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Resurrection America

Beautiful pictures. It seems you were fortunate as I was to have a great father. My condolences as well!
 
Scott: what a beautiful story, so many shared experiences, a lifetime of memories, very moving to read.
Sorry for your loss.

Doug
Seattle area
 
Scott, you've so eloquently expressed what so many of us have felt when we lost our own dads. Reading this today gave me a renewed appreciation for everything my dad gave me, my continued sense of loss and further appreciation for how we affect our children and grandchildren. My condolences on your loss!
 
This.........

Scott, you've so eloquently expressed what so many of us have felt when we lost our own dads. Reading this today gave me a renewed appreciation for everything my dad gave me, my continued sense of loss and further appreciation for how we affect our children and grandchildren. My condolences on your loss!
 
I would have loved for my Dad to experience this adventure with me. You?ll always cherish these memories, my condolences.
 
Seeing those old towns makes me strangely sad. You can see from the stately buildings that there was wealth there once. From your photos, the wealth seems to have moved on.
 
The tombstone for Paul Powell intrigued me. Did a short search on the internet but only found one reference.

http://https://soonergraveyardrabbit.blogspot.com/search?q=paul+powell

It states "Paul was the pilot of an air ambulance that operated out of Mangum, OK for Dr. F. Border, a very prominent early physician in SW Oklahoma. Paul and two passengers were killed when his plane crashed near Childress, TX in 1934. I have been trying to find out more information about this crash and will post a follow up if I can ever find a good source. I'm sure there will be a story about it in The Mangum Star since Dr. Border was also a former owner of the newspaper."

There is a lot more to be found on Dr. Border. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/46871806/george-fowler-border

PS - I need to make a couple of years worth of donations to VAF. I will attend to that next! I don't get on much anymore and just plane forgot to donate!
 
Scott, Your trip is inspiring! Makes me want to go exploring with the 7!

Couple of observations: That terminal is over the top for a small field! We are in the long term process of planning a new terminal and would like to add this one to our list of prospect to look at. Pilot overnight accommodations have been suggested and I will show your photos to the manager.

The other is that the brass laying on the ground is interesting. Our department makes us clean it all up, almost accounting for every casing! We would get scolded for leaving brass laying around like that!

Can't wait to read about the coming adventures, fly safe!
 
Wow. Meeting Jesse Saint's folks, a fixture here and in the RV support world, when knowing the story, but not realizing you were at his base, then ending that chapter with a dad locked out of an airport.

I'll take the former over the latter. Glad you figured out how to get the gps done. Most any USB-mini cable should work, some cheap ones don't. They also dislike going into some USB hubs, best right into the computer body USB port.
 
Scott, be careful about Southern English. ;)

One of Jeff Foxworthy's skits goes like this:

"They always make fun of the way I talk. I keep telling them "You're gonna be real surprised when you get to Heaven and St. Peter says "Ya'll get in the truck, and we'll go on up to the big house."
 
At precisely 2:00 PM, the son witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was an emotional event that moved the son to tears.
I can only imagine. My late grandfather - representing the Odd Fellows - laid a wreath on that tomb back in the sixties. I have a photo somewhere. I was young back then and didn't recognize the significance.
 
Scott-- I really appreciate you posting all these beautiful photos of your adventure. I have to comment, though, that seeing all these dying small towns in middle America is upsetting. I see churches, graveyards, and shuttered buildings. Where are the farms and factories?
 
When I went on a High School summer mission labor program there, per capita, Harlan county was the poorest in the country. 1988.
 
Scott,

I've followed your trip with interest. In fact, your photos of the USAF Museum inspired me to stop and check out their new Presidential aircraft display area since it wasn't completed when I last stopped in 10 years ago. So, I flew into Moraine Air Park (I73), bought some avgas, and borrowed their courtesy car for the afternoon. It was worth the visit.

You've stopped at several airports I've patronized or look to do so. Most small airports operate on very thin margins, even if run by a municipality, because of lack of traffic. If the airport offers me a service that I accept, I acknowledge the unspoken and unwritten quid pro quo and buy some avgas to help with their cash flow.

I ask you to consider that as you fly around the country. It pained me to read that you flew into Clare, MI, (48D), used their courtesy vehicle, slept the night in their facilities, yet felt the need to fly 14 nm to Gladwin (GDW) to buy your avgas the next morning. That's how the GA world ended up with facility fees levied by the likes of Signature FBOs and others that we all despise.
 
Scott's Pictures of KBHC--Baxley

On Scott's page 6, post 58, pictures 5,6,7 and 8, I'd never seen an FBO building so pretty inside. So its only an hour from Atlanta, so I thought I'd fly down for a look see. It "is" really really pretty. Two beautifully furnished bedrooms, a shower and toilet you'd find in a $300,000 house, The stairs and railing going upstairs are really a very pretty highly polished wood, again what you might see in a $300,000 house----a very long computer desk. Never seen an FBO building as pretty as this one.:)

Checked my uAvionix Echo on the way down and back. Finally passed. Been dickin with it for a week.:rolleyes:
 
At around 10:30 P.M. that night in Wayne, a couple in a Bonanza landed and taxied onto the ramp. They were on their way home from Oshkosh but decided to spend the night in the FBO building. As the son was leaving for a walk down the taxiway, the couple were just about to enter through the after-hours access panel. The pilot was a disheveled man in his forties with a small wiry frame. His female companion was a woman who also looked somewhat frazzled after a day of flying through bad weather. She was carrying a set of luggage and the tattoos on her arms stretched darkly on the skin of her triceps as she stood there waiting to come into the pilot’s lounge. The pilot asked the son if he was planning on sleeping in the FBO.

“Yes,” the son replied.

“Where?” the pilot asked.

“In the snooze room. I’ve already got a recliner set up.”

“Okay,” said the Bonanza pilot somewhat resignedly. “I guess we’ll take the couch and recliner in here.” The couple lumbered into the room and the son left. He walked past the Bonanza which was parked about 30 degrees cockeyed. It looked like the pilot had shut down in a real hurry. The son continued down the flightline all the way to the run-up area where he stopped and looked into the darkness. He had a brief conversation with the father. Patience was the word. The son had sensed a troubling spirit being brought into the FBO building by the couple in the Bonanza, and the father’s message to the son was clear. Be kind, be gentle, but most of all, be patient.

When the son came back, the couple were getting unpacked and setting up for a night of sleep in the pilot’s lounge. After brushing his teeth, the son went into the snooze room and closed the door. He turned off the light and lay down on a recliner, with one blanket beneath his body, and one covering him. He could hear the couple having a conversation as unintelligible murmurings piped down through the ventilator grill. It lasted for about an hour. Then the son fell asleep.





*** Scott- Thought for sure you were going to offer those weary travelers the Snooze room. Especially the female. Where is the Chivalry?
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Great journey

Hi Scott,
It has been great following your journey. Your writing style has made reading about your travels very enjoyable.
Thanks for sharing.
 
Scott,,,a wonderful documentary of your travels to find Resurrection America…thank you for your time and effort…excellent indeed…
 
Great stuff. Sorry to hear about the poor reception at The Dalles. I haven't been there in a long time but that is disheartening.
 
Faith, relationships, freedom, America - consider, FLYTODAY

Scott -

Thank you for your efforts to capture your travels in photography and words. A reminder to consider our personal faith, our relationships with people, interactions with instant new acquaintances, generosity - giving and receiving, common life circumstances in small town America, and both the vitality and fragility of US General Aviation.

Fellow readers - consider these reports of small airports. I’ve visited some of the same airports, and find Scott’s stories 100% believable. IMHO he’s not cherry-picking, or embellishing details of certain locations to prove a point. I’ve had similar experiences with complete strangers sharing hangers, vehicles, Winnebagos, etc. with their only knowledge is that I just landed that RV. I’ve slept in many FBOs/terminals/shacks.

So many airports are vacant in the daytime. At those locations I wonder how long that runway will stay open? Consider using these smaller fields. IMHO less likely to charge fees, and hard lock the doors - sometimes even securing the restrooms, at closing time. If possible encourage and applaud every GA location keeping at least a 24 hr restroom, WiFi, a 110VAC outlet, and 100 sq ft of shelter with a recliner chair. The key on the hook to the car outside is FANTASTIC!

I couldn’t wander like Scott until retiring a few years ago. Now visiting, wandering across America, by runways and courtesy cars is a great adventure. Many new relationship pleasures in sincere handshakes and hugs. I’ve been expanded by the wonderful machine designed by Richard VanGrunsven, and as I’ve crossed his path at Osh’s I’ve shared a smile, handshake and a grateful, “You’ve changed my life”.

FLYTODAY !!!

Carl
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