling of trepidation and exhilaration. 

Why I want to fly

After that experience, I want to fly. Why do I want to fly? I want to fly because it makes me light up like a beam. It gives me time to relax and appreciate life. I want to fly because like many things it is a challenge and I love to be challenged. It is hard work but at the same time fun, which cannot be said of many things. I want to fly because it is a dream that was born in me the first time I took a flight. I want to see this dream fulfilled. 

I want to be like a bird, twist and twirl all I want. Glide and take off, spin and roll, yaw and turn. I love the power on take off and the feeling I get each time the plane leaves the surface of the earth. I want to fly because the earth looks more beautiful and serene from above.  I want to look down my side as I turn and see the earth below. I want to see the world covered with greens, yellows, reds, blues, browns, and whites. 

I want to drift in the midst of the clouds and over the clouds. I want to see the horizon in a distance which outlines the magnificent shape of the earth. I want to see the sun rise and set from the sky and the moon take over its place. I want to be with the stars, see them closer and larger, even in the morning. I want to go soaring into the sky through the troposphere, tropopause, and stratosphere. I want to experience the challenge of flying at night.  I want to fly the turbulence as it picks one wing and control the plane to overcome nature. 

I want to fly because it gives me a better understanding of the world I live in. During one of my lessons, my instructor and I were caught up in a storm and almost sucked up by a cumulonimbus cloud. Since then I do not have to be told about the energy of clouds and the dangers of flying in a cloud, because now I know. 

I want to fly because each flight makes me a better person in terms of safety and security, precision and planning. Each flight teaches me more and expands my sphere of opportunities. Flying is not only about controlling the plane but entails navigation, meteorology, engineering and safety. It is a holistic approach to life. I want to fly to be a better engineer; to break the boundary between engineers and pilots. I want to design the engineers’ dream which is pragmatic and desiring to the pilot. I am the pilots’ friend: I am one of them.   

I want to fly because I live in a society where flying is an uncommon dream for a female. I want to show my world that it is not about gender but about passion. 

I want to fly because I love to fly.

Thank you for a beautiful essay Ciara. Your words are gift to all pilots as a reminder why we love to fly, and how fortunate we are to be living the dream. Keep smiling! 

Enjoy the Journey!

~ Karlene