The Flight of the Microlights

(Page 5 of 5)

November/December 1979
By Jack McCornack 
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Our entrance disrupted the classes a bit, I'm afraid. The instructors gave up, everyone ran out by the lake, and we dazzled 'em all with our famous 25¢ air show. Then, for a grand finale, Keith and I landed in a clearing by the campground (that strip of land has since been dubbed Eco International Airport).

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Brad and Joe caught up with us, and we all spent the day at the seminars . . . having as much fun as kids at summer camp. During the evening's cookout I did a little more "hey, look at me" flying, and the following morning we continued on our way.

Two days-and a few hundred miles later we circled once over the Atlantic (to complete our coast-to-coast trip) and touched down at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. I have to admit I was kind of relieved that the journey was over.

Ironically, the National Parks Service wouldn't let us land at the airstrip commemorating the Wright brothers' first flights. It was the only airstrip-on the whole transcontinental trip-at which we were refused permission to land!

The owners of a nearby driving range and mini-golf course came to the rescue, though . . . so we did get to land within sight of the Wright memorial. (It's just too bad that Wilbur and Orville weren't still around to put in a good word for us with the bureaucrats in charge of the landing field.)

That was the end of the adventure. We said our goodbyes and Keith packed up his Fledgling to catch an airliner home. Brad and Joe headed off in the pickup with gleams in their eyes and fishing tackle ready-saying they'd probably see me in about a month. . . "depending on how well they're biting".

And me? Well, I stayed around Kitty Hawk for a couple of days to accommodate the local press and television news crews, then I had to get back to the Pterodactyl plant and back to work.

It's kind of good to be back home, too . . . and I'm already trying to figure what I'll have to do to get next summer off!

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