42 Vol.3 No.2 / Februar y 2014
LIGHT PL ANE WORLD
like this, don't simply tie down all weekend. Take time to see
the local sights. I decided to visit nearby Taylorville Airport,
a place I had never been to in 25 years of fl ying in Illinois. I
discovered a 24-hour credit card fuel pump and a deluxe pilot
lounge I could live in, at least overnight—everything you need
but a bed. What a great stop it would be for anyone traveling
cross-country.
RETURN TRIP ALONE
I was up at dawn the next morning. There's not a lot to do late
in the evening when camping under the wing, so it's easy to
wake up early. I packed up the still damp tent, wiped the heavy
dew of the wings, and prefl ighted the trike. I was ready to take
of 20 minutes after sunrise, but I was not the fi rst to fl y. Late
summer dawn fl ying is perfect for local crophoppers and those
heading home. The fl ight toward the rising sun in the morning
haze limited my visibility to about 5 miles, so I couldn't make
out my favorite conspicuous landmarks. Once confi rmed on
course by GPS, I fl ipped it of and enjoyed the challenge of fl ying
home solely by compass for a time. How often do we get to do
that? There were no controlled airports I could easily stumble
into and I was fl ying above the highest obstacle in this quadrant.
For a while I didn't know my exact location or recognize any
landmarks, but I resisted the temptation for a reassuring glance
at the GPS screen. It was my way of putting a little piloting
(and adventure) back into my aviation. See more pictures from
Tommy's Airpark in this
EAA picture album from 2010.
Please send your comments and suggestions to
dgrunloh@illicom.net .
Dan Grunloh, EAA 173888, is a retired scientist who began fl ying
ultralights and light planes in 1982. He won the 2002 and 2004 U.S.
National Microlight Championships in a trike and fl ew with the U.S.
World Team in two FAI World Microlight Championships.
Little girls like airplanes, too.
A Ragwing Special powered by a Rotax 503.
Photography by Dan Grunloh
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