Safe West to East route

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: Safe West to East route

Rob;
Considering all the sage advice that's been given me by members of this board... flying through history is the least I could do. I'm not in anyway mechanical and the most oft given admonishment to me by my IA is, "For God's sake Ed, don't touch that!"

I'm happy that you liked it. Bill Berle gave the most prudent and therefore useful lessons. I had fun and enjoyed it myself.

Amazing what vast collective knowledge there is in this wonderful little virtual-space. Quite a gift we recieve everyday and give, now and then.
With regards;
Ed O'Brien

[VictorBravo]

Re: Safe West to East route

As tempting as the offer is, writing a book about anything and expecting to make money is the worst sort of fraud you could commit on yourself. Been there, done that, got the scars. If I had taken the year it took me to write the book I wrote in 1999, and got a job flipping burgers at McDonald's for the same period of time, I'd have made five times the money and had one fifth the heartache.

That being said, I still do write for a living, but it has nothing to do with "being an author" and parties and TV interviews and clinking champagne glasses and all that. I'm now simply "the mouthpiece" for a company owned by an old school chum.

On the subject of the older airfields, there is a FABULOUS website and an incredible effort by Paul Freeman to document and preserve the history of old and forgotten airfields. History buffs and aviators of all kinds will be amazed at what this guy has done... http://www.airfields-freeman.com ... this is really worth a look! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel aviation history in your bones just looking at this site.

[Armstrong]

Re: Safe West to East route

Its just the kind of book I look for, and love to read, but there are just to few of them.
Good link too . Thanks, Rob

[M Towsley]

Re: Safe West to East route

Bill,

I remember reading your story when I first found this website. It was always at the back of my mind when this plane came up for sale. Really, you and Ed have a wealth of knowledge for us younguns who never new what it was really like, but have the heart of an older aviator. I love this stuff, it's great!!! We have an old airport, Springfield Southwest, less than a mile from where I live. The runways are a subdivision, but most of the buildings, including the big metal arched hangar with clearance light, is still there. Someone tore down the old brick tower last year. It is where my parents flew '41 BL's and L-2's from. Lindbergh landed there, (Lindbergh Boulevard is next to the old airport) my grandfather used to help 'Slim' load the mail, Emilia Earhart landed there, there are several pictures on a website showing this. Wrong way Corrigan and many others also flew in. Old pictures of the area show airshows where cars and people were as far as the eyes could see. Nothing like the pathetic response we get at our poorly run show nowadays. You guys describe it to where I can picture it in my mind, I guess that's what writers do, huh? The link you posted also shows this old airport, then and now.

Edwin,

Yes, this is Mark Schrick's former airplane. I've been looking for an L-2B in great shape, and this one seems very nice. Not 100% correct, but I like detail work and this one seems a good start. The prebuy went as expected, no major issues, and it has been well taken care of.

Thanks to all for the help. Just working on timing and logistics at this point. Bill and Ed, again, thanks and great stories!!!

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: Safe West to East route

Marty;
You're from Springfield, Ill? Here's some more history, but first a question. The primary customer for the US Interstate Highway System was?

If you said the American Public, Truckers, or anything else in civilian society - you're incorrect. The primary user, and the word "primary" in this case refers to first in order, not most "common" user, was -- The Defense Dept.

During the Cold War and the Eisenhower Administration - when the Interstate Highway System was funded, planned, and begun... SAC bases (Strategic Air Command)
were thought to be vulnerable to attack by Russian Rockets.

At this moment -- They had "Sputnick" and WE had plain ol' "Nick." So by straightening and leveling long stretches of the Interstate Highways, pouring extra concrete to handle B-47s, B-52s, we'd have a huge dispersal option. As you fly over the country look for these places. Patches of pavement with forrests cut from either side, runway looking roads, extra efforts taken for unknown reasons. Look for atleast a 2 mile stretch of perfect road... then stop and see if the concrete looks extra thick in that spot, there will no overhead obsticles, (power-lines, bridges etc.) My understanding is these are no loner preserved in the same fashion they were during the 50s and 60s... but as in the examples of the triangled airports and old Navy Mats... the outlines persist. Meaning there are thousands of airports underneath the roads we drive everyday.

There's a spot near Jacksonville Ill. that was a dispersal point for Scott AFB and Chanute AFB. I love this stuff!
With regards;
ED O'BRIEN

[VictorBravo]

Re: Safe West to East route

Well, as long as it's "Bill Berle Huge Ego Day" today, if you didn't already know, there are a few other stories that I have written (perhaps since you saw the first one) about flying Taylorcrafts. These were or are available on the club website. "The Auster Hassle" was the first one and deals with part of the route you will be flying. The second one was originally just a quickie a newsgroup post, but covers the majority of the route you might take, albeit going the other way. The third and fourth stories involve the Taylorcraft I own now, flying down the Pacific coast and having some "service difficulties" after I got it back here. If you cannot find the stories in the various sections of this website, the site administrator may have them stashed someplace not obvious at first glance. The photos from the Pacific Coast trip are in my member's photo gallery.

[Ed O'Brien]

Re: Safe West to East route

Bill and tribe;
Here's one of Bill Berle's stories. Always nice to promote a fellow writer.

http://www.eaa1000.av.org/fltrpts/auster/auster.htm

Regarding Army AirCorps bases left over from WW2. As you head north out of Mother-in-law: Pueblo, Colorado Springs, LaHunta, CO. Pratt, Liberal, Dodge City, Garden City, Topeka, Olathe, Hutchinson, Salina, Russell in Kansas -North Platte, Lincoln, Grand Island, Nebraska, and so many others are all former Army AirCorps/Navy bases. If you see an airport or a field that has more concrete than people in the adjacent town... it's an old military installation. Like the 19th Century Indian Forts of the American frontier these may be remembered in name only. But look close enough and you'll find a great link to history.

I've got an old map with dozens and scores of Xs where I've marked what looks like old bases. Start one of your own and remember that pilots like John Glenn, George McGovern, Jimmy Doolittle, Eddie Rickenbacher, Pappy Boyington, Ted Williams, Joe Foss flew these same skies -- Dodged the same weather, suffered through every trip with the responsibilty of pilot's in command. Going from the mother-law, from where we fly now, and onto glory.
(Glory in historical terms not religious... some of these guys are still very much alive.)
God Bless'em all:
With regards;
Ed O'Brien

[taylorcraftbc65]

Re: Safe West to East route

Hi Guys, I'm in now. I was out of town for the last week and a half, and I'm at a public use computer right now. As soon as I get home, I'll look at a sectional, and post a suggested route through my area in the morning.
I used to live just west of Buckeye Az., and Bill suggests a route around Phoenix that would be the same as I would fly in Manu Sina.
If you don't mind making a small detour, come out to my field, the coffee will be on. Brie