| AGBob's Guiness World Record Flight | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
AgBob's Guinness World Record Flight
 Guinness Letter and Certificate Purpose AgBob said just before starting the flight, "I have several objectives in mind for making this challenging two to three week trip". First is the fun along with demonstrating and providing instruction on the relative safety and versatility of the Powered Parachute and the sport of Powered Parachute flying. In addition I want to help draw attention to Agriculture's Contribution to our people and the economy". US farmers, as base raw product producers, are the foundation to our economy. Most of our food, the cheapest and safest in the world, and 25% of US jobs come from the Agricultural Industry. To dry up the farm is to dry up the economy. AgBob and Larry Miller, chase crew, tried to emphasize to the general public that their future is dependent on what happens on the farm. A recent study, done by the Washington State University, Agricultural Economics Department, showed that for every dollar of farm gate value in potatoes, 5 new dollars are generated in the rest of the Ag Industry and associated economic activity. As an example in Eastern Washington there are over 1.265 million acres of irrigated farm land. In 1997-98, this land produced a gross farm value of over 2.889 billion dollars, for an estimated total impact on the economy of over 17.333 billion dollars. One of AgBob's major sponsors was the Farm Bureau. In addition, as a retired potato farmer AgBob was happy to have the Washington State Potato Commission as a major sponsor. The commission made free cook books available where ever Agbob and Larry stopped. Other Powered Parachute pilots joined AgBob for the flight across their region or state. AgBob's Daily Diary AgBob developed daily diary reports, telling about his aircraft, his flight and the many things he saw along the way.
AgBob's Daily Diary from "A FLIGHT TO REMEMBER" Thursday- June 14, 2001: Well, here we are in Penticton, British Columbia, but it wasn't easy. Everett Thornton from Quincy drove the pickup with the Powered Parachute in it. He left me the Ephrata airport about noon and drove more than 200 miles to Penticton, B.C. I planned to fly a single engine Bonanza to Penticton and expected to be there three hours before Everett and wait for him to arrive. That was before I found the battery too weak to turn the engine over. While I waited for the battery to charge, I got some instructions from the fantastic personnel at The Crop Dusters on how to operate a GPS navigational system. I finally got the Red, white and blue colored, V-tail Bonanza to start, only to find as I sat on the runway for departure, that the radio was receiving, but not transmitting. The crew at the Crop Dusters again came to my aid. They worked on the radio connections and got it working. The engine just barely turned over, but it started. I headed for the runway the second time, only to find as I was ready for departure, the radio had quit again. Not wanting to enter the confines of another country — even a friendly one — without radio communications, I returned to the ramp. This time Marty found the problem in the push button for the mike and was able to fix it. Meanwhile, I had cancelled my flight plans with Canadian customs. With the radio operating again, I renewed my arrival time with customs again. I had to be within 15 minutes of my estimate time of arrival. I was finally set to go. But the battery wouldn't turn the engine over again. This time a short charge was enough and I actually took off with the GPS set for Penticton. The GPS was really great, it was the first time I had ever used one. It draws a direct line from your departure point to the destination. It also has a miniature picture of a plane and its heading to let you know where you are in relation to the route, including time to arrival. I arrived at Penticton within 10 minutes of my ETA, but the inspector didn't. Finally after 45 minutes and two phone calls to the regional office, they gave me verbal permission to deplane 5 minutes before closing. Meanwhile Everett had arrived at the airport before I landed and had been waiting. So much for modern technology. We intend to be up at 4:30 in the morning, have some breakfast, and drive 45 miles to the Oroville airport where we will meet Charles Schwab who will fly along with me across Washington State in his own PPC. Lift off is scheduled for 7 a.m., weather and wind being favorable. I was tired from the last few days of getting ready for the flight across the west. Most nights I hadn't got to bed till midnight and up early to finish last minute details, it was going to be a relief to get in the air where I could relax from the phone, plans and interviews. Friday - June 15, 2001: The morning was great and with the help of Everett and Jack Hendrix from Moses Lake, Charles Schwab and I left Oroville. We took off in our multi-colored chutes and flew to the Canadian border crossing, then returned south down the absolutely beautiful Okanogan Valley with all types of agricultural crops. What a great sight, every thing looked so peaceful and serene.
We landed at the Okanogan airport an hour and a half later, or anyway I did. Charles was behind me and I hadn't sighted him for the last 45 minutes. The chase pickups weren't there yet either. Ten minutes later they all arrived for refueling. By this time I had forgot all I didn't know about programming the GPS for the next stop despite all of Marty's good instructions at Ephrata. With the help of a local resident, we finally set up Grand Coulee Dam airport as the next destination. I took off first and found I couldn't bank to the right. In my haste, I hadn't checked things closely and the right line attached to the right rear of the canopy was bound up. I made a 360 degree turn to the left and landed near the runway to free the line before leaving again. I was forgetting little things that can make a big difference depending on circumstances. The winds were good to us and we averaged 38 miles per hour all the way to the Grand Coulee Dam airport. However we started getting up and down drafts of 500 to 600 feet per minute part of the way. The ride was a little rougher than I'm used to, but nothing compared to what was to come later in the trip.
After a few hours lay-over at Coulee Dam, we headed on to Ephrata, leaving behind us the dam that not only supplies power to the West Coast and water for over a half million acres of irrigated crop land, but was a major factor in winning World War II by furnishing power to the aluminum industry. We saw several deer in the wheat fields as we followed the lakes formed by the irrigation water all the way to Soap Lake. The lakes provide people from all over the state with recreation in the form of fishing, boating and camping.
The winds turned against us and we only managed an average 15 mph, causing an extra fuel stop in the corner of a irrigation circle of wheat near Coulee City. It was a 3 hour flight to my home south of Ephrata, arriving at 8:30 pm. We were met by Ladd Mitchell, my wife Agnes, my mother Ruby, Larry Miller and his daughter. Larry will be taking over for Everett Thornton the rest of the way. Everett was very gracious and generous with his help. He even insisted on paying our motel rooms. By the time everyone left, I had something to eat, wrote down some of what happened during the day, it was midnight before I climbed into bed. Saturday, June 16, 2001 We departed Ephrata, Wash., at 7 a.m. with Charles Schwab and our faithful ground crew, Jack Hendrix and Larry Miller, who took over for Everett. Tim Cobb, a local farmer, also joined us for the first 20 miles, before he had to head back to start irrigation water. We passed over an area west of Moses Lake called the Winchester waterway. It consists of hundreds of acres of wet lands created by run off and seepage from the Quincy irrigation district. Where only sand dunes, jackrabbits and coyotes used to exist and little else, there are now trees, winding streams, herds of mule deer, birds of all kinds along with the coyote that inhabit the area. All possible because of the dams and water run-off from farming.
The northern Columbia Basin Project looked like a picture in the early morning. Irrigation circles dotted all over the Black Sand area that pump water from wells that are fed by the Project water. The runoff of the rill watered fields that form the waterway eventually is used to irrigate more farm ground to the south and is reused three times for irrigation. After a refueling stop at Mesa on a flat area next to the highway 17, we proceeded to a meeting place, a highway junction south of where the Snake River joins the Columbia. The further we went the stronger the winds came from the west after crossing the Snake river. A flight we thought would take an hour and fifteen minutes took more than two hours, and we had an exciting time landing. After a few hours of that you'll not mind riding the carnival ride with the kids anymore. By happenstance, Charles landed on the farm of an old friend of both Charles and mine. We were happy to visit with Don Wardon, who has been farming in the area since it first went under irrigation some 30 to 40 years ago, drawing water from the Snake River. This is made possible by one of the four dams the past Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt and many environmental groups are wanting to remove for a possible help to the Salmon runs, even though it would destroy wildlife habitat for fish, duck, geese, deer, wetlands, electricity enough to more than furnish Seattle and destroy thousands of acres of irrigated farm land along with the jobs associated with them. Charles was behind me and I was unaware he had already landed. I continued on till I saw Larry and Jack waiting with the pickups.
By that time I was making only about two miles per hour against the head winds which seemed to be coming from the southwest, right down the Columbia River. They guided me to an entrance of some large metal grain storages located on the bank of the river. After a wild, erratic approach, we got the chute down on the road with 50 feet to spare before going over the bank into the river. The chute got deflated alright, but the wind blew me back over the lines and the chute, but we were able to untangle it without much problem, I was just glad to get it down without any damage. Charles and Jack loaded their flying machine and headed back to Moses Lake to other obligations and arriving relatives. We certainly thank them for their company all across the state of Washington. We shall miss their company.
Larry and I waited all afternoon for the wind to go down. Finally, we got off the ground at 6:30 p.m., with the wind stronger than it seemed on the ground. All the way to Pendleton, I had to crab into the wind at a 45-degree angle to keep on course. By the way, I finally was able to set the next destination on the GPS for the first time, of course I had spent all the time we were waiting trying to get it. With the directions of another PPC owner, David Powell, we landed five miles south of Pendleton for the night, setting down at 8:10 pm. Many thanks to Dave for the help. By the time we got a room, ate, cleaned up and wrote notes on the day, it was again 11:30.
Saturday, June 17, 2001  David Powell, lifting The air was cool, 42 degrees, with clear skies and no wind. Larry and I were up at 4:30 ready to eat breakfast. By the time we ate, got to the take off place, filled the fuel and oil tanks, put on a coat and ski mobile suit, radio attachments, laid out the chute and warmed the engine, Dave Powell and I took to the sky at 6:20 am. Deer were feeding in the grain field next to us. They spooked and bounded away as we drifted over them. Dave froze out before we got to the top of the Blue Mountains, he wasn't dressed for the cool air coming at you at 30 mile an hour. We want to thank Dave for his hospitality. It was a gorgeous morning. They may be named the Blue Mountains, but this morning they were all beautiful shades of green. There were mile after mile of healthy evergreen trees covering the rolling mountains. I took the direct route to La Grande instead of following the highway, it makes you realize how fortunate those of us who live in the north-west are, to have such fantastic scenery available to us on a daily basis.  Crossing the Blue Mountains of Southeast Oregon When I got to La Grande, I saw the pickup with Larry waiting a couple miles out of town. He is very efficient and dependable, it gives a feeling of security to have your guardian angel nearby. He lost sight of me when I took another short cut, and with a little tail wind, I arrived at Baker before he did. I decided not to land at the airport as planned, but east a few miles along the freeway, I thought Larry saw me arrive. Unfortunately, he had not spotted me and after contacting the airport, he finally called 911 when he couldn’t locate me. Meanwhile I was setting on the ground waiting and trying to use a new cell phone to call him. The recordings just kept telling me my pin number was invalid and to check my information and try again. The only way to find each other was to take off again until he saw me. I was wearing fur lined gloves that kept my hands warm, but to get the camera out of the bag tied to one side, I had to take off one glove to operate it. On one occasion, after taking a picture, I heard a thump behind me where the motor and the propeller are situated. My first thought was, "What happened to the engine?" But then I couldn’t find my nice fur lined glove. Things were otherwise going well and we departed for Weiser, Idaho. It got rather rough in the canyon getting to the snake river. The air currents tossed me from side to side and had me swinging like a pendulum at times. When I was in the rough air, I tried not to think of bad things that could happen. Fear can cause panic and panic doesn’t allow you to think and act clearly. So you try to relax and enjoy the ride, while always being aware of potential landing spots. Once out of the hills and near Weiser, the flying was great. I had a no wind landing at the airport at 11:30 am. Larry arrived just after touchdown. Carolyn Craig, a friend of Ladd Mitchell, was there along with her husband, Kent to greet us. They are having a national old time fiddler's contest in town starting tomorrow. Miller took advantage of the crowds to hand out potato cook books and than a nap in the park. At four pm, we decided the weather looked to good to pass up and we left for Nampa with a destination of Mt. Home. We passed over a variety of farming all the way to Nampa and beyond. Changing course at Nampa for a heading to Mt. Home, I noticed the wind picking up a bit. By the time I was south of the Boise airport, it was a factor in keeping on course. The longer I flew, the stronger the wind became, it was pushing me into the edge of a restricted area to the south. After passing that area, I was able to go directly to Mt. Home. I made good time, at times over 63 miles an hour. Since the chute only goes about 30, 1 was a bit concerned about getting it down with out getting the windshield torn off if the wind caught the chute and tumbled the craft over on touch down. Upon arrival at the airport, I headed directly into the wind and came straight down to a very gentle landing and killed the chute without mishap, other than the wind blowing me back over the top of the chute and lines. Meanwhile Larry had been driving on 1-84, the phone rang and Ladd Mitchell wanted him to take a phone number down to get my new phone working. Larry was writing with one hand, the phone in the other hand and steering with his elbows. His seat belt wasn't fastened. When he looked to the side he was next to a Idaho State Trooper. The fine could have been higher. Miller has really been a good representative for Washington State. Every waitress, cook and bystander gets a Washington Potato cook book and some fact sheets provided by the Potato Commission and Farm Bureau. I saw him pull to a stop where people were fishing in the Snake River next to the highway, I don’t know if they caught any fish, but they’ll know a new recipe for cooking potatoes. Sunday, June 18, 2001 After yesterdays flight in the wind, we were apprehensive about leaving this morning with a 10 mph breeze, thinking it could get worse and sure enough it did. Within an hour it was up to 20. We waited around expecting an all day stay. But a few hours later we decided to try it anyway. After laying out the chute and before being ready to go, the wind suddenly inflated it, pulling the frame over before we could grab the kill lines. After securing it, we went to the waiting mode again until 2 pm. Normally I don't go in the afternoon because of turbulence. 
Takeoff at Mt. Home, Idaho so windy chute was held down by 10' lengths of pipe This time we put two, 10 foot long, 10 inch plastic pipe on top of the canopy to hold it down until I was on and strapped down and the engine running. When a lull came, Larry removed the pipe and I gave it full throttle. We were off and flying. I headed for Buhl, making the trip in an hour and twenty minutes. Larry drove 65 mph and arrived after I did. The landing was again almost straight down, but no real problem. A Twin Falls Times-News reporter was awaiting us for a interview and pictures. We drove around and stopped for a light lunch. At lunch we met a very nice lady whose brother was honored by having the Twin Falls airport named after him, Joshlin Field. She was a Seattle Mariner fan and was headed for Seattle the following week for a home game. The wind eased up a bit. We returned to the airport and took off at 6:30 pm for Jackpot, Nev. The tailwind was down some, but I still beat Larry by 20 minutes. The last segment was more enjoyable then the first one which was very rough. Larry was distributing cook books around the casino tonight before retiring. Monday, June 19, 2001 I left Jackpot this morning a ten dollar winner. The sky is clear and temperature 40 degrees. The ski mask felt good until the temperature came up. I had lost the right hand glove from both hands by this time. But after getting altitude, I put my right hand under my clothing for warmth while holding the GPS with the left. I was still having a little problem getting my next destination on the GPS, but eventually got it and it gave me a good deal of comfort knowing what ground speed we are making and how much time and how many miles to the next point as well as the compass heading. Most people think Nevada is a lot of wasteland, but I think its terrific. This morning’s flight was cool, but the view was great. There are ranches scattered at the base of many mountain ranges, with small creeks meandering snakelike through green, wild hay meadows. I was flying at approximately 7,000 feet and could see the different mountain ranges, each one with a different shade of purple the further away they were. There are thousands of head of cattle on the meadows from the Idaho border going south. 
Ranch ground south
of Jackpot, Nevada I got a little extra speed from a tail wind coming into Wells, but made a non-eventful landing. An older gentleman, obviously born and raised in Nevada was the sole occupant of the airport. After I landed, he slowly walked out and his only comment was "What are you doing in this country with that thing?" After refueling, Larry helped to prepare for take-off. The elevation at Wells is 6,200 feet, thinner air than I’m accustomed to. When I gave it full throttle, the chute came up, but the craft didn’t move ahead as normal. Without forward speed, the chute canopy started drifting off to the left. I couldn’t hold it, the wind than pulled the frame, with me strapped in, over sideways with the propeller over 6,000 rpm. I couldn’t reach the kill switch with my hand but was able to bring my foot up and cut the engine as we hit the ground on the left side. We were fortunate to not get any chute lines caught in the prop. We put it upright, laid everything out and tried it again, that time it was no problem at all.
I detoured over to the base of the Humboldt Mountains south of Wells. There are cattle ranches on the eastern base of the mountains with meadows and grazing cattle everywhere. The area is called Clover Valley and my wife, Agnes was raised on a ranch toward the south end of the valley. Her sister, Amy, and brother-in-law, Eric still live there and I was able to see and wave to Eric as I passed by. I spotted a herd of antelope a few hours out into the desert. I circled and tried to photograph them, we’ll see if it turns out. About that point, a fish and game employee stopped where Larry was parked. He saw the chute and the signs on the sideboards and decided we were together. I think he was making certain I was not spotting game for Larry to hunt.  Herd of Antelope under the shadow of We still had a tail wind and landed in Ely almost four hours later. The air had become rough by that time. The temperature was warm and the elevation high, I decided to call it a day and leave in the morning with cooler temperatures. Miller always spends his time walking around the town we happen to be in passing out his literature and letting everyone know he is an Emu rancher and has samples available along with a free potato cook book. Naturally the recipes only work on Washington Potatoes, that went over better than anticipated while in Idaho. I spent a couple of hours looking for a place to e-mail the last few days of reports back to Ladd, Farm Bureau and Karen Bonaudi at the Potato Commission. I found a lady that set up the laptop for me and I plugged it in to her outlet and sent the reports. After all my preparation, I was still trying to learn things I should have mastered before I left, such as the laptop and GPS. Tuesday, June 20, 2001 Left Ely this am at 7:00 after waiting an hour for a head wind to let up. Again I had my control line snagged on the right side and had to land to clear because I couldn’t bank to the right. The first part of the flight was uneventful, staying on course and on schedule for fuel. I took a direct course flying over a mountain range with an elevation of over 9,000 feet. Saw a herd of mule deer at about the 7,500 foot level. Larry and I got back within sight of each an hour and a half later. We were trying to make 120 miles in one hop. About 40 miles short of the goal, the headwinds picked up enough to slow the progress and I had to find a place to set down for refueling 17 miles short of Panaca, Nevada, in a area that was perfect. Larry was right there with the fuel, but not enough to quite fill up. He drove into Pioche for more. He also picked up a hamburger for me. ; It took a little longer because in the process he was handing out cookbooks and literature. While I was flying I would indulge in some Emu jerky which Larry had provided. It was very good and kept the hunger pangs down, also helped keep me awake when the going was smooth. Our landing spot was a large one and on takeoff, we needed it. The elevation was almost 5,000 feet. It took a long ground run and when air-born, it didn't want to gain altitude at first, but we had plenty of open space and got up only to find the air was as rough as any we had encountered yet. One second you could look down at the ground directly below on the left side, the next second on the right and then it seemed to almost stand on it's nose and I would be looking at the ground almost directly under me. At different times during the trip, when the air got rough and a sudden hard jolt of air caught me, I would occasionally let out a loud, YAHOO. No one could hear it of course, including me, because of roar of the engine, but it seemed to relieve a little of the tension. 
 A rough country, North of Panaca, Nevada By the time we got to the airport, I had enough for the day. During the afternoon, we drove the pick-up ahead to find a place for refueling for tomorrow because the airport at Overton, Nevada is quite a distance away. We followed a canyon for quite a ways and took a wrong turn that took us on a wild goose chase. When we got back on the right road, we found a great spot on a sprinkler field that wasn’t growing a crop. The ground had been bought by Las Vegas developers for some unknown purpose. Believe me, this was way out in the boon docks. But there are colorful canyons on the way to it. We met two guys who were hunting for the hideout of a bandit who disappeared after his hold-ups in this area and was never caught back in the 1800s. We are staying in a nearby town of Caliente for the night. Larry has already given the other motel quests our wares. Wednesday, June 21, 2001 There are no motels or cafes open at 5 am in Panaca or Caliente, so with a breakfast of a banana, a can of Tomato juice and some wafer bars, we headed for the airport. After take off, I couldn't find my GPS unit. That meant I had to fly over the coming section of mountains and canyons with just the map, not even a compass for headings. I know Larry put it in my in-flight bag, but it was gone. I also had forgot to strap my map holder to my leg before hand and the Velcro strap I used was gone. I made a 180 turn and flew back over where I took off, but nothing was on the landing strip. To make matters worse, the 1/4 inch shaft that the throttle and steering levers pivot on, broke. It wasn't inferior, its just that the sign under the frame with FB web site and the Potato Commission logo on it, makes me get into the seat in an awkward way. I some times put extra pressure on the steering lever in getting seated, it finally gave way. It was no big problem, but there was no place to get a replacement shaft at that time of morning and the weather looked good and I didn’t want to waste decent flying time. The shaft was actually a 1/4 in. ready-bolt, I had to constantly hold the throttle in position with one hand or it would go to idle. We met each other at a pre-arranged fuel spot where Larry traveled 50 miles on a gravel road to accomplish. When we arranged the chute, Larry spotted the GPS unit on the ground where I had landed a few minutes before. It had evidently dropped on to the sign underneath when I took off at Panaca and rode all the way. When I landed, it bounced off the sign onto the ground. It was a welcome find, someone is watching over me besides Larry. Larry had a long way around to reach the next meeting point at Overton, Nev. By he time he put things back in the pickup, I was over the mountain and out of sight. We didn't see each other again until I landed and had the chute stored away. It was 96 degrees and only 10:20 am. That finished the flying for the day. From now on it will be only early morning flights. A reporter from the local paper came by for an interview. He said, if they knew I was coming, I would have been asked to speak at their Chamber of Commerce meeting at noon. Thursday, June 22, 2001 Left at 5:30 from Overton. Had to leave twice as one control line was jammed so I couldn't turn to the right again. It was already warm, the temperature here yesterday was about 104. The air was calm until I started across the Valley of Fire, a head wind slowed me down and created a rough ride. At least the scenery was terrific, really weird rock formations with a red color to set it off. The further I got, the stronger the breeze until the progress was down to 4 mph at times with rocking and rolling, up and down drafts, especially on the leeward side of any mountain, and it was one mountain after another. We had anticipated a hour and a half flight to Boulder City. But according to the GPS at one point, it would take 12 hours to get there. Due to the slow pace , I called Larry and said we had to refuel at a little strip only 15 miles down the line. The air was as rough as any I had experienced yet. Approaching the leeward side of a mountain range, I would be higher than the ridge, but as I approached, the down drafts caused a loss of 2-300 feet per minute, I had to divert or fly into the hill side. The valleys in between seemed to have a venturi effect and the air was very turbulent. After taking off from the refueling, I made better time as I approached Lake Mead, but the air was smoother. There was nowhere to set down, it was all rugged rocky terrain. Larry and I had to part because the highway took the long way around. I headed for the direct route to Boulder City, right across Lake Mead. I didn't have enough fuel to follow the road. By the time I got to the lake, I was down to 6 mph again and it took a long time. There was no place across this stretch for an emergency landing. The mountains were all steep rock formations and the chute would immediately sink if it went into the water. The only way out would to unbuckle the harness and dive into the water before the chute touched down. Boulder has an extremely busy airport. Unknowingly, I came over an active parachute jump area and was waved off to a nearby landing spot. At any rate we found a tie down and quit for the day after only making only 49 miles. Larry arrived at the same time I did. I was not welcome on the skydivers turf and had to move to another part of the field. I landed here many years ago when it was just a small country airport, things certainly have changed. From this point on we expected breezes from the south after the first few hours of flight. It may take awhile to get the last few hundred miles. Friday, June 23, 2001 We started out with a wake up call at 3 am. At least we were able to go to a café this morning for breakfast instead of improvising from the grocery store like we did the last two mornings. We were in the air by five o'clock, trying to beat the wind more than the heat. It was 87 degrees at 3:30 am. We had our breakfast at the Railroad Pass Casino. We had dinner there last night and I took away 62 dollars from the slots. There was already a south breeze at 5:00 a.m. when I become airborne. I only had 15 to 20 mph ground speed according to the GPS. After the first hour I knew we couldn't make Needles, CA without refueling. I was able to get Larry on the radio and told him to stop halfway, at Searchlight. After refueling, the wind picked up a little more to slow us down, but we made Needles before the real wind came. When we were checking in to the Needles Motel 6, their emergency buzzer sounded. Soon afterward, deputy sheriff personnel started showing up. They strung yellow tape around part of the parking lot and one of the rooms and autos. One auto had the windshield bashed in from the outside in front of the drivers seat. I asked one officer what happened, but he wouldn’t say. We later asked the motel clerk, she said they were told not to talk about it. Later there was a mobile lab and more officers. They were around from 11:00 am to almost midnight.
We drove ahead in the pickup again during the afternoon looking for a refueling site. We found one about 40 miles out near the highway. The temperature was well over 100 degrees. Upon returning to Needles, we stopped at the library where a helpful employee helped send some e-mails out and they took some cook books to give out. It seems I still don’t have the know-how to send e-mail from a motel room. This evening we are doing laundry and getting ready for tomorrow’s assault on Blythe, CA. Saturday, June 24, 2001 Last night we drove to Laughlin where Miller treated me to the best buffet in town at Harrah's hotel and Casino. Afterward, with Larry as witness, I actually won another $53. I better quit while I'm ahead. The winds co-operated again, about time. Started out at 5 am from Needles, only making 15-20 mph at first, then gradually increasing to 36 by time of arrival at Blythe. We had already picked out a spot to land for refueling on the way and filled even though we didn't need it, but better safe than sorry as the winds can come at any time and slow us to a snail pace. Things went nice, easy and enjoyable, especially after the last few days. The spot we refueled was along the highway where the shrubs had been mostly cleared off and the ground covered with gravel. Some of it hard packed, but part of it was deep and loose with some isolated desert plants scattered around. No problem getting down, but I was concerned about departure due to loose gravel. We pulled the chute as far as possible to the hard packed end of the clearing. On departure, the chute opened up and I was able to steer it between the desert shrubs because the frame isn't very wide, at any rate it all worked out as planned and we were off for the second half of the days flight. We had to wait for an hour for the Blythe newspaper editor to arrive at the airport, otherwise I feel we could have made Yuma area by noon. But being the conservative guy that I am, I decided to bag it for the day because each little delay gives the south wind more opportunity to blow. There is such a contrast between the desert and the valley where the Colorado River flows south from Boulder Dam. Where the soil is good, farms have the area green and thriving. Water is truly the life blood of the land and all its creatures, including man. Sunday, June 25, 2001 Left Blythe, CA at 5:15 am. The sun wasn't up yet but I could see the crop fields below as I went southeast from the airport. We could have went directly south to Yuma which would have been much shorter, only 75 miles. The only problem being, it was a wilderness area with a lack of roads through the entire region and if strong south winds came up the last part of the trip, there was nowhere to land for fuel or anyone to know where I was. I took what I thought was the best way out. But there was a problem there too. Both east and west of the area between Blythe and Yuma, is restricted airspace. Aircraft cannot cross without permission. Yesterday afternoon, I called a Federal Flight Briefing number to see if those areas were open this morning. After checking for me, the lady on the other end said they were, much to my relief. That is why I cut cross country at an angle into Arizona while Larry drove east to Quartzite and than took U.S. 95 south. We spotted each other over an hour later just as planned. We refueled at a small clearing even though we really didn't need fuel, but we had no idea of the terrain ahead or if the winds would come up. The south breeze did come, but not bad, it slowed the chute to 20 mile an hour. We were just clear of the restricted area when I noticed a white pickup with POLICE on the side of it stop under me as I passed by. After I passed, it started up, passed me, stopped under me again. This time he got out and looked up, I waved. The next time, he pulled ahead of me and turned on his rotating light, by then I decided he wanted me to stop. There was a flat, clear area near the road so I eased the throttle and made a landing. When he drove out and got out of his pickup, I told him, "I'm certain I wasn't speeding." Before long five police vehicles with flashing lights surrounded my poor little flying machine. I was asked for ID and SS#. When Larry drove out to see what was happening, they said he was on government property beyond 80 feet from the center line and required his ID too. They said I had violated restricted airspace and kept calling more superiors to determine what to do with us. The thought run through my mind, we might have to finish this flight 20 years from now. Even though I received the verbal permission, it was not from the "Yuma Proving Grounds" which was required. When all was over with the headman present, he said we were just getting a warning, the next time would be different. Actually, they were all very polite and professional. We put in some more gas and got back under way. The headman said we were just off the restricted area where I landed. I had mentioned that to the first few officers, but they had disagreed. I must be the first pilot in history to be pulled out of the sky by a ground patrol officer. Later I had to thread my way between another restricted area and the control area of Yuma International airport. I again cut across where Larry could not follow. When I found Rollie airport, it was just a strip out away from everything and had no buildings. It was abandoned. Larry had found a airport east of Somerton and stopped, they told him Rollie was fenced off. It could only be used for touch and go landings, but if you came to a full stop, a local officer would issue a moving violation. Larry got me on the radio and helped guide me into a private strip which is actually within the confines of the Yuma International control area. Just after Larry arrived, a Yuma Daily Sun reporter came and then Wayne and Kitty Vandeway drove by, saw the signs on the pickup and stopped. So I had a welcome committee, without flashing lights this time. Tomorrow I will fly to the river bordering the US and Mexico. A CBS news crew is filming my arrival back from the border at 9:30 am. By noon, Miller was standing in the entrance of a large grocery chain store handing out free cook books to everyone who would accept. No one could match his bold approach to everybody who crosses his path. We had a nice visit over dinner with the Vandeway’s tonight at a Texas Bar-b-Q. Monday, June 26, 2001 Larry and I arrived at the Somerton airport before seven this morning where we met Wayne and Kitty Vandeway. I went over some verbal information on power parachutes with Wayne. Then taught him how to unpack and lay out the chute and lines. We went out for an instructional ride and afterward went through the packing of the chute procedure and more verbal information. At 8:45 I departed for the border of Mexico which is west of Somerton. The Colorado River is the dividing line, with original landscape on both sides of the river for about a half a mile next to the water. Beyond on both sides is very fertile farm ground. I flew in an unpopulated area to avoid any hassle with either government. I just went to the opposite shore before returning. I was amazed at the small content of the river as it flows into Mexico. What is a good sized river at Needles, CA, is a small stream on the border. The US must utilize the bulk of it or it evaporates with the heat. Wheat is being harvested here now. Most of the fields lodge very badly making combining difficult. Many of the fields are swathed before harvest. There is lots of field work going on, much of the area is flood irrigated to help leach out the salts according to Wayne. When I returned to the airport, Channel 11 from Yuma was there to film the last leg of our long trip of approximately 1500 miles of some of the most beautiful, some of the most productive and a whole lot of the most desolate areas of the nation. When we were about ready to load the PPC in the pickup, Channel 13, a CBS news crew appeared. We did an interview with them before loading and heading back north to cooler temperatures. We are happy and somewhat relieved the flight is over. I am glad we did it, I wouldn't want to do it again soon. I would not recommend anyone else repeating the journey. We were fortunate not to have too weather, although the winds gave us problems. It was great to see close hand the fine crop lands all the way from Canada to Mexico, I just hope the Endangered Species Act can be rewritten so there are no more water shut offs like the Klamath Falls area. If we force our food supply beyond our borders and become dependent on other countries for food it would be a national security issue. Remember just over a decade ago we were fighting a war over the potential disruption of oil supplies. I'm certain we all feel a food disruption would be much more serious than oil. Bob Chase Crew View "A FLIGHT TO REMEMBER" did indeed cover a great deal of nice farming country and also an expanse of high and low deserts including some patches of desolate farm ground set aside for power buy-backs for the fish and California. When you read the part of the schedule which said, Larry caught up at Baker City Airport", what really happened is that Larry watched AgBob approach the hills to the South of La Grande but upon entering the hills lost sight of the parachute. So upon coming into the Baker City Basin on the other side, Larry was surprised in not being able to find the chute! So he charged Southward to the 2nd or 3rd overpass and exited to the top of the overpass and stood up in the back of the pick-up to scan the valley-no AgBob! Then back into the pick-up and down the road to the Baker City Airport where the one person on duty knew nothing of a power parachute nor how to use the airport radio which would most likely not help because AgBob's radio was not working properly with all the engine noise and his new cell phone was not activated! At this point, it was getting tense because I was not sure how I was supposed to find AgBob and this was only my 2nd day on the job! So back~North to the hills where I last saw the parachute; but on the way, I thought lets see if this 911 we hear so much about is worth it's salt" because they may have some sort of search and rescue that could help me locate AgBob. Would you believe within several minutes, she called back to tell me a parachute machine had been sighted around Baker City which was South of the Baker City Airport where they had no idea what I was talking about some ten minutes earlier. Now being about halfway back to those hills where I had last seen AgBob, I again did an about-face to go screaming back South toward Baker City to see if the 911 sighting was really AgBob. It was, and he was South of the Baker City Airport making circles and wanting to land in a dry grassy field, and did. He had picked up a tail wind and blew past me and into the Baker City area and was toying with the idea of bypassing Baker City Airport to head for Weiser. I was fit to cut his rip cord or some such thing for leaving me to run up and down the freeway looking for a parachute that was South of the Airport it was supposed to be landing at! On to the schedule's, cooling their heals and waiting for quiet air at Mountain Home" statement which really didn't happen either because after getting the machine pulled over backwards onto it's prop cage by the gusty winds of Mountain Home first thing in the A.M., we returned to the airport mid-afternoon to see if things had calmed down. They had not and we had not make a lick of progress for the "Flight to Remember". So noticing some 4 inch plastic pipe in about 20 foot lengths lying near the tarmac, we decided they might hold the chute on the ground long enough to get in the seat, start the machine, then toss the plastic pipes. It worked and we got the "H" out of Mountain Home without any quiet air! Aside from the Yuma Proving Grounds fiasco, the other bizarre happening was in Wells, Nevada when the chute opened but the thin air at 6000 plus feet would not allow the prop to develop enough thrust to move the machine. So it was like when do we get to move on down the strip here? We did not, and this time, unlike at Mountain Home, Bob was in the machine with the prop at max when the chute drifted to the left and pulled the machine over sideways. Bob hit the kill switch with his foot as the machine went over, got out of the belts, we set it up-right, and on the 2nd attempt, got airborne! Other than the above, I would like for those who care to know, there is 49 miles of dusty gravel railroad service road between Elgin and Overton Nevada. Also I thought it significant that the Colorado River is one of the few natural resources in this country that is actually used by the taxpayers who live along its banks and that it has not yet been misappropriated by the government to rightist groups or other countries. One other point on the email postings which said the Potato Commission, will make available free cook books where ever AgBob gives an instructional briefing is an understatement. It would be more accurate to say we had over a thousand free cook books which we gave to airport personnel at the small air fields we used, to waitresses and cooks where ever we ate, to libraries in each town we found one open, to service station attendants, to flagmen on road construction projects, and even to an older couple cat-fish fishing along the Snake River! Larry Miller, Chase Crew Sponsors Major sponsors for the flight are: Grant County Farm Bureau, Chris Hesse, President, 509-750-1849 or hessec@lemaster-daniels.com Washington State Potato Commission, ( www.potatoes.com ) , Karen Bonaudi, Public Relations director, 108 Enterprise Road, Moses Lake Washington 98837 509-765-8845 kbonaudi@potato.com Washington State Farm Bureau, Dean Boyer, Director of Public Relations, 360-357-9975 or dboyer@wsfb.com or www.wsfb.com Buckeye Industries, Inc., Tony Howard, CEO, 219-892-5566 or buckchute@aol.com or www.buckeyeindustries.com Mitchell Powered Parachutes, LLC, Sandy Mitchell, mgr, 208-356-5070 or mitchute@srv.net or www.paraflights.com Magic Carpet, LLC, Ladd A Mitchell, mgr 509-787-8830 or magiccar@bossig.com Robert and Agnes Holloway, semi-retired farmers, 509-787-2574 or agbob@sagensun.net Qualls Ag Labs, Mick Qualls, CEO, 509-787-4210 or mqualls@qa-lab.com or www.qa-lab.com Miller's Emu Ranch, Larry Miller, 509-787-4372 or ldmiller@bossig.com Webmistress: Judith Tramayne-Barth |
Home Book Store History Guinness Flight Pulse Motorcycle Lewis & Clark Trip Crops to Polyols Author Info Links | |||||||||||||||||||||||
