Hi there all.
I think I may have said this last time, but I have to start again with
apologies.
First to Bill Weir, Bill you have been a long time supporter of what I try and
do, and I can not deny, I have not responded as I should to your warming and
positive emails. But please don't take this personally, there are a lot of
people asking about what I'm doing and time simply does not permit a response
to all or even some. Now I'm in America I thought I would have more time, but
as you can see, this is not the case. Its not only time but finding somewhere
to write and internet.
Anyway, I promise to improve,
Also to Larry Howell who I met at Oshkosh. Larry, I've added my diary for the
day below. Make sure you have coffee and sandwiches ready as it takes 20
minutes to read. And sorry for being so aggressive in my tone of voice to the
American Border Control, in my diary, but at the time they had got things wrong
and were blowing my chances of getting to Oshkosh that day. So...
My poor brain was fried that day. By the time I arrived, I needed to get as far
away from my aircraft and trying to fix it as possible. The oil cooler I knew I
would have to order in from the uk, so there was no rush. Food... Man I had
some catching up to do and the EAA welcomed me with open arms.
I did tell them I was coming some months ago. I got no reply. But look at it
from there side. They need to promote the latest and greatest. A KR2 arriving
from the UK, isn't really go to wow the crowds as they need to.
Also on the journey, I never told them I was coming, heck I only just made it.
If you tell someone you are going to be there and they put on a big party and
you don't make it because of weather and issues, like being arrested by the
customs guys, then it really annoys people. So its best to say nothing. So
please don't say bad of them, they didn't know, it wasn't worth telling them
because those words would have doomed me to complete failure. Trust me, once I
had arrived, I've never been better looked after.
Larry, I now need to know (My first impression of this fellow when we were
standing and waiting to pass the airshow line was that he wasn't an aircraft
owner,)So what does an aircraft owner look like?
Bellow are a some links to the photos and, those not following on Facebook I'm
sorry but the blog just took up too much time that I didn't have.
Thanks all, and please pass on to anyone you might think I've missed.
Colin.
Hi colinhales
at hotmail.com!
kr2worldtour (krii worldtour)
shared their Flickr album with you.
KR2 Worldtour ii
An album by kr2worldtour
Here are the photos so
far, from the very first day and leaving Shenington until last night in a
Burger bar in Oshkosh.
? You can also view all 564 items as a
slideshow
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Day 42. 02/Aug/2014 Kapuskasing
to Sault se Marie 198 miles 1:58 hrs
Sault se Marie to Oshkosh
312 miles 3:07 hrs
Day score 100.
About 510 miles to Oshkosh.
The first thought of the day was that
the route I had been advised to take since leaving Iceland was exactly the one
I wrote on a piece of paper, when knowing nothing back in Iceland. How bizarre?
I must be a genius?
Right, it?s 6.am, where do I start? John
had written a list of things to do today. First was to file ?A Notice of
Arrival? with EAPIS on my laptop. Gosh, they wanted to know everything, but I
had registered with them already, so it was easier and I had my ?Aircraft
Decal? number now instead of just a reference, which was: 830127. Time of
arrival in America at Chippewa County Airfield would be? Well if I take off at
8.am and gain an hour
due to arriving in Chicago which is in the Central Time Zone in America and
it?s a 2 hour flight then I?ll land at 9.am and they want
it in local time. Ok, all sorted and sent. I got my EAPIS code by return of
email and it was EAPIS: 5292724.
Ok, now I need to phone the Customs and
Immigration office at my port of arrival to confirm their attendance at the
airport.
Hang on? Sault Se Marie is still in the Eastern Time Zone? Bugger, I?ll have to
modify the EAPIS. It told me I could do this. Ok, I?ll now land at 10.am local,
but now I?ve got a new EAPIS number? OK, write it down. EAPIS: 5292738
Now phone American Customs and
Immigration. ?Good Morning, I?d like to confirm your attendance at Chippewa
County International Airport please?? He replied, ?Why are you going there?? I
didn?t have a
good answer to that? ?Because I was advised to?? He was not happy, ?Heck no,
its miles for us to drive there, why can?t you come to Sault Se Marie, like
everyone else, it?s just up the road for us?? ?Ok, if it helps you, I?ll come
to Sault Se Marie,? not wanting to make a fuss. He then added, ?And why have
you filed two EAPIS?s?? Steady on mate? ?Because I got the arrival time wrong
on the first sir.? I thought I would put a ?Sir? in to improve his manner. It
didn?t. ?Have you filed an ESTA?? This was an (Electronic States Transferral
Application) or something like that, but a Visa application to you and me. ?No
sir, but I can do if you wish on line now?? I didn?t think it necessary. ?No
you don?t need to do that, you are exempt due to your passage in a none
commercial vessel. Ok we have enough information, we will probably be there 10
mins late as we are busy!? I asked as ever, ?Sir, can I have your name?? ?Bill,
Agent Bill!? and the phone went down.
Right now I can phone the Canadian
flight planning service and file a ?Trans Border Flight Plan. This was
relatively easy now for me and I made sure I told him I was now going to land
at Sault Se Marie. The guy said he just needed to know what time I was expected
to cross the border? I told him ?I expect to be escorted down at 13.50 zulu!?
He laughed and said the weather looks fine with no NOTAMS and wished me luck.
His name was Mario. I wrote it down. I sort of have to do that a lot now.
I fired up the laptop again and found
the plate with information about Sault Se Marie. I drew it out on a piece of
paper as I?d done with so many airfields when a printer was not available.
Ok, lets get in and go because its
getting late. I?ll say now, I have to arrive at Oshkosh before 2:00pm CDT
(Central D Time) whenever that was, as the main afternoon
airshow starts and the airfield is closed to all arrivals, big time? By the
time I took off it was 8:10 am local, But I will gain an hour! I?m glad they
said they would
be 10 minutes late as so will I be?
It was hot already and there was a
headwind. The engine oil temp went higher than I?ve ever seen it. If I climbed
to get into cooler air, the speed slowed down and if I pushed it harder the
engine temps went off the top without the cracked oil cooler. And if I
descended lower to stay out of the headwind, then the air was warmer and you
get the picture.
What ever I did, the GPS said I was
going to be 5 minutes later than their 10 minutes late. The engine was on melt
down.
You may ask about the Scenery? Yeah
trees and stuff.
Ok, I needed to get a ?Trans Border
Transponder Code? or a ?TBTC?? The thing was, being this low, I couldn?t reach
Toronto Control on
128.3 to get one. I heard someone else much higher obtain a code of 4347. I
wrote it down, I could always use that one in an emergency if I couldn?t get my
own. I would have to climb soon anyway as the ground, trees and stuff, was
coming up to meet me. I climbed slowly to 4,000ft. Toronto could now here
me and I requested a Trans Border Transponder Code and he gave me one of 4365.
Brill! I thanked him and since I was only 30 miles away he handed me over to
?Sanderson?,
who ever they were? It was the same frequency as Sault Se Marie, so I changed
to it. It was busy. Aircraft coming and going and doing circuits but announcing
?Sanderson??
I approached the border and could see
the town of Sault Se
Marie. Now the airfield is to the
south of the town which is south of the river, the river being the border. I
could go and land straight into runway 14, but the training aircraft on this
frequency are using runway 32 and possibly coming out at me coming in. I?m not
going to fly low over the town, so I?ll go west. Now just to add to the
confusion, there are two airfields called Sault Se Marie. One about 5 miles
west and in Canada, above the river and the airfield south of the river in
American, the airfield I?m trying to land at. The Unicom frequency is sort of
what it says. Everyone is uniformly on it and we can all sort out where we are
going and what everyone is doing politely by ourselves. So I state ?G-BYLP
joining down wind left hand for 35 at Sault Se Marie?. Another aircraft calls
?Short finals 35 Sanderson!? good for him. Then on the frequency comes a loud
voice, ?Aircraft west of Sanderson you have just entered Sault Se Marie
airspace!? Correct and that?s me. So I reply ?Terribly sorry about that!? as if
I?ve done something wrong? ?I?m on a left base for runway 35.? He replied that
?It?s a right hand circuit for 35!? What, over the city, are you kidding?
Anyway I didn?t know that so I?ll apologise again, ?Terribly sorry about that
old chap, I didn?t know!? putting a bit of English tongue in there so he would
realise I wasn?t from around here and he might leave me alone. He came back, ?Ok
well, next time!? As if? The training aircraft called ?5 miles out on runway 35
at Sanderson and hanging back for the little plane on base!? I have no idea
where he was but I was on left base for Sault Se Marie, the American one, and I
called ?G-BYLP final 35 Sault Se Marie? and landed and taxied off the runway as
quick as possible and taxied up in front of the little terminal building. There
was a big sign saying ?Welcome to Sanderson!? It later transpired that because
there are two airfields with the same name, they call the American airfield
Sanderson. Oh, now you tell me. No wonder? Anyway I do not care, I?m on the
ground. Hey, and I?m in America?
Remember what John said, wait in your plane.
There was a black and white wagon out in the car park and indeed two officers
walking out to great me. But what a greeting! Again, like in Canada, a lady and
a gent and as in Canada, the lady did all the talking. ?Sir you may get out of
your
plane!? Brill I went to say hello and shake hands, but she was carrying a note
pads and he was carrying a Geiger counters, so there was no shaking of hands.
?Sir, do you know what an ESTA is?? ?Sort of?? I replied. ?Sir we have a
problem with your documentation and the way you have entered the United States
of America.? ?I?m sure you have!? I replied!!! What the flippin heck now?
She seemed disturbed at my lack of a surprise that there was a problem? ?Sir,
you did not file an ESTA with our Federal Government Immigration and Customs
Department!? ?Yes but I was told I didn?t need to!? Sir you have committed an
offence in defiance of our state law and this will have to be dealt with down
at the main head branch.? I?m just about (can I swear?) I?m just about xxxxxx
off with all the, ?I?ve done something wrong and it?s serious? stuff!? To me
Customs officers are just failed police officers, and nothing I have done is
that serious. I haven?t shot anyone, or stolen anything, its just paperwork and
it?s not that serious!!! What can I do, I only do as I?m told, yet I?m Mr.
Bad-guy. She asked me for my passport and said ?I?ll be holding on to that!?
Fine? Whatever!!!
I wish he would stop waving that Geiger
counter at my plane. I very much doubt it?s radioactive? ?Look!? I said with a
raised voice, ?I discussed this ESTA thing this morning with an officer Bill
and he said I didn?t need to file one as I was entering your country in a none
commercial aircraft or vessel!? I couldn?t see this little failed police
officer?s eyes behind her shades, but she replied that ?We don?t have an Agent
called Bill!? The guy Geigering my teddy bears now said ?We have an Agent
Hill!? ?Hill, Bill, I don?t know? I said, ?It was over the phone?? But ahah
now, that?s change things! I?m so
glad I wrote his name down?
?Ok sir, can you arrange transport or
call a taxi to take you to our department down town?? She asked. I shrugged my
shoulders and we walked toward the terminal building. I opened the door for her
out of politeness, but she refused saying ?Its ok sir, after you. I never let
anyone walk behind me while I?m carrying a loaded and armed weapon!? I bet you
don?t madam, because at this rate you are going to get it shoved somewhere?
They had a big wagon, surely they could take me down town in that, but maybe
they
had an anti aircraft missile system on the back seat.
I knew about courtesy cars. They have a
spare courtesy car at most airfields, it?s so pilots can go down town to sort
out customs failures. All you need to do
is place a donation or return it full of fuel. I asked if they had one and
could I borrow it? This was not a problem, I was handed the keys and told it
was the green Cadillac just outside the door. The lady agent asked if I was a
safe driver? Admittedly the though of running her over had occurred.
I followed them down town in my
automatic ?Cadillac? and into their United States Customs building. It was a
large building and built over the
main highway and dealt with the main point of entry from America to Canada and
vice versa. A ?multilane? customs area was below. A group
of agents gathered in the middle of the room as soon as I walked into the
public side of the assessment area. They left their counters and all the other
?Joe public? holiday makers wondered who I was to have caused this meeting and
why was I dressed for Antarctic Survival? The discussion behind the barrier
between them went on for some time, before it broke and the lady agent asked me
to approach. Seemingly the problem was that they didn?t have my physio-metrics
on file. Finger prints and all that, so she needed to take my picture and
finger prints on a scanner. This was bull though because how, if the problem
was me just not filing an ESTA, how would I have given them my fingerprints. I
had to pay $6.00 for this and I was asked whether I wanted a receipt, ?Oh yes!?
the reply. As it was being written out, I had to ask ?Look, I?m for ever going
to wonder if I don?t ask, but was policeman Bill right or wrong this morning on
the phone?? ?Agent Hill was not entirely correct this morning sir?. So tempting
to ask for an apology for being accused of committing an offence in defiance of
there state law? But I knew none would come so there was no point.
With a stamp in my passport and it being
handed back I could leave. ?Have a nice day sir!? She embarrassingly said. I
will now I don?t have to deal with you I, I, I thought?
Ok, back at the airport and handing the
keys back, I asked if they had closed my flight plan for me. They said that
?yes? as it had been done with an automated system when I landed,? phew? Right,
Jees, I?ve got now only 3:15 hours to get to Oshkosh before it
closes for the airshow and it?s a 3:00 hour flight.
Leaving the airport was somewhat easier,
now I knew what it was called and the circuit pattern, but the engine had
hardly cooled down in the sweltering heat. I climbed out but at 2,000ft the
warning light was flashing and that was at the raised level I had set to stop
it flashing? I could see some cumulous cloud caps ahead. It was quite windy and
I thought that thermal streeting might be occurring. If I could find them I
could raise Itzy higher and into cooler air using thermals rather than the
engine. It worked well and soon I was up at 4,000ft and able to lower the nose
for greater cooling speed and still not loose height, with the engine on a
minimal cruise setting.
The thermals died out over Lake Michigan and so did the
tail wind as I turned south to follow the shore line. I could still use the
Canadian map for a while as it extended into America, but soon I was off the
end of that. So it was time to review
my drawn map and put some places like Ripon, the start of the VFR route into
Oshkosh that every one
takes, in to the GPS. I read again all 15 pages of the Oshkosh NOTAM that I
printed out in Iceland. I had hardly looked at them in case it brought bad
luck. Well
now I needed them and it felt good? Music, put music on to calm the
nerves. I could hardly see the shoreline
for the murk. Still 150 miles to go.
I tuned into Oshkosh?s Airfield
Traffic Information Service ?ATIS? on 125.90 and turned the squelch right down
on the radio.
?Page 8 and 12 of the NO? This is Oshkosh inf at tim? He said ?Oshkosh info?.
For the
last 42 days I?ve been trying to get there, trying my best and now I can hear
Oshkosh? I listened to
the signal getting stronger for the next half an hour. I even recorded it on my
big video camera which had an audio input.
Look at the time? Must go faster? Look
at the temps? Can?t go faster?
There was cloud on route that I went
below, then coastal fog crept in off Lake Michigan, but no way, none of you are
stopping me this time... You?ve
tried all the time on virtually every flight, but not this time. It was too
early to turn in land but I had little choice. Dam, there was a big airport
there, better go low and south of it and hope nothing big comes along. Ok, way
to the south of the big airport I was now on track for Ripon, but quite low
now. I tried the thermaling technique again to gain more height. Ripon was 50
miles away and 35 minutes at 90 knots which is all I could do in fear of
cooking the oil. Well it was cooked already, but it just had to get me another
30 mins, that?s all. They oil pressure was down at 45 instead of 60 psi.
I changed to Fisk approach frequency
120.7 approaching Ripon, as requested by the NOTAM and there was a picture of a
water tower I was supposed to be able to see, to recognise the town. I heard
one aircraft changing to the tower frequency and then silence. On arrivals day
on Monday, over 5,000 aircraft arrive at Oshkosh this way. It?s
the busiest airfield in the world, by a very long way. The radio is none stop!
But today, I could hear nothing. You are supposed to just monitor and keep
quiet. They have spotters on the ground who call up to you and ask you to rock
your wings if they?ve got you right,
There is the water tower, there is Ripon,
ok find in the murk the rail tracks to follow, well there they are? The rail
tracks lead to Fisk. 10 minutes engine, just do me 10 more minutes, I promise a
new cooler and oil, just 10 more minutes. Speed should be 90 knots at this
location, well it?s all I can do. The NOTAM mentions keeping line astern with
half a mile between aircraft, but I?m on my own up here, I?ve been very alone
up here at times. Just the flight to Hurkadalshmela in Iceland and aircraft at
Sanderson, never saw them though really.
My head is full of memories, friends
I?ve made, the unfairness of the journey. I pick up Fredy my lucky mascot and
tears fall on his head because without him, I wouldn?t be here surely. I?m over
Fisk but no one is looking up anymore, why would they? Who in their right mind
turns up at the biggest airshow in the world 5 minutes before it?s closed? But
it?s the best I can do.
No one was going to see or hear me so I
called, ?Fisk Approach, G-BYLP overhead? ?Aircraft calling Fisk say again??
?G-BYLP overhead Fisk? ?Oh yeah, little white aircraft rock you wings!? I did.
?Good rock, thank you, ok runway in use 36 left hand. Contact tower on 126.60?
?Roger.? Oh wow, there it is coming out of the murk, the most amazing sight!
Vast
camping sites and there are a lot of aircraft down there. I had the video
camera rolling, I was going to make a big speech. I failed. Could hardly
breathe, let alone talk.
You see the last 42 days has taken years
of my life to achieve, about 10 years. I can?t be a Formula 1 driver, an
Olympic swimmer, rower or cyclist. But I can do this. You may think it easy.
But have a go at building your own plane and flying to Oshkosh, then add my
luck into the equation and, well I think it?s hard. But this approach to runway
36 that I had just been cleared to land on and at the yellow dot, indicating
half way down the runway, well this approach is my 100 meter Olympic final, my
last lap of Monaco or Silverstone, chricky, why not my small step for mankind.
It?s probably the best thing I?ll do. And did I land on the yellow dot? You bet
I did? Aced it right in the middle?
(That?s probably the most sentimental
sentence I?ve ever written)
Anyway, made it - made it - made it - made
it!!! Well done plane, well done engine!
?Lima Papa vacate as
soon as possible left? ?Wilco.? I taxied across the grass and on to taxiway
?Papa?.
I lifted the canopy and held up my ?HBC? paper sign to
tell the marshals that I want to be directed to ?Home Built Camping?. Not that
Itzy was built at home, but I know what they mean. I was marshalled on and on
towards ?Papa 1? and the ?Home Built? area. But then they turned me around and
headed me back up towards ?Papa 2?. There was some confusion amongst them and
then
a John Deere Gator pulled up along side me and I stopped. A lady approached and
asked ?Hi there, where have you come from?? ?England? I said, hoping she would
believe me. ?No way!? See I knew she
wouldn?t. There was some discussion between marshalers and then she came back
and said, ?We are going to park you up near the Brown Arch. Would you like
that?? I pretended not to know where that is, but I knew and humbly said, ?Yes
that would be nice??
For those who don?t know, parking near
the Brown Arch is reserved for famous aircraft, well not famous aircraft, but
I?ve seen so many pictures of planes near the Brown Arch, like famous
Earthrounder Jon Johansons ?RV4?, ?Voyager 1? that flew around the world none
stop and so on and on.
There was a convoy of scooters and golf
carts and Gators following behind as I was marshalled in with about 200,000
spectators all wondering the same thing, like ?Who is that and where did he
come from and why all the fuss??
I pulled up in front of the arch well
just to one side, lets not get carried away, there were other aircraft there,
but I checked Itzy?s engine magnetos again, all present and correct, and
switched them both off. When taxing and manoeuvring you have to be in control,
with the mags switched off and the propeller stationary, you don?t and I
wasn?t. I had dared to dream this, dared so often just in case I never made it.
I mean I never expected to be hurt, but I could have lost the plane at any time
and almost did three times. Now it was not a dream. This was real, but still
too much for my fried brain. I just wanted to be on my own a while to gather
and preserve this moment and my thoughts, so I stayed in the cockpit with my
head in my hands sobbing like a baby. But I could do more of this later, there
were people waiting for me to get out.
Valerie greeted me again properly, she
was in control of this section of the flight line. She asked if there was
anything I needed, food water. I was given sandwiches and a drink. I extracted
myself from my immersion suit. Took off my thermals and put on some shorts and
a fresh T?shirt. Valerie said to grab anything I needed from the plane because
we had to leave this area for the start of the airshow and they were sort of
waiting for us. I grabbed my phone and video camera and was escorted to the
signing in tent. I met Alan, he took me through signing in. He asked me if I
was a member of the EAA, I wasn?t but thought I better join. I was given bags
of merchandise and a commemorative glass tanker and then was free to go and
mingle
with the crowd.
I?m not sure if you want to hear or read
more, I mean there, I made it?
That?s not the end of the story, not by
a long way? The rest of the day was pretty good too. But that?s where I?m going
to take a break? But as ever I?ll end with:
Thought for the day: We made it!!! I
didn?t care if it was the last but one day, I could fill in with thoughts what
it would have been like, the days I had missed. But to just be part of it, if
only a little part, that was enough?
Hope to see as many of you at Chino, if I make it.
Cheers Coli
