Sunday, July 30
Dennis had said that we'd be wheels off between 11 a.m. and noon, but I know him better than that and so I was ready to leave by 10:00 a.m. Saying good-by to all my new friends was wrenching; I never expected to feel so deeply about leaving people whom I've known for only two weeks. (Yes, AirVenture was a week, but I got there a week before that and began volunteering immediately.)
So this morning was lots of hugs, and then pushing (with help!) my plane to the grass ultralight runway. Pushing because you can't start up your engine and taxi through the campground/tie down area.
It was an ignominious beginning. First, my engine took four cranks before it fired up, and when it did the plane leapt forward! Putting on the parking brake is a two-step process: first you set the parking brake and the you pump the parking brake handle several times. I had forgotten to do the second step, so the parking brake didn't hold. Happily, I was able to quickly get it stopped, and then sedately taxi for take-off.
Leaving the 900' grass ultralight airstrip was interesting, since you have to stay 300' AGL (above ground level) for quite a ways before you're free to leave AirVenture's airspace.
It was a gorgeous day for flying. Slight headwind, white puffy clouds, scattered across the blue sky, and gorgeous Wisconsin to overfly.
We flew north, so we could continue our perimeter trip where we had temporarily "ended" it to fly south to Oshkosh. Ninety minutes after take-off, we landed at Merrill Airport (KRRL) to refuel. It was like coming home, since I had spent two nights sleeping in the FBO two weeks ago.
Then off again, heading north-northwest toward International Falls, MN. (KINL) Over 300 miles, with a stronger, more turbulent headwind. Up and down, up and down...it was difficult to stay straight and level. A few times I bounced enough to get sharp tugs on my shoulder harness, yet the plane was very responsive to my wrist actions and I never felt the slightest bit unsafe.
More lakes, rivers, ponds, forests, and farms.
Due to the bumpiness, I didn't take practically any photos. But it you look at the first four photos five times each, you'll see what I saw over and over again - with some variation, of course! I was so happy to be in the air again, flying over such beautiful countryside.
Dennis and I talked (via radio) about what we wanted to see on the flight home. Neither of us is in a hurry to get there. He wants to see Glacier National Park, and I want to show him Cavanaugh Bay, ID as well the Grand Coulee Dam. And the San Juan Islands in Washington, and land at Copalis State Airport - the only airport in the continental U.S. that is a sand beach airport and you have to check the tide schedule to know when it's safe to land!
We were both pretty worn out when we finally landed at International Falls. (There are no falls, there. The falls were submerged when a reservoir was built.) Four bumpy hours in the air!
My friend Jeff Warner and his son Ryan are driving our route, and met us for dinner. It took them ten hours to drive what took us 5.5 hours to fly.
We're right on the Canadian border, and tomorrow we'll fly west, staying as close to the border as we safely can.
Our track today:
Hi Arty, just given information about your blog. It's good to hear that you are still flying. I remember the Sunburst with fawn memories. Would love to hear from you. Lloyd Hill.(hill.lloyd@comcast.net).Stay safe!
ReplyDeleteGlad to see you guys in the air again! Keep us in the loop as you get closer to western WA and the San Juans, and if the timing works we’ll join up with you you. Safe travels! Enjoy!
ReplyDelete