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The Eastern Seaboard

Apr 28 - May 2

May 2, 2002
Norfolk, VA - Baltimore, MD

The Sky Cruiser needed some attention and a couple hours parked in front of a Home Depot was sufficient. The wind was howling all day which was good since I had this work to do anyway. My original plan was to leave the Enterprise in Norfolk but I just wasn't ready to quit yet. 

I headed North for Baltimore with a stop in Yorktown to admire the revolutionary history made there. The Americans, led by General Washington and aided by the French, won what was essentially the last battle of the war on that spot. It is a fascinating place where another freedom, our self-governing one, was gained through great struggle.

That night I drove through the center of the Nations capitol and made it to Baltimore by midnight. I flew home leaving the Enterprise ready for its next adventure.

May 1, 2002
Dunn, NC - Norfolk, VA

Rain

The tat - tat of raindrops brought me to a light sleep, the realization that my sky-cruiser was un-covered woke me fully! Thankfully it had just begun and I got the 'Cruiser covered right away. But what a bummer for the day's prospects. I still hoped it would improve either by time or by location...I was headed for Kitty Hawk.

Re-Orienting

I wasn't "Lost", I was simply on the wrong road...I knew exactly where that road was although have no idea how it got to be so. No big deal, I'll just head South to pick up my desired route (64 Eastbound).

While the map didn't actually show a road that went all the way south from here to Rt 64, I just figured there must be one...it was just too small to show up. 

The first sign listing a Ferry Schedule was a curiosity. A very dim caution light went on deep in my consciousness but IThen another Ferry Schedule sign accompanied a fork in the road...I still pressed on Southward. Then the road turned NE and now I was worried. Finally it ended...not surprisingly...at a Ferry crossing.

Backtracking now, I found another road, left off the map, going Southbound. After about a mile it ended at someone's farm. Backtracking again yielded one more...only this one didn't dead end...it turned into a dirt road. Did I mention it had been raining. 3 days later as I write this there is still mud caked on the Enterprise.

When Rand and McNally don't put on road in their map...it's for a reason.

Finally having mastered the maze, I used only the marked roads and headed East on Route 64 towards Nags Head. 

The Lawn

Somewhere in my meanderings it stopped raining and was dead calm. The gray sky gave up about 2 miles of visibility...plenty. So the search started. 

Travel isn't as boring when a mission is in the making. Looking for suitable launch sites occupies the senses and freshens attention with anticipation. Plus this was new terrain, a new place and good air needing to be flown. 

I was cruising about 60 mph when I spotted the well manicured lawn in front of a trailer. It was a big lawn, probably 2 acres and had a clear departure path into the barely perceptible Southeasterly flow.  Oooh yeah, this will do fine!

The woman who answered the door was skeptical at first, citing the risks and all, but I pleasantly persisted, showing pictures and the USPPA newsletter, explaining the safety and other characteristics; she eventually relented. Probably it was just curiosity but, by the time we were done talking, she almost sounded excited about watching it.

Everything was soaked from the rain and indeed the launch took significant effort. But with Irene snapping pictures, I took to the air and flew my exit route as planned (so as to keep a landing option).

There was water! I've been driving along this road for over an hour and had no idea that only an eighth of a mile or so North was a big body of water. It was clearly marked on the map but just didn't register until I got airborne. Cool!

I felt a certain uneasiness about the flight...being so far from any known fliers, being in unfamiliar terrain...I couldn't bring myself to venture very far.

But this is the condition I love so much...the immense freedom of being able to go anywhere and in any direction without worrying about low and downwind (there was essentially no wind). I flew down a low row in the farm field until I realized it was an irrigation channel. A landing in that wouldn't have been much fun...nothing dangerous (except for rattle snakes) but a major mess.

Power lines were my biggest concerns. As we all know they're nearly invisible and, in this case, the lines sometimes came out of the woods to service a lone house. I was thankfully never surprised but the hidden locations got my attention when I overflew an area in anticipation of foot drags.

Unfortunately I left the camera on the counter so didn't get any airborne pictures. Irene (the landowner) did though...at first while I circled her place I saw the flash going like crazy.

As usual, after landing several folks came up asking questions. One worked for the highway department and had been following me. "Watch out for rattlesnakes" he told me. I'm glad Mr. Cruiser was happy the whole flight.

Back on the road again, I continued East on Rt. 64

Dune

I've seen ads and heard of Kitty Hawk kites (pictured right) and this dune for years. Finally I was here in person. My first stop was to go fly the dune.

The state requires a USHGA P2 rating to fly there. Mostly they want them insured but there are spectators, sometimes en masse, at the flying locations and they want folks to be able to control their gliders.

It's about a 1/4 mile hike so I didn't bring the camera...there was just nowhere to put it while avoiding the ever-present sand.

At first the winds were light out of the west and so I took a few runs down a shallow part of the dune. At least I could say I flew there even if only for a dozen feet. Tired from that expenditure I packed up and laid down using the stuffed wing as a pillow. 

Then the wind started to blow the other way. The good way...up the much steeper East-facing slope. Hmmm, I thought, this may work out.

When I got up the hang glider folks were setting up there too and indeed it was almost soarable. I pulled the silex out, kited it and proceeded to do launch after launch with extended sliders and then using the wing to pull me back up the dune. It was great!

Mecca

After experiencing the Dune in grand fashion I headed for Aviation's "Mecca", the first heavier-than-air powered flight...the Wright Brothers Monument just a few miles North of the dune.

First I paid my respects with a walking tour of the facility. It's certainly not overdone and only a spattering of the faithful wondered about the large area. The liftoff of those first few flights are marked with a large boulder and smaller markers dot the increasingly distant landing spots.

How fascinating to stand on (or at least very near) the actual spot that hosted the first powered liftoff.

The tour was fairly brief because the park closed soon and the First Flight airport beckoned from a quarter-mile away. It was time to pay homage to our first flighters from the air!

Mecca - Airborne 

All of my equipment was out and ready to go. While looking over the motor, the muffler wiggled strangely when pressed. Uh oh. The bolt holding it in place had sheared at the mount. I scurried back to the Enterprise and came up with a temporary fix...THAT was close!

My launch was as far from the trees as possible. Also important: looking for airplane traffic! I had to wait for a Cessna 150 and it's wake to pass by on the runway.

The launch was bumpy but uneventful and the view wonderful. 

The most commanding sight after takeoff is the Wright monument. It's especially rewarding to view it from this little craft. If only they could have seen us fly.

After cruising about for a while the temperature dictated a return. After landing several folks came up for the usual batch of questions. 

After landing I thought the camera didn't work and did another flight to make sure there were some pictures...this was too great a deal (for me anyway) not to photograph. Of course "having" to go up again was no skin of the back either. As it turned out the previous pictures HAD been captured so my selection was now pretty good.

This "Traffic Circle" (right) shows the preferred direction for airplane patterns. It shows they want to keep the airplanes on the West side of the runway to avoid the monument and park on the East side.

Having paid the appropriate homage and seen this great sight from the best seat in the house, I headed out. Before leaving it was good just to sit back in the park and consider it for a while. The people, their efforts, the trials...I'm so glad these and others persevered that I could have this opportunity.

Apr 30, 2002
Florence, NC - Dunn, NC

After packing up it was back briefly to the hotel for clean up and departure. The "Swamp Fox Inn" was no Hilton but the front desk fellow was very accommodating, even providing a phone cord for my computer. Plus it was close to the highway and a good launch site...all that and a long hot shower for $25...well worth it. 

An early awakening wasn't enough to avoid the scourge of this trip...winds. Flight Service indicated fairly strong winds at 3000' but frequently they are smooth in the morning.

But Along with these winds came turbulence. Not just mechanical turbulence either, it was bumpy all the way up to altitude (1000') so my flight was pretty short. Even then it was pretty: I discovered my chosen sight nestled up to a lake only a few hundred feet away...

On the Road

This experience is a story on it's own. Interstate 95 is one well-traveled route and while fairly homogenized overall, there are certainly interesting flavors and diversions. One such example is "South of the Border". 

Billboards for this establishment start popping up over 100 miles before and then they're relentless. There are well over a hundred such signs counting down the miles and expressing the many indulgements available there. It worked in that it built up an expectation by virtue of AFFORDING all those signs!

They tempted me but alas my desire was to press on towards Dunn where I was to meet with fellow PPGer Bill Briley. The weather was looking fine and I still harbored delusions of a mellowing gale to allow flying by Bill.

Island of Similarity

Dunn, NC. It's always good to meet fellow pilots and Bill Briley made me feel almost normal...being sold out to this sport as much as I. He met me at an exit and provided escort to his house (he must know of my ground navigation skills).

It was too rowdy to fly but Bill just received a new wing and we went out to do some kiting in the field near his house. His wing is for tandems and is HUGE...a 42 sq. meter Pasha. That's going to be a handful! And indeed it was, even my little Silex pulled me pretty good a few times.

After kiting and catching up on the latest goings-on, we headed out to a nearby ultralight field to see what the winds were like. Unfortunately Bill was motorless (it was in the shop) so we couldn't fly together but he was kind enough offer his photographic skills.

I did two flights because I wanted to take the camera aloft. After landing from the first Bill offered that he would drive the Enterprise back to his house and I could fly back...Great!

His landing field is easy walking distance to the house so I thought it  a splendid idea.

Down low it

1. The ultralight field we used - when Bill doesn't fly out his back yard, he comes here frequently.
2. Me, happy to be aloft in a new place,
3. Arriving at the LZ...the two towers are just beyond where I'll land
4. Bills house with the Enterprise parked beside it.

There was a game of baseball going on so I had to be careful to avoid flying over the folks. But they were all pretty close in to home base so it was no problem. Bill snapped this one with zoom which makes everything look MUCH closer. In reality I was quite a ways away from the tower and trees.

What a great flight! Mostly by virtue of new location and point-to-point nature. I rarely get to do that type of cross country. Thank you Bill!

After a full sit-down dinner it was time to hit the road. Back on I95 Northbound.

Apr 29, 2002
I 4 & Rt 27, FL - Florence, SC

It wasn't promising. 

But I wanted to see what the area looked like so I got off the highway to find a launch site. The gusty winds still allowed me to kite ok so I launched. The flight didn't last long because it was too bumpy to enjoy and the scenery turned out to be little more than trees. Maybe if there was some sunshine, this piece of Southeastern Georgia would have looked better.

The launch site had one thing going for it though...it was right next to a car parts store and the Enterprise needed some attention (window sealing).

In this picture the ocean can be seen behind me...had I flown there I would never have made it back. My groundspeed was near 0 at this altitude but it was required to fly this high in order to let go of a brake long enough for the picture!

The rest of the day was a combination of driving and relaxing...good time was made on the highway and by Sunset, Florence, NC came into view. The clear sky invited morning flying and I scouted for a launch site. What I found spread out between housing developments and offered sufficient room for a circling climb out. 

After showing pictures to the owner, he granted permission...I could rest easily tonight for in the morning I had a place to fly.

Apr 28, 2002
Orlando, FL - I 4 & Rt 27, FL

It doesn't work this well all the time: I worked a flight to Chicago and found out the plane I brought in was the one going to Orlando. 

That was easy...I just went to the back!

The siblings pictured above sat close to me and endured my description of powered paragliding. They also were interested in the camera which is why they wound up here!

Arriving Saturday to begin my Northeasterly trek, there were some things to do first. After talking with Jim Jackson I decided that Fantasy of Flight was where most of the action was. But not having any paperwork and wanting to stir up the early air, I went to a site nearby that I've used before and parked overnight. What a great capability!

These siblings wound up hearing about powered paragliding and seemed pretty interested. Of course there's all that youthful indescretion to get out of the way first.

The picture tells all of the next morning. Spectacular. Unfortunately the winds picked up fairly early and after an hour I'd had enough.

Flying through this was surreal. It was also chilly. Our craft gives tactile feel to weather phenomenon that few can appreciate. Yes we can describe why fog forms, cooling and condensing and all that, but to go FEEL it...now that's cool!

Before I launched these balloons passed overhead. And they were cruising! The winds were picking up and I knew they'd get worse...the 3000 foot winds aloft were 23 knots. If I knew I could get back I would have stayed with them to see the balloon crash (I've heard it's tough putting those down in 15 knot winds) but time did not allow.

Pictured right is where I stayed the night. The front door stays the same but boy does the yard change!

A bit of relaxing, some food and it was off to visit the Parastars occupying Fantasy of Flight. Boy was I in for a treat.

Fantasy of Flight

There was nobody flying when I arrived but there were many wings out. Obviously training was in progress. 

Check was instructing several students including, none other than Kermit Weeks, Fantasy of Flight's owner. Jeff Thompson was working with him at the time and the intent was to have a short film of the training process to be used as a display in the museum. Pictured right is Check with his tow rig...that's Greg Kaspar to his left.

Here (on left) is Steve from Chicagoland is getting towed with Kermit and Jeff Thompson in the lower right part of the picture.

Winds were blowing pretty good so Check elected not to do any high tows but all seemed to benefit from these low ones. Kermit took at least two tows.

Jim Jacksons

They put me to work! But only a fraction of what these other folks have done. This is going to be the new Paralite shop and Jim is probably going to call in some construction folks to help from here on. 

The winds actually mellowed out during the afternoon and a bunch of us went out to the back yard to fly. That was the best flight of the day. Jeff Thompson, Bill Hocker and I flew a short cross country in the round Florida thermals.

Greg, Ryan and Riccarus also flew a while there.

The Workers: 
1. Charlene was tireless and accomplished much. She put together many (if not most) of the pieces used for the construction.
2. Greg and Rick on the ground and Jim Jackson works on the ladder
3. Ryan was the brave soul to do high work. So many paramotor pilots afraid of open heights (including me!).
4. The group of the day from L to R: Jeff G, Lora, Neil (kneeling), Jim, Charlene, Rick (kneeling), Greg, Ryan, Jeff T (kneeling) 

Turning East

At 4:58pm, After bidding adieu to this great group of folks, I  pointed the Enterprise East to officially start the journey. From here I would always be going North and East until reaching Norfolk, VA. 

That was sad and exciting at once. These Florida folks have been so great to spend time and fly with it's difficult to leave (and I was supposed to leave Sat night). But it's also exciting to get on the road for points unflown.

1) With some daylight remaining I sought out one more flight before leaving FL and picked a place near my favorite fast food...Wendys. The winds had settled down to the "forward" zone. It was smooth air and good cruising.

Quite a crowd came out to see this thing go and fortunately I didn't let them down. 

3) Sometimes things probably look better from the ground...this is one of them. 

4) After some great smooth cruising, a dry, un-forecast change blew in. The winds bumped from the South to the West and became much stronger. It wasn't strong enough to prevent penetration but sure slowed me down. What had been into the wind now became crosswind and it took me a while to get back. At least I got a few windless moments in!

5) Some perfect pastureland with Wallaby ranch (a large hang-gliding operation) in the background.

5) To the right is where I landed just before sunset.

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