Flying Across America

t0r0nad0

t0r0nad0

Pattern Altitude
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
2,078
Location
Houston, TX
Display Name
Display name:
PJ Gustafson
Is anyone following these guys? They are running a good project. Check out their blog!

They'll be getting to Houston on Thursday, and spending a few days here to make an appearance at our D'Shannon Products Beechcraft Day at The 1940 Air Terminal Museum this Saturday (Spike! Dave! Bring your Beech's!). Not quite as amitious a project as Michael Combs and the Flight for the Human Spirit, but an effort to be applauded, nonetheless.

http://www.flyingacrossamerica.com

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N512R
 
I hope they have as much fun as I did. In may I completed a flight from LAS to AUG and return. I just did not post a blog about it.
 
Hey Everyone,

These guys had a last-minute change in plans and will be going to Tucson, AZ today (June 29) and Blythe, CA tomorrow (June 30). Is there anyone here from those areas that can set them up with a hangar overnight and a ride to/from a local restaurant and hotel? As an added bonus, if you could set them up with avgas and free accommodations, I'm sure they would appreciate it too.
 
t0r0nad0 said:
Hey Everyone,

These guys had a last-minute change in plans and will be going to Tucson, AZ today (June 29) and Blythe, CA tomorrow (June 30). Is there anyone here from those areas that can set them up with a hangar overnight and a ride to/from a local restaurant and hotel? As an added bonus, if you could set them up with avgas and free accommodations, I'm sure they would appreciate it too.
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Sheesh - a tank of gas for a 150. That's like, y'know, almost as expensive as a steak dinner! :wink2:
 
Sheesh, I wish I could get people to pay for my fuel when I flew to all three coasts.
 
EdFred said:
Sheesh, I wish I could get people to pay for my fuel when I flew to all three coasts.
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Publicity Ed, all you needed was publicity. :cool2:

Tell everyone you know the trip is to promote GA, write a blog, tell the papers, collect the money. :goofy:
 
Missa said:
Publicity Ed, all you needed was publicity. :cool2:

Tell everyone you know the trip is to promote GA, write a blog, tell the papers, collect the money. :goofy:
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I didn't think my trip was that big of a big deal. Now if I were flying circumpolar non-stop or something in my Comanche...then we're talking. But coast to coast? Yawn.

This does remind me though, I do need to get some aluminum sheets to start building the ferry tanks to make the SFO - HNL flight.
 
EdFred said:
This does remind me though, I do need to get some aluminum sheets to start building the ferry tanks to make the SFO - HNL flight.
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Hey, if that works can you maybe add something so I could air refuel off you. I need to get to Hawaii, too!
You wouldn't cost as much to hire as an aircraft carrier, would you? :idea:

Barb
 
I flew across the country and back and all I got from non-flying folks was "Why would you do that???"
 
EdFred said:
I didn't think my trip was that big of a big deal. Now if I were flying circumpolar non-stop or something in my Comanche...then we're talking. But coast to coast? Yawn.
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See, even you think it's a yawn so why should others think differently? If you want publicity and money you need to come up with an angle, just like Missa says. :idea:

Years ago I met a couple of guys somewhere in Illinois who were flying from Alaska to Florida in ultralights. Now that's a cross-country. :eek:
 
Everskyward said:
See, even you think it's a yawn so why should others think differently? If you want publicity and money you need to come up with an angle, just like Missa says. :idea:
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Hmmm... Crabby Bastard Across America? :wink2:
 
EdFred said:
I didn't think my trip was that big of a big deal. Now if I were flying circumpolar non-stop or something in my Comanche...then we're talking. But coast to coast? Yawn.
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You might think of it as a yawn but if they can convince people that it's something and part them from their money, more power to 'em.

You're just jealouse you didn't figure out how to get someone else to pay for your fuel on the last cross country you made. :D
 
I don't see them as doing much of a job, just going around having fun flying a 150 coast to coast. But that's exactly it - find an angle that people like. Hey, I'd love to do a trip like that sometime. But I think I'd prefer a Cub.
 
Everskyward said:
See, even you think it's a yawn so why should others think differently? If you want publicity and money you need to come up with an angle, just like Missa says. :idea:

Years ago I met a couple of guys somewhere in Illinois who were flying from Alaska to Florida in ultralights. Now that's a cross-country. :eek:
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This I agree with.
 
Missa said:
You might think of it as a yawn but if they can convince people that it's something and part them from their money, more power to 'em.

You're just jealouse you didn't figure out how to get someone else to pay for your fuel on the last cross country you made. :D
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Unlike you, I don't expect things from others. Also, learn to spell, cause.....damn.
 
EdFred said:
Unlike you, I don't expect things from others. Also, learn to spell, cause.....damn.
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:dunno:Funny I don't expect things from others, but I am grateful when I receive things from others and I always try to pay it forward.

I gave up trying to spell years ago, I haven't been able to get the embedded spell checker to work and for a two senteance posts that most people will be able to read and understand with the errors, I don't bother cutting and pasting into word.

What I don't understand is the off topic juvenile personal attacks that you insist upon at every turn or do you just like flaunting the ROC here?

Now back to the regularly scheduled topic…
 
Missa said:
:dunno:Funny I don't expect things from others, but I am grateful when I receive things from others and I always try to pay it forward.
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Ed certainly knows how to pay it forward, that shouldn't be in question. Look at the LifeLine/AngelFlight missions he's done that speak for themselves. You (or anyone else) wouldn't know about them in general because he doesn't talk about them.
 
I took some tiny little slow airplanes across the entire country. 3 ercoupes and a Piper Colt. And a lot of C182s, and other things but they have a good range, so it's not as many stops.

I wish I had had time to sight see at each city.... But I was getting paid... so didnt wanna slack off.

Oh well... I'm sure I'll get a chance to see it all..
 
Wow, I'm kind of surprised by all of the negativity towards this project in this thread, but sadly, I shouldn't be. It's what has come to be the norm from quite a few people on this board, which is why I don't post here that often anymore or invest a lot of time in reading all of the posts.

You guys may see this as two people trying to convince idiots to part with their money to pay for them to fly across the country and back, and to be honest, the thought crossed my mind too. But, after talking with these guys and meeting them in person, they are doing more than that. They are really making an effort to speak to groups of pilots and non-pilots alike at each of their stops to let people know that GA is not strictly for the affluent to have an expensive hobby. They are letting people know that GA can be affordable and can be an effective personal travel tool. They are offering rides for kids and discovery flights at each of their stops to get people into a small plane to experience aviation first-hand.

Seeing the look on this kid's face and hearing how his parents talked about aviation after his ride makes my contribution to their trip worthwhile, IMO:

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In one day at the museum, they introduced a young kid to flight - something that will stay with him forever, and got another pilot who hadn't flown in a long time current and proficient again, with a fresh flight review so he can go back to flying. These things ultimately benefit GA, and let's face it, these days GA can use all of the benefits it can get.

Rant over... you can go back to your regularly scheduled belittling now.
 
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t0r0nad0 said:
You guys may see this as two people trying to convince idiots to part with their money to pay for them to fly across the country and back, and...

They are letting people know that GA can be affordable
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Then they shouldn't need to ask for any money. :rofl:

No offense to them, because you don't get if you don't ask, but I look at this of the equivalent of someone paying me to participate in my hobbies. It's not a fundraiser for St Jude's, or Mr Stanley's Pan-Mass, or Angel Flight, or anything else that's benefitting someone less fortunate. It really comes across as "I'm flying across the country, pay me to enjoy it." But hey if people want to give em money for it that's fine, I just look at it as rather weak.
 
Sorry your nose is out of joint, but somehow the idea of flying around to, "...let people know that GA is not strictly for the affluent to have an expensive hobby" while relying on donations to do it kind of seems incongruent.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Ed certainly knows how to pay it forward, that shouldn't be in question. Look at the LifeLine/AngelFlight missions he's done that speak for themselves. You (or anyone else) wouldn't know about them in general because he doesn't talk about them.
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Did I say that he didn't?
 
I've been following these guys' project for a few months now. I follow their blogs m0a, PlasticPilot and was particularly compelled by Vincent's story of coming from Switzerland to fly across the US. I also admire Jason's sheer self-promotion, he's really working it on m0a. It's not that they're flying across the US that's remarkable, it's that they're writing about it, sharing pictures, networking with folks along the way. It looks like fun. I particularly enjoyed their recent posts about flying across the mountains, because I just got back from a mountain trip. Also flying through Houston, about 5 miles from where I grew up and where I've flown GA myself. I finally got around to sponsoring the guys on their trip myself. Maybe that makes me a sucker, but I've enjoyed reading their blogs more than most aviation magazines.
 
NelsonMinar said:
I've been following these guys' project for a few months now. I follow their blogs m0a, PlasticPilot and was particularly compelled by Vincent's story of coming from Switzerland to fly across the US. I also admire Jason's sheer self-promotion, he's really working it on m0a. It's not that they're flying across the US that's remarkable, it's that they're writing about it, sharing pictures, networking with folks along the way. It looks like fun. I particularly enjoyed their recent posts about flying across the mountains, because I just got back from a mountain trip. Also flying through Houston, about 5 miles from where I grew up and where I've flown GA myself. I finally got around to sponsoring the guys on their trip myself. Maybe that makes me a sucker, but I've enjoyed reading their blogs more than most aviation magazines.
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Welcome to the sucker's club - I'm glad to be right there with you and supporting these guys.
 
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