While in California for our 2010 Handling Challenge, I did a little adventuring in the California desert...

People who know me are all too familiar with one of my other passions, classic aircraft. If it has props or early jet engines, it gets me fired up like classic Bow Ties.

i couldn't resist taking this shot at Mojave Airport north of L.A. In the foreground is my Synergy Green Camaro rental. While I would've preferred the SS, the V-6 was fun, even if it was connected to a slush box. (Note to Hertz: PLEASE BUY SOME V-6/STICK CARS FOR THE RENTAL FLEET!!!)

In the background is one of the fastest passenger jets to ever be built, the Convair 990. The 990 cruised right on the edge of Mach 1 (and well before the Concorde) and still holds records to his day in airline travel for speed. Only about 30 were built, and their careers were short lived. The 990 was so fast that NASA used one till the beginning of the 21st century as a rocket chase plane and other experiments.

Those big "bulbs" ont he trailing edges of the wings are shock buffers, used to stabalize the aircraft at full speed because of it's near mach 1 cruising capability. The engines were very unique, and "aft fan" design that helped contirbute to the plane's short life span in service.

Ok, that's enough of my airplane addiction for today, back to working on our February 2011 issue!