how cool is that - a tiki-plane ! ! !

Damn, your aviation broker is way better thsn my aviation broker! :wink:

Oooooh...undercover-sloothing brought to you by Amy. It will be interesting to find out what the latest is. :)

On 2010-06-21 13:32, MadDogMike wrote:
The fly-in community concept is not completely dead: John Travolta lives in Jumbolair of Ocala FL. He moved there from another fly-in community in Daytona because they complained his Boeing 707 was too big and too loud :lol:

It IS still alive. I own land near Ennis, Montana that includes a neighboring fly-in community built by the same developer as my property. You just taxi you plane right up to your driveway! Flying cars, indeed!

Well, it's not the "Tiki Bird," but at least you and five friends can find out what it would have been like to fly in the "Tiki Bird."

Gift a Flight Back in Time in a WW II Airplane

Item number: 180446637391
Item location: Stockton, CA, United States
Ships to: United States
Payments: PayPal

Come aboard and take a flight back in time in this great WWII Beechcraft C-45H.

Here is a great gift idea for that special person or the whole family. We are offering scenic flights, instruction/orientation flights and even romantic sunset flights for couples.

We can take up to six passengers in this great old Beech and everyone has an awesome view from the panoramic windows. The Beech is set up with club type seating so it is a real family type of experience. One of the seats is in the co pilots seats in the cockpit where you can take the controls of the Twin Beech under the supervision of a certified flight instructor. You don’t have to have any prior flying experience to actually take the controls and see what it is like fly one of the most famous aircraft built.

Thousands of Beech 18’s were made from the late 1930’s through the late 1960’s making the Twin Beech one of the most produced aircraft of all time. This particular Twin Beech was delivered to the Army Air Force Navigation School in Hondo Texas on March 8th, 1943 as an AT-7 where she trained Navigators for WWII. After the war she was overhauled for the Air Force as a C-45H and was sent to the Strategic Air Command where she was stationed in Barksdale, Saint Charles and Maxwell Air force Bases.

After her military career she was used in the corporate world and received further modifications including the panoramic windows mentioned above.

Our flights originate out of Stockton Airport which was a big training and transport command Air Force base in WWII. We can pick you up at other airports in the area for an additional fee, just ask. This gift certificate flight is for a one hour scenic ride or instruction flight for everyone in the Beech. Longer flights are also available. The auction amount is the same whether there is one person or all six (One person for $650 or all six passengers for the same $650). Maybe you want to give the gift of flight to that one special pilot or someone who has always dreamed of flying. And what a special flight too as the Twin Beech evokes wonderful feelings of nostalgia with its classic beauty.

This is also a great flight for the whole family in the comfort of a spacious cabin. After takeoff you can stand and look into the cockpit or look out other windows. You all can take turns at the controls in the co pilot’s seat too under the supervision of the flight instructor. You can certainly log the flight time and the instructor will gladly sign your log book too. For those who may be taking their first flight you will receive your own log book with the flight endorsed in the log book by the instructor.

Kids are certainly welcome to fly and take the controls too if they want. Kids under two years old can come along on a parents lap.

I have taken hundreds and hundreds of people flying in the Beech and everyone has had a great time. You will love it too!

Flights can be scheduled almost any time sometimes with short notice. We can do flights on the weekend or week days, day or night. Sunset or evening flights are nice for the romantic couple as you look at the breathtaking lights, moon and the stars. Chilled Champaign and flowers are also available for an additional fee. You will be hard pressed to find a better gift for Christmas.

The pilot also will take digital photos of you during the flight for you to keep.

You will receive a gift certificate for the flight that will be named to the recipient and will also say who it is from. The gift certificate can be mailed via FedEx if you need or it can be e-mailed to you as a JPG image for you to print up. It is a great certificate.

The perfect last minute gift idea that will wow anyone. Come on and take an awesome flight back in time.

Bear

[ Edited by: Brudda Bear 2011-04-14 02:07 ]

Am I correct in my understanding that if it wasn't for this thread, there would have been no Mojave Oasis resort or event that so many of us enjoyed last week ?? If so, that boggles my mind !! This thread was the inspiration for that, right ??

For those of you who don't track California Events, Chris (of chrisandsarab) put together a great video of Mojave Oasis.

This has been one of the best threads ever... with the worst title !! To be honest, it doesn't do justice to all of the great content and history that reside here.

If the original author (icebaer69) could go back to the original post, you can rename it from there. It might be appropriate to do so in light of how this thread has evolved.

How about:

1. A Lost Tiki Dream in the Desert
2. The Real First Tiki Oasis
3. A Mid-Century Tiki Vision that Inspired a Tiki Revival Reality

Or something like that. :)

UPDATE - On second thought, maybe the original title illustrates the irony of how a Tiki plane found on Flickr resulted in the creation of Mojave Oasis !!

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-04-22 10:21 ]

Thank You John-O, I agree...on one hand, the title should be "DESERT POLYNESIA DISCOVERED!" or something. But on the other hand, your second thought is right: This plane is sort of the "Rosebud", the pottery shard discovered by an archeologist, which opened up the vista on a forgotten civilization, and inspired a new one. Just like a Tiki matchbook, or a Tiki mug that bears the name and city of some long gone Tiki temple, the photo(s) of this plane are powerful enough to let one's imagination soar. The image below has all the right elements: A cool guy, great art, and just enough information to peak the urban (or desert) archeologist's curiosity:

Most important of it all: It bears the name of Tiki. "Aloha Bird" would have been cool, too, but not quite as. This ads an AIRPLANE to the amazing variety of how the name Tiki was utilized: Tiki bars, Tiki apartments, Tiki bowling alleys, Tiki Motels, Tiki statues, masks, posts, chairs, bars, torches, mugs, bowls, lighters, etc., and now, a Tiki PLANE :)

And it bears the name of a place (Newberry Springs), and a specific location (Lake Loreen) that makes one curious to find it and explore - which is what Amy did....and then some!

So in a way, let people find this thread by its cryptic header, like an artifact in the internet desert, and make the effort to read through it, that way they take the journey and understand the quality of the discovery

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-04-22 12:06 ]

Sven and Amy, I'd love to see some more details of those cool maps. Hint, hint!

On 2010-11-29 15:22, Queen Kamehameha wrote:
Hi Murph, yes and no, Seward led me to another town with another owner since 1985 I believe. I have my aviation broker Friend doing all the communications as I don't want to bother anyone and the guy doesn't have email. I will email you all the info as soon as I get it! It would be amazing if this plane was still in it's original state...

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen kamehameha 2010-11-30 07:34 ]

Any new info Amy?

Do we know if the airfields for any of these developments were completed?

There's a site I sometimes browse called Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields, but I haven't been able to track any of these down there.

Surely none of these would have been completed and stayed operational the last 40 years?
If they are still operational, we should be able find the airfield listed in FAA records.

On 2011-04-22 13:41, Kiki von Tiki wrote:
Sven and Amy, I'd love to see some more details of those cool maps. Hint, hint!

Comin' up

On 2011-04-22 14:35, Murph wrote:

On 2010-11-29 15:22, Queen Kamehameha wrote:
Hi Murph, yes and no, Seward led me to another town with another owner since 1985 I believe. I have my aviation broker Friend doing all the communications as I don't want to bother anyone and the guy doesn't have email. I will email you all the info as soon as I get it! It would be amazing if this plane was still in it's original state...
Amy

Any new info Amy?

I think Amy said the Tiki Bird is in Alaska. The amount they want for it plus the cost to get it down here and fix it are up cost-prohibitive. :cry:

On 2011-04-22 15:01, Philot wrote:
Do we know if the airfields for any of these developments were completed?

There's a site I sometimes browse called Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields, but I haven't been able to track any of these down there.

Surely none of these would have been completed and stayed operational the last 40 years?
If they are still operational, we should be able find the airfield listed in FAA records.

I don't think there were any "airfields" built for any of these Lake developments - most of the projects themselves were not built. If at all there was a basic landing strip, or (most likely) they just used the road.

Murph, The last I found out the plane is in Alaska, for the last 30 years damaged. the man who owns it has no phone or computer. I have left it at that. To bring it back, even if I could get it would cost a small fortune and I would rather build on Mojave Oasis, its the grail or sure right now.....

Sven, I have said this before but it bares repeating... I have always loved tiki, since my days in Ny going to Hawaii Kai, luau 400 and other smaller places, Tiki was always in my life, When I came to California and got you books, it re-ignited a passion for Tiki I had thought I lost. From reading about all the cool places, to my unsuccessful first tiki archeology trek( the Tiki's of lake Elsinore)Tiki was something I wanted back in my life(along with my wacky lamps collection )

If it wasn't for your books, this thread, the maps you helped me get,which led to the stories about Gus Ragosa and the treks thru the desert for months sometimes with Bamboo ben and family to find the elusive Lake Loreen, I wouldn't have Mojave Oasis, for that I thank you..

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2011-04-25 22:08 ]

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2011-04-27 00:12 ]

Bump !

Queen K,

the "Z looking Alligator roof" or the "Box with the Ribs"?

BB aka Zippy!

Can you print pic for meeting?

WOW! Awesome history lesson. I hadn't read this before Mojave Oasis. Thanks Amy, Ben, Sven and everyone else that made MO happen. ...Oh, and I still can't get my aviation broker to return my calls! ;0)

The Boys Found this boat on adjacent property to Lake Loreen, It has Tiki Torches on the side

Great relic! The paint job is not quite as impressive as that on the Tiki airplane, but the torches place it firmly into Tiki territory. To find a Poly pop boat in the desert is just wonderfully absurd (until you see the lake paradises built there, that is!)

cool!

The Mojave crew(Victor and Crazy Kelly Osbourne), patched all the bullet holes in the boat and gave it new life:

Newberry's Tiki past now merges with Newberry's Tiki future

In close proximity to where the boat was found, an old rotten direction sign was unearthed:

Lake something, can't really read it

No big deal around here, because every property has either a lake, or dry lake on it.

However, reading where the arrows point gives the urban tiki archeologist shudders

"Mt Pele" Hmmmm...sounds kinda Hawaiian, maybe. At least it now deserves more investigating.

More places the sign points to
"Turtlehead Cove","Waikikian Cove", and "Bora Bora Bay"

"Fisherman's Wharf" and "Hawaii-????"

"Lake Wainine"

Turns out the back of the sign was painted as well:

Looks like it was the old sign marking the location of "Lake Waikiki"

Let's see what we can find out about Lake Wakiki

Turns out that in the collection of archtectural rendings, there is a concept map for a place called:

Here's what was originally envisioned for Waikiki Lake

Looks like four square parcels, each with it's own lake with a canal connecting all the lakes together. It looks like the bottom right corner lot was the only one planned for development. There's a Aframe clubhouse with recreation facilities and a marina in the three subdivision lots on the right lower corner. The rest of the lots look like private lake side residences

Just to get an idea of where we are, here's a google maps view of the Lake waikiki, Lake Loreen, and Lake Wainine area

Lake Loreen is pretty much dead center. You can see the contours of the former lake beds. On the upper right is Lake waikiki, and lower left is Lake Wanine. The "H" shaped lake across the street from Lake Loreen is currently a burned out and abandoned property. If I ever win the lottery, I'll buy it and make my own Polynesian desert paradise come to life.

Back to Lake Waikiki, we see the google maps view of this:

Looks like in the rendering of the four lots planned for the lake, only one of them got underway.

Here's a closer look at the developed site from google maps:

Mauka Rd and Lani Kai are two of the streets on its perimeter. You can see lines on this picture where the lots are subdivided. You can also see the contours of the lake edge, the island mountain, and the canal that would lead to the other lakes.

Check out how closely the layout of the original site plan coincides with the google photo view:

Here's the site today

The corner where the old sign once sat. It's on nthe corner of Troy and Lani Kai:

You can see a dirt mound in the center. that's the island and where they put the dirt when they dug out the lake.

This was the lot where the Aframe would have been.

It actually has plumbing on it. It's the only site that has any permanent facilities

The marina on the rendering is in front of the tree, and continues on to left of it:

Corner of Troy and Mauka rd.

This would have been the main entrance area. A frame clubhouse on left, Marina and rec area on right

Best view of island from residental lot off of Lani Kai rd

Undeveloped lot just north of Lake waikiki that was part of the original concept

Taken from Lani kai and Troy

The other two undeveloped lots to the east of the developed part oflake waikiki

Neighbors say the fence was put in about 10 years ago, and there's been no activity there for 3 years or so. The fence is new looking and goes around the entire parcel and also divides all the subdivided lots. Each lot has a sliding gate access to the perimeter roads. A search on the property lists a homeowners association. Looks like the property was legally subdivived and being prepared for sale when the project was halted.

Another similar residential lake development in the area was designed by the same people and was actually finished, and that lake was called
"Lake Wainine"

Here's an overhead view of lake Wainine as it is today:

It's man made lake with surrounding residental lots, just like Lake Waikiki was supposed to be

Since it was so close I went to check out Lake Wainine

here's the curent sign outside of it:

Oahu and Maui roads define some of its borders

Here's a glimpse of Lake wainini


(taken from upper left of overhead shot, on Ft Cady Rd)

Not much, if any existing polypop stuff around there now(if ever?). It's mostly cowboy/western now. there were a couple palm farms there:

Here's more typical current Lake Wainine decor:

There are a few developments like Lake Wainine around in Newberry Springs. Another one is Lake Jodie. Lake Jodie was made by the same people who made all the other lakes I've mentioned here on this post.
Here's Lake Jody now:

It bears a striking similarity to the plans of the never made Lake Aloha(Perhaps it was made, I just haven't found the footprint or remains of it yet):

Add one island, and it's pretty close match to lake Jody

A piece of the Lake Aloha concept drawing brings us full circle to the original focus of this thread:

The "Tiki-Bird Lounge...."

And i'll close with this detail from one of the many Polynesian Lake inspired site plans:

Too bad that part was never made!

Buzzy Out!

Wow, Buzzyy, what a stellar post (yours, AND that sign post :) ) Classic Tiki archeology, Tiki site surveying and tracing! Thanks for all the work that went into this post, I will see what I can contribute.

YAY that was agreat story update, still completely in love with the concept renderings for the entire project and that they still even exist.

Here are some pieces to the puzzle, from the O.A. archives.

Bob and Leroy went out there once, and Leroy made some renderings:

The reality lagged a bit behind:

We are looking at the entrance to Lake Loreen here...

Though Leroy did the sketches...

...we don't know who made this Tiki:

...or where and what these structures were for. They don't look as solid as what Uncle Darrell was building...

Lake Waikiki was supposedly adjacent to Lake Loreen:

...and was pretty far along as a project:

With everybody scratching their heads that the backers apparently came from Hawaii:

By the time Lake Wainani was being built, the Polynesian theme had fallen out of fashion...

...and except for the name there was no reference to Tiki style left, and a more functional - and boring - reality had set in:

Thanks to Amy and Ray and Buzzy and Ben and all involved for bringing back the magic of Polynesian fantasy back to the Newberry desert oases!

Super Balls to you Buzzy and everyone else!

Good Stuff!

See you soon.

Thanks Sven! Everyone, from buzzy, Ben, tiki diablo, tiki ray, maddogmike, little lost tiki, dawn, benzarts vintage poles, lamps by skip and kahaka, chairs from Art at don's,Victor, Kelly who built the lake and have done so much, Jim and JP who did the stage lighting, big al who did all the curtains and pillows in the trailer, just so many people have helped and contributed..i am sure i have missed someone, they are all a part of this.

Sven, On another note, Bob from OC sent me this message on carvers at lake loreen, your pictures and the crud tikis look like the one buzzy posted photos of a couple of weeks ago. Heres the email...

Kia Ora Amy:
I'm not familiar with this particular tiki.
During the days we supplied Lake Loreen we had 6 tiki carvers, one being a Fire Capt in Los Angeles who did "crude" tikis.
We gave Bruce Sawli permission to carve for Gus on his own.  This tiki might have been carved by Bruce using a Date Palm or a California Fan Palm. It looks to be in fair shape for it's possible age.
 
Best of Tiki to you Amy,
Bob

Bob did say in another email that Bruce passed away.

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2011-09-02 22:53 ]

Double post sorry

[ Edited by: Queen kamehameha 2011-09-03 23:35 ]

On 2011-09-02 19:32, bigbrotiki wrote:

I think I soiled myself!

AWESOME.

What an incredible continuation to an incredible story !!

And I like how they envisioned a "working" volcano.

Amy, you have one in the works for Mojave Oasis, right ?? :D

UPDATE - Ooops, sorry for flipping the page. Everyone needs to go back to the previous page and see Buzzy's (and the Bigbro's) recent post(s). Better yet go back to Page 1 and see Tiki history (both vintage and Revival) unfold before your eyes. This is just too surreal.

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-09-03 09:11 ]

Great research Buzzy, and thanks Sven and Queen K for filling in a few more of the details. Those old signs are awesome and that boat looks great on the lake. Really makes you want to get back to Mojave Oasis.

DC

On 2011-09-02 23:00, JOHN-O wrote:
AWESOME.

What an incredible continuation to an incredible story !!

And I like how they envisioned a "working" volcano.

Amy, you have one in the works for Mojave Oasis, right ?? :D

Maybe for Mojave in April :wink:

On 2011-09-02 22:58, Unga Bunga wrote:

On 2011-09-02 19:32, bigbrotiki wrote:

I think I soiled myself!

hahahahahahahahahahahaha

*On 2011-10-10 20:32, Bay Park Buzzy wrote in this thread...

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=41337&forum=17&start=15&18 *

My plane just got here, so I'll be arriving via my Chartered flight:

I'm using Newberry's Interlake Transport.

See you all there!
Buzzy Out!

WTF ?? !! :o

The thread's come back full circle ?? :)

Found this Newberry Springs photo from the Los Angeles Times in the UCLA Digital Archive ~

*"Man fishing from Tiki house on one acre lake in the desert community of Newberry Springs, Calif., 1965

[Caption] HAWAIIAN FLAVOR-Eugene Cowell fishes from Tiki house in his one-acre lake, one of the 35 which have blossomed in the desert community of Newberry. He says catfish eat from his wife's hand."*

Nice. :)

Also a very interesting use of the word "Tiki house", especially in 1965. It reminds me of this "Tiki Hut"...

So at some point in the 1960's, a bamboo thatch structure became synonymous with "Tiki".

[ Edited by: JOHN-O 2011-11-07 08:52 ]

Just ask the folks in Florida, there every thatched beach bar has been a Tiki Bar for a while now. Question is since when.

For something to become "synonymous with" something, there has to be a slew of examples out there. Fact is that in regards to architecture that matters, as with the most wide-spread apartment buildings, Motels or bowling alleys, the label "Tiki" was never used.

GREAT find Boris! That is pretty much the first romanticized photo of the place! Would be interesting to find out WHICH lake this Eugene Cowell owned. Amy?

It kinda makes you wonder if the reeds the picture was shot through were placed there for the picture only? :lol:

Probably not, but it does look like they were the only live vegetation around. :)

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-11-07 12:29 ]

On 2011-11-07 12:22, bigbrotiki wrote:
Just ask the folks in Florida, there every thatched beach bar has been a Tiki Bar for a while now. Question is since when.

For something to become "synonymous with" something, there has to be a slew of examples out there. Fact is that in regards to architecture that matters, as with the most wide-spread apartment buildings, Motels or bowling alleys, the label "Tiki" was never used.

GREAT find Boris! That is pretty much the first romanticized photo of the place! Would be interesting to find out WHICH lake this Eugene Cowell owned. Amy?

Hi Sven, I have sent the name off to friends... Buzzy and I scoped out a place a few weeks ago, with a large lake, tiki huts and more. even a bunker under the lake island. I know we took pictures will get him to post them...... The caption on that picture, I have heard it before...I will will check my Newberry items...ah...what we dont know about Newberry springs......

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2011-11-07 21:32 ]

Hello all! I'm new to this message board and discovered it while looking for info on "Lake Jodie".

I lived on Lake Jodie Fri-Sun from 1974 until the early 1990's. My family owned one of the properties there and it was our weekend getaway. I have very fond memories of it and the surrounding desert and was looking for any news, or photos so everything you guys have dug up is amazing!

Seeing Gus Raigosas name, and all the pictures here is like a giant flashback!

I was born in '74 so my early memory is not great, but I don't recall much of (or any) Tiki presence in my time there. I don't know if the idea had already not taken off by then or what. There was a smaller "swimmin' hole" as we called it, off of Lake Jodie that did have a little hut, but it was not an A-Frame like some of the others I've seen here.

"Lake Aloha" definitely looks like the original plans for Lake Jodie. Only thing missing from Lake Jodie as it stands today is the third island. I'd remember it if it was ever there, we water ski'd in a figure 8 around those two islands for years!

I'm pretty sure I have a postcard from "Lake JODIE" that the Raigosa's had made laying around my house somewhere that I'll try and scan and share with everyone. I have no idea where it may be, but I know I've seen it around over the years.

I'd love to have a higher resolution pic of the "Lake Aloha" image if anyone has it, that is so cool. My parents would probably enjoy seeing that.

Great work by all involved here! I really enjoyed reading everything you've shared.

Moving on to the "Airfield" communities mentioned here...I know live in Lancaster, CA. Just outside of Palmdale and near a CASTLE that was once a private club for pilots. There was a link to it in the Abandoned and Little Known Airfields link posted here earlier.

The castle still remains today, you can get your best view of it from the aqueduct that runs behind it, you cant get much of a view from the front gates without binoculaurs or long lens camera, but it is definitely very cool and there are a ton of photos on the web if you look hard enough, even of the castle interiors.

Here's the link to that airfield/castle (it's also known as "Shea's Castle":
http://members.tripod.com/airfields_freeman/CA/Airfields_CA_PalmdaleS.htm

Thanks again everyone!

Hi Jim, Nice to meet you!, I own Mojave Oasis in Newberry Springs and Sven who is our Tiki Religion Teacher and Expert,Found those Water color Drawings. I have seen lake Jody, it is not Polynesian but the lake and homes is very cool! I will see if I can get you a better picture

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2012-03-30 13:56 ]

On 2012-03-30 13:54, Queen Kamehameha wrote:
Hi Jim, Nice to meet you!, I own Mojave Oasis in Newberry Springs and Sven who is our Tiki Religion Teacher and Expert,Found those Water color Drawings. I have seen lake Jody, it is not Polynesian but the lake and homes is very cool! I will see if I can get you a better picture

Amy

[ Edited by: Queen Kamehameha 2012-03-30 13:56 ]

Thanks Amy! I'm very familiar with the Area and Silver Spur Road! Nice to meet you!

Look at the tiki's on the wallpaper! Too bad that man's plaid jacket blocks part of the view.

Not my etsy posting, but the picture is of a mock up on a Boeing 727 interior.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/130733487/boeing-airplane-interior-cabin?ref=shop_home_active&ga_search_query=boeing

ok, this is the coolest thread ever.

Very cool. I noticed two things when I looked at the photo on Etsy:

1. A clue that this is a mock-up could be the air vent in an unusual place at the top of the rear wall. I think that, aboard a real aircraft, there would be a space for cables up at the top of the entire fuselage. (I'm not an expert on aircraft, so just sayin' or thinkin' out loud...)

2. The Etsy description stated that this photo came from the estate of a Boeing ephemera collector. This reminds me that you can spend your entire life collecting all kinds of cool stuff only to eventually have to give it all back. Someday I, too, may be referred to as a "tiki ephemera" collector. I wonder who will eventually get my unconsumed rum bottles, and will they appreciate them?

Ha...

On 2009-03-31 02:18, icebaer69 wrote:

...

:wink:

Air Calédonie in New Caledonia.