Classic Rotors - pie and wine

The Classic Rotors Museum in Ramona has been on my radar for awhile.  It’s one of just a few aviation museums in the world dedicated to rotorcraft.

The museum is located at the far end of the Ramona airport and only open a few days a week.  Visitors are required to have an escort/docent while on the property.

George was way knowledgeable on all the crafts on display in the museum hanger.

This McCulloch is an AutoGyro.  The small propeller at the rear pushes the craft forward and the wind across the top rotor creates lift.  It cannot hover, nor reverse, but an inexpensive craft for the hobbyist.

Yes McCulloch has been much more successful manufacturing chainsaws!

This is a weird propane powered unit, propane mixes air in the pod at the tip of each rotor.  The resulting explosion spins the rotor creating lift.

There have been several land/sea automobiles.  But this is the most successful of the triphibian rotor craft.  Car, boat, helicopter.

Both Russian and Polish helicopters are on display, both are equipped for cold weather.

The flying box carried a crew of up to 6.  Once on the ground it could be collapsed and camouflaged.

The single seat Helipod is powered by 4 chainsaw engines.  McCullough??? 

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Both of these rotorcraft have flown in movies.

My docent was a rescue helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.  Similar to these.

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There are display cases of model rotorcraft that provide the scope and diversity of the these machines.

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The museum is located in a hanger at the airport.  It gets hot in Ramona and the hanger is not well ventilated.  The docents are extremely knowledgeable.  And sharing that knowledge takes about 90 minutes.

From the airport I continued on to the Anza Borrego Desert and Borrego Springs.

A few weeks ago Christmas Circle was brown. 

Before

But with some water it’s ready for Borrego Days, Oct 19th this year.

After

It’s still pretty hot in the desert, but I did venture to Fonts Point to pay respects to dad. 

We had the place all to ourselves!

Borrego Springs has another grocery store.  DG Market makes 3.

It is on the north end of Airport Road.  Whoever thought of using metal hand rails on a south facing building ... But it’s nice and clean inside and well airconditioned!

I picked up my favorite Julian Pie on the way back.  It’s a Take’n’Bake frozen Apple Mountain Berry.

My last stop was at Edward’s Vineyard and Cellars.

And yes a few bottles did follow me home.

Fran has finally returned home from Ohio! YaHoo!