i'm writing a book - right here!

[AAC Cadet Leader]

frankie bondo,
thanks! writing the chapter about channing was easy. all i had to do was write down what he said.

killian,
i don't know the fly-over status of the queen mary these days, but suspect it's a bit tighter.

yes, the queen mary did have open hotel rooms then, but i didn't stay overnight during my 1988 journey. however, i was lucky enough to stay aboard one night in december of 1984. sure is a neat place to stay, isn't it!

regarding the fleetwings seabird's jacobs engine, yes, it was noisy, as it was directly above the cockpit - but i don't remember having any trouble holding conversations with channing while we flew. and we went on three more flights together in that great old bird after my journey in the next two years and channing, his seabird and i were on the set of "the rocketeer" which was filmed in 1989. i hope to share more photos from some of those trips in the post-journey pages.

glad you like my pics.

now, continuing with the book...

__________________________________________________ ____

[AAC Cadet Leader]

1878 Miles Sitting on the Floor of a P-51



Here is a scan of the remarks section from the page in my logbook that gives a bit of insight to my expanded chapter titled, "The Things I Can't Tell You." One name and a few words have been omitted to protect the pilot (who may not care one way or the other). Until I get an okay from him, I'll leave the blank spots.



4 Logbook Entries:
_____________________
Flight #120; July 26, 1988; Year: 1944; Make: North American; Model: P-51; Engine: Rolls Royce; H.P.: 1650 (2000 w/ water injection); License No.: N*****; Origination: Chino Airport, Chino, California; Termination: Winslow Airport, Winslow, Arizona; Sky Conditions: hazy, hot; Altitude & Airspeed: 10,000'/280 MPH; Time at Take-off: 12 Noon; Landing: 1:45 p.m.; Elapsed: 1:45; In Control of Ship: 0; Landings 0; statute miles: 414; Remarks:


_____________________
Flight #121; July 26, 1988; Year: 1944; Make: North American; Model: P-51; Engine: Rolls Royce; H.P.: 1650 (2000 w/ water injection); License No.: N*****; Origination: Winslow Airport, Winslow, Arizona; Termination:Goodland, Kansas; Sky Conditions: windy, hot, stormy; Altitude & Airspeed: 14,200'/280 MPH; Time at Take-off: 2:15 p.m.; Landing: 5:15 p.m.; Elapsed: 3:00; In Control of Ship: 0; Landings 0; statute miles: 621; Remarks:


Post Flight Remark: I don't recall specifically why we did not fuel up at Goodland, Kansas before continuing onto McCook, Nebraska.

_____________________
Flight #122; July 26, 1988; Year: 1944; Make: North American; Model: P-51; Engine: Rolls Royce; H.P.: 1650 (2000 w/ water injection); License No.: N*****; Origination: Goodland, Kansas; Termination: McCook Airport, McCook, Nebraska; Sky Conditions: clear, blue, warm; Altitude & Airspeed: 6,000'/280 MPH; Time at Take-off: 5:30 p.m.; Landing: 6 p.m. (8 p.m local); Elapsed: :30; In Control of Ship: 0; Landings 0; statute miles: 118; Remarks:


_____________________
Flight #123; July 28, 1988; Year: 1944; Make: North American; Model: P-51; Engine: Rolls Royce; H.P.: 1650 (2000 w/ water injection); License No.: N*****; Origination: McCook Airport, McCook, Nebraska; Termination:Whittman Field, Oshkosh, Wisconsin ; Sky Conditions: clear, warm outside, roasting inside; Altitude & Airspeed: 11,500'/280 MPH; Time at Take-off: 12:40 p.m.; Landing: 5:30 p.m.(local time?); Elapsed: 3:50; In Control of Ship: 0; Landings 0; statute miles: 725; Remarks:


Post flight remarks: When the fuel truck at Oshkosh filled our tanks, it registered it had added 1/2 gallon more fuel than the usable fuel gallonage listed in the P-51 manual.

Though it may not sound like it, I am still grateful to have had this rare opportunity from the P-51 pilot who provided the longest rides of any of the 199 pilots during the whole journey. And I'm even more grateful to still be alive to tell about it.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 63
Friday, July 29
Wisconsin
Martha met Sandy Vogelpohl and Eric Friedebach and is staying the night in a hotel room of Jane and Ben Sheik from central Illinois. Jane is one of the organizers of the show and a 99 pilot. Martha gave a talk at the Women’s activity tent. Paul Poberezny stopped to see Martha. He was on his motorcycle with his 5 yr. old granddaughter named Audra. Martha was at the flea market when a woman there [Jenny Dyke] took her to the forum seminar tent next door.

Gordon Baxter was speaking to a crowd of people overflowing the tent. The woman made room for Martha up front. Gordon saw and recognized her after a while and invited her to the microphone. It was great fun and the thrill of a lifetime for Martha.

Day 64
Saturday, July 30
Wisconsin
A TV Star made a 30 min. broadcast at Oshkosh (shown channel 8, Sun 8-14-88). It is syndicated and will be shown at 30 stations next week. M had a 5 min segment on (radio?). M slept in a tent on the ground (very tired next day). Hardly any sleep—very uncomfortable.

Day 65
Sunday, July 31
Wisconsin
Martha made reservations at University of Wisconsin dorms where Oshkosh people are staying—4 mile bus ride to Oshkosh. She gave a talk to the Women of EAA today.

Day 66
Monday, August 1
Wisconsin




Live on 5 TV station interviewed Martha on the announcer’s stand as did a Cable TV Co. She saw an old 1918 replica of a SE-5 and took the Cable people over to it for the interview. A 46 year-old man dressed in a WWI outfit representing himself as a 91 year-old pilot who crashed on an iceberg owned the plane and it took him 12 years to restore it. It was positively uncanny for this to happen as Martha also used a very similar story to describe herself. [Frozen Barnstormer tale.] TV Cable shot them both and it was quite a happening! His name is Fred Jungclaus. It was almost midnight when they finished dinner at The Pirate’s Cove Restaurant at Oshkosh 3 miles into town. Before they left for dinner they hitchhiked from the campground and 15 cars jam-packed passed them by. The next car took them to the picnic area where 100 people from Sun ‘n Fun were gathered. Martha knew Billy Henderson (head of Sun and Fun at Lakeland), Bonnie Higbee, and Jack Deveroux, the writer from Aviation News, and his two daughters.

Star Cablevision
1623 Broadway Ave.
Sheboygan, WI 53081
Community Program Director, Kerry Kauftzer, 414-457-****

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 67
Tuesday, August 2
Wisconsin
Roscoe Morton, an announcer for the whole show invited Martha and Fred Jungclaus up to the stand where there were approximately 200 people gathered. Each in turn spoke of why they were dressed in vintage clothing, and what they were doing. People asked Martha if they were husband and wife and does she travel on the wings of Fred’s plane since it is a one-seater?

At the Fly-mart (flea market) Debbie Tennity took picture of Martha to put on the cover of FLYING magazine to go with her article in it by G. Baxter.

M met Paul Poberezny, the President and Founder of the EAA amd his daughter, Bonnie Judy.



He pinned his P-51 pin on Martha’s lapel, and she gave him a sterling silver AAC pin. Paul introduced her to Gene Soucy, an Eagle aerobatic pilot.

Jane Sheik, a 99’er and organizer of the show picked Martha up at the EAA Headquarters building and took her to the 99’s dinner. Martha won a 99’s windbreaker for coming the longest distance [by way of FL to AL, MS, AR, KS, OK, TX, LA, NM, CO, WY, ID, NV, AZ, CA, AZ, KS, NE to Oshkosh, WI].

She met Margerie Van Vleit who plans to fly around the world for peace. She is 65 years old.

Martha slept in Sandy and Greg Vogelpohl’s extra pup tent tonight, next to their family tent in the Oshkosh Fly-in Campground.

Day 68
Wednesday, August 3
Wisconsin
Martha was one of the volunteers on the “Operation Thirst” Project for 2 hours (taking water to the people flagging planes).

At the Fly-Market at Oshkosh, 5 vendors gave her a variety of things—WWII sunglasses and case, antenna mounts for a 1950 Cub to use as bookends, etc. Trade-A-Plane people were wonderful and wanted her picture taken with them. She met Dale and Dean Crites (twins) who soloed 60 yrs ago in an OX-5 Cub.

Martha was asked to speak at the Theater in the Woods for a gathering of 200 Women of the EAA. She was the last of 5 speakers and was very nervous. Her hands shook and her mouth was dry. Vern Jobst presented her with her membership card on stage from Paul Poberezny and his son, Tom who is President of the EAA Foundation. There were approximately 700 people in attendance and it was a great privilege to be invited to speak there.

Day 69
Thursday, August 4
Wisconsin
Mary Olson from Wisconsin offered to help with Martha’s costumes. She will sew a pair of jodhpurs for Martha and patch her flight suit.

Martha met Darrel and Margaret Rieth who lived across from Reich’s house on West 217 Street, the street next to ours in Parkview Village, where we lived until Martha was eleven. The Rieth’s now live in Minnesota. Mr. Rieth said that back in 1976, he saw Martha walking to Sundorph, the general aviation area of Cleveland Hopkins Airport with her backpack on. [I think he was the man who gave me a car ride to Sundorph Aviation when I was 18 years old to take my very first aerial hitchhike.] He and Mrs. Rieth were trying to remember who the pilot was who took Martha to the Islands in a Cessna 172. Mr. Rieth flew a general aviation plane.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

A Few Oshkosh '88 Photos











more to come...later

[AAC Cadet Leader]

And thirteen porta-potties overturned...eww.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

more oshkosh pics coming here soon

[AAC Cadet Leader]

[crankcase]

Originally Posted by AAC Cadet Leader

People asked Martha if they were husband and wife and does she travel on the wings of Fred’s plane since it is a one-seater?

My goodness, I hope you didn't contemplate any wing-walking during your journey! I recall with a shudder that terrible scene in "The Great Waldo Pepper".
CC