i'm writing a book - right here!

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom’s Log
Day 4
Tuesday, May 31
Alabama to Mississippi
Martha calling from Mississippi 10 p.m. Jay Smith flew Martha from Mobile, Alabama at 11 a.m. to Meridian, Mississippi in a 1954 Cessna 170. There she learned about Al & Fred Key and their historic endurance flight over Meridian, Mississippi in a Curtiss Robin monoplane.



[In June of 1935, the two brothers named Fred and Al Key set a world record for endurance in the air, by taking turns sleeping and flying in shifts in a borrowed Curtiss Robin monoplane, named “Ole Miss” that they re-fitted with a 150 gallon fuel tank and a catwalk framework around the front of the plane. While aloft, one of them would do the flying while the other would actually brave the wind and elements a few times a day, walking outside of the cockpit on the catwalk, adding oil to the engine and fueling the tanks from a gas hose that was lowered down to them from a similar plane. Food and other supplies were also lowered to them by a rope. The two brothers remained in the air over Meridian, Mississippi doing this for 27 days and nights! When they finally landed on July 1, 1935 at 6:06 p.m., a crowd of thirty to forty thousand people on the ground cheered them and the Meridian Airport was re-named “Key Field.” Their world endurance record still stands today.]

TV Channel 11 taped Martha at Key Field at 1 p.m. and a woman newspaper reporter interviewed her. Mark Blackwell, pilot gave Martha a tour of downtown Meridian and they had dinner at an 1870 restaurant called Weidmann’s famous for their Black Bottom pie!



On the six o’clock local news, the television station in downtown Meridian did a 3-minute live interview of Martha in their studio.

She and Mark Blackwell returned to the airport and met with Donald Fairchild with his 1961 Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Mark sat in back and they flew to Pontotoc, Mississippi. It was a very hazy, calm flight at dusk into dark. It was a bit scary on their short final approach. It was a night landing and Martha thought the plane was much higher in the flare-out than it actually was.

[My eyes were playing tricks on me and it looked as if the plane was about ten feet above the ground during the flare, judging from our angle to the runway lights going by. I braced myself for a hard slam of a landing and had a very spooky feeling, thinking we were about to drop it in from a high flare. I was very relieved, though puzzled at my misjudgment when Mr. Fairchild greased the landing. That night-time optical illusion of thinking we were much higher than we actually were happened to me only once before – when I was a student pilot practicing some of my first night landings with my instructor, Steve Hale, at Akron Municipal Airport back in the summer of 1978.]

Day 5
Wednesday, June 1
Mississippi to Arkansas 11:15 PM
Left Pontotoc –Ch 4 news crew and 4 reporters interviewed Martha giving four pilots Air Adventurers Wings (silver) and taking the AAC pledge. Pilot Fred McCall flew from Pontotoc to an airfield called Twinkletown Municipal in Walls, Mississippi (near Tennessee-Arkansas border) in his 1946 Aeronca Champ.




Newsmen were there taking photos. Steve Prindle sent a fax to news people. James Reeves was waiting and he and Martha and Fred McCall went to lunch at a little hometown café with home cooking and talked planes. James Reeves flew Martha to Little Rock, Arkansas in his 1956 Champ.

Martha had dinner at Red Lobster with Emmy Hall and couple that owns FBO on field. Martha is staying the night in Mrs. Emmy Halls’ condominium. She is feisty lady in her 60’s who owns a plant that manufactures pressure oil tanks. Emmy Hall was a pioneer aviatrix who taught many WWII pilots to fly together with 10 other women instructors. She is a 99 and has many antique aviation contacts in Bartlesville, Okalahoma. Her friend Kay Newth organizes air races.

[Mrs. Hall shared her wonderfully interesting aviation scrapbook with me on her front porch the next morning, before I left. She had an old invitation to a banquet with her name printed nearby Roscoe Turner’s on a list of dignitaries.]

Day 6
Thursday, June 2
Arkansas and Oklahoma
Bob Perry - 1946 Fairchild - flew Martha from North Little Rock to Fort Smith, Arkansas on border of Oklahoma. It was a one and a half hour flight over river at approximately 400’ above ground level with hills on both sides. Fantastic ride. David Taylor KPOM Channel 24 Fort Smith, Arkansas and landed at 10:30 AM – 3 network news channels were there and 3 newspaper reporters, approximately 10 people on ground. (They arrived 45 minutes late) (Bob and Martha) William Moore, an original correspondent, a quadriplegic pilot and instructor welcomed her. He designed and had patented controls (aircraft?) for quadriplegic individuals. Martha presented him with one of the ten pins reserved for extraordinary support people. He gave the next pilot $35 to buy her the “best lunch in Tulsa” since the weather was deteriorating and he encouraged her to fly on soon. He gave her roses at the airport and said that he had a cake at his house he had baked for her, but suggested she keep flying in order to beat the weather.

Wolf Grulkey, an editorial cartoonist and printer in his Aeronca 1946 flew Martha to Tulsa, Oklahoma to Harvey Young Field. On the ground to greet them was one TV station, two newspaper people and Mike Huffman, an acquaintance of Martha’s from EAA’s Sun ’n Fun Florida fly-in.

[insert photos of wolf grulkey, kent felkins and harvey young field]
also photo of tulsa fbo - window guys waving]
Martha met Kent Felkins, a fireman for a late lunch. He will fly Martha to Bartlesville tomorrow. Kent drove Martha to dry cleaners where she dropped off her antique jacket, skirt, blouse and jodhpurs. No charge for dry cleaning - donation of services for Martha from any member of the International Fabricare Institute. The clothes will be ready in the morning. A woman employee there is sewing the rip in Martha’s skirt. Martha said she is thoroughly exhausted and put on her blue jeans, t-shirt, and plain shoes to take a rest from having to explain to everyone why she’s dressed in vintage pilot clothing.

[After dropping off my clothes at the dry cleaners, Kent took me to a sports bar. The news segment filmed earlier in the day at Harvey Young Field when Wolf Grulkey dropped me off there in his Aeronca came up on the TV set over the bar – it was sort of funny to see myself on TV while we ate our sandwiches. I'm usually gone to the next place by the time the news stories come on. Afterwards, I asked Kent to take me to nearby Tulsa International Airport so I can make more phone calls from their pay phone because I'm meeting Mike Huffman for breakfast there in the morning and Kent thought the FBO there might have a pilot lounge where I could sleep.]

She made several calls to next possible pilots from the lobby of the Tulsa International Airport. One man at the airport asked her if the phone was stuck to her ear. Kent will meet Martha in the late morning back at Harvey Young Airfield. Tonight she is sleeping on a couch in the locked office of the manager who runs the FBO at nearby Tulsa International Airport. But he doesn’t know she’s in there. The line crew told her it would be okay, and that the manager wouldn’t mind if she slept on his sofa. She said she feels safe and comfortable, but completely exhausted.

[Roryanimations]

Hi Martha, This site seems to have some eccentric attitude to illustrations: today I saw a lot of drawings that weren't there yesterday but on the other hand only page 12 of the "12th and 13th pages" you promised today!! I really like these sketches and wonder if they can also be incorporated in your final draft. Have you read Bill Bryson's Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid? (well, obviously not, although it might keep you awake longer than most!!). I mention it because he puts a random newspaper quote at the start of each chapter, which is how I was envisaging you using the Mom log (it would be interesting to see an extract of that as well, by the way - or have I yet to find it in the thread?).

I will see if I know anyone who can help find a publisher. At the appropriate moment, you will probably need an agent to act as your intermediary as nowadays publishers really don't look at "unsolicited" submissions, but you can still get a publisher ready to receive, so to speak.

Anyway, as you are no doubt a founder member, I guess you can rely on Insomniacs International to give the book plenty of publicity come the day

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 7
Friday, June 3
Oklahoma
Kent Felkins flew Martha from Harvey Young Airport in Tulsa to Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

Martha was on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news last night in Tulsa. A woman receptionist from the FBO was about to drive Martha to meet Kent at 9:30 a.m. Before they drove off from the parking lot of the airport where Martha phoned from and slept last night, approximately thirty men in a large meeting room on the second-story were waving at her from the windows and then began clapping as she was loading the truck with her luggage. She was taken aback and did not know how they recognized her in plain clothes. The woman told Martha to go upstairs and meet them, so she did. There were approximately a hundred people in the room who were attending a maintenance class for Boeing 767 mechanics in training. One of them explained that some of them had seen Martha on the news story the night before and had recognized her. They said they thought what she was doing was neat. She swore them in to the Air Adventurers Club as a group and passed out an inch stack of membership cards. This was one of the best thrills of her adventures so far.

Kent Felkins flew Martha in J-3 1940 Cub to Bartlesville. Charlie Harris, the chairman of Bartlesville Biplane Association Fly–In greeted them when they landed. Martha is staying the night in a hotel six miles away from the airport with Joy and Hal Owens from Yukon, Oklahoma. Joy is an artist and she drew a caricature of Martha at the fly-in. (see letter and photo and poem in the photo envelope).

At the Biplane Fly-In, Eric Freidebach 21 years old, dynamic person, who sells Stearman parts and has a business in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, took video of Martha and Lea Abbott, an 81 year-old pilot with the replica he built of a 1910 Curtiss Pusher from Texas. Martha and Mr. Abbott were dressed in the same era aviator clothing. Lea towed his flying machine from Texas behind his motor home and flew it at the fly-in. The pilot sits out in the breeze on this primitive airplane.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 8
Saturday, June 4
Oklahoma
An exhausting day. M took many photos and talked with many of the antique airplane owners at the fly-in to gather possible leads for rides. She rode in 3 planes today. Martha met two astronauts, Ken Cameron and Marsha Ivans at the fly-in. Marsha flies a Stearman and autographed a special page in the back of Martha’s logbook, as well as her silk scarf which has the signatures of a few of the famous pilots she has met.

The awards banquet was $12.50 and they had a “People’s Choice Award” for the best plane. Martha saw Jim Kimball and his wife, who she knows from Florida. They arrived at the event in the Stearman that Martha lettered with gold leaf a few months ago. Martha flew with Jim today in this plane.

[Jim Kimball and his wife, Jane flew in from Zellwood, Florida in the beautiful, maroon 1943 Stearman which Jim recently restored at his world-class restoration facility, located on his own grass airfield in Tangerine, Florida. Mike Danforth is an orthopedic surgeon who owns the Stearman which he has named, “Amazin’ Grace.” There is a powerful sound system inside the biplane. A cassette tape plays a haunting bagpipes rendition of Amazing Grace as it flies through the air. It can be heard from the ground and the biplane is really something to see and hear.

A couple of months ago, before my journey began, I did some lettering jobs on three vintage aeroplanes at Bob White Airfield in Zellwood, Florida. They have a great motto on the sign there, "a grass strip forever.” One of the most difficult gold leaf jobs I ever did was on Mike Danforth’s Stearman. In a hot, humid, corrugated tin hangar, I lay on my back in midair on a twelve inch-wide plank positioned between two ladders just beneath the upper wing, gilding fancy flourishes on the upper wingtips in 23 carat gold leaf as well as the words “Amazin Grace” on the sides of the fuselage. Today, this Stearman won the People’s Choice Award at the Biplane Fly-in. Jim Kimball is well-known for his perfectionist standards in antique airplane restorations. I feel privileged and proud to have had a part in that Stearman's final appearance.




Tomorrow, in Iola Kansas Martha will attend a Chamber of Commerce celebration in her honor, 6 to 8 p.m. at Iola Airport. This evening Martha stayed at Hotel Phillips $61.00 Room 528. [A nice hotel, but a sterile, claustrophobic experience and too expensive for my budget. In hindsight I wished I had stayed at the airfield under a wing.]

Bob Carpenter, Lee Spencer’s friend from Oswego, KS called here at 9 p.m. He flew to Bartlesville with Don Garen in his 1983 Beech. He talked to Martha and said she is doing something very worthwhile that will develop into something very big. His daughter toured Europe and is now settled in Kansas. He is the man with the short haircut.

Day 9
Sunday, June 5
Kansas
Martha spent the night at Lee and Lois Spencer’s home in Iola, KS. (L-4 Piper?) She made a lot of phone calls to try to find next rides.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 10
Monday, June 6
Kansas
Iola, Kansas Chamber Of Commerce reception for Martha-very exciting! Five planes, and pilots Dan Murray-1928 Travel Air, Jack Greiner-1929 Travel Air, David Lamb – 1942 Taylorcraft, Gordon Conger – 1956 Piper Tri Pacer from Coffeyville to Chanute in a loose formation flight. Martha was in [Greg Shelton's Harvard,] the last plane, smoke system trailed and the take-off was almost straight up. TV cameras caught the whole show and showed two minutes of it on air at 11 p.m. Met 4 pilots from Texas. One invited her to stay at the hotel he owns when she gets there. He said she could have the best room and it is one of the top ten-rated hotels in the world, in Fort Worth, Texas, the Stockyard Hotel. The pilot(s) were Greg Shelton 1952 Canadian Harvard just like an AT-6 military WWII trainer, a powerful old warbird.




John Pierce, a corporate pilot with a 1948 Ercoupe, flew Martha from Chanute to Iola, Kansas. He called here on Wed. 6-8-88 to say there are no Spartan Executives (airplanes) in Tulsa. Vernon Foltz has a list of owner and addresses. It was manufactured in Tulsa before WWII and none are left in Tulsa.



Day 11
Tuesday, June 7
Missouri to Kansas
Martha stayed at an FBO – Fixed Base Operation –where she slept overnight in a tiny, dark room at the airport made for a napping place for corporate pilots. They call it the “snooze room.” It had a twin bed with navy blue sheets and a reading lamp over the bed. Down the hall, was a large bathroom (w/ shower) that was twice the size of the snooze room. At Kansas City, Missouri – downtown field where “Super Connie” a four-engine transport is being restored by a group of volunteers. Paul Pristo, original owner of the Lockheed Super Constellation. A 1940 huge passenger turbo-prop. Constellation volunteers are getting ready for Oshkosh this July. Cost of restoring is $90,000. The group is called “Save a Connie.” Some are retired stewardesses (flight attendants) aged 45 to 60 yrs old.

Gerald Griggs flew Martha to Wichita from Beech North in Wichita, KS.

Martha stayed in motel near the airport $26 in Wichita, KS. USA Today and Associated Press wire this morning “Barnstorming Zellwood woman artist calls first leg ‘magical.’” Orlando local paper and radio Wednesday morning.

Flew to Beech Factory in Wichita – no reception – cool – did not expect her or hear of her. Got a ride to Mac Donald’s then drove her to her motel.

Paul Pristo flew Martha from Kansas City, Missouri to Wichita, KS in a 1963 Cessna 310.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 12
Wednesday, June 8
Kansas
TV and newspaper people met at Beech Factory and landed five planes. Martha in 1939 Tiger Moth - Sid Tucker pilot. Beech Factory people very excited – all joined in the pledge etc. At the Beech Factory a very tall student pilot veterinarian – came into to TV scene with Martha, after Martha approached him and found out he was lost. He took the pledge and she interviewed him on TV. Great fun and color!!



Much different reception from yesterday’s tour. Gerald Griggs in his 1937 Aeronca K flew Martha to Riverside Airport to see Lear Jet pilot training facility called “Flight Safety” where jet pilots are trained to fly at $300/hr. Gerald Griggs teaches here. Martha used the Learjet simulator $3,000,000 computer generator for 45 minutes –no charge – she did loops – rolls – buzzed towers and runways and crashed. She logged the time in the back of her logbook.

Kay Alley a 99 and corporate pilot from Kingman Airport, Kansas who also flies for Angel Flight, which donates their flying services to cancer patients and their families for necessary hospital treatments. She met Gerald Griggs and Martha and Gerald Dowd at the Learjet Factory and all went to lunch.

Kay took controls of simulator for 15 minutes. They talked with John Holmes – head of Flight Safety at Learjet. Kay is sending me a tape. Kay drove back to Riverside, Kansas and Gerald Griggs flew Martha to Pond Creek, Oklahoma in his 1937 Aeronca K. Temperature outside was 110º. The little 65-horsepower plane put-putted to Pond Creek, Oklahoma 80 miles south of Wichita. (1/3 of Wichita population is employed at Boeing 727, Learjet, Beechcraft or Cessna.)

At 70 mi./hr. until 5,000 [feet altitude] where it was cool. They landed at Pond Creek after flying over 100 miles past huge farms in Kansas and landed in a grass strip. A Grumman Ag Cat spray plane – pilot 31 yrs old – and 5 farmers asked what they were doing there. Martha asked if this was David Kirk’s place. They said he was their competitor crop duster and that he was in Nebraska. Jim D. took Martha to town and treated her to a soda pop and ice cream cone. Martha showed the farmers the Flying Mag. article and they said “wow” a celebrity! Martha was given the use of Jim’s pick-up truck and his sister’s house for the night. His sister was a still at work but the house was open. The town is quaint-night out of a 1950’s movie. 1950 cars, old signs-ghost town atmosphere. Tomorrow Jim is going to teach Martha to cropdust and she will fly to Will Roger Airport at noon and go to Amelia Earhart’s Memorial in Oklahoma City – home of the 99’s.

[Kilian]

Getting closer to the Cornhusker state

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Spray Pilots
Day 13, June 9, 1988, 6 p.m. Written in the AAR Pilot Lounge-Snooze Room that overlooks the runway at Will Rogers Airport, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where I’ll RON (remain overnight) tonight.

Yesterday began with an exciting formation flight - well, more like a small gaggle, really. The gaggle was arranged by my new friend, Kay Alley, a terrific lady King Air pilot who flies for “Angel Flight” a charitable air operation that takes sick children and their families where they need to go. Kay is yet another pilot introduced to me through Lee Spencer and his home-grown aviation journal. I did not fly with Kay, but we had lunch together and a tour of Flight Safety with one of her friends, Gerald Griggs, who instructs in Learjet simulators there. Kay made a lot of telephone calls the night before to line up some rides for me with friends of hers and she got the local TV news crews and newspaper reporters to come out as well.

Whenever reporters show up, a little more excitement is added and a few aviators flying their aeroplanes becomes an event. And what better place to host such a quickly-arranged event, than in Wichita, Kansas, the very town where Clyde Cessna, Lloyd Stearman, and Walter Beech came together in the 1930’s and employed thousands in the business of small aircraft manufacturing.

My first flight of the day was with Sid Tucker, who, in his light blue 1939 DeHavilland Tiger Moth, hopped us six miles over from Beech Factory Airport, (where I last landed yesterday), to Beech North Airfield, where we all came together. There were three other vintage aeroplanes waiting for us at Beech North, along with “King Air-Kay” and the TV and newspaper crews.

After Sid and I arrived, and the news crews interviewed everyone, we stood together and had a little pilot briefing to plan out the series and timings of our take-offs for the cameras. Our succession was to be as follows: In the lead was Sid, solo this time in his Tiger Moth; 2nd came a young stylish couple dressed in vintage aviation apparel that matched their 1930’s Pietenpol Air Camper – darnit, I missed getting their names; then Gerald Griggs and myself in his 1937 Aeronca K; a camera news helicopter; and one more…



The fifth in our gaggle, taking up the rear, was to be a 6'5" 290 lb. thirty-five year old, student pilot with an old Cessna 170 who told us during the pilot briefing, “A half of an hour ago I was lost over Wichita and just happened to land here at Beech North Airfield because it looked like an uncontrolled grass airfield where I couldn't get into too much trouble. Then, when I taxied up and saw the news crews waiting, I thought I was in real trouble!”

We invited him to join us in the fun, and help us put on a show for the TV cameras, so long as he kept his distance from the other planes, made a good take-off, and promised not to get lost again while following us. Somehow, I missed getting his name, but did get his picture. If anyone recognizes this guy, please call his wife and tell her he might still be on the ground in Wichita, needing a ride home.

Gerald and I lost sight of our other "formation" pilots and said goodbye to them over the radio during our westbound flight. We landed on yet another Wichita airport called, Riverside Airport, which in my opinion should be named, Riverside “Sidewalk” since the runway was barely wider than one.

Kay Alley caught up with Gerald and myself, met us on the ground there, and the three of us had lunch at a swanky, rustic place near the little airport. Afterwards, Gerald treated Kay and me to some Learjet simulator time at Flight Safety, Inc. In the back of my logbook, I logged .7 hours of simulator time and Gerald signed it with his CFI endorsement.



King Air Kay did well at the controls doing a couple of instrument approaches under the hood. When my turn came, I knew I'd be a lost cause flying instrument in the thing, so I asked Gerald if it was possible to fly it by visual references. With the press of a button, Voila! Looking out the windscreen beyond the packed panel of buttons, knobs, throttles and turbine temperature gauges, a nighttime runway lit up and looked so real and three-dimensional—I felt I could almost reach out and touch the lights as they went by my peripheral on take-off run. For 45 minutes I lasted, flying through transparent grain elevators and buzzing the farm silos, until I plowed us into the ground while attempting a 70-degree bank at 300 feet altitude and 300 knots airspeed. Suddenly, a jolt and all the blinky lights outside went to black. Best quarter I ever played! Okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly in keeping with the vintage aeroplane theme, but it was strictly a local flight, so I didn't break my rules.

By contrast, later that afternoon Gerald and I barely putted over the trees on takeoff from “Riversidewalk” Airport in his 65 horsepower antique Aeronca K. The weather was beautifully clear and sunny, but over the hundred degree mark. Heading south over flat farm country, the little fabric two-seater rode the updrafts and downdrafts like a fragile kite. No other aircraft I'd ever been in was so affected by the rising and lowering air currents as this one. I was flying the little bird the lazy way, with my right hand on my lap, and my left hand on the trim tab adjusting the up and down, while my feet on the rudders did the back and forth. Gerald said he was just
along for the ride.



It felt good up at altitude at a thousand feet or so, and the cooler air temperature on my skin reminded me that I was not watching the altimeter. It also brought my attention to the smooth, but definite elevator ride we were taking up four hundred feet, down five hundred, up three hundred, down two hundred. Unless I’m taking a flight test or giving instruction, I’m not that concerned with holding the altitude right on the money—I guess I too, was just along for the ride. And Gerald didn't seem to mind the numbers going up and down. He was off-duty from his Learjet training job.

It also didn't faze him in the least that I didn't have a destination in mind before we took off. We decided to head in the direction of Oklahoma City and choose a good drop-off point along the way. About three quarters of an hour into the flight, I pulled the air chart out of the seat pocket behind Gerald and opened it up. "Okay, where are we?" I asked.

"Right about here," he said, putting his finger down on a little town in northern Oklahoma called Renfrow. I studied the chart and noticed a familiar name of a town about twenty miles ahead.

"Pond Creek! It seems to me I got a letter from a man in Pond Creek inviting me to fly with him…" I dug my Rand McNally out of my bag and opened it up to Oklahoma. "Sure enough—Pond Creek!" I showed Gerald my map with a little blue sticker and the name "Kirk" written on it, next to the crossroads called Pond Creek. Thinking hard, I recalled that the letter was from a crop duster and pipeline pilot. "David Kirk. That's who that is. That would probably be a good place to land."
continued...

Spray Pilots continued

"Okay," Gerald said. "Do you think the airport's got gas? I'm gonna need some to get back to Riverside."

"I don't know. Let's see what it looks like on the chart. I think it's just a little private dusting strip."

"Well that shouldn't be a problem. Any crop duster is bound to have gas to keep his planes tanked," Gerald stated.

On the air chart I located two unpaved airstrips on either side of the little town of Pond Creek. "Hmmm. I'm not sure which is the right one, but the one on the west side of town is called 'Pond Creek,' so let's fly over it and see if it looks like it's got gas."

As we approached the airfield, we could see a yellow Ag Cat sitting out by a fuel truck and three or four people near it. "This must be the right field—it looks like a lonely little duster strip," I said.

We landed and taxied up to the four men by the Ag Cat and shut down. The obvious spray pilot was standing straddled over the cockpit, pumping gas through a hose from the fuel truck into the top wing of the chalky yellow spray plane. He was handsome, blonde and tan, in his twenties, wearing faded blue jeans and a gas-spotted striped shirt. The other four guys looked like the official airport bums as they stood, shaded by the upper wing from the beating late afternoon sun, leaning over his lower yellow wing, just as if it was a bar in a saloon. The young pilot looked like their bartender they were telling their day to.



They all looked in our direction with smiles of curiosity as we taxied up to them after landing on the grass strip. Gerald and I climbed out of the little Aeronca. Holding up my map, I directed my question toward the pilot, who was still fueling his plane, "Are you David Kirk?"

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Spray Pilots continued...
The pilot and his bar buddies broke out in an explosive burst of laughter. When they stopped, the pilot stated in a slow, confident drawl, "No, I'm not David Kirk!" More laughter as his buddies were doubled over, howling.

"Why is that so funny?" I asked.

As he put the gas cap on the wing tank he confidently answered pointing the gas nozzle eastward, "David Kirk's my competition! His strip is about five miles that way. My name’s Jim Deterding and my strip is the one marked Pond Creek on your map. Why are you looking for David Kirk?—Who are you?—And why are you wearing those weird pants and boots?"

Gerald and I joined in the laughter and I explained David Kirk's invitation for me to fly with him and my pursuit of rides in antique aeroplanes, and so on...

"You don't want to fly with David Kirk—you want to fly with me!" he proclaimed.

"Oh? And why should I fly with you?" I inquired.

The peanut gallery leaned over their yellow bar, obviously enjoying the entertainment. The pilot gave me several worthless reasons why I should fly with him instead of his competitor in the crop dusting business and said that when he finished spraying at sunset, he would take me into Enid (the nearest “big” town) for dinner and dancing—but only if I'd wear different pants. Then he sweetened the pot with an offer of the guestroom in his sister's house, unbeknownst to her, assuring me that she would welcome my company. And if she wouldn't, I could sleep on the couch in his living room or camp on his airfield—whichever I preferred.

I must confess I was flattered by Jim’s progressive bidding for my company, against his competitor spray pilot who wasn’t even present. And after Gerald gassed up his plane, he told him that he owed him nothing—the gas was "on the house."

With that show of generosity for Gerald, I decided to stay.

As Gerald passed overhead back toward Wichita, and I waved goodbye, the spray pilot instructed his buddies, "Load her bags into the back of my truck and drive her to my sister's house. And if her house is locked, let her into my house. And turn on the AC for her."

"Is your sister home?" I asked.

"No, she'll be home around 6:30," he answered, as if it was no consequence.

"Well, I don't want to go into her house if she's not there!" I said.

"Why not? She won't care."

"I'm not going into her house!" I replied.

"Okay, well then, go to my place."

As one of his buddies drove me away, Jim yelled, "Relax and make yourself at home! Watch TV! Use the phone! Read my magazines! And don't leave town! I'll be through flying in about at hour."

His friend dropped me off at Jim's house and left. The front door was wide open. I paused for a minute, thinking how strange it was that someone would leave his house wide open. Well, maybe it's not so strange in this town. This town looks like Opie 'n Andy's Mayberry.

I was also feeling funny about going into his house when he wasn't home and I'd just met him ten minutes earlier, but he seemed so insistent and nonchalant about it back there at his airfield, so I put my apprehension aside and went in. I dropped my bags on the floor, turned on the AC, and eyeballed the cropduster magazines and the phone on his rolltop desk. Though I felt like a trespasser in a stranger’s house, his words repeated in my head and reassured me I wasn’t doing anything wrong. "Use the phone! Read my magazines!"

His only aviation magazines were trade magazines for spray pilots. I sat at his desk and leafed through them. The articles were about bugs and chemicals, and the ads showed pictures of heavy farm machinery and spray planes, no Cessna Citations, no latest Burt Rutan designs, no Piper Cubs, no old fighter planes.

The telephone beckoned me, so I made two calls. First, my daily "Mom call," second, a local Pond Creek call to Jim's competitor. Three rings and a man answered. I cleared my throat, "Uh, hello, is this David Kirk?"

"Yes it is, who's this?"

"Hi David, this is Martha Esch. Guess where I am?!," I said, thinking that a guessing game might lighten his reaction or give me a minute to think of how I was going to tell him where I was.

"I don't know—Utah? Where are you?"

"Uh, would you believe at Jim Deterding's?" my voice cracked.

"Deterding's!? What in the world…" (or something like that) "...are you doing at Deterding's!?"

"Uh, well I sorta mistook his airfield for yours. You know, it says 'Pond Creek' on the chart for his field and I remembered that you were in Pond Creek, so I just figured that this was the right place—so this is where we landed," I said apologetically.



[to read the rest of this interesting chapter, you'll have to buy my printed version. ~m]

~

Mom's Log
Day 13
Thursday, June 9
Oklahoma
Martha swam in Pond Creek municipal pool before it closed yesterday at dusk. Afterwards Jim Deterling took Martha to dinner at 10:00 PM. At Holiday Inn and then disco dancing until 2:00 AM – not much sleep. Slept on living room sofa at home of Peggy (Jim Deterding’s sister). She lives in the house next door. At 6:30 AM David Kirk buzzed overhead the house in his cropduster ag plane. He took Martha up and the ride was thrilling! 10’ over ground and river and David’s horses, cows and planes.

Mike Wise came in the late morning from Wichita to Pond Creek in his 1955 Cessna (a charter pilot in a tail dragger) and they flew to Oklahoma City. Martha is staying at the FBO lounge tonight at Oklahoma City Airport. She called the president of 99’s today to see if she could see the Amelia Earhart display at the 99’s Museum. She had not heard of Martha and seemed cool to the idea, (museum closed today) but arranged a special appointment to allow Martha to tour the museum, as she won’t be there on Saturday when it is open.

[insert here expanded chapter on "The Scariest Thing that Happened to Me During the Whole Journey" not yet written. have only told a few people about it and been avoiding writing it til now, but it needs to be included.]

Day 14
Friday, June 10
Oklahoma
Piper Twin Commanche or Bonanza Shirley and Charlie Brown in Bonanza took Martha to their lovely home in Oak Tree Golf Course, Edmond, OK. (PGA) will play there this summer. Martha stayed the night. Shirley is the chairperson of the 99’s in Texas. They took M for a tour of the 99’s Museum Headquarters. They pulled out Amelia Earhart’s pilot license, bracelet, and a locket of her hair and offered Martha a chance to hold them. Whoa!

The first Cleveland air show in 1929 was the beginning of the 99’s. Amelia and five other women pilots beneath bleachers and discussed starting an organization of women pilots. They sent out letters across the country and a total of 99 women joined up at the 1st meeting. Tomorrow at 8:30 AM, 4 or 5 women of the 99’s Oklahoma chapter are going to meet at the airport ramp and wave Martha off to the Denton, TX air show. Retired Col. Bill Porter will fly Martha in his 1948 Cessna 195. Martha officially joined the 99’s today.

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Mom's Log
Day 15
Saturday, June 11
Oklahoma & Texas
[Morning flight 9:25 - 10:40 a.m. with Bill Porter in his 1948 Cessna 195 from Will Rogers Field to Denton, Texas.]
Joe Roselle 1941 WACO UPF7 at the Denton, TX air show Martha met correspondents Gary Neeley from Austin and Mark Hagan from Wichita Falls, TX. Both had written from the TRADE-A-PLANE ad. Gary flew Martha to Edna Gardener Whytes’ home in Roanoke, TX in his 1943 Stearman and Mark or Joe flew alongside in his 1940(1941?) WACO UPF-7. Martha photographed Mark Hagen as he flew alongside. He flew in super close formation very decisive flying.

M is staying the night at E.G. Whyte’s home. A very interesting place, with walls lined in air racing trophies she won in 1920’s and 30’s and since. Edna is famous in aviation world and has her 120 Cessna and 140 Cessna in her garage-hanger. (She parks her car outside.) Edna is 87 yrs old and has taught 5,000 pilots and is still teaching flying. She has logged 34,000 hours in air time.

Gary Neeley is picking Martha up in the morning and taking her to Waco, Texas. Edna gave Martha her biennial flight check-up.

Day 16
Sunday June 12
Texas
M stayed in Neeley’s guestroom after Waco, Texas Airshow.

Day 17
Monday, June 13
Texas
Day off [did not fly anywhere today] – swimming with Gary in Austin, Texas.
3 TV stations had good coverage at Austin Airport, showing Gary’s beautiful (WWII Army colors) – also newspaper in Austin.

Day 18
Tuesday, June 14
Texas
Martha called from FBO in La Porte, TX. Gary flew M to Houston where Anita De Villegas a French woman flew M in a 1946 AT6 600 HP warbird at her airport to La Porte, TX where Martha tried to get a ride out to De Ridder, Louisana. No ride was available and the TV station and newspaper people were waiting in Louisiana at 7:00 PM for her. Bob Frazier will fly her out tomorrow at 9:45 AM in his Stinson Voyager 1947.



Day 19
Wednesday, June 15
Texas to Louisiana back to Texas
Arrived at DeRidder, Louisiana at Bonnie Swamp Smith’s elegant home. M met he and his wife, Sharon at the Stearman Convention in Pensacola on her stop there on May 29th. Bob Frazier and Martha landed on Smith’s grass strip amid cow pastures, steers, bulls and horses and the mayor of De Ridder was there and gave M the key to the city! Newspaper man interviewed them. Smith’s lovely home has Persian rugs – also two huge bear rugs – from their world travels. Smith flew M to Lufkin, TX in AT6 – 600 h.p. warbird. It was her third AT-6 warbird ride.

They arrived at Angelina City Airport in Lufkin, TX at 4:45. Were greeted by news people and air traffic controllers and Sandra Rathbun (see letter 4-6-88 to Lee Spencer). She is editor of “The Southwest Flyer” and area supervisor of Lufkin FAA Flight Service Station. Sandra and Martha are going Honky Tonking tonight and two-stepping - different from the Florida dancing. Texans do side to side dancing.