Friday 9/16/2011 Day 9.

Pretty mundane day compared to the flights I’ve made.  Got up, ate free breakfast, recharged all my tech gear, washed my underwear, got a cab back to Brown Field, found a nice mechanic where I bought five quarts of oil and had a little help changing the oil.  He only charged for the oil! Nice guy. Tomorrow, weather permitting, it's off to the Salton Sea Airport at 84 feet BELOW sea level, then to Bermuda Dunes Airport in Palm Desert CA to visit relatives and relax.

Thursday, 9/15/2011 Day 8

Casa Grande was great.  A very nice FBO.  The Holiday Inn paid for a cab to pick me (and deliver me back the next day).  Had a great steak and went to bed.  Free breakfast buffet and I was off to the airport but no rush -- I knew that Brown Field in San Diego would be fogged in until about noon.  Off the ground at Casa Grande, I headed west through the Sonoran Desert at 1000 AGL, chasing my shadow and following I-8 all the way into Yuma, AZ.

Yuma is a combination Marine Corps Air Station and public airport with a tower.  I was instructed to maintain 1200 MSL on downwind for RWY 08.  Just before I crossed over the field, the tower advised me that two F-18s would be departing on RWY 3R but (I was told not to worry) they would fly under me at 700 MSL.  Sure enough, they really moved out.  At Yuma, I taxied to Million Air and my Champ and I were treated as if we just rolled up in a G-2!  Before I got out of the plane, I was handed a cold bottle of water, my windshield was cleaned and I topped off the tanks.  Going inside, I was given a ticket that entitled me to lunch for only $1.00!  I had a great tuna sandwich and a soda for $1.00.

I checked the weather and Brown Field was reporting CAVU conditions, so I left Yuma following I-8 all the way to the mountains, climbing until I leveled out at 6,500 MLS which proved to be the correct altitude to clear the mountains.  I followed I-8 through the mountains until I was certain I could descend into the valley below.

 I reported a 5 mile straight in to RWY 26L and the Champ and I landed, completing the first part of our adventure.

September 14, Day 7

I will be brief.  Left Carlsbad NM at the crack of dawn, 6:40 a.m., local time.  Flew over Guadelupe Pass on the smoothest air of the trip!  I'll post one or two pictures going through the pass.  Flew a total of 6 hours and ended up on Casa Grande, AZ, more than 500 miles at 85 mph.  A great day to fly a 1946 airplane.  This is a really BIG country and so beautiful.

Tuesday 9/13/2011 Day 6.

Nice clear day in Carlsbad NM but the forecast calls for scattered storms this afternoon, so I drove the 10 minute trip to the airport, borrowed a ladder and installed the cabin cover on the Champ so rain won’t get in the cabin.  I also set up the holder for my Stealth HD movie camera so it would point out the right window and get a movie going through Guadelupe Pass tomorrow morning.  I had breakfast at IHOP, then visited Carlsbad Caverns. What a HUGE cave and very beautiful.  A must see. Planning a sunrise departure to get over Guadelupe Pass before the winds pick up.

Monday 9/12/2011 Day 5

I called American Champion and they agreed to overnight a new gas cap to the local FBO.  I rented a car from Enterprise, ate breakfast, and spent an hour on the phone with SPOT CONNECT customer support and got my SPOT CONNECT to work again.  I drove to the airport and packed my bags, then took a leisurely one hour drive to Guadelupe Mountains National Park and drove to the top of Guadelupe Pass – just to check it out.  That night, I decided to treat myself to a good meal.  I found a really old, recently renovated hotel, Trinity Hotel that had a restaurant.  I ordered a small filet, baked potato and two Sam Adams (I don’t fly tomorrow).  Back at Motel 6, I fell asleep.  Not a lot of activity today, but I solved my gas cap problem, my SPOT CONNECT problem and scouted Guadelupe Pass.   Oh, I spent a couple of hours working on my diary.   Not bad for a day off.

Sunday 9/11/2011 Day 4

I woke up before dawn on purpose because it would be hot and I wanted an early start.  On the drive back to the airport, I saw the full moon as it was setting to the west.  By the time I parked the car and got my luggage to The Champ, the sun was glowing in the east.  So I captured a magic moment, The Champ at Sunrise.

I was soon in the air heading southwest for Graham, TX and the magic continued.  The sun was at my back, the air was cool and glass smooth.  The landscape 1000 feet below me was gently rolling hills, with patchwork quilt colors of variegated brown and green (grass and trees) with only a few rectangles dotting the land.  I noticed that the visibility was now at least 30 miles, so different from the Midwest.   There was no smoke from the infamous Texas fires that were in the news.  The air was so smooth and calm that only gentle pressure on the stick or rudder kept The Champ straight and level.  I could pick a spot on the horizon, fly over it, pick another spot and The Champ tracked straight and true.  A great day to fly.  Nearing Graham, TX, I noticed on the distant horizon that the sun illuminated a series of tall white towers that turned out to be huge propellers in multiple wind farms.  As I flew over or near them, I could tell instantly the wind conditions on the grounds.  The propellers always faced into the wind, and I could see the wind shift as I flew west.  If the propellers were not moving; the wind was calm.  

By 8 a.m., the magic ended.  I felt my first thermal bump.  After an hour flight, I landed in Graham to add some fuel because Albany TX, my next stop had no fuel (just as it had none in 1966).  I taxied to the gas pump, chocked the tires, removed the gas cap and brought the ladder to the plane, and it was then that I realized the gas hose was locked.  This was not a self-service pump.  No one was around.  I walked to the FBO and realized it was Sunday; the FBO didn’t open until noon.  I had enough fuel to get to my next two planned stops: Albany, TX and Sweetwater TX which was only about 1.5 hours southwest.  So, I put the ladder back, removed the chocks, and taxied to runway 17.  I announced my departure on Unicom and started my take off roll.   Just as I started lifting the tail (around 35-40 mph) I noticed it!  The gas cap that I had removed and not replaced was still on top of the boot cowl – but it was dancing.  I cut the throttle and as my tailwheel touched the asphalt, the gas cap bounced off to the left and disappeared.  I stopped the plane, turned around and taxied back to the spot where I believed I rotated. 

 The grass was brown and sparse so I was hopeful I’d find the gas cap. I walked the left side of the runway back and forth, along the edge, then 3 feet off the edge, then 6 feet off the edge, then 9 feet off the edge. I did the same on the right side of the runway.  After about 45 minutes, a Cessna 150 pilot drove up and helped me look.  He then said that “Steve” was here, and if anyone had an old Champ gas cap, it would be “Steve.”  So, I taxied the plane to a large hangar and was introduced to Steve Pierce.  I told him of my plight.  We talked a little and he asked me where I was from.  When I said Poplar Gove Airport, he said, “Then you must know Bill Rusk.”  Of course I do.  That broke the ice.  Steve introduced me to his son, his father and his mother.  And, he not only found a gas cap that fit the plane, he inserted a tube to be sure it would vent properly.  Well, about noon, I was ready to go.  I drained the left aux tank into the main tank, and used the “new old cap” on the aux tank just in case it might not work. 

As I got ready to depart, I tried to pair my SPOT CONNECT with my iPhone.  I tried several times and I could not get them to synch.  Without the SPOT activated, I could not leave a bread crumb trail for my loyal followers to see my flight path my web page.  So, I departed Graham TX into clear but hot air.  About 20 minutes out, we passed Hubbard Creek Lake.  After 30 minutes, I landed at Albany TX (T23) just as the Buck brothers did.  There was nothing there but a few old buildings, not even a sign, so I departed and headed to Sweetwater TX.  By this time, it was hot and really bumpy.  Thermals in Texas are a lot stronger than thermals in the Midwest, and I saw a lot more “dust devils,” some reaching up 1,000 feet or more.  I was forced to concentrate on flying.  One moment, the plane would start to climb, a minute later, start to descend.  One moment a strong thermal would force the left wing up; a minute later, the right wing went up.  I was constantly using rudder and stick to keep the airplane straight and level.  Finally, Sweetwater appeared on the horizon and as I landed, the wind was calm.  The only fight I had on that leg was caused by thermals.

By this time, it was early afternoon and I was hungry.  As I was paying for the fuel at Sweetwater, I asked about food.  None on the airport, no courtesy car and no way to get to town; but, a pilot befriended me and offered to drive me to town for lunch.  We went to a Subway, and I bought his lunch as well as mine.  Back at the airport, I decided I still had plenty of daylight and plenty of fuel to head to Wink, TX, about 2 hours southwest.  Nevertheless, I called ahead to confirm that the fuel would be available and the FBO open. I still could not get my SPOT CONNECT to work, so I didn’t leave any breadcrumb trails.  I headed for Big Spring VOR (in order to circumnavigate the Class C airspace surrounding Midland-Odessa).  After the VOR, I headed directly for Wink (making sure I avoided the tall KMID TV towers so prominently displayed on the sectional chart).  I was again battered by thermals but after two hours found my way to Wink TX (KINK) where the wind was again, almost calm.

At Wink, I was met by Charlie Cooper, a really nice gentlemen pilot who lives on the airport.  We filled the tanks; he gave me some fresh bottled water and since Cavern City NM was only another hour west, I decided to depart and head there for the night.  My SPOT CONNECT still did not work.  I headed straight for Cavern City.  Since winds at altitude were out of the southeast and I had some terrain to clear, I climbed from ground level (2,800 MSL) at Sweetwater to 4500 MSL.  In 0.9 of an hour, I landed at Cavern City in a slight crosswind.  No one was home.  The airport was “deader than a doornail.”  Not even a telephone number listed; but I did see a sign that said “pilot’s lounge – use last three numbers of ASOS”  So I pushed the buttons and got inside a nice big air-conditioned room with a TV, some chairs, a sofa and a bathroom.  I found a yellow page directory and started to call local motels.  Two would rent a room, but offered no transportation and there are no cabs.  The third took pity and sent my next savior “Neal” who made the 15 minute round trip to pick me up.  And that is why I stayed at Motel 6.

Saturday 9/10/2011 Day 3

In the morning, I returned the airport and asked the airport manager to take my photo by a Brinkley Airport sign, but sadly he said the town council was too cheap to buy one.  So he gave me a souvenir to prove I was actually there; an authentic “HENRY’S AERIAL, Brinkely, AR” hat.  Nice gentleman. 

I took off from Brinkley in clear skies heading west, following I-40 toward Little Rock.  The air was smooth and cool – a delightful morning to fly at 1000 AGL.  About 16 miles east of North Little Rock Airport, I flew directly over some fish farms.  I later learned that I had flown over the world famous I.F. Anderson Fish Farms, the world’s largest producer of shiner minnows. I landed at North Little Rock Airport and my trial lawyer friend, Rick Beard III, treated me to a late breakfast at his country club and later dropped me back at the airport so I could head west.  I departed Little Rock around 11 a.m. or so heading SW toward Arkadelphia Arkansas (M89).  It was bumpy at 2500 but I had to go that high to clear the ridges. In about an hour, I landed in calm winds at M89.  No one was home, so I took the obligatory photo, gassed up and departed.

I then headed straight west for Durant, OK (KDUA).  During this leg, I noticed that Arkansas has a lot of trees with only logging roads.  For safety, I flew higher than normal.  Although the visibility was still great, and it was sunny, some cumulus clouds started to form and pretty soon, The Champ got wet.  Off to my right, I could see the ridges of northern Arkansas that prompted a cautionary note on sectional charts “RAPIDLY RISING TERRAIN, Use Caution during periods of low ceiling and visibility.”  Not to worry, the terrain was north of my flight path.  We passed Lake Hugo off to our right, the rain started to abate but it was still bumpy.  As I approached Durant, OK, winds were reported at 90 degrees to the runway gusting to 14 knots.  Rather than tackle a gusty crosswind on an asphalt pavement, I elected to bypass Durant and continue on to Gainesville Texas where there are two runways so I’d have a better chance of landing with a small crosswind component – that’s one of the reasons I carry 24 gallons of fuel with two wing aux tanks.  We flew over the southern end of Lake Texahoma and after 3 hours and 13 minutes arrived at Gainesville, TX.  Landing turned out to be a piece of cake because the winds died down to 8 knots.  I gassed up, had some help from the airport manager to tie down The Champ, signed up for the Gainesville Airport Courtesy Car, rented a room, ate a slab of ribs and went to bed. 

Day 2 KY TN into Arkansas

I awoke to gentle rain drops in Carbondale, IL.  Scattered light showers, ceilings of 4000 with viz of 6 miles or better with blue skies to the south, convinced me to launch.  I said goodbye to my son, his wife, and my granddaughter, and took off around 8:44 a.m., heading straight south under overcast with scattered showers, but good visibility, to Cairo, IL at the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

I departed Cairo, heading SSE toward Fulton, KY but as I crossed the Mississippi River (the first time); I took a photo of the I-57 bridge.  A few miles down the road, I crossed the Mississippi (the second time) and could not resist taking a photo of a barge pushing cargo northbound.  Next stop was at Fulton KY where I joined the original path of the Buck brothers.  I met two pilots who liked The Champ, one stating that was the first plane he ever flew.  I departed in sunny skies, heading a few miles SW to Union City, TN (where Kern Buck found the gas he needed). At Everett-Stewart Regional Airport at Union City, believe it or not, I met two pilots who liked The Champ and one of them started flying in a Champ.  Then, I was off heading southwest toward Dyersburg TN.   I crossed the Mississippi River (the third time), landing in Blytheville, Arkansas.  Weather was severe clear with a gentle 6 knot breeze out of the west. 

Then we were off turning southwest toward Brinkley, Arkansas.  I phoned an old friend of mine in Little Rock, Arkansas, another trial lawyer and we agreed I’d take some time off from the trip for a visit.  So, I decided to stay overnight in Brinkley (the home of Jennifer Flowers).  As I announced our approach into Federer Municipal, the airport manager warned me that men were bailing hay just off the runway.  After we landed, the manager pulled up in a golf cart, with his 8 year old granddaughter driving, and welcomed me.  We talked about The Champ and my flight.  He spontaneously offered me the airport courtesy car and directed me to the best motel in town.  (He didn’t even ask me for any identification!).  Nice folks, those flying folks.

The remnants of TS Lee wreaked havoc in PA and NY. The Aeronca Fly-In in PA was cancelled and the 10th anniversary of 9/11 caused me to rethink my flight path. I decided to avoid the disaster area and begin the flight by heading south from C77. I will intercept the trail of the Buck brothers in Fulton KY. Today, 9/8, The Champ and I lifted off the sod Runway 35 @ C77 and headed south to Carbondale, IL to spend the night with my son, his wife & my granddaughter. I took The Champ to 4,500 feet and picked up a 20K tailwind, making the trip in CAVU conditions in only 3 hours, clocking GS at 101 knots. Landed on RWY 36R into a stiff headwind. The Champ seemed to hover. The landing was a nonevent. One minute we were flying and the next moment we were on the ground, barely moving! A good day for the first day of our trip.