[fingpilot]

I started flying the Oakland to Honolulu route right about the time the Magnun P.I. series started. No alternates, one of the longest overwater city pairs at the time, especially as we were in a twin. Got lots of respect from the DC8 and 747 types on the ramp in HNL.

3 times a week. In a Gulfstream 2. It was a 4.5 hour airplane with 45 minutes reserve (if you did everything perfectly in an imperfect world). It was a 5 hour flight westbound in the summer and more in the winter.

The math worked out that 69 knots of headwind was the bingo number. Never had any trouble remembering that one. The wind numbers in those days (pre-Boeing 99%) were reported winds. Meaning last guy out there reported. If you were first one off the deck in the morning westbound, you were pathfinding. You got good with fuel flow vs. position, and were really good with predicting how close the Pacific High was to your track by where the jet stream shifted north enroute. All done with a eyeballs, pencil, paper and testicular fortitude. We did everything possible to get every single gallon in the airplane (fuelled nose-low, bribed the fueler to fill the truck the night before and park it out in the breeze to cool the fuel, bought monthly liquid gifts for the controllers in Fremont that handled our departures, made visits with fresh flown in leis to the Oakland HF radio operators over in Hayward when we could). All to expedite that turn onto the tracks ASAP and as rapid a climb as possible out of Oakland. When it was dicey, we'd play the 'destination game'.... File for Maui (shorter leg by 30 minutes) and 'divert' to HNL if we had enough left. Even fly to Monterey and depart from there to Maui (another 30 minutes shorter) when necessary.

As the Gulfstream matured, we got the G2B, G3, and finally the G4. With it, you could leave west coast with less than full tanks, no worries. That was such a strange feeling after struggling for so many years needing every single ounce. The young guys flying this spectacular equiptment now have NO idea how good they have it.

I recently retired after 37 years, and 25000+ hours of accident and violation free flying. Am writing a lot of what happened in that time, and will incorporate some of those stories (some seen here for the first time over the years) into a book, if not for publication, for my nephews and neices who never got see much of me over the years.