Thanks for sharing that ,Colin.....That's a brilliant account and you deserve a knighthood for getting through that ordeal at the border without a diplomatic incident.... Add a bit of sex and shopping and I guarantee Amazon e books will bite your hand off ! ATB Mac
On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 4:26 PM, colin hales via KRnet <krnet at list.krnet.org > wrote: > > > > 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 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You received this email because a Flickr member wanted to share something > with you. To report abuse, click here. > > > Flickr is a global photosharing community. Learn more. > > > > Your use of Flickr is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service and Privacy > Policy and the Flickr Community Guidelines > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 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 > > > > _______________________________________________ > Search the KRnet Archives at http://tugantek.com/archmailv2-kr/search. > To UNsubscribe from KRnet, send a message to KRnet-leave at list.krnet.org > please see other KRnet info at http://www.krnet.org/info.html > see http://list.krnet.org/mailman/listinfo/krnet_list.krnet.org to change > options >
