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Fox Valley Flying ClubNewsletter, May 2002 |
Memorable Flights - Flight to Gateway 4th of July celebration
Story submitted by Mick PhankeI was determined and told Leon I would be ready. The flight down to Gateway, across the river from St. Louis, was to be my first long crss-country with the guys and I had been dreaming about this trip for a couple weeks. I was a relatively new flyer but was ready to experience a long flight especially with the combined experience of so many fellow club members. I just had to get my plane back together. There had been problems with my fuel system, which I was hoping had been worked out. Just in case, I had added an 11 gallon fuselage tank to go with my two 6 gallon wing tanks. There was talk about me refueling some of the other planes in flight since the Rans was carrying so much fuel. With Don Wittmayer's help, we got the engine rebuilt and reinstalled in time to take a half hour test flight before dark on the third and everything said go. Of course I still had to pack the plane with camping gear, fill all of the tanks and give it one more good preflight before the big trip. I had already attended Leon's planning meeting where we had established a route and the several fuel stops required for the ultralights.
Five-thirty came early the following morning and Leon was not one to wait around. I think there were ten planes waiting to get into the air. This is what flying with a club is all about. As soon as one engine started there was a rush to the planes, a couple more engines fire and soon the whole field is alive with the sound of Rotax heaven. There is nothing quite like the feel of that two-stroke scream, a fresh day and new experiences on the horizon to give you that adrenaline rush. Of course the fact that I only had 30 minutes on my engine and was planning a trip of over 500 miles, was sure to add to the mix. The morning was clear and mild only requiring a light jacket and we settled in for our first leg to Pontiac for fuel and then on to Lincoln. I had made it to Pontiac several weeks before for the short cross-country for my pilot's license but heading for Lincoln was all new territory. None of us had GPS yet but a few had Loran, most of us were just following our map lines and listening to the banter on the radio. Ten planes strung out over a mile or two at about 200 feet just watching the scenery roll past. So far the engine was running fine but so was my imagination, 'Was that a miss', 'Is that EGT higher than it was last time I looked?' Anyway the ground was pretty open and I had some recent practice with dead-sticks so I was very much enjoying the flight. By Litchfield it was hot but we were getting close.
Litchfield had a very different flavor than the airports around here. There was a yellow ag-plane that several of us admired while we waited and were all impressed by the ease with which it climbed out with its full tanks of chemicals. Didn't sound like a Rotax either. Every stop was 45 minutes waiting for everyone to get gas and the slower planes to catch up. Soon we would be under St. Louis' class B airspace and Leon reminded us all to stay low. Of course now we had more and more houses so we kept about 1000 feet of air under our wings. Somewhere south and east of St. Louis, Leon made contact by radio with the Gateway crowd and found that we were all heading for the wrong airport. A small course change and then over a bluff and there was the Mississippi River! But at the same time there was the flood plain, which was very aptly named because in and among the seven foot tall corn was what looked like at least a foot of water! Was that engine missing again? For those of you that have been there, you know that feeling of flying where the pucker factor is so strong your butt no longer contacts the seat. It is like you are flying separate from the plane and everything happens in slow motion. Although it was maybe ten minutes over the flood it seemed a lot longer. But ahead was the runway, lots of ultralights taking off and landing and all was well. The guys at Gateway were great hosts and had organized free food, drinks, fireworks and competitions. That summer was when the big floods had visited the Mississippi and they showed us how high up the barn/hanger the water had come. Later, Kevin, Don and I flew out looking for fuel and to see the area, I guess we hadn't had our fill of flying yet. This time my engine really did start running badly but looking straight under the plane was a runway! The white 'x' on either end wasn't a deterrent when everything else is covered with water. I called Don and Kevin on the radio to direct them in and we talked some of the folks at that airport out of some fuel. After a bit of checking this and that we flew back to the Gateway field for the festivities. I spent most of the time trying to figure out the problems with my engine not relishing the thought of flying over this swamp with any uncertainties. While I tinkered some of the guys entered the competitions and if I recall correctly, Teddy Battles did us proud by winning some events with his rebel flag emblazoned Flight Star. The highlight of the competition was one of the Gateway flyers with a seized engine going down in the corn. Luckily other than his engine there was only minimal damage but the big show was getting the plane out. Not only was there seven foot corn but there was also a foot of water and lots and lots of mid-calf deep mud. Good thing this was a single service Quicksilver because anything heavier would have required disassembly. After the competition came dinner and drinks. This was my first experience with pork stakes on the grill, delicious but it could have been the beer and the camaraderie. Those Gateway boys really know how to party with the mandatory salute to our independence in the form of fireworks. This included using Kevin as a target for bottle rockets and an earlier episode with Rich Wild setting some trash on fire in front of Kevin's tent and yelling 'Kevin, your tent is on fire!' Some things never change. With that, we hit the tents for a needed nights sleep. The following morning, after a hearty breakfast and packing up our gear, we said our good-byes and lined up for the flight back. As we got ready to leave, one of the guys took a Polaroid and handed it to us as a souvenir of the trip. It was a lot more laid back on the return trip with everyone tired from the day before. But flying with your buddies at 400 feet for over two hundred miles is still an adrenaline rush and something I'll never get enough of. This completed my required 'solo' long cross-country for my pilots license. What a great sport, and thanks Leon, what a great flight!
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