{"id":7939,"date":"2013-08-02T10:17:20","date_gmt":"2013-08-02T15:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fitzvideo.com\/sky_surfing\/?p=7939"},"modified":"2013-08-02T10:17:20","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T15:17:20","slug":"a-flight-to-eureka-kansas-on-the-fall-river-in-the-flint-hills-by-brian-fitzgerald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/2013\/08\/02\/a-flight-to-eureka-kansas-on-the-fall-river-in-the-flint-hills-by-brian-fitzgerald\/","title":{"rendered":"A Flight to Eureka, Kansas on The Fall River in The Flint Hills by Brian FitzGerald"},"content":{"rendered":"

Rules Are Meant To Be Broken<\/h4>\n

I don’t<\/strong> necessarily\u00a0subscribe<\/strong> to the above aphorism<\/strong> but since it is used by many<\/strong>, it seemed like a catchy way<\/strong> to start this story.<\/p>\n

During the Fun Flying Season<\/strong>, the majority<\/strong> of my flights<\/strong> are on Saturday<\/strong>. I don’t decide<\/span> where<\/strong> I will fly until Thursday<\/strong> or Friday<\/strong> of the week when the weather<\/strong> for that coming Saturday<\/strong> can be best predicted<\/strong>. As dictated by The Sky Surfer’s<\/strong> “Fun Flight Prevailing Wind Method<\/a><\/strong>” (FFPWM)<\/em>, I get up before dawn<\/strong> and fly to a destination<\/strong> up wind<\/em> of my home field Selby Aerodrome<\/strong><\/a>. At sunrise<\/strong> I have found the winds<\/strong> to be negligible<\/strong>\u00a0near the surface<\/strong> of the earth. I fly to my chosen destination<\/strong> under<\/span> whatever\u00a0wind <\/strong>might be aloft<\/strong>. Then after touring<\/strong> the desired location<\/strong>\u00a0I\u00a0<\/span>ride the wind home<\/span> (now a tail wind)<\/em> as it typically\u00a0increases<\/strong> during the mid day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

My Flight\u00a0To Eureka\u00a0Would Break The Rule<\/h4>\n

Because there was also a Fly-In<\/strong>\u00a0scheduled\u00a0that same day<\/strong> for\u00a0Noon<\/strong> at Alley Field<\/strong> in Douglass, Kansas, <\/strong>I had to break my rule<\/strong>. In order to make both<\/span> venues<\/strong>, I would have to go to Eureka<\/strong> first and then swing back to Douglass<\/strong> before returning<\/strong> to my hangar<\/strong>. As the wind<\/strong> would be from the South Southwest<\/strong> that day I would be riding the wave<\/strong> at the beginning<\/strong><\/span> of the day<\/strong> instead of at the end<\/strong>. At the end of the day it worked out fine<\/strong> but for Future Fun Flights<\/strong> I’m sticking with the FFPWM<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The Sky Surfer<\/strong> Sporting His New Black Blinkers<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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15 Minutes Later – The Extreme Low Angle Shot<\/p><\/div>\n

Production Problem: “Perfectionism”<\/h4>\n

The previous two shots<\/strong> are no “great shakes”<\/em> to look at but were included<\/strong> to give you some insight<\/strong> into a bane of The Sky Surfer’s<\/strong> existence – “Perfectionism”<\/strong>. Since my path to Eureka<\/strong> would require me to fly directly<\/strong> into the rising sun<\/strong> I figured it would be an excellent opportunity<\/strong> to test out the new\u00a0Batman Black Goggles<\/strong> I had bought the previous winter<\/strong>. I wanted to document<\/strong> the introduction<\/strong> of this new piece of Sky Surfing Paraphernalia<\/strong>. I decided I would put my camera<\/strong> on a mini-pod<\/strong> and use the timer<\/strong> to take a picture<\/strong> of me wearing<\/strong> said goggles<\/strong>\u00a0in front of the plane with the sunrise<\/strong> behind<\/strong>\u00a0before setting out. Sounds easy, right?<\/strong> It should have been… 15 minutes later<\/strong> with 9 shots taken<\/strong> I ended up with a couple of “OK Pix”<\/em> just to show the goggles. Next time<\/strong> I’ll just lay the puppies<\/strong> on the picnic table<\/strong> – one shot – and we’re done… “Perfectionism”<\/em> doesn’t necessarily mean\u00a0perfection<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The East Side of Derby, Kansas<\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

If you look closely<\/strong> at the photo above you will see the rising sun beating hard<\/strong> against the sides<\/strong> of some of the houses<\/strong>. Also, you can see the reflection<\/strong> of this sunlight<\/strong>\u00a0off some<\/strong> of these walls<\/strong> onto the street<\/strong> in front of\u00a0them.<\/p>\n

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Eureka<\/strong> is 60 miles away right in line<\/strong> with the sun<\/strong>. The Sungoggles<\/strong> are working!<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cook Airfield<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Between Derby<\/strong> and Rose Hill, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> is Cook Airfield<\/strong><\/a> which you see above. I shot this with my telephoto<\/strong> as I skirted the South<\/strong> side of their pattern<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The South<\/strong> side of Rose Hill<\/strong>. I am at 1,000′ AGL looking Southeast<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Wearing sun-goggles and looking into the sun puts a whole new light<\/em> on a cloud layer.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This train<\/strong> snaking its way from parts East<\/strong> caught my attention.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Getting to see cloud formations<\/strong> of this beauty from this higher angle<\/strong> is one of the joys of flying.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Crossing Highway 77<\/strong>, I see Augusta, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> under my left wing. I am at 900′ AGL looking North<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Backlighting Can Be Beautiful<\/h4>\n

In photography<\/strong> and movie making<\/strong>, what we call “back lighting”<\/em> is a more advanced technique<\/strong> for accentuating<\/strong> subjects<\/strong>. It is nothing more<\/strong> than replicating<\/strong> under “controlled circumstances”<\/em> what happens<\/strong> in nature<\/strong> all the time. As I approached<\/strong> the intersection<\/strong> of Highways 400<\/strong> and 77<\/strong> I saw<\/strong> the sun reflecting off Hwy 400<\/strong> where it heads East<\/strong> (to the right)<\/em>. I flew<\/strong> to a spot where I could position<\/strong> the “back light”<\/em> for the picture below.<\/p>\n

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Airpark Estates<\/h4>\n

Just after concentrating<\/strong> on the “art shot”<\/em> above I noticed an airfield<\/strong> to my left I used to land at in the “old days”<\/strong> (1980’s)<\/em>. I didn’t know the owner very well but some of the guys I flew with did and we would drop in from time to time. This was back when I hangared at The Glider Port<\/strong>. The field has changed ownership at least once and \u00a0is listed on AirNav<\/strong> as Airpark Estates<\/strong><\/a>. It is the field abutting the highway<\/strong> to the left<\/strong> of the Church<\/strong> property.<\/p>\n

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Airpark Estates<\/p><\/div>\n

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Cars At The Crossroads<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u00a0The Sky Surfer In His Element<\/h4>\n

Perfectionism<\/strong> concerns welling<\/strong> up again, The Sky Surfer<\/strong> was worried<\/strong> that his sunrise work<\/strong> to show you his new “sun-goggles”<\/em><\/strong> would not pan out. Below is the “best of 4”<\/em> attempts at a backup shot in case that early effort was “no go”. Even though the two photos<\/strong> starting this report were overkill<\/strong>, The Editor<\/strong> decided to include the picture below as an “atta boy”<\/em> because The Surfer<\/strong> seemed so pleased<\/strong> with himself.<\/p>\n

Note the fast-spinning fan<\/strong> mere inches<\/strong> behind his head<\/strong>. Now<\/span> we know where all the hair has gone!<\/em><\/p>\n

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Hidden Assets<\/h4>\n

When young<\/strong> I observed that School Busses<\/strong> only appeared<\/strong> in the morning<\/strong> and the afternoon<\/strong>. Other than those two times, they mysteriously disappeared<\/strong> and could not be found. Now that I fly with The Eagles<\/strong>, I have f0und their hiding places<\/strong> and reveal<\/strong> them to you as I discover<\/strong> them. Yet another item<\/strong> in a young boy’s on-going quest to find The Meaning of Life<\/strong> – checked off.<\/p>\n

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Leon, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> From 800′ AGL Looking South<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

The Flint Hills From On High<\/h4>\n

After passing Leon<\/strong>, it was just me, The Majestic Sky Above<\/strong> and The Fantastic Flint Hills Below<\/strong>. Is there a better place to be with a camera?<\/p>\n

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A “GlennView<\/a>” of The Flint Hills<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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Reese, Kansas<\/strong> – Remote<\/strong> and small<\/strong> enough NOT<\/strong> to have its own website<\/strong> OR<\/span> to be listed in WikiPedia<\/strong>. How cool is that?<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Jet Stream<\/h4>\n

Since approaching Leon<\/strong>, I had been carried along by a pretty strong tailwind<\/strong>. This is why you see these shots<\/strong> being taken from 1,000’+ AGL<\/strong> when I usually shoot the morning pix<\/strong> at about 10′ Above Ground Level (AGL)<\/strong>. For me, the tailwind<\/strong> that reached as high<\/strong> as 35 mph<\/strong> that morning<\/strong> was like being in the Jet Stream<\/strong>! Eureka<\/strong> is 61 miles from Selby Field<\/strong> and I got there in about 40 minutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Eureka!<\/p><\/div>\n

Primo Strip<\/h4>\n

Lt. William M. Milliken Airport <\/strong><\/a>of Eureka, Kansas<\/strong>\u00a0is one of the nicest<\/strong> of the small town airports<\/strong> in Kansas<\/strong>. The surface is well maintained<\/strong> and the grass<\/strong> is cut as nicely as a golf course<\/strong>. There is 100LL<\/strong> and Auto Gas<\/strong> on the field and they have a car<\/strong> you can use to drive<\/strong> into town<\/strong>. If you are looking<\/strong> for a place to go for a Fun Flight<\/strong>, I can’t give it a better recommendation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Dedication<\/h4>\n

Originally<\/strong> known as Eureka Municipal Airport<\/strong>, it was re-named Lt. William M. Milliken Airport<\/strong> in tribute to the Eureka native<\/strong> who lost<\/strong> his life<\/strong> while pilot<\/strong> of a B-24<\/strong> named “Model T”\u00a0<\/em>in World War II<\/strong>. In their first<\/strong> combat flight<\/strong> over Germany<\/strong>, they were attacked by enemy fighters<\/strong>. After a furious air battle<\/strong> in which their tail gunner<\/strong> was killed,<\/strong> the Liberator<\/strong> suddenly exploded<\/strong> killing everyone<\/strong> aboard with the exception<\/strong> of co-pilot\u00a0Robert Darnall<\/strong> who was blown clear<\/strong> of the\u00a0wreckage.<\/p>\n

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Lt. William M. Milliken Airport<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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Finally with the sun at my back, Eureka, Kansas<\/strong> from 900′ AGL looking Southwest<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Eureka Moment<\/h4>\n

As I scanned the scene<\/strong> below to make sure I had taken suitable<\/strong> aerial photos<\/strong> before landing, I saw a track<\/strong> of some type on the Southeast<\/strong> side of town. I<\/strong> suddenly realized<\/strong> I had been there<\/strong> before…<\/p>\n

Eureka Downs<\/h4>\n

In the late\u00a01980’s,<\/strong> my in-laws<\/strong> had interest in horse racing<\/strong> and even raced<\/strong> a horse<\/strong> named “Jerry Jack”<\/em>. In that decade,\u00a0Eureka Downs<\/strong>\u00a0had a series of financial<\/strong> and political<\/strong>\u00a0ups and downs<\/strong> as did the sport throughout the region<\/strong>. I had the idea<\/strong> they might be a candidate<\/strong> for TV Advertising<\/strong> and spent some effort<\/strong> shooting film<\/strong> at a few races in order to put a campaign idea<\/strong> together so I could make a presentation <\/strong>to the management of Eureka Downs<\/strong>. My timing<\/strong> was bad<\/strong>. About the time I was doing this (1988-89)<\/em> the track<\/strong> ran into serious debt<\/strong> as other larger tracks<\/strong> opened in the region and drew<\/strong> away their horses<\/strong> and crowds<\/strong>. A good article can be read HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

It all came back<\/strong> to me\u00a0the moment<\/strong> I shot the picture<\/strong> below.<\/p>\n

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Eureka Downs<\/p><\/div>\n

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After taking one more picture of Eureka<\/strong> I turned back to the Northwest<\/strong> to enter the pattern to land<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Lt. William M. Milliken Airport<\/strong> – Looking Northwest<\/strong> from 900′ AGL<\/p><\/div>\n

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Pulling off the active at 7:30 am<\/p><\/div>\n

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Shooting<\/strong> into the sun<\/strong> again. After tying down the plane, I took this picture and then set off on my walk<\/strong> to Eureka<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Tallgrass Prairie<\/h4>\n

Believe it or not<\/em>, I actually like to walk<\/strong> from the airport<\/strong> into the towns<\/strong> I visit. As I suspected<\/strong> when I landed<\/strong> (and found to be true when I returned)<\/em> Milliken Airport<\/strong> has a loaner car<\/strong> to drive into town. But, because it was early<\/strong> and I didn’t want to wake anyone up<\/strong> AND<\/span> because by walking into town I get a better understanding<\/strong> of the territory – I elected to walk into town.<\/p>\n

Although there is a road<\/strong> leading into town just East<\/strong> of the airport, I decided to take the short cut across the natural prairie flora<\/strong> I spied from above between the airport and town. About 15 minutes<\/strong> into this adventure<\/strong> it became quite evident<\/strong> this would have been better<\/strong> attempted wearing long pants<\/strong>. (Earth to Brian: It IS called The Tall Grass<\/strong> Prairie)<\/em> Anyway, I came through the experience<\/strong> without meeting any rattlers<\/strong> or carrying away any ticks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I took this series<\/strong> of\u00a0photos<\/strong> so you could see some of the plants<\/strong> that live around Eureka<\/strong> and the general look<\/strong> of The Flint Hills <\/strong>in its natural state.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Entering Town<\/h4>\n

After walking<\/strong> through the tall grass<\/strong> for about 20 minutes<\/strong> I finally reached the outskirts<\/strong> of town. The water towers<\/strong> are positioned on a ridge at the North<\/strong> end where I entered.<\/p>\n

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Great Timing!<\/h4>\n

Just as I walked<\/strong> into a neighborhood<\/strong> on the North<\/strong> side of Eureka<\/strong>, a light shower<\/strong> commenced. As I showed in previous pictures<\/strong>, there were rain clouds<\/strong> all around on the flight<\/strong> up. I could have hit rain<\/strong> in the air<\/strong> or got soaked<\/strong> out in The Tall Grass<\/strong>. Instead the rain<\/strong> waited<\/strong> until I had the benefit<\/strong> of a large tree<\/strong> over the sidewalk<\/strong> as an umbrella<\/strong>. The temperature<\/strong> was warm<\/strong> and the light rain<\/strong> fell straight down.<\/p>\n

As I waited for it to stop<\/strong> I looked across the street and saw a guy<\/strong> and his dog<\/strong> sitting out on a porch<\/strong> taking it all in. It was Bill Bumgardner<\/strong> and his new puppy Bella <\/strong>– a “Chi-Chi”<\/em> – part Chihuahua<\/strong> – part Shih Tzu<\/strong>. I walked over and introduced myself and we talked for a while. Bill<\/strong> is a certified mechanic<\/strong> and has also worked the oil patch<\/strong> as a Driller<\/strong>. After about 5 minutes<\/strong> the rain stopped. I gave Bill<\/strong> my card<\/strong> and said I would look<\/strong> for him if he was still outside on my return<\/strong> to the airport<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Bill and Bella<\/p><\/div>\n

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Unfortunately you cannot see her very well in this picture but Bella is sitting on Bill’s right leg.<\/p><\/div>\n

A Town Greeter<\/h4>\n

A couple of blocks later<\/strong> I was told to “move along”<\/em> by the\u00a0dachshund<\/strong>\u00a0seen below. He was not impressed with my journalistic mission<\/strong> but only interested in performing his job<\/strong> of keeping strangers away from the Home of His People<\/strong>. I appreciate<\/strong> that, paid my respects\u00a0<\/strong>and moved quickly away.<\/p>\n

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Main Street Eureka<\/h4>\n

Plenty of buildings<\/strong> made of my favorites<\/strong>: Stone<\/strong> and Brick<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

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The United Methodist Church<\/p><\/div>\n

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I like this Post Rock<\/strong> embellished bench\u00a0Emprise Bank<\/strong> put on Main Street<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Some Do – Some Don’t<\/h4>\n

As I passed this work truck<\/strong> I happened to notice this\u00a0dog<\/strong> occupying his place<\/strong> on the flat bed. Unlike the dachshund<\/strong>, he didn’t mind me at all.<\/p>\n

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Christ Lutheran Church<\/p><\/div>\n

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This building looks to be from the 1950’s. The pumpjack out front is used on oil wells that are recovering oil relatively close to the surface.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Christian and Congregational Church<\/p><\/div>\n

The Greenwood Hotel<\/h4>\n

A decade<\/strong> was spent restoring<\/strong> this fine old\u00a0edifice<\/strong>. You can read<\/strong> more about it on their website HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The Greenwood Hotel<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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The West Side of Main Street at 3rd<\/p><\/div>\n

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The East Side of Main Street at 3rd<\/p><\/div>\n

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The date<\/strong> shown near the crest of this building is 1889<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I have never heard of Red Rock Cola<\/strong> but this sign made me think I better try some.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Espresso Creations<\/h4>\n

Before<\/strong> setting out on my pre-dawn missions<\/strong>, I have found it wise<\/strong> not to drink my otherwise typical four or five cups<\/strong> of coffee in the morning. \u00a0Having learned<\/strong> this lesson the hard way<\/strong>, suffice to say it complicates<\/strong> a flight having to “pull off the road”<\/em>.\u00a0On the other hand, when one drinks as much coffee<\/strong> every morning as I do, one finds one must continue that mode<\/strong> else – quite often<\/em> – headaches erupt<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em>later in the day (more on this in the Caldwell Story<\/a>)<\/em>. I was reminded of that potential<\/strong> when I saw the inviting entrance<\/strong> below. Wanting to forestall<\/strong> the possibility of an “icepick-like” cranial sensation<\/strong><\/em> later in the day, I decided Espresso<\/strong> would be just the thing.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Inside I met Proprietor J. D. Anderson<\/strong>. Espresso Creations<\/strong> was the idea of his wife Kimberli<\/strong> who runs it through the week. On Saturdays<\/strong>, J.D.<\/strong>, who owns a commercial roofing business<\/strong> takes over to give her some time off<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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J.D. serves one of several customers who dropped in while I was there.<\/p><\/div>\n

Very Pleasant<\/h4>\n

In addition to serving fine coffee<\/strong>, Espresso Creations<\/strong> offers bakery items<\/strong> you can see in the counter display above. Kimberli<\/strong> is the baker<\/strong> and she is quite accomplished<\/strong>. I enjoyed<\/strong> a couple of bakery<\/strong> items with<\/strong> my coffee<\/strong>. Kimberli<\/strong> has been developing<\/strong> some “gluten free”<\/em> recipes that J.D.<\/strong> said are very tricky<\/strong> to master<\/strong>. Flour without gluten tends to lose its “rise” after baking and devolve into a flat “thing” instead of a fluffy bread or pastry. Apparently she<\/strong> is ready<\/strong> for her diploma<\/strong> because the one<\/strong> I tried tasted quite good<\/strong>, had volume<\/strong> and passed the “crumble”<\/em> test. \u00a0I definitely suggest<\/strong> you stop by the Anderson’s place<\/strong> when you visit\u00a0Eureka<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

J.D. and Kimberli<\/strong> had moved to Eureka<\/strong> from California<\/strong>. Since I, too, had immigrated<\/strong>\u00a0to Kansas<\/strong> from there in the 1980’s<\/strong>, we discussed California<\/strong> for a good while. While<\/strong> he was serving a customer I surveyed the surroundings and happened to see the time<\/strong> on his wall clock<\/strong>. I had lost track<\/strong> of time<\/strong> and needed to head back<\/strong> to the airport<\/strong> so I could get to the Fly-In<\/strong> at Douglass<\/strong>. I bid<\/strong> J.D.<\/strong> farewell<\/strong> and commenced hiking back<\/strong> to the airfield<\/strong> taking more pictures<\/strong> along the way.<\/p>\n

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Eureka Library<\/a><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

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Nice Paint Choice!<\/p><\/div>\n

Unique Tree<\/h4>\n

I took a different path<\/strong>\u00a0on my return to the airport<\/strong>. I saw a\u00a0tree<\/strong> like none<\/strong> I have seen in Kansas<\/strong> before.<\/p>\n

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Greenwood County Hospital<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The hospital<\/strong> is not far from the water towers<\/strong> I pictured earlier. It has\u00a0architecture<\/strong>\u00a0reminiscent\u00a0of the Jackson Brothers Oil Company<\/strong> building I showed earlier that looks to be 50’s vintage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Breaktime<\/h4>\n

Taking a break<\/strong> in the fresh morning air<\/strong> were Lifetime Buddies Kerry More<\/strong> (l) and Deana Gaines<\/strong> (r). Kerry<\/strong> was born less than 40 miles away<\/strong> in Emporia<\/strong> while Deana<\/strong> was born right<\/strong> here<\/strong> at the Greenwood County Hospital<\/strong>. They have known<\/strong> each other all<\/strong> their lives<\/strong>. This is a\u00a0bond<\/strong> you don’t<\/strong> normally find<\/strong> in large cities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Time To Fuel Up And Continue The Journey<\/h4>\n

After walking<\/strong> back to the airport<\/strong> from town I was greeted<\/strong> by one of the dogs<\/strong> who live with the Airport Operators<\/strong>. His name<\/strong>, I would soon find out, was\u00a0“Coco”<\/em> and his bark<\/strong> alerted Airport Manager Larry Dutton<\/strong> to my approach.<\/p>\n

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Just to the right and behind of my Quicksilver<\/strong> you can see “Coco” doing his job.<\/p><\/div>\n

Aviation Heritage<\/h4>\n

It was quite warm<\/strong> at the time and after welcoming<\/strong> me and introducing<\/strong> himself,\u00a0Larry<\/strong> invited me in to the airport lounge<\/strong> where the air conditioner<\/strong> was blowing cold<\/strong>. He mentioned<\/strong> that they would have been happy to drive<\/strong> me into town<\/strong> or let me use<\/strong> the loaner car<\/strong> but they hadn’t even heard<\/strong> me fly in earlier<\/strong> that morning. I appreciated<\/strong> his concern<\/strong> but put his mind at ease by explaining<\/strong> that the walk is part<\/strong> of my “Ultralight Flight Adventure and Immersion Photo Journalism”<\/em>. I wouldn’t have turned down a ride but I had no intention of waking them early on a Saturday morning regardless. I asked<\/strong> him about the photos and plaques<\/strong> on his office wall<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I discovered<\/strong> that both Larry<\/strong> and his wife Debbie<\/strong> had retired from The United States Air Force<\/strong> and that Larry<\/strong> had been a Survival Instructor<\/strong>. Larry is also a Third Generation Aviator<\/strong> and in addition to managing the Miliken Airport<\/strong>, flies for Captain D Aviation<\/strong> checking the pipelines<\/strong> in the region for integrity<\/strong>. His Grandfather<\/strong> sold J-3’s<\/strong> in the late 1930’s<\/strong> when they could be had for $1995<\/strong> each. His Father<\/strong>, Wendell<\/strong> was an Air Force Pilot<\/strong> and recipient of the FAA “Master Pilot Award”<\/strong> presented for diligent promotion<\/strong> of aviation<\/strong> and safe flying<\/strong>. He later went on to be a Captain<\/strong> in the Wichita Police Department<\/strong>. More about Wendell Dutton<\/strong> HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Larry<\/strong> points to the coveted “Master Pilot Award”<\/strong> that was presented to his Father<\/strong> in 2004<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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An example of the logo Larry<\/strong> had designed for his Dad<\/strong> in recognition of his Aviation Achievements<\/strong> adorns the entry door<\/strong> to the main hangar<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

An Unexpected Gift<\/h4>\n

Earlier<\/strong> when assuring Larry<\/strong> I had been perfectly happy<\/strong>\u00a0walking into town<\/strong>, I did admit I was not<\/em> happy<\/strong><\/span> with myself for neglecting<\/strong> to bring<\/strong> a hat<\/strong> along as is my custom on these trips. After I fueled up the MXL<\/strong>, Larry<\/strong> suddenly presented me with the newest addition<\/strong> to my collection<\/strong> – a cap<\/strong> decorated with the Wendell Dutton Logo<\/strong> and “N” number\u00a0N4860Z<\/strong>. This was the number<\/strong> of the Piper Colt<\/strong> in which Larry<\/strong> and his Dad<\/strong> spent many a joyful hour together aviating<\/strong>. I am very thankful to have been given this.<\/p>\n

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Debbie Dutton<\/strong> captured the moment.<\/p><\/div>\n

Eureka, Kansas USA<\/h4>\n

A couple years ago a committee of citizens<\/strong> of Eureka<\/strong> commissioned Country Singer\u00a0Jared Pete Gile<\/a><\/strong> to write a song<\/strong> about their fair town<\/strong>. Debbie Dutton<\/strong> produced a music video<\/strong> featuring pictures<\/strong> taken around town<\/strong>, at the airport<\/strong> and of the town<\/strong> seen from the air<\/strong>. It is quite good<\/strong> and can be seen HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Just as I was about to start<\/strong> the motor<\/strong>, two young ladies<\/strong> emerged from the house with two dogs. Grand-daughters Heidi<\/strong> and Miracle<\/strong> have been spending time this Summer<\/strong> with Larry<\/strong> and Debbie<\/strong>. They looked out the window and saw some action<\/strong> and came out to investigate<\/strong>. A perfect photo op<\/strong> for The Sky Surfer<\/strong> and a nice way to close a pleasant visit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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On our first try, “Bear” The Dog didn’t understand the drill…<\/p><\/div>\n

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We tried again. Here’s Debbie, Larry, Heidi, “Coco”, Miracle and “Bear” backed by my Quicksilver and a magnificent Kansas Sky.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I took to the air<\/strong>, waved goodbye<\/strong> and grabbed this picture<\/strong> under my left wing<\/strong> before heading Southwest<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0Brighter Now<\/h4>\n

Because the clouds<\/strong> had broken up a bit there was now better lighting<\/strong> on Eureka<\/strong> than when I had arrived<\/strong> early that morning<\/strong>. I figured that called for a few more aerials<\/strong> as I left the area.<\/p>\n

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Looking down Main Street Eureka<\/strong> with the water towers<\/strong> in the fore. I am at 1,000′ AGL looking South<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Looking East Southeast from 1,000′ AGL<\/p><\/div>\n

Concentration<\/h4>\n

After clearing<\/strong> the area for\u00a0potential air traffic<\/strong>, right after takeoff<\/strong> my attention<\/strong> was on getting a few shots of Eureka<\/strong>. I was focused<\/strong> like a laser beam<\/strong>.\u00a0Suddenly<\/strong>, as if it jumped<\/strong> out of the ground<\/strong>, I noticed the rain<\/strong> to the East<\/strong>. In my story regarding my Flight to<\/strong> Pawnee, Oklahoma<\/strong> earlier this Summer,<\/strong> I wrote extensively about “Scattered Showers”<\/em><\/a> and my perception<\/strong> of that term. I won’t go into it again but below<\/strong> are some perfect examples<\/strong> showing the advantage<\/strong> one has to see this weather phenomenon<\/strong> from the air<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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A “Rain Shaft”<\/em> off my left wing a few miles East<\/strong> of Eureka<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Headwinds Galore!<\/h4>\n

One of my Family’s<\/strong> all-time favorite movies<\/strong> is “The Princess Bride<\/a>“<\/em>. One of my many<\/strong> favorite characters<\/strong> in it is Spanish Fencing Master\u00a0Inigo Montoya<\/strong>. Not being a native speaker of English,<\/strong> Inigo uses the word “galore”<\/em> in an interesting manner during the movie. Every time I hear or think<\/strong> of that word since watching the movie is with Montoya<\/strong> in mind.<\/p>\n

I left Eureka<\/strong> about 1:30 pm<\/strong>. The wind<\/strong> was 10 mph gusting to 20<\/strong> straight out of the South<\/strong>. This made it a quartering headwind<\/strong> for me. Although not particularly strong, it nonetheless represented a “slowdown”<\/em> of my forward movement. Unlike early in the morning<\/strong> when winds aloft can pass over<\/strong> the surface leaving it fairly calm<\/strong>, once the day gets going and the sun warms the earth<\/strong> the wind is present at all levels. I knew this would be the case but tried<\/strong> a variety of altitudes<\/strong> anyway to see<\/strong> if one was better than the other. At the beginning<\/strong> of the flight all altitudes had the same negative resistence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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After flying at 600′ AGL<\/strong> for about 15 miles I saw the windmills<\/strong> South<\/strong> of Beaumont, Kansas<\/strong> on the horizon.<\/p><\/div>\n

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While cruising at a lower altitude, I came to an area where I had to climb up this stretch you see ahead.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I am approaching the crest. This is from 100′ AGL looking Southwest.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Upon crossing over the rise this grandeur is revealed. I am at 50′ AGL. This is looking West.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Ranch due North<\/strong> of Beaumont, Kansas<\/strong>. I saw no one about.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I employed the telephoto<\/strong> lens to see Beaumont, Kansas<\/strong> in the foreground with the Wind Generator Field<\/strong> behind. I am at 100′ AGL looking South<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The wide shot from the same position as above.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Flying at 75′ AGL<\/strong>, I came upon a ridge that would require some “Altitude Adjustment”<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

I like the way many of these ridges<\/strong> are crowned<\/strong> with white stones<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This Ranch was wisely built in a hollow to protect it from high winds.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The sun<\/strong> was in a perfect position<\/strong> to accentuate the round bales<\/strong> sprinkled across the field.<\/p><\/div>\n

Signs Of Douglass<\/h4>\n

I had flown<\/strong> for about an hour and a half. During the last hour<\/strong> or so I noticed a slightly lower headwind<\/strong> down low so I maintained\u00a0Ultralight Flight Level 75<\/strong> on my approach to Douglass, Kansas<\/strong><\/a>. Douglass<\/strong> is in a pretty flat area<\/strong> but the water tower<\/strong>, which is adjacent<\/strong> to Alley Field<\/strong><\/a> is on a hill. That is the\u00a0marker <\/strong>for aviators. I finally spotted it<\/strong> and you can see it in the photo below toward the center<\/strong> on the horizon<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Douglass In The Distance<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Telephoto<\/strong> of The Marker<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Choppy Air<\/h4>\n

The air was quite choppy<\/strong> as I entered the pattern<\/strong>. Regardless of the wind, it is a good idea to be scanning<\/strong> for traffic when entering<\/strong> a pattern<\/strong> so I didn’t take a picture<\/strong> of the airfield<\/strong> before landing.<\/p>\n

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As I rolled uphill after landing I took this picture of folks milling around the hangar.<\/p><\/div>\n

As I was taxiing Terry Alley<\/strong> made a pass down the field in his\u00a0Champ<\/strong>. I wasn’t ready to “de-plane”<\/em> yet so I turned around, took off and circled<\/strong> in the pattern<\/strong> with him a few times.<\/p>\n

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Terry Alley<\/strong> in the Champ<\/strong><\/a> on final approach.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Captain Doug<\/strong> and Sabrina Moler<\/strong> were there with their Cessna 150<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0One More Stop<\/h4>\n

It was mid afternoon<\/strong> and by the time I got there the Fly-In<\/strong> was pretty much “flown out”<\/em>. Most of the planes<\/strong> that had come in had already left<\/strong> and three<\/strong> more split<\/strong> while I was there. So I saddled up<\/strong> and headed once more into the wind. Earlier in the Summer,<\/strong> Maggie Morris<\/strong>\u00a0said she might be having a get-together this same day at River Rock Ranch<\/a>,\u00a0South<\/strong> of Douglass<\/strong>\u00a08 miles<\/strong>. I headed over there to see if anything was going on.<\/p>\n

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On the East<\/strong> side of Hwy 77<\/strong> two miles South<\/strong> of Douglass<\/strong> is Pilot Pointe<\/strong><\/a> a residential airpark.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Arriving over River Rock<\/strong>, I didn’t see any action so I turned right<\/strong> to see if anything was shakin’ at Cherokee Strip<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Things were quiet<\/strong> on The Strip<\/strong><\/a> so I breezed on by the North<\/strong> end and headed back to base.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This swimming lake is West<\/strong> of Mulvane, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> almost on the bank of the Arkansas River<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Circular Reasoning<\/h4>\n

Some stories<\/strong>, like some airplane flights<\/strong>, are best when they end up<\/strong> at the same place they started<\/strong>. It was particularly windy<\/strong> when I arrived back at Selby Aerodrome<\/strong>. Because none<\/strong> of my hangar mates were around,<\/strong> the hangar door<\/strong>\u00a0for my hangar was closed<\/strong>. Because I didn’t want the Quicksilver<\/strong> to walk off without me while opening<\/strong> the door, I taxied<\/strong> into the “wind shadow”<\/em> behind the Quonset Hut Hangar<\/strong> to the South<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I took the picture below to “close the loop”<\/em> with the morning shot. Even though I am located 30 yards away<\/strong>, don’t have my “robber goggles”<\/em> on, have a new hat<\/strong>, am now sunburned<\/strong> and the wind is gusting to 26 mph –<\/strong>\u00a0it’s close enough.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

My next Fun Flight<\/strong> will be to\u00a0Yates Center, Kansas<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

See you then!<\/em><\/p>\n

Blue Skies & Tailwinds!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brian FitzGerald<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rules Are Meant To Be Broken I don’t necessarily\u00a0subscribe to the above aphorism but since it is used by many, it seemed like a catchy way to start this story. During the Fun Flying Season, the majority of my flights are on Saturday. I don’t decide where I will fly until Thursday or Friday of […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3,6,10,11],"tags":[40,42,43,35,41,33,38,34],"class_list":["post-7939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aviators-of-note","category-fun-flights","category-show-an-airfield","category-teachable-moments","category-ultralight","tag-eureka","tag-fall-river","tag-flint-hills","tag-great-plains","tag-kansas","tag-mustangs","tag-oklahoma","tag-wild-horses","category-31-id","category-3-id","category-6-id","category-10-id","category-11-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7939"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8107,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7939\/revisions\/8107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}