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The Flight of Passage … Again. 2014

nesincg

BENEFACTOR
Chattanooga, TN (KAPT)
Kind of privately at the beginning of this year, I had started discussing with close friends about doing the entire trip from the book “Flight of Passage” some time next year. It would be my first time doing the trip, but the second time my plane, 71H, will have embarked on this itinerary. While being an homage to the the airplane, the adventure and tales the trip will bring is the reason I'm setting out on this journey. I'm hoping many folks will be able to join me on this. If not for the whole trip, then just a portion, even if just for the day.

I plan on leaving Somerset airport (SMQ) in New Jersey some time mid June of 2014. It will make a great gathering point being uncontrolled and having two grass runways. Trying not to conflict with too many other fly-ins, and trying to have as many accompany me as possible, I've decided this is the best time to leave. Deviating slightly from the route, my first major stop will be for some of the week at Sentimental Journey.


Nearing the completion of SJ 2014, and the weather looking good, we will rejoin the route westward aiming for Indiana, the Kentucky swale, Arkansas and the “Great Stearman Men of the West”. I'm not strictly sold on the same route, but as a general guide. When the weather is bad or the hospitality is too good to pass up, we will deviate as necessary. If there are local fly-ins along the way or pancake breakfasts, we should participate.


My exact destination is still not certain. San Juan Capistrrano has long since been a warehouse strip and all other close by airports are far from the coast or controlled. While I'm not opposed to a controlled airport, I'd really need the assistance of local pilots and controllers to coordinate landing if we have several cubs in our flight. Right now Oceanside airport (OKB) seems like a viable destination but I'm not sure about the hospitality after landing. VNY airport has always been kind to General Aviation but it would be an interesting flight through, around, under, LAX class B airspace to get there.


I'd LOVE to take off a few months to do this trip, but I know not everyone can. In order not to be in a hurry, I'm planning to take about 10 days to get out west from Lockhaven. I'm flexible here, but this also isn't a race. I learned from the Ohio boys that meandering through West Virginia on your own timetable and making some things up as we went was really the most fun.


If you can't take that long of time off, then take a few days off and meet up with us. The more, the better. Progress will be posted online and I'll have my spot tracker on board with real time updates. Once we depart our western destination, I'm not sure of the route to take, but It might have to be straight back to the Midwest. I'm hoping to have enough time at the conclusion of this to work one week or so and then head up to Oshkosh and New Holstein and show off my plane.


While still in restoration, I'm positive 71H will be done by early spring of 2014. (Charlie, I hope you aren't cursing my name right now). I've had so many offer help and assistance and progress is going real well right now. Funds for the engine will be saved by fall, which is my only stumbling block.


So many close people have asked to join me in the physical airplane, but my other seat will be occupied. The wife has crazily asked to accompany me on this flight. She has been very supportive throughout this restoration and will be my co-pilot. My dog Lenny will have to ride in the baggage or just stay behind, not happy with either.


I know this is very early in announcing this first ever national fly-out. It gives me an ultimate goal and a good mid-life crisis adventure. I also wanted to have time for word of this trip to get out, for people to look at next years vacations time, and to start saving up gas money. I'll also need volunteers to help out with local stops, accommodations and meals. Help spread the word and start saving up.


Hope to fly with you soon,
Chris
 
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I'm in. Hopefully I can take a month or more off. I think I can swing that. Even if champs suck. Ha ha.

At least you can get everything else done and save the engine until last.

Tom
 
Some places to end up out here would be Flabob, Santa Paula, Oceano. If you get here around the first weekend after 4th of July, you could also go to the Cub Fly-In at Lompoc.
 
Chris we'll have to talk. When you get to Arkansas, I have you covered, grass strip, bunk house, and hospitality.
 
Not cursing you yet! Just got rid of one plane and Bobby's PA-18 should be done by next week. Going up to Donald's to finish his plane tomorrow. Only thing left in the shop will be 71H and my experimental to finish.
 
Chris we'll have to talk. When you get to Arkansas, I have you covered, grass strip, bunk house, and hospitality.
Tim, You mean when we get to Arkansas, right?

Kevin. I read about Flabbob in the last issue of something. Looked like a neat place. The others I've not heard of, which intrigues me too. Can't wait.

Charlie, Good to hear. Wish I had the rest of the plane for you to finish. I'll give you time to work on yours a bit more and then bring mine down.
 
Hi Chris,
For your destination I have to second Oceano; right next to Pismo Beach; closest airport to the beach in all of California. Also, close to Lompoc and the West Coast Cub Fly-in held the weekend after the Forth of July. And, my home is 9 miles away and have lots of room. I hope to have my 2+2 flying by then as I'm retiring in two weeks. Sounds like you have a fun year ahead of you.
Marty57
 
I'm in. I'll also be back out to STL to work on it for a long weekend of your choice. Time for me burn some of my Southwest miles (Liz wants to come next time, too).

One request for the trip- champs fly in the back....because they suck!
 
I'm in. I'll also be back out to STL to work on it for a long weekend of your choice. Time for me burn some of my Southwest miles (Liz wants to come next time, too).

One request for the trip- champs fly in the back....because they suck!

Won't you need my radio and transponder? Ha ha. I don't mind flying in the back.

I will also come back to work some time this fall, if there is anything left to work on by then.


Tom
 
Won't you need my radio and transponder? Ha ha. I don't mind flying in the back.

I will also come back to work some time this fall, if there is anything left to work on by then.


Tom


Be kind to that radio and transponder, we'll need it to get to whitecastle in a few weeks
 
Chris - you will be covered in Ohio (covered with airplanes). Stay a night with us and we'll have a post Sentimental Journey party?
 
In the last 30 years, I have not taken more than two weeks off in a row. In fact, I don't even think I have taken off two weeks. I really envy the ability to truly be "off" from work, and enjoy vicariously living through those who are able to take advantage of those opportunities!

sj
 
As much as I would love to join you I doubt I could get more than a week off of work. I do however have a friend in Oceanside who used to work at the FBO before college and my be back there working on his CFI. If you have hospitality questions I can put you in touch with him.
 
Count me in for part of the trip. I'll also be at the Fall Rebuild Session. I'm hoping Farris gets me a chicken mask and we all get to go to that place where people can wear there pajamas at lunch.
 
Very interesting, just got my C-90 J3 back flying after a complete rebuild. Should have all the bugs out of it by then to join you for part, (or all?) of the trip.

Pat
 
If our PA11 project is done, I'd fly your wing for a bit. I'm a little north of the route in AZ, but it would be nice to take her down a few 1000 feet to get all 90 of those horses pumping.
 
Recent blog on AOPA website.

Five things you didn’t know about Rinker Buck and ‘Flight of Passage’

May 31, 2013 by Jill W. Tallman, Associate Editor

Tweet3

Rinker Buck and his brother Kernahan flew from New Jersey to California in a Piper Cub in 1966. Kernahan, the pilot in command, was 17 and Rinker was 15—and the trip was done with their parents’ full consent. (And flown solely by pilotage and dead reckoning—Rinker’s job was to be the navigator.) Rinker Buck’s memoir, Flight of Passage, has become available in eBook format. I talked with him yesterday for an interview that will appear in the August issue of Flight Training magazine, but here are some extras from that very interesting conversation:

  • He doesn’t consider Flight of Passage an aviation book. “I consider it a memoir in the truer sense. It’s about life.”
  • He was surprised when people wrote to tell him the book inspired them. “The biggest surprise of the book was getting emails from people saying ‘I’m so inspired by this, I’m going to learn to fly, I’m going to go take a flight.’” Many current pilots told him the book inspired them to make a coast-to-coast trip–and several did, including a pilot from Rhode Island who conducted the trip in an L-19.
  • He and his brother are still flying, but not as much. Buck has been busy working on his latest book, which chronicles a trip by horse-drawn wagon over the Oregon Trail, but says that he still enjoys flying with friends. Kernahan is an attorney whose Boston practice keeps him busy.
  • When researching Flight of Passage, he re-flew most of the routes in a Cessna 182. “It was amazing that I just remembered our old routes, that’s why the book could be so accurate in terms of landscapes.” The brothers landed at 30 airports. “Twenty-seven of them are still there and they look exactly the same.”
  • He thinks you need to read Stick and Rudder, if you haven’t already. “The principles have not changed. You might be flying along in a Cirrus with a glass cockpit but it’s all still subject to all the same laws that [Wolfgang] Langewiesche wrote about.”
 
When the book first came out our friend Ron who had read it was telling about it at a flyin BBQ. Someone asked " they were only 15 and 17 years old, were they both pilots " and Ron without missing a beat say's " yes they were both pilots but only one had a license " I was a student pilot at the time and that statement went right to my head.

Glenn
 
Flew over LHV today but couldn't see any cubs roaming around. 20,000 ft was a bit too high. Got me dreaming of next year

Since I had nothing better to do a few days ago:
Day 1: route to LHV next year: http://skyvector.com/?ll=41.0473906...6.KSMQ:A.K6.KUKT:A.K6.8N1:A.K6.KSEG:A.K6.KLHV

Day rest of trip: http://skyvector.com/?ll=36.8092847...SMV:F.K2.VPSTP:A.K2.KOKB:F.K2.DANAH:A.K2.KRIR

Some of this trip has been altered. I took out Indianapolis. Pretty much all of the Indiana looks the same, so I'll just say we were there.

Columbus Southwest doesn't have fuel.

Added a few interesting stops or places I know that would be helpful to stop for the night.

This whole route subject to change ... on a daily basis. If you have any suggestions of stops that are near the route we need to see, let me know.
 
We will do everything we can to join you at some point, wish we could fly the whole trip with you--what an great adventure!!! As much as I love Lenny I thinks its great that April in flying with you on this trip!!!
 
I don't think you can do it in a month. It takes 4 weeks just to get from Ohio to Idaho and back. Better plan on 2 months
 
It has honestly been a long time since I've posted on this thread. I still see this happening after sentimental journey. When the weather warms in Georgia, the paint will start being applied. Barring any disaster, we should finish in time. This is not to hurry Charlie in any way. He works wonders at a nice easy pace.
 
Can't wait! We should be done in time. Whether or not I get the time off, well, we will see.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
 
I"m going to try and meet up for part of the journey at least - fly along in my J3. Since I'm in CO, it might be out west. Not sure what my schedule will allow yet - but will do something.
 
Ok everybody. Hope you have saved up your vacation and gas money. This is still going to happen. I've had some free time to look over the calendar for this year. I've taken a ton of time off work this summer. With apologies to SJ who can't take it this time off, 3 weeks in June and 3 weeks during OSH and 8D1.

Sentimental Journey was scheduled slightly earlier than expected. I will only catch the last 3 days of it arriving some time on the 19th (I'm having to beg for extra time off!). We will depart Sunday as required and start a 10 day journey out west. I hope to arrive in the LA basin some time around July 1st.

From there I haven't really figured it out. If the West Coast Cub fly-in was the weekend right after the 4th, that would've worked out. But unfortunately, I won't be able to hang around an entire week. I was thinking of heading up the coastal highway and then making my way back east after a few days. Maybe take the last week off to get the plane back home or perhaps just park a few weeks early at Oshkosh.

We are looking to film the trip and make at least a documentary of some sort. Anyone that want to head up the filming, let me know. Several cameras will be recording the flight as provided by supercub.org. There is even talk of a live feed if we can figure that one out. Hope to see as many cubs along the way as possible.
 
If gas was .29 cents like in 1966 I'd try to go. I donate a keg of Blue Moon at SJ, if Kim doesn't drain it like last year best I can do is buy you a beer.

Glenn
 
I just checked; the 4th is on Friday so the West Coast Fly-in is the next weekend; beginning on the 11th; is that too late??? If you head up the coast, I live just around the corner from Oceana Airport so drop on by. Love to have you in the area.

Marty57
 
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