Diaries

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=100 BGCOLOR="#CCCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="04300640egdysm.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000066" FACE="Arial" ><I><B>A Celebration of Flight</B></I></FONT><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Arial" ><B> </B></FONT><B>    |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dayton Ultralight Club"><U><B>DUC homepage</B></U></A><B>    |    </B><A HREF="id206.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Kitty Hawk Trip"><U><B>Kitty Hawk Trip homepage</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id212.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Introduction"><U>Introduction</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kitty Hawk Trip News"><U>Kitty Hawk Trip News</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id300.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contributors"><U>Contributors</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id214.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Participants"><U>Participants</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id207.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Route"><U>Route</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id213.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Checklist"><U>Checklist</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id210.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Trip Photos"><U>Trip Photos</U></A>   |   <B>Diaries</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#000099" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <bR> <bR> <div> <I><B>Send in your diaries or experiences of the trip</B></I></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=380 BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Diaries</I></div> <div> <B>7/23/03  My Trip to Kitty Hawk  -  Brenda Ferguson</B></div> <div> My Trip to Kitty Hawk.  Has to be one of the most exciting experiences of a lifetime.</div> <div> As an active part of the Tri State Ultralight Pilots Association, I know several of the Dayton Ultralight Club members and have been in contact with Rich Jennings since he started planning this trip from the beginning.</div> <div> Bob and I had planned on going on this trip, if we had the Sky Ranger built.  But since it was not finished, I hadn’t thought much about going, until Ann and Tom Sorrels came to Cincinnati for T.U.P.A.’S 20th year anniversary party.  She asked me to go with her to help cover the story for ASC and that Tom didn’t want her to go alone.  That day I was worn out from all the work to pull this party off, that I didn’t think much about it. So over the weekend, I thought a little bit more about going.  On Tuesday, June 10th, Rich & I were on Ultralight Radio live.  At that time, I told Rich I was going on the trip. </div> <div> Friday afternoon, Ann, Bob & I went to Dayton, Ohio and stopped at the Wright Bros. Bicycle Shop, and checked out Huffman Prairie.  We later met Rich and his wife, parents, Doc and Donnie for dinner.  It was if we had known Doc & Donnie forever.  We then went to the airport to see who else had arrived.  At that time, we met Chad & Nick.  They had flown from Ga. to go on the trip.  They had Titans with Jabiru motors on them, and since that is what we are putting on the Ranger, my husband was like a magnet to both Chad & Nick. </div> <div> On Saturday, Ann & I decided to stay in Dayton, since we had to get up so early Sunday morning.  We attended the pilot briefing and befriended D.J.  We gave him a ride to the hotel and later had dinner. </div> <div> Since both of us are wife’s of ultralight pilot’s, we talked until early morning, worrying what ‘could’ happen on our journey.  We had already said we weren’t going to play “mom” to these guys. (But I guess it is just a built in instinct).  We gave our two cents worth every now and again.</div> <div> Sunday morning, the excitement built as the pilots started their motors and taxied to the runway.  As they took off, I don’t think it really sunk in on what I was about to witness in a few days. </div> <div> Ann & I adopted Steve & Blake Goeke as our travel guides the first day. (They knew we had the homemade apple and cherry pies that Becky Kuschel had sent for everyone). </div> <div> Today, everything went well, everything we worried about didn’t happen.  Each stop went quicker than the group had planned. We had a chance to visit and get to know some of the other people at dinner, which was provided by the Chamber of Commerce in Mercer County.  For dessert we left (3) pies with the group of campers as we went to the hotel with (our) pie for those who stayed at the same hotel. (This was the day of experiencing the drive to Mercer County Airport… In the mountain… News of the loss of Lane Scott who several of us knew…)  All in all, a great day.</div> <div> Monday … Off we go again…By lunch some of the groups were delayed due to Russ and Jaye having a flat tire on the trailer.  So, Ann & I doing the motherly thing again, went to pick up lunch for the pilots. This is when Danny & Jiff Day got to be the Atlas people for us. This seemed to be the time several of us began skipping some of the stops and some of the pilots staying at different stops for the evening.  We ended up staying at Emporia, Virginia that night and had dinner with several of the group staying there.  We were entertained by Danny & Jiff with a little pickin’ and singin’. All the worry we did paid off again today. Everything went well.</div> <div> Tuesday.. As the pilots took off today we went straight to Currituck Airport for their arrival.  Today some of the pilots went to Edenton, N.C. and received patches and pins for the celebration of the event. It was then decided to go to fly to First Flight NOW.  We took off in a mad dash to get there before the planes. Seeing the monument from the road, waiting in traffic (road work) I didn’t think we would make it.  Along with the help of Dennis, we blocked the road to get into the park together and just in the nick of time.</div> <div> The guard let us through the gate without delay.  Getting out the movie camera and looking up ……There they come…. The camera running, the whistles, screaming and then it hit me…. The cold chills .. the tears…(hard to see what you are videoing) .. This group of ultralighters were making history and Yes, I was a part of it.  They flew three times around the monument. </div> <div> As they came back into First Flight Airpark and Rich got out of his plane, he kneed down and kissed the ground.  An emotional time for a man who had just completed something he had worked so hard to do for so long. </div> <div> After some persuasion, the Air Boss, decided to stay in Coinjock, N.C.  We all wanted to get together for dinner and celebrate our successful trip.  So, when Dennis said, “you get a party together” we got a party together.  We went to Crabby’s, which is the restaurant, at The Midway Marina & Hotel.  We had 26 at the party and we talked and laughed and really enjoyed the evening.  The sad part of it was saying goodbye to many new friends.</div> <div> Wednesday morning, we got up to go back to Kitty Hawk, to go to the monument and do some sight seeing.  While in the shower, I thought about what it would be like to be back in Dayton when the guys came home.  I went out and told Ann that I really wanted to share the sightseeing with Bob sometime this fall and asked her if she wanted to go back.  At the same time, she was thinking the same thing.  So, we packed up, got some souvenirs and off we went.  We got to Charleston late, slept four hours and started out again at 6:00a.m. Calling Steve to check on the flight plan, we made it back about 30 minutes before the pilots did. </div> <div> Then as I saw the planes come into view, I had that same feeling that I had at the bottom of hill on Tuesday. To believe that it was complete.. Once again, Rich, kissed the ground.  He was HOME!!  Yes, Rich had a vision and a dream and he shared it with everyone there… A lot of hard work went into this event and there are so many memories to be shared for many years to come.</div> <div> Again, goodbyes were done and off we went.  Ann brought me home and after she left, I just sat down and thought about the last few days and what had really happened.  I have shared my story with many others since then.. </div> <div> During this trip, I have become: “Bonnie, Barbie, Betty” and most of all “Mother Nature.”  Many of you know that when T.U.P.A. holds an event it is pretty weather and Rich, so many times- gets- rain.  So, with me along the weather was beautiful and as soon as we got back to Dayton… It rained. </div> <div> I want to say “THANK YOU” to:</div> <div> Rich Jennings- for starting this dream and making it happen.</div> <div> Jim Stephenson-ASC for letting me share this story for the magazine.</div> <div> Steve & Blake Goeke – for being our tour guides and protectors</div> <div> Danny & Jiff Day- for their atlas and letting us follow them. (we did get back home ok)</div> <div> Becky Kuschel- for the great pies.</div> <div> Donnie Eccker- my new “best” friend.</div> <div> Doc Williams, Russ Wilson, Mike Peters, Bill Elliott, Glenn Zink, Chad Hilbert, Nick Hunsucker, and Jaye for letting me pick on you the whole trip.</div> <div> Anne Sorrels- for taking me to go with her and the joy of remembering old times and the laughter. </div> <div> To Bob, my wonderful husband, for convincing me to go in the first place. </div> <div> To the many people I didn’t get to know as well, I wish all the very best in your flying adventures and will always, cherish the time we were all together on this one and only “Celebration of Flight.”</div> <bR> <div> Brenda Ferguson</div> <bR> <div> <B>7/14/03  Trip Diary of DJ Van Well</B></div> <div> 6/20     `Celebration of Flight'</div> <div>      Waiting for rain squall line to move south and east off of the mountains.  Also new radio won't transmit through the new intercom system is another delay.</div> <div>       12:30 - Take off from Wilkes County to Ashe County ( West Jefferson) (No radio)</div> <div>      1:30 - 2ish -landed at Ashe - Cold up at altitude so I landed to put on flannel shirt and jacket.  Asked local pilot the best way through the mountains.  Due to the winds being from the North he suggested heading toward Tazewell airport (Richlands Va.)  {My original plot had been to fly towards Mountain City up the valley of the north fork of the New River.}   </div> <div> I flew north-northwest into the headwind averaging only 33 MPH groundspeed.  After 3 hours of flight I knew I would be needing gas so I punched up nearest airport on the GPS and flew into Grundy airport near Grundy Va.</div> <div> 4:30   Landed in Grundy, VA! I met some very nice folks that gave me a ride 5 miles down the mountain (Grundy airport is right on top of a ridge) to obtain some more gas.  Fueled up and headed for West Liberty airport.  I over flew Pike County (waypoint) and continued on. West Liberty airport was a very small airfield in the middle of nowhere so I chose the next waypoint and headed towards it and pressed on.  After 3 plus hours I knew it was time to make a fuel stop again so I punched in nearest airport in the GPS and headed for 212 (private strip). Landed at 212 and checked my fuel. I had about one hour of flight left and was averaging 35 MPH ground speed. Airport 212 was 10 miles from anything and nothing in sight except one house which may or may not have had occupants in it.  I decided that the next waypoint was close but reachable for fuel and headed towards Fleming - Mason.  On the way I passed over a highway that had an exit ramp with a gas station and a field on top of the nearest hill. ( I thought seriously about landing there and walking to the gas station, but as there were people in the field I decided to press on.)</div> <div>  8:20PM - I think I am going to make it.  Airfield in sight, the land has become friendly (flatter with fields - not mountainous with trees like it has been most of the day so far), and just as I am about to start breathing a sigh of relief.  Putt putt and sputter and I am out of gas - one mile short of the airfield.  Good training in power off landings and how to always fly with an eye to an emergency set down spot and a quick right turn and eak a little longer glide path over the trees and ahh nice smooth landing in a hay field. </div> <div>   A truck with three guys in it stop and ask if I'm OK and if they can help.  I am OK and I need gas.  They go after it for me.  While waiting, 4 other cars stop and inquire.  Nice friendly people in Kentucky.   I gas it up and take off to complete the 1 mile left journey to the Fleming airport.</div> <div> While tying down the trike ( it is almost dark now ) a fellow comes driving up to the airport and says `HI, you must be the guy I talked to on the phone.'  Explaining that it was not I, but willing to share knowledge about my trike with him, I found out that he is a skydiver.  I ask for a ride to a gas station.  Still talking planes and chutes and flying and such I ask if he has eaten yet.  He says he was on his way to a meal at the kid's school where they are doing a benefit for a cure for cancer and they have a food tent and other stuff.  I went with him and met his family, ate food at the tent, and checked out the small affair that was there.  (Big mistake - never eat food at a tent when on a cross country - that food haunted me for the rest of the trip!)</div> <div> 6/21 </div> <div> Crack of dawn and it is 50 degrees cold.  I know I have about three to three and a half hours to go (90 miles +_) so I hang out waiting for the air to warm up a bit.  About 10 AM I take off for Georgetown, OH and Georgetown is right near the airport, so while I do not really `need' gas, I decide to fill up and get a breakfast sandwich.  Three or four miles looks a lot farther away on the ground than it does from the air. So, I decide to land in the field next to the shopping center.  OOPS!  Lesson learned!  Fields look a lot smoother from the air than they do from the ground.  This field is soft from all the recent rain and has big gulleys from tractor tires?? Just wider that the width of my trike.  On landing my nose wheel found one and would not come out of it.  Now, my only thought is to get the heck out of that field.  I push and pull fully loaded, very heavy trike to slightly drier ground and line it up with all three wheels out of the gulleys and ask for divine assistance and go to get the heck out of that field.  Decide the 3 mile walk would do me good after successfully leaving the farmers field and landing once again at the airport.</div> <div>      Hitched a ride with another very friendly fellow that took me to the gas station and to the burger king and all he wanted was a pop.  A pop.  OH yeah, a soda!   I left him a few extra dollars because it was worth the ride!  Now 11AM with hours to spare has turned into 12:30 with just enough distance to cover to make it close.   ( The Dayton to Kitty Hawk trip has a pre flight briefing at 3. )  I fly off to the Dayton-New Lebanon airport and make it with time to spare.</div> <div>      At Dayton, I meet and greet most of the rest of the `Celebration of Flight' participants, attend the briefing, and get hooked up with WD who will be my ground support for the trip.</div> <div>      A hotel for the night doesn't mean much when the call is to be ready to fly by 6:30 and the hotel is 35 minutes drive from the airfield.</div> <div> 6/22  The beginning of the `Celebration of Flight' flight.</div> <div> It has been determined that I am the slow man.  I will be in the delta flight with all the other trikes except one who is going with the faster alpha flight.  The bravo flight is the fixed wing ultralights mid speed, and the charley flight is the fixed wing slow flight (still faster than me).  The delta flight ended up being two flights the faster ones and me and the guy assigned to be my wingman.</div> <div>      7AM through 7:30 are all of the take-offs and we go buzzing off toward Washington Courthouse - Fayette county.  Glassy smooth air and a 10 MPH tail wind and even I am averaging 57MPH groundspeed.  I decide to change the hang point on my trike which will make it average a little higher cruise speed.  ( I haven't liked the front hang point to now because the wing handles heavier, but since we are in smooth air it will be OK. ).  </div> <div>      10ish at Ross County (Chillicothe, OH) still making good time with the tail winds and general consensus is to start skipping legs of the planned journey.  </div> <div>      Noonish lunch stop at Gallia-Meigs (Gallipolis, OH). We are waiting on the ground for about 15 minutes before our ground crews start catching up to us.</div> <div>  ...</div> <div>      6ish - Beckley, WV - refuel and head (alone again) to Bluefield, WV the last stop for the day.  I actually leave 3 planes behind ( part of bravo group where one guy is having a bad fuel day).</div> <div>      8ishPM - Mercer County (Bluefield, WV).  The county had put on a feed for us and fortunately they left some for me.  Camping out tonight.  Call is for an 8 AM start.</div> <div> 6/23     Day two `Celebration of Flight'</div> <div>      8AM Up and over the mountains more or less following the New River valley and on towards Virginia Tech airport.  Again good tailwinds and we made excellent time.  Averaging 63MPH</div> <div> 10-11:30 At Virginia Tech we waited nearly an hour for ground crews to catch up to refuel the aircraft.  We decide to skip the smith mountain lake leg and head straight for the South Boston, VA (Tuck) airport  </div> <div> 1:30 - 2:30PM.   Again good tailwinds and smooth ride and we average mid 60's MPH groundspeed. We figure the ground crews will be another hour before they get to South Boston so we are stuck again.  It is definitely getting hot too.  Once refueled we head for Emporia, VA.  </div> <div> 4:30  More good sailing and another leg way ahead of the ground crews.  The ground crews are getting tired so we decide to call it a day at Emporia.  Parts of the faster flights have decided to forge ahead to Currituck today.  Another hotel night with an early wake-up.</div> <div> 6/24   Day three `Celebration of Flight'</div> <div>      8AM The delta flight that was left was going to take the northern route to Currituck. But, flight boss got word that the mayor of Edenton was ready to roll out the red carpet for us, so we depart for Edenton.  Another tail wind smooth day and we make Edenton averaging mid 60MPH again.  The delta group is going to make this leg to Edenton then to Currituck without a fuel stop but the Bravo flight has us waiting on the ground at Edenton for an hour waiting for their fuel.</div> <div>      11:15  Off to Currituck. 12:30 From Currituck it is just a short hop to Kitty Hawk and the Wright Brothers Monument and then to circle it and then land at first flight airport.  We are to leave at 1 for a 1:30 fly by of the monument.</div> <div> 1:20  Circling the monument and landing at Kitty Hawk.  The official `Celebration of Flight' flight is now ended.</div> <div> --- --- ---</div> <div> 3:20  Left First Flight and headed north to Currituck.  The end of the tail wind, I bucked a headwind back to Currituck and averaged 36 MPH groundspeed.  On the ground at Currituck I waited until 5 for my last bit of ground crew support.  Double refuel and strap everything I own onto the trike once again and I am ready for the trip home.</div> <div>      6:15  Left Currituck for Edenton.  Arrive at Edenton as the ground haze was starting to get really bad in the setting sun.  Decided I was done for the day and went to the deserted terminal to find a small gathering of Air Force people having a meeting.  I asked one guy that was out for a smoke for the way to town as I needed gas.  He said town was 6 miles away that I didn't want to walk all that way.  I said I would hitch a ride if I could which way is town.  He said at the end of the road to the airport to turn left and there was a mom & pop gas station about a mile down the road.  So I turned left and about a mile was the closed mom & pop gas station and there were few cars on the road but not a one was slowing down.  6 miles of walking later and it is really getting dark now I don't see town so I give up and head back.  Still no offers of a ride so six miles again later I am back at the airport to spend the night.</div> <div> 6/25</div> <div>      Early enough and I decide I have enough fuel to make it to Tarboro, an airport with a city very close to it.  As I am leaving I notice that the town was only about three miles up the road to the right.  What a jerk at Edenton!  Lesson learned.  Scope out the area before landing.</div> <div>      9AM Tarboro.  Flight over the outskirts of the city to locate nearest gas station from airport and then land.  Was met almost immediately by a guy in a truck who states “Ultralights are not welcome here.'  I mentioned that I needed gas and if he would be so kind as to provide assistance I would get out of his airport very quickly.  He obliged with the ride.</div> <div>      12:30 Person County (Timberlake, NC)  The very nice fellow running the airport at Person County gave me a lift to the nearest gas stop and said he was having a wonderful day as he had a couple of lear jets stop by that morning and with me too that he had seen aviation from one end of the spectrum to the other that day.  Double fill up with a partial can to strap on I should be able to make Wilkes County.</div> <div>      3ish  I decide to land at Walnut Cove's little airstrip just because I happened to be flying directly over it and thought I would empty the partial can into the tank.</div> <div>      4:40     Wilkes County touchdown.   I am hungry and tired.</div> <div> It was a very interesting trip.  I am glad I did it.  I learned some things along the way, but most importantly I did not push things too far and I enjoyed myself.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>7/01/03  -  Partial Trip Report by Chad Hilbert</B></div> <div> Now that it appears we've all made it safely home, let's start by  thanking Rich and Mike for the time they invested in making this  happen.  Nick and I were honored to be included in the group.  My report couldn't "hold a candle" to those of you that flew the  Trikes and Light Aircraft, so I will try to be brief.  We left Perry Georgia on Tues, June 17. We were hoping to be  airborne at sun up, but the weather gods didn't agree with our  plans.  We were finally given VFR clearance by FSS around 11:00 AM,  so we were off to Scottsboro, Alabama, our first fuel stop.  The visibility was terrible below 4000 MSL, but the sky was broken to  12,000 MSL, so we elected to climb. We leveled off at 9,500 MSL and  stayed there until we were within 20 miles of Scottsboro, two hours later. A quick stop for fuel, and another chat with Flight Service,  and we were off to our next fuel stop, Rough River Falls State Park,  Kentucky.....or so we thought.  Although FSS had not issued those magic words, "VFR not recomended",  the begining of the flight was anything but VFR. We turned east in  an attempt to climb back to altitude to clear the cloud tops, but after 20 minutes it was obvious we</div> <div> were fighting a loosing cause. I  Radioed to Nick..."We aren't gonna be able to get on Top...looks like  another lay-over in Scottsboro" (We were stuck there for three days in the spring, on the way back from the UL National</div> <div> Championships)  We turned west and headed back to Scottsboro. Just after making my radio call to Scottsboro, I looked over my right shoulder and saw a thin sliver of a "bright area" between the horizon and the cloud  base. I</div> <div> radioed, "Nick, I see an area we may be able to sneek  through, ya wanna try it?" He agreed, and we turned north, aiming  for the bright spot, and hoping we could get through. We did,  although we did encounter some moderate</div> <div> turbulance and rain before we  punched through. The visibility seemed to improve a little, but the  cloud base was extremely low, and no longer broken. To make a long  story shorter, the next two hours of flight were the</div> <div> worse conditions  I've ever flown in on a long x-country. We dodged thunderstorms,  lightning,  rain, moderate to severe turbulence, while "scud running" over the  mountains all the way to within 70 miles of Rough River.  At this  point the small sliver of horizon over the nose turned totally black.  Instinct was yelling at me "YOU DON'T WANT TO GO THERE".  We decided to divert to a Small airport 15 miles to our east and wait for better conditions. It was getting late in the afternoon by now.  My hopes of getting to Dayton that day were gone, and even of getting to our  next</div> <div> planned fuel stop was in doubt.  We checked the radar while on  the ground, and saw we were headed directly toward a severe thunderstorm that topped out at 44K MSL before we diverted.  Fortunately, it  was isolated, and after an hour had moved far enough to the east, we  could complete the last 70 miles to Rough River. We tied down at  Rough River for the night, rented a cabin....AND CRASHED IN THE  BEDS.  We were both physically and mentally exhausted.  When we awoke the next morning, Rough River was completely fogged  in. This didn't concern us too much though. We were within "striking distance" of Dayton-New Lebanon airport, so we just patiently waited. By noon, the fog had lifted. We took-off for the short 189  mile flight to Dayton, and for the first time could actually see the  ground in flight.</div> <div> Things were looking up!  Arriving at Dayton-New Lebanon in early afternoon, we were greeted by  Dick Graham. Thanks Dick for your hospitality!  We rented a car, and  spent the next two days at the Air Force Museum, totally enjoying</div> <div> ourselves.  We departed for Kitty Hawk with the other 24 aircraft on Sunday morning. But I'll let the other pilots that "earned their wings" on  this flight report this portion of the flight. For Nick and I, it  was a leisurely, laid-back trip, spread out over two days, that we  normally fly in around seven hours. IT WAS GREAT !!!  Our Statistics:  Total Miles: Not</div> <div> quite 2000. Total Flight Hours: Around 22, Total Fuel, Nick: 79 Gal. 100LL Total Fuel, Chad: 99 Gal. 100LL Total Oil consumed, Nick: 2 quarts Total Oil consumed, Chad: 18 oz.   Cost of Memories........"PRICELESS"!!!<FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Courier New" > </FONT></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>