25 hours cross-country in the past
five days in a newly purchased airplane. The spark plugs looked great.
We tightened a couple of bolts on
the wooden prop, and with that we
felt good about all things great and
small, and the flights to come.
On February 13, the 300-foot ceilings shut morning visibility down to
less than a mile. We were not flying
anywhere. When it started clearing
up at 11 a.m., we decided to see if
there was a VFR window to fly to
First Flight Airport (FFA). Weather
was not yet VFR on the East Coast,
but it was improving, so we departed
Lumberton for Kitty Hawk. We took
photos of my first landing at FFA
and purchased mementos. We left
at 4: 30 p.m. for a five-minute flight
to Dare County Regional Airport in
Manteo, North Carolina.
Our original plan had been to fly
inland for about an hour to get away
from the possible coastal morning
fog, but within half an hour after
landing at Dare County, rain showers poured out of the late-afternoon
sky. We were glad to already be in a
nice dry hangar. Good thing we were
flexible. We rented a car and went
for an excellent seafood dinner.
It got cold that night, so the
anticipated fog never formed. We
departed Dare County Airport at 9
a.m., making stops to add a couple
of more states to my logbook. I
found the Appalachians to be much
lower and friendlier than the Rockies. We had lunch at Mansfield
Lahm Regional Airport (MFD) in
Mansfield, Ohio. It felt cold, snowy,
and bitter after six days in the sunshine and warmth.
My advice to anyone who wants
a flying adventure: Start your journey now and live your dreams. You
don’t have to have a detailed plan.
Set goals but be flexible. It’s more
fun to be adventurous. VFR is the
way to go. Stop every couple of
hours to talk to people and see some
sights. You can easily deviate 100
miles east, west, north, or south to
get around weather or to see a point
of interest.
We had a blast on our trip. Now
that this mad cross-country dash is
behind me, and with what I learned,
I’m hoping that for many years to
come my wife, Carol Lynn, and I
will be exploring places from coast
to coast. Why? Because we can!
