Steve Thomas/Part 103 Ultralight PPC flight across America

Update - March 1, 2005

This is a quick update just to let everyone know that I am well and made it to Casa Grande, Arizona on the south side of Phoenix today from Blythe, California. It was an eventful day and I am very tired. I plan to get to bed as early as I can tonight.

Ed had some problems with his plane this morning, first thing and was not able to fly with me at the last minute. He later fixed it and joined me at Tomahawk Truck Stop in Arizona for the next flight from there to Buckeye, AZ. I had another broken tube on the prop guard upon landing at the truck stop, and wired it back tight and wrapped it with duct tape.
At Buckeye Ed had to pack up and head back home to southern California as he was late for an engagement. I was on my own then. I refueled at the airport at the self serve credit card pump with 100LL. I did a good inspection of the Mini Me before heading out on my own with no one to check on me, and found that the tube on the opposite side of the prop ring was cracked, but not yet broken, so I tie wired it tight and wrapped it with tape too.

The takeoff at Buckeye was scary as I had added my 60+ pound bag of gear and the winds were variable. It was actually a cross wind takeoff the turned into a downwind climb out at about 50 feet per minute. I finally made it away from the airport and got some altitude, but burned a lot of fuel. I made it to Phoenix Regional and managed to get packed up and to the I'm Fly'N factory at the airport before 5:00 and caught the owners before they left for the day. Richard Ankrom loaned me the company pick up truck so I could drive the 15 miles to the other side of casa Grande and get some grub and a motel room. He even let me roll the Mini Me into the factory to spend the night.

I am sure getting lucky and meeting up with some very nice people on this trip. I flew 182 miles today, and it was 6 hours in the air on on three flights. I feel sort of like I have been on a boat for a week, if you know what I mean. Between the sunshine, heat on the ground, cold in the air, and turbulent air from flying all day, I a little wobbly. :) I even forgot my camera on the plane that is locked up 15 miles away, so I will have to write some more details of today's flight with photos next time. I did bring the GPS with me though and here is the track from it of the flights.

If the weather, the Mini Me and Me can get it together tomorrow I would like to make it the rest of the way across Arizona and into Lordsburg, New Mexico. The tough part is the long flight to San Manuel. I may have to make a stop in between that I was not planning on at Coolidge. I stopped there before on the last flight 4 years ago.

Have a good one!
Steve

Note from Chris: I added a few pics Ed sent.

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