The WASP were belatedly granted veteran status in 1977, and, in 2010, were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the United States Congress.

The WASP remain inspiring role models for today’s female pilots and astronauts.

	Go Home Little Fifinella: The Story of A WASP Trainee (Eco-Adventure) Winnie LoPinto wrote “Go Home Little Fifinella” as a young woman after returning from Texas in 1944 from her training as a WASP (Women’s Air Force Service Pilots). Her biographical account of her experiences as a WASP trainee in Sweetwater Texas is full of the language and favor of the time.
	I was a woman pilot in 1945 – A memoir of a WASP trainee A day to day account of the experiences of Winnie LoPinto as a WASP trainee at Avenger Field TX.
	WASPs: Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II This coffee table book combines 150 historical and contemporary photographs with stories collected from WASP veterans in the ’80s and ’90 tells the story of this World War II women pilots.

Dateline: August 7, 2004

Fliers make Merced stop

Female pilots on annual race through state

By Doane Yawger

Members of the International Organization of Women Pilots touched down briefly at Merced Municipal Airport during the first leg of an annual competition that began in Santa Monica and stopped in Red Bluff for the evening. The event winds up today in Bend, Ore.

“There’s nothing better than flying; I love it,” said Valerie Berg of San Diego. This being her first time participating in the Palms to Pines race, the 29-year-old flight instructor, who has logged 3,000 hours in the air, called the experience fabulous.

The association, known more informally as the 99s, has been conducting the race for about 20 years. Competitors are timed for each leg of the race and are required to at least fly past the Merced airport on their way north, although many stopped at TDL Aero offices at the airport for lunch after being up in the air for about 90 minutes.

Colleen Keller, 41, of San Diego has been competing in Palms to Pines for four years and has placed fourth twice. A pilot since 1992, she has logged 1,100 hours in her Cessna Cardinal. During the week, she’s an analyst for the Navy, doing operations research.

“What do I like about the race? Meeting other women pilots. It’s the camaraderie; the people are fantastic,” Keller said.

Ginny Watkins of Pensacola, Fla., flew into Merced with her daughter, Carol Jewett of Los Gatos. Watkins, 81, has been flying off and on since 1945, has participated in cross-country air races and spent many years flying with her late husband, a Navy pilot.

Palms to Pines competitor Debbie Cunningham of Los Gatos flew her Cessna 182 to Merced. She has competed in the race nine times and finished sixth one year.

A corporate jet pilot for a Fortune 500 company, she has flown all over North America, Canada and Mexico and has logged almost 8,000 hours.

“I like the challenge, traveling and meeting new people,” Cunningham said.

Kris deYoung, 57, of San Diego isn’t a pilot, but accompanied Keller for the first time on this year’s race. She said she’s interested in flying and joked that she knows just enough to be dangerous.

“I love the technical aspects of flying. I love being in an airplane and thought this could be fun,” deYoung said.

DeYoung helped Keller calculate her fuel needs, which are crucial. Because aviation gas weighs six pounds a gallon, taking on too much fuel would be like having an extra, unwanted passenger. Competitors had to have full fuel loads when they left Santa Monica on Friday.

Pat Gregory, 63, of Cupertino is the immediate past president of the Southwest section of the 99s, serving two years. This is her 10th year in the race; she finished sixth once.

“First off, I like to be in the air, and the women I’ve met, they’re incredible. I’ve met so many interesting people,” she said.

Gregory has only been flying for 14 years. She used to be a skydiver, but a neck injury was aggravated by parachute jumps.

She wanted to stay in the air, so she took flight lessons and bought a plane 12 years ago. Since then, she has flown her Cessna 172, a four-seat single-engine aircraft, all over the country, and even took a course to learn how to maintain the plane mechanically.

Earlier this summer, Gregory said, she took three weeks and flew to Atlantic City and back, stopping along the way to visit friends and relatives. She’s an eighth-grade science teacher at Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino.

Like many of her aviator friends, Gregory enjoys flying somewhere else for lunch. Hollister, by the way, is the best place for a chocolate milkshake, she said.

Propellor-driven planes represented in the air race include Cessna 172, 182 and Cardinal models, Piper Cherokee, Comanche, Warrior, Aero and Archer models, along with a Grumman Tiger and Bellanca Super Viking.

Former Merced resident Andy McCarthy, now living in Livermore, is vice chairman of the San Joaquin Valley 99s chapter, which stretches from San Diego to Geyserville. She said group members meet once a month and fly to different airports.

Lindy Bowles of Walnut Creek accompanied McCarthy to Merced to set up the luncheon. Bowles, 78, has been flying for 50 years and has logged 1,500 hours in the air. She’s a member of the group’s Hawaiian chapter.

Stressing that she just flies for fun, Bowles said some of her 99s friends will fly once a month to Monterey, Half Moon Bay, Napa, Santa Rosa or even Merced just for lunch.

Nancy Fouquet, 70, of Los Altos Hills authored three different Pilot’s Guide to Airport books and is a professional cartographer. Her family business covers 11 Western states and she has logged more than 1,000 hours flying, some of them scouting out different airports.

Fouquet characterized the 99s as an “oversized support group” and said members have lots of fun and mentor newer pilots. The 99s also conducts seminars for flying companions.

She said she grew up in an age where women were expected to stay in defined roles, but like many people, she did not take well to that. She has been flying for 40 years and has logged more than 1,000 hours in the air.

Associate editor Doane Yawger has been at the Merced Sun-Star for 35 years. He’s especially interested in transportation subjects including cars, trains and airplanes. We’d like to thank him for giving permission to reprint this story.

What would you do if your airspeed indicator slowed 80 knots and then, suddenly, moved to 140 knots, and you weren’t doing anything?

What Is This?

By Pat Gregory

The visibility was greater than 10 miles, and a bit windy with light turbulence around 3000 feet. I stayed at 5500 until I passed the Livermore Airport and headed Southwest for the Calaveras Reservoir where I would report in to the RHV tower. There was some fog in the Santa Clara valley, although RHV and Livermore were reporting clear skies.

As I approached the corridor behind Mt. Hamilton, I noticed my airspeed starting to decline. It continuously dropped and when it reached 80 kts, I thought, carb ice. So, I pulled the carb heat on and waited for things to clear up.

It didn’t.

I knew I was about 10 miles out of RHV, and had already descended to 3500 feet by that time. I also knew that Livermore was closer, so I diverted there to land. I called the tower controller and said I was losing airspeed and wanted to land there. He cleared me to land any runway and cautioned me that there was wind shear reported in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, I was trying to get as much altitude as I could so I’d have some chance of gliding there if the engine quit. After my 180 turn toward Livermore, my airspeed started increasing. And it kept on increasing, even though I was climbing. I eased the throttle back a bit. No effect, so I eased it back some more. Still the airspeed increased. I was doing 140 kts . By now, I was close enough to the Livermore airport to land, so I throttled back some more and started my descent to land.

I flew a normal pattern and landed without incident. I was able to taxi to transient parking.

The tower asked me to call, which I did immediately. Then I called my mechanic and left a message, and got a ride home, leaving the plane on the ground at Livermore.

My mechanic has checked out the plane and found nothing amiss. I also had the avionics shop check it over because my pitot-static check had just been completed a few days earlier. They also found no problems. I was able to fly the plane back to RHV with the engine and all instruments working perfectly.

I have filed an ASRS report and discussed this with several experienced CFIs. I suspect I may have experienced some severe wind shear. There was wind shear being reported at Livermore during that time. Another possible explanation is temporary blockage of the pitot port that may have cleared up when I executed the 180 degree turn toward Livermore Airport.

Here’s what Pat has to say about herself:

I’ve been flying since 1989 after I stopped skydiving. It was my way of staying in the air. With over 1000 hours and an instrument rating, I’ve been checked out in taildraggers and had a floatplane lesson.

I bought my beloved C172, Becky, in 1991 and learned how to do my own maintenance (all that is legal for me to do myself). I keep her hangared at RHV and try to fly every week. My favorite local place to fly is Hollister where I get the best chocolate milkshakes west of the Mississippi.

I’ve flown as far east as Maine and Daytona Beach, as far north as Fairbanks, and as far south as San Diego, although most of that was in Susan Larson’s C182 (Mikey).

reprinted with permission from the author.

There are dozens whose compelling stories and accomplishments make great reading. Here are a few.

	Amelia Earhart’s Daughters: The Wild And Glorious Story Of American Women Aviators From World War II To The Dawn Of The Space Age An overview of women as pilots and the special challenges they met in WWII through the Mercury Astronaut testing program
	Women Aviators: 26 Stories of Pioneer Flights, Daring Missions, and Record-Setting Journeys (Women of Action) Author Karen Bush Gibson profiles of 26 women aviators – Harriet Quimby, Bessie Coleman, Louise Thaden, Amelia Earhart and Pancho Barnes, Jackie Cochran and more.
	Women Aviators: From Amelia Earhart to Sally Ride, Making History in Air and Space Great stories and history about the record breaking women aviators from the early days of flying to current times by Bernard Marck
	West with the Night Beryl Markham’s autobiography is a true classic. Markham is known for setting an aviation record for a solo flight across the Atlantic from East to West-hence the title. She was also a bush pilot in Africa, sharing adventures with Blor Blixen and Denys Finch-Hatton of Out of Africa fame.
	Straight on Till Morning: The Life of Beryl Markham by Mary S. Lovell. After a childhood in Africa untrammeled by convention and almost devoid of education, she went on to run successful racing stables and to achieve fame as a record-breaking aviator – flying the Atlantic from east to west – hence the title.
	The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes by Lauren Kessler. Pancho Barnes lived a big, messy, colorful, unconventional life with three fortunes, four husbands, and countless lovers. She was a barnstormer, a racer, a cross-country flier, and a Hollywood stunt pilot. She was, for a time, “the fastest woman on earth,” flying the fastest civilian airplane in the world.
	Jackie Cochran: An Autobiography by Jacqueline Cochran. Cochran won numerous honors and set more distance, speed, and altitude records than any other woman aviator. She organized the WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilot) program in World War II and was the first woman to break the sound barrier. She was a phenomenon in flying and was truly a self-made woman.
	Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The True Story of the First Women’s Cross-Country Air Race by Gene Jessen. Tells the story of the first major female airplane race – nineteen women who set out from Santa Monica, California, in flimsy, propeller driven planes, with a mission-to be the first to cover the 2,759 mile course to Cleveland, Ohio. With skill and determination, the racers thrilled the nation and pioneered a new future and respect for female aviators.
	Night Witches: The Amazing Story Of Russia’s Women Pilots in World War II Based on eyewitness accounts, Night Witches recounts stories of Soviet women who volunteered for combat pilot duty and the role they had in defeating the Nazis during World War II.
	To Space and Back America’s first woman astronaut Sally Ride shares her personal experience of traveling into space and answers questions most frequently asked about a journey through space.

The Ninety-Nines celebrate Amelia Earhart as our first President as well as a founding member. We strive to continue her legacy with our mission to advocate and support women in aviation as well as sharing our passion for flight. Her example helped to combat the notion that flying is a men’s only occupation. She remains a role model and inspiration to challenge boundaries, overcome stereotypes, confront fears and pursue dreams.

	The Fun Of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation by Amelia Earhart. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. In her own words, Amelia shares her life and passion for flying.
	Last Flight – Amelia Earhart’s Flying adventures by Amelia Earhart. Written by Amelia and edited by husband George P. Putnam, Amelia shares her life experience from a personal point of view – her passions, dreams, hopes and fears.
	The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Mary S. Lovell. Judged by some to be the best Amelia biography, this book offers an engaging look at both Amelia’s achievements and her relationship with her publicist husband the flamboyant George P. Putnam.
	East to the Dawn: The Life of Amelia Earhart by Susan Butler. This detailed account of Amelia Earhart’s life and flight achievements was the basis for the movie Amelia, starring Hilary Swank.
	Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming. Explores Amelia’s life from childhood up until her last flight and the exhaustive search for her and her missing plane.
	Amelia Earhart: The Truth at Last by Mike Campbell. Presents new findings, eyewitness accounts and analysis, and never-before-published revelations about Amelia Earhart last flight and fate.
	Who Was Amelia Earhart? by Kate Boehm Jerome and David Cain. For younger readers (Grades 3-6), this book chronicles Amelia’s life and accomplishments from her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance.

Whether you are a new pilot or an old pro, you’ll have fun following the clues and finding the mystery airport.

Here’s how it works:

Go to the designated starting airport to pick up the clue sheet plus a list of Route questions whose answers can only be determined by flying over specific locations. The clues tell you how to fly along to reach those locations. The correct answers to the questions will help you to verify that you are on course.

The last clue directs you to the final airport where we all meet for lunch.

There will be a ‘bailout’ envelope in case you get hopelessly lost and want to join the rest of us for lunch at the end.

We will also have a list of Bonus questions that will test your basic pilot knowledge.

Answer sheets are turned in and reviewed. Whichever team has the most correct answers to the Route questions and the Bonus questions will be declared winner. The winning team will be awarded a PRIZE. (You must be present to win!)

It is a good idea to take several people up with you to help you look at the ground to find answers to questions like how many towers a building has, or what color something unusual is. You need people looking down, as well as for other planes. All participants are going in the same order for this flight; sometimes the airspace gets busy.

A mystery flight is tons of fun and will definitely add to your navigational proficiency.

By Peggy Thompson

Thought I’d share this story, since someone posted a question about rough landings and I discovered I was too embarrassed to share this, initially. Then I thought, ‘it’s all about learning and sharing and learning some more!’

During my PPL quest I completed a tiring first cross-country, 3.1 hours, and felt pleased with my trip, overall. I had cleaned up things on the return leg that needed improvement, leg times taught me what I needed to know, corrections made, VOR use was successful, etc. It was a hot stop in Modesto and though I had a little time to cool returning to Santa Rosa, my total usage of nerves, joy, and discovery had worn me thin, (wish THAT was literal!)

On downwind, with clearance to land, I heard that there was a small jet coming in immediately after me. From a previous landing at Napa Airport I recalled the phrase one controller used in regarding my station in the pattern to another aircraft, “…Cessna camped out on Final…” Well, that stuck in my craw, and on this afternoon I thought, “I will NOT be camped out on Final!”

Somewhere in my all-consuming reading of flight magazines, I’d read that once the nose is down it helps slow the plane down. So with that blip in my brain, I figured that once down, I’d get that nose stuck onto the ground and scoot off, clearing the runway for that fast jet! This was all I could figure to do to speed up the process, since I knew a Cessna needs its own sweet time to come down in a strong headwind.

Landing number one, rear wheels touched ground. Get that nose down, whoop! Whoop! WHOOP!!! The nose BOUNCED THREE TIMES!!! Each bounce raised the nose progressively higher! On the third bounce, ‘third time’s a charm.’ I got the heck out of there in a smooth go around. Anything felt smooth after THAT!!!

“WHAT AM I DOING WRONG? WHAT DO I NEED TO CHANGE?” Second landing attempt, same effect: no change, go around!

Next landing, same questions pounded my brain with even more urgency! Sweet, smooth ‘squeak, squeak’ of the mains, I exhaled, then ‘boing, boing, and BIIIIG BOING!’ One more go around!

“Santa Rosa Tower, One-Six-Echo, CLEARLY having difficulty landing…” I told them to call my flight school and my instructor’s name. I didn’t know what else to do, but to get instructions to fly around until my instructor could help me out. I was hot, tired, and obviously at a loss for solutions. With my need to get down growing with each landing I knew I had to relax on that idea, first of all! Second, I needed help!

“One-Six-Echo, I am also a flight instructor and can help you if you would like. We are calling your flight school as requested. What is your name?” I may not have the exact phrases here, but he asked me to tell him what was happening, I told him I’d been on a first cross country, jet on my tail, etc.

He so calmly suggested I complete a slow 360 about mid-downwind, and he talked me through this stage, and told me that they observed that on final I was not reducing my power enough. Oh, so I THOUGHT I was doing everything by the book, but in my rush to get down, I truly DID rush, and then had a rote pattern in my head for the next landing attempts! What a lesson!

My pattern was perfect, my final approach nice and Cessna-slow. My landing squeaked and my nose stayed OFF THE GROUND until it was good and ready to come down with me increasing the yoke pull gently until it was all the way back without raising the plane back into the air. My focus on the end of the runway and the nose: keeping that nose tip just at that focal point, and “AHHHH!” Textbook landing!

I thanked Tower and as I gently turned off the active I told myself to remember the excellent return flight and all of my achievements. That this was a lesson learned but that my solo cross country was a success and to hang on to that thought! Then I turned off the runway, now facing two fire trucks with all the guys and gals waving thumbs up! I waved back and then the wave broke, the welling in my chest gave way to a few tears, as the dangers became so visceral with the fire trucks there on the ready.

Taxiing back to the flight school, I again talked myself through the positive achievements. The heaviness in my chest felt pervasive, still I persisted in keeping the ‘get back in the saddle’ self-talk. The owner of the flight school kindly gave me a hug and said, “You need to know that the Emergency Response Team has only one response. Also, you need to know that they are actually grateful to get practice like that, not happy that it happened to you, but, just the drill…” He knew that was the hardest part of the landing, seeing the trucks! The rest was executed to the best of my (hot, tired) abilities, and lessons learned.

Humbled, crumbled and fighting to keep one foot in front of the other, I walked back to the building. My instructor had run from the school to the tower, he was up there during the final landing! Two women who worked at the school began gently unfolding their student pilot stories. I was amazed! These two kind women had gone on to get their licenses, so guess what! I got right back into it!!!

I booked a lesson for the next day, did some solo work after that, another cross country, night flight, instrument work, phase checks and CHECK RIDE!!!

Peggy Thompson, Private Pilot

p.s. In between all of this my father passed on, I thought it was sad he did not live to see me complete this. Upon completion I raised my thumbs up to the sun-roof of the Cessna and said, “I did it Dad!” and I swear to you, I thought he said, “I knew you would.” Now he flies with me all of the time. Happy Landings Everyone!

Peggy is a member of the Santa Rosa 99s. She passed her Private Pilot Land checkride on July 18, 2006. Reprinted with permission from the author.

When you are far away from the ground, you want to carry with you the things that will make you comfortable while still keeping the weight down. What you take depends on when, when and why you are flying.

Take a look at the following suggestions. You may want to add to your flight bag.

• Photo ID
• Logbook with certificate and medical in it
• Headset (with extra batteries if necessary)
• Sunglasses – avoid polarized ones as they can make reading instruments difficult.
• Electronic Flight Bag (iPad or Tablet), cell phone, and charging cords
• USB charger if plane is equipped with a 12v cigarette lighter port and/or backup battery
• POH
• Checklists
• Kneeboard with Paper or Notepad
• Lots of pens that keep falling to the bottom of the bag
• Watch
• Guide to light signals
• Fuel checker with a screwdriver
• Tire guage

• Water
• Chewing gum
• Emergency snacks
• Sunscreen
• Barf bags
• A couple of zip lock gallon freezer bags (for Barf bag disposal or emergency bladder relief
• Wet-wipe packets; paper towels
• Cheap Swiss Army type multi-purpose knife
• Small wrench or pliers for loosing tight oil caps
• Small first aid kit with disinfectant and band aids
• Eye drops, allergy tablets, ibuprofen or aspirin
• Flashlights with spare batteries
• Lightweight rain poncho
• Emergency survival kit with a compass, first aid kit, signal mirror
• Twenty dollar bill (for that day when you have to divert and realize you have NO cash) AND/OR
• Credit card

More Stuff

Other itmes to consider depending on your needs or the flight.

• Up-to-date paper charts and maps for the area in which you’re flying
• Foggles
• Timer
• Spare microphone
• Handheld radio/Transceiver with aux power cord and headset adaptor
• Radio – Hand held
• Glasses (if you’re wearing contacts and you have to remove them for some reason)
• Postit notes (for covering up failed instruments, bookmarking AFD, etc.)
• Camera
• Gloves (in the winter)
• Extra tools

By Lane Post

Dateline: Wednesday, middle of July.

I own 1/2 of a 1961 Cessna 182 which we keep at Palomar (CRQ) in Carlsbad, CA. It’s overcast with about a 1500′ ceiling and with my wife and youngest son, 18 years old, we are at the airport waiting for the clouds to break up. We’re heading to Chico State in Northern CA for freshman orientation. I’m a new VFR pilot with about 140 hours, what a great day!

About 9 AM the clouds break up and we depart heading to the coast then turn north to fly about 1 mile off the coast to stay out of restricted airspace over Camp Pendelton, my son is in the right seat, my wife is reading a book in the back. I call SoCal at 127.3 and pick up flight following, squawk xxxx. Everything’s great.

At 5500′ I point out the altimeter to my son, who has never before flown in a small plane, and explain we’re about 1 mile high and will climb to 10,500′ to get clear of the L.A. airspace. We continue to climb as I marvel at what a glorious day it is.

Somewhere south of the San Onofre Power Plant, SoCal calls with a frequency change handing me off to the next sector. As I’m about to acknowledge, my world is rocked by a huge explosion which causes the yoke to buck, the cabin begins to fill with smoke, and the plane starts to lurch wildly. I’m 1 mile over the ocean and approx. 6500′ high. The number 6 piston has just disintegrated and blown a huge hole in the engine casing. The entire engine is gone!

I open the window which clears out the smoke, the entire windshield is covered with oil and visibility is limited. Because I didn’t acknowledge, SoCal repeats handoff and I make that fateful call “SoCal, 8525T, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, my engine has blown up and my airplane is on fire!”

“How many people (souls) on board.”? “Three.” “I can direct you to Oceanside, heading 060”

I was close to panic and certain my family was dead. I knew “060” was a heading which referred to my compass but even as I stared at the compass I could not get it to register. I had already turned my plane around now heading south but could not make heads nor tails of the 060 heading. My training kicked in and I traded airspeed for altitude as I continued to try and figure out the 060 heading.

Somewhere around here I looked out my window and thru broken clouds I saw a huge “something” in the distance, I immediately radioed SoCal and asked “Is that Camp Pendleton at my 11:00”?

“Roger, do you want Camp Pendelton”?

“Affirmative, I’M GOING TO CAMP PENDELTON.”

It would not have mattered what he replied once he confirmed I was looking at an airport cause I never took my eyes off it and never even considered anything else. I was locked on an airport just a few miles away and allowed myself to start thinking we just might survive.

“Roger, 8525T cleared to Camp Pendelton, heading 120, standby….”

The 120 heading now registered although I didn’t need it cause I could see nothing but runway which was getting closer and closer.

SoCal handed me off to “Long Rifle” at Camp Pendelton and they cleared me to land. Once I got over the airport I spiraled down to my left never taking my eyes off the runway. BTW, my prop was idling/feathering since the engine blew, I had immediately pulled back the throttle to reduce the deafening metallic clanging coming from what remained of the engine and had no power.

As I descended I realized I would need to fly AWAY from the safety of the airport in able to make an approach and land. Believe it or not, this was the scariest part of the entire ordeal. I did not want to turn my back on the airport. I didn’t want to leave the safety zone but knew I must.

I headed east but because I was so scared to leave I turned base way too soon and found myself about 3500′(?) approaching a 300′ MSL threshold! I had no confidence in my ability to slip the plane, due to my inexperience and the condition of the engine, so I pointed the nose to the threshold and dove at about 3000 fpm. As I leveled out over the runway I could see all the red lights flashing from the emergency vehicles waiting at the end of the runway.

I told my son to crack open his door and both of them to put their hands on the release of their seat belts and to get out of the plane the instant it slowed down. I made a horrendous landing, way too fast, bouncing hard several times. We rolled to a stop and jumped out. The Marines were waiting to help and could not have been more accommodating. We were all fine, the plane was not structurally damaged but the engine (which had less than 500 hours) was totally gone.

The Marines said I was the first civilian to land there in almost 3 years and allowed us to keep our plane there for several months as a new engine was built, then installed. We (our mechanic) flew the plane back to Palomar many months later.

It took great courage for me to fly again after that. My confidence was completely shattered and the slightest funny sound from the engine still sends my heart right into my stomach.

I now have about 260 hours and my wife continues to fly with me. She was petrified for some time but her comfort zone slowly returned. My son just flew with me for the first time since the accident when I flew up to get him at Chico last month.

Almost 2 years have gone by to the day, since the engine blew and I continue to enjoy flying and recently went to Idaho and back, my longest trip yet. While there I flew thru Hell’s Canyon and landed on my first dirt runway. Landed at approx. 6 new airports (always a thrill) in both Idaho and Nevada and got there and back without incident.

Happy flying, hope you all enjoy the story, keep those wings level!

This story was first published on the Pilots-L mailing list reprinted with permission from the author.