Arty's Ultimate Ultralight Adventure

Saturday, May 9, 2009

I didn?t blog last night because I was bummed out. The last leg of the flight turned into a ?self-pity party?. I wasn?t having fun, and as I flew I started listing all the reasons why:
? I?m tired of eating at Pizza Hut and Subway day after day after day;
? I?m tired of fighting the wind and only going 33-35 mph;
? I?m tired of how long it takes me to suit up every morning;
? I?m tired of setting up my tent every night and breaking it down every day;
? I?m tired of needing ear plugs at night to shut out highway noise;
? I?m tired of holding Randy up ? he wants to get home and I can?t fly as fast or far;
? I?m tired of smelling like gas and oil all the time;
? I?m tired of poorly executed crosswind landings and take-offs;
? I?m tired of the time it takes to upload my photos to my blog every night; and I?m especially tired of my obsessive nature that won?t let me NOT share my photos!
? I?m tired of missing Norm;
? I?m tired of flying!

Looking back, I realize that this was partly brought on by the realization that we wouldn?t be able to join the Kolbers at their disorganized fly-in at Monument Valley. We?re making such good time that we?d have to hang around for a week waiting for them ? and neither of us are willing to do that. And neither Norm nor Gayle would put up with our delaying our return by an entire week ? a day or so, yes ? but not a whole week. So I was in no mood to blog ? and I didn?t. Then I felt guilty ? I?ve received such positive response to my nightly blog that I hated to disappoint those of you who look forward to it on a daily basis. So one more thing to bum me out!

I woke up this morning ? and it had all blown over! The air was still and the skies were clear and I could hardly wait to be in the sky again. So let me backtrack, because yesterday ? until that last, excruciatingly long tiring leg ? was a really good day.

Friday, May 8, 2009

We had agreed to get out early ? and we did! No more Noon Patrol or The Wondering When jokes. We actually were off the ground at 7:15 a.m. I think that?s a record. There were strong headwinds all the way to our first stop ? Moriarity, NM. We had been in touch by e-mail and phone with Jeff (and darn ? now I?ve forgotten his last name,) who said he was going to fly from his home airfield at Belen, NM, meet us at Moriarity, and escort us to Mid-Valley Airport in Los Lunas, NM. He and his flying partner Paul (whose last name I?ve also forgotten!) fly trikes ? a wonderful, wonderful flying experience.

We agreed on a common air-to-air frequency and sure enough ? when we were almost 30 miles out, we were able to talk on the radio. ??We?re 15 miles out,? radio?d Jeff. ?I?m 30 miles out,? I radio?d back. ?See you in about 30 minutes, then,? was the response. ?More like an hour, with this wind,? I responded glumly. To top things off, there was a strong cross-wind and I botched up the landing ? ground-looped off the runway. DANG!! I hate it when that happens.

When we got out of our planes, we all started to laugh. We ALL have the exact same flight suits! We ought to be in a commercial.

We told Jeff and Paul our criteria for a route ? scenic and safe. ?We have just the thing,? we were told ? and how right they were. It was a lovely flight (marred by a terrible crosswind takeoff that had me bouncing over the puckerbrush until I somehow yanked her into the air!) and as scenic as they promised. I just don?t have the time to upload those pics tonight ?

And as I look at the time, I realize that it?s 11:30 p.m. and we want to get out early tomorrow. So I?ll just pinpoint highlights and revisit them in a later blog if I ever get the time!

? Flying with Jeff and Paul, who look like white moths in the air.

? Flying into Mid-Valley Airpark, when Jan and Mike Marker live. I?ve met them before at the Monument Valley fly-in.

? Seeing Mike?s astoundingly wonderful photographs of the southwest.

? Leaving Mid-Valley and returning (when I couldn?t raise Randy on the radio) to find his Carrera in a ditch ? both he and his plane unharmed. DARN those crosswinds! He was towed out by helpful folks at the airpark and soon on his way.

? Covering incredibly beautiful scenic country on our way to Grants-Milan Airport in Grants, NM.

Highlights of today, Saturday, May 9.

? Waking up in love with the morning and with flying again.

? Leaving Grants again at an early time ? 7:00 a.m. If we don?t watch out, it will become a habit!

? Flying over Utah?s incredible red rimrock country. If you haven?t seen this from the air ? you don?t have a clue of what you?re missing. Schedule your next vacation here. Go to LetsGoFlying.com/SNF to find a flight instructor in the area who can give you some back-country tours.

? Seeing the Colorado River canyon that empties into Lake Powell, and flying over the dam at Page, AZ

? The challenge of landing at Page, which is the airport from which many the scenic flights for the Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Lake Powell originate. Meaning it?s a very, very busy airport!

? The incredible beauty of Lake Powell from the air.

? Finding non-ethanol gas in Kanab, UT

? Taking literally hundreds of photos yesterday and today.

? Overcome with the grandeur and beauty of Utah?s red rimrock.

? Back to a strong headwind of 30 mph.

? Being warned by Randy (who had already landed) about landing at Kanab (our stop for the night) ? due to gusting crosswinds. Deciding to land on a dirt strip, (not a landing strip) which was lined up with the wind, instead of the runway ? and doing so successfully!

? Overcoming my compulsion to upload all the photos. I did take time to upload about 15 of them ? click on the Sat May 9 album.

And goodnight!!