Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:56:31 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imo-m09.mx.aol.com ([64.12.136.164] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.0b1) with ESMTP id 1242532 for lml@lancaironline.net; Mon, 20 May 2002 11:54:10 -0400 Received: from Sky2high@aol.com by imo-m09.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v32.5.) id q.47.1d2e44dc (3973) for ; Mon, 20 May 2002 11:53:53 -0400 (EDT) From: Sky2high@aol.com X-Original-Message-ID: <47.1d2e44dc.2a1a7610@aol.com> X-Original-Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 11:53:52 EDT Subject: The Flight of Two Madmen - Reno 2001 - Part 6 X-Original-To: lml@lancaironline.net MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en X-Mailer: AOL 7.0 for Windows US sub 10500 Day 10 - Tuesday, 9/18/01 - The CPR->MHE->ARR via MRJ plan. Greeted by another gray morning, we found that the weather would be bad in=20 Iowa (it wasn't that good anywhere else on our route either), forcing us a=20 little further north. Home was a little beyond IFR reserves, so we would=20 stop at a field Arnie knew in SD, Mitchell Municipal (MHE). Back out at the= =20 airport, everything was a go, so we filed and went. This leg wasn't so bad, a little rain, sometimes skimming the tops, sometime= s=20 busting the tops and sometimes it was just gray. P-static was still=20 annoying, but nothing like the previous day. MHE had VFR ceilings so the le= t=20 down was a snap. We must have had some headwinds because my logbook has mor= e=20 time for the flight than it should have taken. The weather check after refueling at MHE was not promising for our flight=20 over Iowa and more bad stuff, including t-storms, was moving north. Arnie=20 filed to MRJ and I filed to ARR with MRJ as a waypoint. Off we go to 11000=20 feet. I think we started out on top but as we got more into Iowa, the tops=20 were above us. Near Waterloo, I chose to descend to 9000, putting me betwee= n=20 layers and I could see a heavy-duty thunder storm SE of Waterloo. I lost=20 contact with Arnie because center switched me over to Waterloo approach when= =20 I descended. Arnie later told me he broke out on top at 11000 feet somewhat= =20 NE of Waterloo. =20 After reporting back in with Chicago center, I hear "Scott, is that you? =20 This is Steve, I'm working center now=E2=80=A6" and we commence a conversati= on that=20 gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Arnie is online too. My personal controlle= r=20 then says "92EX, you can go direct Rockford now." I acknowledge and start t= o=20 make the 30-degree turn towards the t-storm and say, "Uh, center, 2EX would=20 like to divert left 30 degrees for weather." I hear "Roger 2EX, resume=20 on-course when able." This is not a problem since Arnie and I are the only= =20 two low altitude aircraft in this part of the country. =20 Arnie is cleared for his approach into MRJ, I make the turn towards Rockford= ,=20 farewells are made and I switch frequency. Even though ARR is reporting VFR= ,=20 I can't see anything thru a strange haze at dusk. Executing a nice ILS 9, I= =20 hear a couple of squeaks as the wheels touch, then taxi in and shut down. =20 The odyssey is over (or is it?). In summary, 19.8 hours of very interesting= =20 flight time, 9 days gone, no clean clothes left, no race, airplane stuff=20 breaking, bad weather, and the character of the US changed forever. I hear from Arnie the next day that Steve had called him. A follow up to=20 verify Arnie had landed. You see, the rules required a phone call after=20 landing at a non-towered airport since IFR couldn't be canceled in the air.=20= =20 Well, Arnie had well-wishers calling him and his plane was surrounded by=20 friends and relatives - Just like Lindbergh at Le Bourget - he was=20 distracted. What stands out most about this trip was the help we received everywhere it=20 was needed; hangar space, tools, parts, advice, information, an EAA spaghett= i=20 dinner and great FAA controller support. All we had to do was to be=20 flexible. Arnie has decided to install an autopilot (TruTrak) since he=20 couldn't grow another arm and upgraded his Garmin 90 to a 92. I've added th= e=20 Lasar system for better high altitude performance, made an umbrella part of=20 my "must take" equipment along with packing extra clothes and planning for=20 the worst. Maybe we should try Reno again this year, I hear we almost have these=20 terrorists under control. Well, I'm not letting any in my airplane and=20 besides, the pilot is armed (this also holds down on unruly passengers). Grayhawk PS: Tom Giddings called this morning to remind me that flying is the art of=20 throwing oneself at the ground and missing!