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The Cross Country of Justice

Indy

Active Member
RVators like to do a lot of things--use their speed to fly long distances and see things, fly formation, do aerobatics, land at challenging strips, and just enjoy flying. I've flown plenty of cross countries, but always wanted to do something bigger. Instead of just flying to one place, I wanted to do a trip that was just as much about the journey itself. In my old squadron big cross countries always got named "the cross country of justice". I read Stephen Coonts's "Cannibal Queen", Richard Bach, and about the Buck Brothers doing similar things when I was growing up and had always wanted to do the same. Life never gets less busy and it's always so easy to just keep putting it off. No more. Today was day one of a two-week trip around the US; coast to coast and back, from highest (airport) to lowest.

Aussie and his RV-8 will be joining me tomorrow, but today I kicked off the trip by flying to Kitty Hawk with my brother and fellow pilot. Being in North Carolina I've been to Kitty Hawk many times, but I figured there's no better way to start the journey than with my brother, at the site of another two brothers over a hundred years ago; first flight of this airplane trip at the site of the first airplane flight in history.
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Great Start

Matt, Looks like a great start to a great trip. Have fun and fly safe. Can't wait to follow you here on VAF.
 
How Fun!!

Matt,

Sounds as thought you are off to a most excellent adventure. As a former resident of NC for 15 years I made many trips to Kitty Hawk as well as all the outer banks. Have a great trip....will be following y'all!!

Yol Bolson!!!!
 
Your journey begins.

Matt your living the dream of a lot of members here. ;) Fly safe and have the trip of your life. Looking forward to following your flight. Don't forget to bring a lot of fresh camera batteries! :D
 
nice post. go for it. we may have crossed tracks today. flew the east coast today and heard a inbound pilot asking a controller about a disabled plane at first flight airport. perfect day for flying! not a cloud in the sky and cool out. :)
 
Great plane! Great destination brothers! Please let us know how your coast-to-coast trip goes.
 
Ouch

nice post. go for it. we may have crossed tracks today. flew the east coast today and heard a inbound pilot asking a controller about a disabled plane at first flight airport. perfect day for flying! not a cloud in the sky and cool out. :)

Turbo, yeah, we were kind of excited to see another plane on the ramp there...until we saw WHY it was on the ramp. Those that have and those that will, right?
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Two's in...

Indy,

Have fun brother, glad I could be a small part of the adventure...

Smokey
Dues gladly paid in Iraq...
Gladly paid to DR anyway...
 
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Day 2

Yesterday was day 2--direct to St. Louis. Absolutely beautiful day to fly (other than the 15-20kt headwind). Smooth as glass and not a cloud in the sky.

You can tell why they call the mountains around here the Smoky and Blue Ridge mountains
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I'm always intrigued by the mountains in eastern Tennessee, how they're just long, parallel ridge lines.
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"Where are we?!"
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Picked up a sunset escort into St. Louis thanks to Oly Olson. Beautiful time of day to share some RV wingwork.
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Flying into Spirit of St. Louis (KSUS) is always special for me. It's home...literally. I grew up a few miles from there and got my pilot's license there. Being the second busiest airport in Missouri my brother and I grew up watching all sorts of planes fly over the house on their way in/out of Spirit, along with the TWA fleet (at the time), all of the fighters being produced out of McDonnell Douglas (at the time), and the Missouri ANG's F-4s and F-15s (at the time) all out of nearby Lambert life was good for a kid who loved flying, and had parents that supported it. I'm always proud that Charles Lindbergh called St. Louis home for a while and that the same spirit that makes St. Louisans such good baseball fans also made them such big supporters of Lindbergh.
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Thank you

Indy,

Have fun brother, glad I could be a small part of the adventure...

Smokey
Dues gladly paid in Iraq...
Gladly paid to DR anyway...

You got that right, Smokey! Thanks for all of your help--not just the consultation on the trip but helping me have the plane to be able to do it.
 
Day 3...stuck

The good news: linkup complete with Aussie. The bad news: this was pretty much the theme of the day here.
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If that wasn't enough I got out to the plane to find a flat tire and a minor brake leak. I guess God didn't think we should leave St. Louis today. And who am I to argue with the Big Guy. Of all places to get stuck, though, hometown is a pretty good one.

BIG thanks to Aero Charters maintenance and line service. They were on the spot and determined to get the plane back in the air and get us on our way. Once the plane was back Code 1 and weather kept us grounded they put both Paul and I in the hangar with the jets for the night "on the house". I appreciated when they called to tell me that, but said an extra thank you when I heard the hail later.
 
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Awww come on!!! I see a clear area right over your location. You could have made it easily! :D

Glad you were in a familiar area when you needed maintenance help. Have fun, be safe, and keep those trip reports coming for the rest of us in work prison.
 
Very true. Sorry I haven't provided more updates. We've been so busy flying and seeing things all day that we haven't had time to upload pictures to post, but I will; and when I do they will be awesome.

Big shout out to the crew at Flabob and EAA Chapter 1. We arrived last night for their annual fly-in and first ever aerial cavalcade. Well done.

Updates that will be coming: Colorado Springs, Leadville, San Juan Mountains, Monument Valley, Lake Powell, Grand Canyon (twice), Sedona, Hoover Dam/Las Vegas, Death Valley, Flabob, Catalina Island, and Yosemite.
 
Hey Matt,

I just got a great email from Rick Smith. Thanks for mentoring him. He would sure like to be on that trip with you. Sounds like fun.
 
Smokey,
Yep, Rick has the passion. Wouldn't be surprised if he joins the RV family. The trip has been great...now time to catch up on the updates!
 
Day 3.1 -- Go west young man!

St. Louis is the Gateway to the West, so no more appropriate place to link up with Aussie and head west. After sitting out the storms for a day we loaded up and moved out. Many thanks to Aero Charter for putting us inside...especially since it decided to hail.

Load up!

And move out!

The rain lifted and ended up being a great day to fly

Starting at the same place as Lewis and Clark, we set out along their path following the Missouri River.

Missouri wine country. Yes, Missouri has a wine country!

Missouri Capitol

For me a trip down memory lane as I had my first flying lesson off of RWY 20 at KCOU while at the University of Missouri

Go Tigers!

Overflight of Whiteman AFB.
 
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