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Tuesday, June 22, 2004

After a real breakfast with Bill and Romona Holt we took off from their field across from their home with a few neighbors and the TV crew filming our departure which was definitely not pretty as take offs go, but it worked.

Bill Holt at Traveler's Rest

This morning was some of the best flying yet.  The air movement was in our favor again.  I took a direct route to Lincoln, MT.  We had some radio contact in route but Leonard arrived before I did.  This morning as yesterday, I traveled part of the distance at an elevation of over 8000 feet above sea level sometimes with speeds up to 42 mph.  Things were looking good.

When we left home we felt there three major hurdles.  Two of them were, The Columbia Gorge (took two tries), the next was getting over Lolo Pass without running out of fuel, (took two tries.  The third and remaining was the Continental Divide through Montana of which we were well underway as we landed at Lincoln by 8:15 A.M

After refueling, we set for departure.  I was off the ground before leaving the end of the runway with a light headwind.  However as soon as I crossed the pavement end, the winds shifted and gave me less lift.  I was in the air 4 or 5 feet but couldn't gain.

I wasn't too concerned as it was a quarter of mile of opening out in front so should have been no problem.  I would gain a bit of altitude and then drop back down.  Finally it mushed me off to the side and on a collision coarse with the power line paralell to the highway.  I had to reach out out pull the right steering cord to deviate but it lost a little lift.  A fence appeared in front which was higher than the carriage but at the last second it cleared.

I still had ample clearance ahead to gain altitude, however in the rush of events I had not seen a domestic power line crossing my path.  There was no time fot evasive action.  I was suddenly halted in mid air.  The chute caught and hung on the lines.  The frame, engine and I swung forward and up before dropping straight down with a jolt.  We had only traveled 80 miles from LoLo.

Leonard saw what happened, he ran back to the pickup, called 911 and then went to the gate entrance to let them in the locked gate.  The emergency crews and ambulance crews were very prompt but I had unstrapped myself and stomped out a cheat grass fire the hot end of the wire had started before they arrived.  I thought if I started a forest fire they would never let me back in Montana again.

Oooooh Oops!

We hauled the craft into town to the Lincoln Machine and Weld shop where Jeff said he could have it operable in a week or ten days if I could get the new propeler and prop cage parts shipped in.  If the canopy isn't hurt, we hope to finish what we started.  I'll keep you informed.

Bob

Monday, June 28, 2004

In contact with the Lincoln Machine & Welding shop this morning.  Hopefully the replacement parts will be identified and ordered today for shipment tomorrow.  Sandy Mithell of Mitchell's Powered Parachutes in Idaho has the parts and prop on hand.

According to Jeff, from Lincoln, the east end of that airport is known for down drafts, I believe it.

Leonard Greenwalt, my faithful traveling companion will not be able to return to the trail with me as his wife, Florence, is expected to have back surgery soon after July 1.  He was extremely competent and dependable — I can't thank him enough for the days he was with me on the road.  Every day I can still hear him telling people when they asked if he flew part of the time:  "Not me, I'm only half crazy.  I'm not going up in that thing."

A fellow Power Parachute pilot has volunteered to drive the rest of the trip.  He is Larry Chase from Okanogan, WA, a retired electrician.  We should be driving to Lincoln on the 1st of July and hope everything will be ready when we arrive.

Weather being co-operative we would depart on the 2nd.

Bob

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