{"id":9420,"date":"2013-12-03T12:50:54","date_gmt":"2013-12-03T17:50:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fitzvideo.com\/sky_surfing\/?p=9420"},"modified":"2013-12-11T16:16:10","modified_gmt":"2013-12-11T21:16:10","slug":"attica-kansas-a-railroad-town-with-an-aviation-heritage-by-brian-fitzgerald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/2013\/12\/03\/attica-kansas-a-railroad-town-with-an-aviation-heritage-by-brian-fitzgerald\/","title":{"rendered":"Attica, Kansas – A Railroad Town with an Aviation Heritage by Brian FitzGerald"},"content":{"rendered":"

Continual Revelation<\/h4>\n

The more research<\/strong> I undertook prior to my flight to Attica, Kansas<\/a>,<\/strong>\u00a0the more interesting things were revealed. Initially, my interest<\/strong> in visiting the town<\/strong> began from a news story<\/strong> I had read. It told of a man<\/strong> named\u00a0Nathaniel Grigsby<\/strong>\u00a0who’s convictions regarding a\u00a0particular political party<\/strong>\u00a0were strong enough to have them\u00a0engraved<\/strong>\u00a0on his\u00a0tombstone<\/strong>. I decided this was something I needed to see.<\/em> Now, after my first visit to Attica, I am by no means an expert on it. But, after “scratching the surface”,<\/em>\u00a0I can tell you\u00a0Attica<\/strong> enjoys a heritage<\/strong> encompassing many of the unique attributes<\/strong> typifying\u00a0The Old West<\/strong>. But, <\/strong>in addition to that<\/em>, it has the distinction<\/strong> of being\u00a0home<\/strong> to\u00a0the Top<\/strong> Flying Circus<\/strong> of the Barnstorming Era<\/strong> of the 1920’s<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

People tell me they like the pictures<\/strong> in these stories so I’ll get to them<\/strong> and cut the introduction<\/strong> now. Instead I’ll interleave<\/strong> more about my pre-flight research<\/strong>\u00a0into the Attica<\/strong> Flight<\/strong> once I get airborne<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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One of those “self portraits”<\/em> everybody does now. The Sky Surfer<\/strong> in his Stage 1 Cold Weather Outfit<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Open Air Flying<\/h4>\n

Flying in an open cockpit<\/strong> has its benefits during what The Sky Surfer<\/strong><\/a> calls “The Fun Flying Season”<\/em>. Here in Kansas,<\/strong> that is roughly March through October<\/strong>. Throughout that timespan<\/strong> the wind chill factor<\/strong><\/a> is mostly tolerable in street clothes although\u00a0occasional<\/strong>\u00a0early morning<\/strong> departures call\u00a0for\u00a0extra clothing<\/strong>. The temperature<\/strong> the morning of my flight to Attica<\/strong> was in the mid 30’s<\/strong>. Because it was slated to rise<\/strong> to the 60’s<\/strong> later<\/strong> in the day, I dressed light (Stage 1 Cold Weather<\/strong>) rather than going Stage 2<\/strong> (Helmet, Sears Insulated Coveralls, Flight Jacket, Gauntlet Gloves, Neck Gaiter)<\/em> or Stage 3 Cold Weather Outfit<\/strong>\u00a0(Helmet, Flight Jacket, Windproof Snow Suit, Long Underwear, Electric Gloves, Double Neck Gaiter)<\/em>. The important update that allowed for this decision was the incorporation of what I call my Ninja<\/strong><\/a> or Spetsnaz<\/strong><\/a> mask<\/strong> (properly called a balaclava<\/a>). I had never used it before and it worked excellently<\/strong> in combination with my large goggles<\/strong> to keep my head and face acceptably warm<\/strong> in the 40 mph wind<\/strong>. By the way, The NWS Wind Chill Chart<\/strong><\/a> declares a 35 degree<\/strong> day<\/strong> in a 40 mph wind<\/strong> to yield a 20 degree<\/strong>\u00a0temperature effect on exposed skin.<\/p>\n

Interesting Phenomena<\/h4>\n

<\/em>I<\/em>\u00a0have noticed an interesting visual effect for years… When flying in atmosphere<\/strong> that is particularly clear<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>(depending on the reflectivity<\/strong> of the surface) you will see a “sunspot”<\/em> on the ground.<\/em>\u00a0It appears at the end of an imaginary line<\/strong>\u00a0drawn from the sun through<\/strong> your position<\/strong> in the sky\u00a0<\/strong>to where it intersects the Earth’s surface<\/strong>. I’ll show <\/b>some to you\u00a0<\/b>when I see them in this report.<\/p>\n

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One minute<\/strong> after takeoff<\/strong> I see indications of a Corn Harvest<\/strong>. I’m at 600′<\/strong> looking West Northwest<\/strong>. NOTE<\/strong>: The “Sunspot”<\/em> in this photo is in the upper, left quadrant next to one of the ponds. HINT<\/strong>: All the long shadows point to it.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Same as above with the telephoto lens<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Perhaps the harvest crew<\/strong> previously shown will head here next. I like the patterns<\/strong> made by the terracing<\/strong> of the field.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Hay Bales<\/strong>. Some farmers line them up real orderly; others let them drop where they may. NOTE<\/strong>: The “Sunspot”<\/em> in this shot is toward the right, under the curve in the field, next to the road.<\/p><\/div>\n

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More attractive contouring patterns…<\/p><\/div>\n

Reverse Order<\/h4>\n

Because of all the “pre-flight buildup”<\/em> I had generated in my telephone calls to citizens of the town prior to The Attica Flight<\/strong>, I decided<\/strong> I needed to make<\/strong> the trip<\/strong> before the end<\/strong> of the flying season<\/strong>. The iron<\/strong> was hot<\/strong>. It was time<\/strong> to strike<\/strong>. To accomodate this desire I reversed<\/strong> my tried and true “Prevailing Wind<\/a>“<\/em>\u00a0adventure flight method<\/strong>. After takeoff, the wind at 600′<\/strong> was directly behind me adding\u00a030 mph<\/strong> to my ground speed. This yielded a ground speed of\u00a070 mph<\/strong> – almost double<\/strong> the normal 38 mph<\/strong> I fly cross country. Flying home into the wind<\/strong> would be slow…<\/p>\n

Information Please<\/span><\/address>\n
Research (what I sometimes call “Detective Work”)<\/em> can be as mundane as calling 411<\/strong> and asking for a telephone number<\/strong>. That simple step<\/strong> got me in touch with Gary Grigsby<\/strong>, the Great, Great, Grandson<\/strong> of Nathaniel Grigsby<\/strong>. Gary<\/strong> and his Wife Rogena<\/strong>\u00a0are in the Real Estate business<\/strong><\/a>. Over the course of three<\/strong> different phone conversations<\/strong>, I determined that Gary<\/strong> was a veritable fount of historical<\/strong> information<\/strong> about Attica<\/strong>. During this time frame, I had mentioned to another good friend <\/em>Bill Koelling<\/strong><\/a>, that I was planning a flight to Attica<\/strong>. Bill<\/strong> also knew a lot about Attica<\/strong> and told me it figured large<\/strong> in early\u00a0Aviation History<\/strong>. From him I learned that just South<\/strong> of town was Lone Tree Ranch<\/strong>, the home of Karl Garver’s Flying Circus<\/strong><\/a>. He sent<\/b> me copies<\/strong> of a number of articles<\/strong> he had about The Circus<\/strong> from Popular Aviation Magazine<\/strong> and various newspapers<\/strong> of the time. Then, in an ensuing phone conversation with Gary Grigsby<\/strong>, I learned that his relation Leonard Grigsby<\/strong> still owns Lone Tree<\/strong> and flew a Cessna<\/strong> out of there for years. Leonard<\/strong> also has a lot of Garver Circus Memorabilia<\/strong>.<\/address>\n
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Conway Springs, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> from 600′ AGL<\/strong> looking South Southwest<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I was intrigued<\/strong> by the way this field was planted in milo<\/strong> around the edges<\/strong>. I’m not sure what had been on the inside – maybe hay<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Not being a farmer, I could be wrong but I see a dedicated<\/strong>, long-term effort<\/strong> to turn a salt wash<\/strong> into productive farm land – another bite each year<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Still about 20 miles<\/strong> from Attica<\/strong>, I took this telephoto<\/strong> shot to show Harper, Kansas<\/strong> in the foreground in relation to Attica<\/strong> in the distance<\/strong>. I’m at 600′ AGL<\/strong> looking Southwest<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0Happy Landing<\/span><\/address>\n
\u00a0When I first set my sights on Attica<\/strong>, I had to deal with the issue<\/strong> that it no longer has an airport<\/strong>. Google Earth<\/strong> still shows Goemann Strip<\/strong> on the Northwest<\/strong> corner of town but it had been inactivated<\/strong> for many years. Gary Grigsby<\/strong> verified this when I first talked to him. I learned that the Goemann Family<\/strong> no longer lives or farms on that land but that they rent it out to my Good Buddy<\/strong>\u00a0Pat Kernohan<\/strong> and his Wife<\/strong>. I obtained\u00a0Pat’s telephone number<\/strong> and explained my plan to visit Attica <\/strong>to see if I could land on the patch of land <\/strong>that had been the airstrip. Fortunately Pat<\/strong> was acquainted with the type of flying machine<\/strong> I have and knew how little space<\/strong> it needs to take off<\/strong> and land<\/strong>. He thought it would be no problem and was very interested in the whole thing. During our conversations<\/strong>, we found we concurred<\/strong> on a variety of subjects<\/strong>. Thus I refer to him as Good Buddy<\/strong> – a term of endearment<\/strong> not proffered lightly. So, I kept in contact<\/strong> with Pat<\/strong>. The day before the flight I called and said I was going to head over the next day. He said he was looking forward<\/strong> to it and volunteered<\/strong> to take me on a tour<\/strong> of the town<\/strong> and graveyard<\/strong>. On most<\/strong> of my trips, after I land – <\/strong>I walk – so I was very appreciative<\/strong> of this help.<\/address>\n
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Windmills churn the air.<\/p><\/div>\n

Wind Power<\/h4>\n

North<\/strong> of a line between Harper<\/strong> and Medicine Lodge, Kansas<\/strong> is a huge Wind Generation Field<\/strong>. It is called Flat Ridge Wind Farm<\/strong><\/a> and is owned by British Petroleum<\/strong><\/a>. In a\u00a0previous flight to Medicine Lodge, Kansas<\/strong><\/a>, I flew on the North<\/strong> side of this sprawling enterprise<\/strong>. Above you can see it from a vantage<\/strong> point 5 miles Northeast<\/strong> of Harper, Kansas<\/strong> at about 500′ AGL<\/strong> looking East Northeast<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Harper, Kansas<\/h4>\n

Thus far in my Sky Surfing Safaris<\/strong>, I have had the good fortune to visit\u00a0Harper, Kansas<\/strong>\u00a0once. Originally<\/strong> it was to be the subject<\/strong> of my flight that day<\/strong>. But, this was before mastering<\/strong> the programming<\/strong> of my GPS<\/strong> device.\u00a0The inadequacy<\/strong> of my navigation<\/strong>\u00a0caused my\u00a0flight<\/strong> to Harper<\/strong> to end up in Wakita, Oklahoma<\/strong>. So, after landing<\/strong> in a field next to\u00a0Wakita,\u00a0<\/strong>I swung back up to Harper<\/strong> for gas at their airport and then headed home<\/strong>. You can read about it HERE<\/strong><\/a>. (It’s the one called “You MUST be lost if you’re in Wakita!”)<\/em><\/p>\n

It was not until reviewing the photos<\/strong> for this Attica<\/strong> story that I realized I have not “closed the loop”<\/em> on my Harper Flight Adventure<\/strong>. I will do that during Flight Season 2014<\/strong> (God willing…)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Harper, Kansas<\/strong> from 800′ AGL<\/strong> looking Southwest<\/strong>. Highway K2\/US160<\/strong> is in the foreground.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Harper<\/strong> “pilot’s eye view”<\/em> under my left wing looking due South<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Harper Municipal Airport<\/strong><\/a> is on the Southwest<\/strong> corner of town.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Another view of the wind farm<\/strong>. This was taken 5 miles Northeast<\/strong> of Attica<\/strong> at 400′ AGL<\/strong> looking Northwest<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Arteries Of Steel<\/h4>\n

While railroads<\/strong> are still important <\/strong>today, from the middle<\/strong> to the end of the 19th Century<\/strong>, they\u00a0were essential<\/strong> to the life of towns<\/strong> on The Great Plains<\/strong>. If a railroad<\/strong> moved its track<\/strong>, entire towns<\/strong> would dry up and disappear<\/strong>. In like manner, when a railroad<\/strong> set up track, towns<\/strong> would appear<\/strong> along side it. Attica<\/strong> is one such town. As if to buttress<\/strong> this point, an unusual aspect<\/strong> of Attica<\/strong> is that its streets<\/strong> are lined up<\/span> with the railroad track<\/strong>. Nearly every other\u00a0town<\/strong> in Kansas<\/strong> has streets in line<\/strong> with the compass<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Coming next<\/strong> are a suite of Attica Aerials<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Approaching Attica<\/strong> from the East<\/strong> with the BNSF<\/a> Railroad Track<\/strong> passing through in the foreground. From this vantage point<\/strong> you can see the juxtaposition<\/strong> of the Town’s Streets<\/strong> compared with the East-West<\/strong> layout of the County Roads<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attica<\/strong> from the Southeast<\/strong> at 900′ AGL<\/strong>. Wind Generators<\/strong> at the top right horizon<\/strong>. NOTE<\/strong>: There is a “Sunspot”<\/em> in this photo centered on that white quonset hut just beneath dead center of the frame.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A telephoto<\/strong> of the downtown district<\/strong> from the same position<\/strong> as above.<\/p><\/div>\n

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I let the wind<\/strong> swing me West<\/strong> across the South<\/strong> end of town<\/strong> out past the\u00a0cemetery<\/b>\u00a0so you could see them in proximity<\/strong>. This is from 900′ AGL<\/strong> looking East<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attica Cemetery<\/strong>. Early<\/strong> on in the planning process<\/strong> I had thought about landing<\/strong> on the East<\/strong> side of it where there are no graves<\/strong>. About a nanosecond<\/strong> after having that brilliant thought<\/strong>, I realized that while quite “do-able”<\/em>, it would be a\u00a0bad idea<\/strong>\u00a0on a number of levels…<\/p><\/div>\n

Reality Check<\/h4>\n

After whizzing\u00a0downwind<\/strong> to the Southwest<\/strong> side of town<\/strong>, I turned 180 degrees<\/strong> back into the Northeast Wind<\/strong>. That’s when the\u00a0Warp Speed Leg<\/strong> of the journey abruptly<\/strong> ended. I calculated the wind<\/strong>\u00a0from the Northeast<\/strong> to be 30 to 33 mph<\/strong> at my altitude<\/strong> (900′ AGL)<\/em>. I had plenty of fuel<\/strong> so I\u00a0bumped<\/strong> up the power setting<\/strong>. It’s not like throwing on the afterburner<\/strong>, though. The net result was an\u00a0increase<\/strong>\u00a0in ground speed from 7 mph to about 20<\/strong>. This gave me an inordinate amount<\/strong> of time to\u00a0“enter the pattern”<\/em> to Goemann Strip<\/strong>\u00a0(aka<\/em> The Kernohan Farm<\/strong>). Although it was pretty turbulent, I took about 20 pictures<\/strong> during that interval. Here are a couple of the better ones.<\/p>\n

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Pat<\/strong> and Cheryl Kernohan’s Farm<\/strong>\u00a0where I will be landing<\/strong>. It is on the Northwest<\/strong> corner of Attica<\/strong>. This photo is from\u00a0900′ AGL<\/strong> looking Northeast<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Telephoto – same position. The decommissioned Goemann Strip<\/strong> is on the East<\/strong> side of the driveway.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Finally, just before<\/strong>\u00a0setting up to land<\/strong>, I snapped this one of Attica<\/strong> from its West<\/strong>\u00a0side. I’m at 800′ AGL<\/strong>. (See, folks. You can<\/span> shoot pictures into the sun…)<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

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The final photo<\/strong> before landing. In order to not cross low over the houses on the Northwest<\/strong> side of Attica<\/strong>, I descended straight<\/strong> ahead from this position<\/strong> and then made a Left Hand Pattern<\/strong><\/a> to land.<\/p><\/div>\n

Landing Uneventful<\/h4>\n

Although it was pretty windy<\/strong>, the landing was smooth<\/strong>. I extended the final approach in ground effect<\/strong><\/a> until pretty close to the driveway turnoff<\/strong> to Pat’s house. I then dropped<\/strong> to earth and stopped<\/strong>. We had discussed<\/strong> on the phone that I would need to shelter<\/strong> the plane from the wind<\/strong> so Pat<\/strong> motioned me where to taxi.<\/p>\n

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Just after landing<\/strong> I turned to head back to the area where Pat<\/strong> was standing. We put the MXL<\/strong><\/a> in front of one of his out-buildings.<\/p><\/div>\n

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We secured<\/strong> the Quicksilver<\/strong> out of the wind on the South<\/strong> side of his large out-building.<\/p><\/div>\n

Waynoka Revisited<\/h4>\n

A week before flying to Attica<\/strong> I had made a trip a bit farther Southw<\/strong>est<\/strong> to Waynoka, Oklahoma<\/strong> (story HERE<\/strong><\/a>). An unusual<\/strong> patch of terrain<\/strong> South<\/strong> of Waynoka<\/strong> is the Little Sahara<\/strong><\/a> sand dune park. In the doorway of Pat’s<\/strong> out-building was the\u00a0radical sand buggy<\/strong>\u00a0shown below that he drives<\/strong> there. Except at the indoor Monster Truck<\/strong> and Super Mud Races<\/strong>, I had never seen such a machine<\/strong>. It’s called a Sand Rail<\/strong>. He bought it from a shop in Hutchinson, Kansas<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Sand Rail With Paddle Tires<\/p><\/div>\n

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A Tube Steel Frame<\/p><\/div>\n

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A 350 Horsepower, Supercharged V-6<\/p><\/div>\n

Nitrogen Shocks<\/h4>\n

This was a great learning experience<\/strong> for me. I asked Pat<\/strong> what the\u00a0canisters<\/strong>\u00a0connected to the shock absorbers<\/strong> were all about. He explained that they are the nitrogen reservoirs<\/strong> for the shocks. The shocks<\/strong> are made this way to have far more travel than normal<\/strong> automobile shocks<\/strong>. Ding!<\/em><\/strong> Suddenly I realized<\/strong> how they have been able to bounce Monster Trucks<\/strong><\/a> all these years without breaking<\/strong> them. I just thought it was the softness<\/strong> of the big, round tires<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

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Nitrogen Shocks<\/p><\/div>\n

Tour Time<\/h4>\n

After securing the\u00a0Quicksilver<\/strong>\u00a0and getting a good schooling on\u00a0Pat’s Sand Rail<\/strong>, it was time to check out\u00a0Attica<\/strong>.\u00a0Pat<\/strong>\u00a0had a\u00a0wedding<\/strong>\u00a0to attend in the early afternoon so we didn’t have a lot of\u00a0time<\/strong>. We decided to visit the\u00a0Attica\u00a0Cemetery<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0first.<\/p>\n

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Like Pat, I have two dogs. Naturally I had to get a picture of him with them. Naturally, they wouldn’t pose for the shot…<\/p><\/div>\n

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The entrance to the Attica Cemetery is simple but elegant.<\/p><\/div>\n

What Do You See?<\/h4>\n

Upon entering the cemetery<\/strong> I asked Pat to stop for a second so I could take the picture<\/strong> you see below. Not<\/strong> intended as an artwork<\/strong>, this shot was taken to make a point<\/strong>. Most people would look at it and only see a cemetery. That it is, but notice the monuments<\/strong> – the headstones<\/strong>. They are vertical<\/strong>, reaching<\/strong> to the sky<\/strong>. We did not look at every grave but if not 100%, the great majority of the folks buried in the Attica graveyard<\/strong> have headstones – not “markers”.<\/p>\n

Is Change Always Better?<\/h4>\n

About\u00a0three decades<\/strong> ago I had a conversation<\/strong> with my Mother<\/strong> as we visited my Dad’s Grave<\/strong> one\u00a0Memorial Day<\/strong>. It was about the grave markers<\/strong> she and my Father<\/strong> had. He had already died and hers was yet to be engraved<\/strong>. They are stone<\/strong> with engraved bronze inserts<\/strong>. Suddenly, while standing there, it occurred to me that theirs, and the majority of the other graves in that urban cemetery, were markers rather than headstones<\/strong>. I asked why they didn’t have gravestones. She said that was their original plan<\/strong> but after they had\u00a0arraigned\u00a0for the plots, the cemetery<\/strong> made a policy change and strongly encouraged folks to buy markers<\/strong> rather than headstones<\/strong>. The reason?<\/em> So they could mow the cemetery grass more easily<\/em>. I was shocked<\/strong>. Maybe I’m over-reacting, but to me, this was yet another example of a burgeoning “progressive”<\/em> mindset in America. They want us to believe they couldn’t get a guy with a weed-eater out there a couple times a month? Please…<\/em> My Dear Mother<\/strong> was never one to cause a ruckus or\u00a0complain but I know she would have preferred gravestones<\/strong>. That the management of the cemetery had adopted such a materialistic position<\/strong> and imposed it on\u00a0Mom<\/strong> during her grief at the sudden loss of Dad<\/strong> has never sat well<\/strong> with me.<\/p>\n

The symbolism<\/strong> of the gravestone<\/strong> is to provide a visible monument<\/strong> to a life well-lived<\/strong> in addition to pointing<\/strong> in the direction of the God and Heaven<\/strong>. Sure, markers<\/strong> can provide information<\/strong> but gravestones<\/strong> are archetypes of a higher order<\/strong>. I realize<\/strong> that it is the quality<\/strong> of one’s life that matters – God<\/strong> is not impressed<\/strong> with our monuments<\/strong> – but, I believe they serve as a testimony<\/strong> to the living<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Attica Cemetery<\/strong> just inside the entrance looking West<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Grigsby Family Plot<\/p><\/div>\n

Lineage<\/h4>\n

Here is the lineage from Nathaniel Grigsby<\/strong> to Gary Grigsby<\/strong> whom you will meet later in the story:\u00a01]<\/strong>\u00a0NATHANIEL GRIGSBY, 1812 TO 1890;\u00a02]<\/strong>\u00a0J.W. \/JAMES GRIGSBY, 1849 TO 1933;\u00a03]<\/strong>\u00a0WALTER GRIGSBY, 1882 TO 1960;\u00a04]<\/strong>\u00a0MYROM GRIGSBY, 1915 TO \u00a02001;\u00a05]<\/strong>\u00a0GARY GRIGSBY, 1945 – Present;\u00a06]<\/strong>\u00a0GARETT GRIGSBY, 1967 – Present;\u00a07]<\/strong>\u00a0DOSS GRIGSBY 1996 – Present.<\/p>\n

Nathaniel Grigsby – Prairie Prophet?<\/h4>\n

Nathaniel<\/strong> was a friend of Abraham Lincoln<\/strong>\u00a0and an early supporter of him for President<\/strong> of the United States<\/strong>. There is some good information<\/strong> about him HERE<\/strong><\/a>. In our day, people bemoan our political climate<\/strong> for being “hard ball”<\/em> or “brass knuckle”<\/em> or “mean spirited”<\/em>. Vacuous hype<\/strong>.\u00a0For the most part, Americans today<\/strong> are very complacent<\/strong>. Not so in the middle of the 19th Century…<\/p>\n

People were deadly<\/strong>\u00a0serious<\/strong> about politics in Nathaniel Grigsby’s time<\/strong>. At one point in his life, his promotion<\/strong> of Abe Lincoln<\/strong> required him to leave<\/strong> his home<\/strong> to avoid being killed<\/strong> by his neighbors<\/strong>. Later<\/strong> as things really<\/strong> heated up<\/strong>, he became a Lieutenant<\/strong> in the Army<\/strong> of The North<\/strong>. As a Cavalryman<\/strong>, you can rest assured Nathaniel<\/strong> had his share of\u00a0minie balls<\/strong><\/a> whizzing by him on the field of battle<\/strong>. I say this to indicate<\/strong> the fervor<\/strong> of the politics<\/strong> of that era and the bona fides<\/strong> earned by Nathaniel Grigsby<\/strong> to hold the opinions<\/strong> he did. He did not<\/strong> come<\/strong> by them lightly<\/strong> and he\u00a0stood up<\/strong> for them at the risk<\/strong> of his life<\/strong>. Consider<\/strong> these things when you read<\/strong> the engraving<\/strong> on his stone.<\/p>\n

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The West<\/strong> side of Grigsby’s monument<\/strong> features his particulars.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The East Side<\/strong> cements his relationship to his friend Abraham Lincoln<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The South Side<\/strong> of Nathaniel’s<\/strong> monument gives his<\/strong> stern warning<\/strong> to future generations<\/strong> of Americans<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Fellow Traveler<\/h4>\n

Naturally, while I was taking pictures of the Grigsby Monument<\/strong>, Pat<\/strong> had to hear the opinion I gave you earlier regarding gravestones<\/strong>. As we found on so many things, he concurred<\/strong> and told me about the gravestone<\/strong> his family had erected for his Parents<\/b>. His description<\/strong> of it\u00a0intrigued me<\/strong>.\u00a0I asked if we could\u00a0photograph<\/strong> it for this story, so we drove<\/strong> to the other end<\/strong> of the cemetery<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Stone carvers<\/strong> can now etch<\/strong> drawings<\/strong> or even photographs<\/strong> on the surface<\/strong> of\u00a0stone<\/strong>. For his Parent’s Memorial<\/strong>, Pat<\/strong> had a\u00a0drawing<\/strong> of their Kansas<\/strong>\u00a0farm<\/strong> put on its face. The home was on\u00a0“The Ridge”<\/em> nine miles North<\/strong> of Attica. I like this gravestone a lot.<\/p>\n

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The gravestone belonging to Pat’s Parents<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Everybody Knows Everybody<\/h4>\n

My Wife<\/strong> and I are always remarking<\/strong> that we can go to an event in Wichita<\/strong>, which is not a large city, and not see<\/strong> one person<\/strong> we know or even recognize<\/strong>. That doesn’t happen\u00a0in Small Town America<\/strong>. While Pat<\/strong> and I were taking the picture above, a friend<\/strong> of his pulled up in his car<\/strong>. Wayne Neff<\/strong> is an\u00a0entrepreneur<\/strong>\u00a0with a catering business<\/strong> named Hog Heaven<\/strong> (tel: 620-243-4932)<\/em>. Wayne<\/strong> is also on the Board of Directors<\/strong> of the cemetery<\/strong>. It was shortly before lunch time<\/strong> and Wayne<\/strong> was making a swing<\/strong> through the graveyard<\/strong> to check<\/strong> things when he saw<\/strong> us. While talking<\/strong> with Wayne<\/strong> and Pat<\/strong>, I noticed another etched gravestone in the plot next to the Kernohans<\/strong> of similar nature<\/strong> to theirs. Pat<\/strong> said his Brother-in-Law Dale Green<\/strong> was buried there so I took a photo of it and the two of them.<\/p>\n

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The Resting Place of Dale Green<\/strong> with Pat Kernohan<\/strong> and Wayne Neff<\/strong> looking on.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0War Hero<\/h4>\n

Apparently there is an old desperado<\/strong> buried in Attica Cemetery<\/strong>. Pat<\/strong> asked Wayne<\/strong> if he knew where The<\/strong>\u00a0Gun Fighter’s Grave<\/strong> was but he wasn’t sure and we didn’t have time<\/strong> to walk<\/strong> the whole place<\/strong>\u00a0to find it.\u00a0He did<\/strong>, however, show<\/strong> us the grave<\/strong> of an Attica<\/strong>\u00a0Pearl Harbor Veteran<\/strong> who made his final rest<\/strong> there.<\/p>\n

John Ruff<\/strong> was a sailor<\/strong>\u00a0on duty in the harbor<\/strong> on that fateful day<\/strong>. He was aboard the USS Oklahoma<\/strong><\/a> when it was sunk<\/strong><\/a> by Japanese<\/strong> fighter-bombers. 429<\/strong> of the crew died in that attack. John\u00a0survived<\/strong>\u00a0that day and then went on to serve<\/strong>\u00a0on two other warships<\/strong>\u00a0during the course of the war<\/strong>\u00a0until the Victory<\/strong> over Japan<\/strong>. He returned<\/strong> to Attica<\/strong> afterwards and served<\/strong> as the Postmaster<\/strong> for many years.<\/p>\n

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Downtown<\/h4>\n

We said Goodbye<\/strong> to Wayne<\/strong> and headed into Attica<\/strong> to have a look around. Whenever<\/strong>\u00a0something caught my eye<\/strong>, I would ask Pat<\/strong> to pull over so I could photograph<\/strong> it. He would tell me what he knew about it.<\/p>\n

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Avenue C \/ Highway 160<\/strong> cuts through the center<\/strong> of town. This sign<\/strong> welcomed<\/strong>\u00a0us as we entered\u00a0Attica’s West<\/strong> side.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Faith Baptist Church<\/strong><\/a> of Attica<\/p><\/div>\n

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Old & New<\/p><\/div>\n

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This classic grain elevator<\/strong> is next to the railroad tracks.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The C.H. Lynds Building<\/strong> was erected in 1886<\/strong> at the corner of Avenue A<\/strong> and Main Street<\/strong>. At times it has been a bank<\/strong> and a dental office<\/strong>. When I shot this picture, it was being used as a “House of Horrors”<\/em> for Halloween<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Diagonally across the street from the Lynd Building<\/strong> is this multi-story brick edifice that is currently unoccupied.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Called the “C & H”, it was built in 1905<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attica Engineering<\/strong> is at 201 N. Main. At one time, they did a number of\u00a0secret projects<\/i>\u00a0for Boeing<\/strong><\/a>. Boeing<\/strong> has left Kansas<\/strong>, though, and things have slowed down for AE<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Keeping The Faith<\/h4>\n

I was impressed by such a substantial American Legion Post<\/strong> in this relatively small town. It is consistent, though, with the evidence of dedication<\/strong> and sacrifice<\/strong> I have witnessed in every small town<\/strong> I visit. Seeing how many men<\/strong> left these rural areas to fight<\/strong> for Uncle Sam<\/strong> in distant lands<\/strong> only to return in a casket<\/strong> is humbling<\/strong> indeed. It is good<\/strong> that we remember<\/strong> them.<\/p>\n

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The American Legion Post<\/strong> at Bulldog and Avenue C. I made sure to include the Flag<\/strong>\u00a0they have flying<\/strong> proudly at the entrance.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Time Ran Out<\/h4>\n

The more Pat<\/strong> and I drove<\/strong> around town, the more<\/strong> things I saw<\/strong> to take pictures<\/strong> of. We pulled into a gas station<\/strong> to make a pit stop. Pat<\/strong> looked over and said, “Well, look who’s here”<\/em>. It was his son Kris<\/strong>, who works in the Oilfield Service Business<\/strong>. While they were talking, Kris<\/strong> reminded Dad<\/strong> that he needed to get to the wedding<\/strong>. So Pat<\/strong> told me we<\/strong> were going to have to head back<\/strong> to his house.<\/p>\n

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Pat and Kris Kernohan<\/p><\/div>\n

Perfect Timing<\/h4>\n

About that time, Gary Grigsby<\/strong> pulled up in his car<\/strong>. After assessing the situation, he said he would continue the tour<\/strong>. I thought this was\u00a0great<\/strong> so I said\u00a0Goodbye<\/strong> to Pat<\/strong> and Son<\/strong> and jumped in the car<\/strong> with Gary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Gary Grigsby<\/strong> – Great, Great, Grandson of Nathaniel Grigsby<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

A Land Man<\/h4>\n

Although “Land Man”<\/em> has a different connotation in the Oil Business, for Gary<\/strong> I use it because, as I mentioned earlier, he and his Wife Rogena<\/strong> are in the Real Estate Business<\/strong><\/a>. My experience<\/strong> over many years in the Advertising Business<\/a><\/strong>, is that people in American Small Business<\/strong> aren’t in the particular vocation<\/strong> they have chosen just<\/strong> to make<\/strong> money<\/strong>. Most all of them have a deep\u00a0affinity<\/strong>\u00a0and love<\/strong> for the work<\/strong> they do. This is evident<\/strong> with Gary<\/strong>. He knows<\/strong> the history<\/strong> of the Attica area<\/strong> well and can tell<\/strong> you much<\/strong>\u00a0about it.<\/p>\n

The Artist Guild of Attica<\/h4>\n

One property<\/strong> that looms<\/strong> large in area history<\/strong> is the building<\/strong> shown below<\/strong>. At one time it was on property Gary’s Grandfather farmed<\/span>.\u00a0It’s place in history<\/strong>, though, was as the home for The Artist Guild of Attica<\/strong>. In 1955, Life Magazine<\/strong> featured the Attica Artists<\/strong> in a story called “Art Conquers Attica”<\/em>. Gary has a few copies of that Life Magazine<\/strong><\/a> that I looked at.\u00a0Life Magazine<\/strong> was the pre-eminent, photo-journalistic effort<\/strong> of its era. Recently, it occurred to me that The Flite Blog\u2122<\/strong> has been inspired<\/strong> to some degree by Life<\/strong> because I was always enthralled<\/strong> by the photos<\/strong> and stories<\/strong> in that magazine<\/strong>. The Life Magazine<\/strong> story about Attica’s Artist Colony<\/strong> brought the town national recognition.\u00a0Because they are\u00a0copyrighted images<\/strong>\u00a0I cannot show them in my report.\u00a0Instead<\/strong>, I have a\u00a0link<\/strong>\u00a0to some of the pictures from that story so you can see them\u00a0HERE<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Gary in front of the old schoolhouse.<\/p><\/div>\n

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If you look carefully you can read “Artist Guild of Attica”<\/em>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Attica Methodist Church<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

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This building contains\u00a0Attica’s Kindergarten<\/strong> through High School.<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n

Giving Back<\/h4>\n

Adjacent<\/strong> to the school building is the Attica Community Wellness Center<\/strong><\/a>. It contains a full size basketball court<\/strong> and a complete weight room<\/strong> in addition to other exercise<\/strong> and wellness<\/strong> amenities. Gary<\/strong> told me Randy Newberry<\/strong> of Attica’s R & B Oil & Gas<\/strong>, wanting to give back to the community, was a “prime mover” to the funding<\/strong> and maintaining<\/strong> of The<\/strong>\u00a0Center<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Attica Community Wellness Center<\/p><\/div>\n

Eye Catcher<\/h4>\n

After looking at the Wellness Center<\/strong>, we rounded a corner and the home<\/strong> seen below caught my attention<\/strong>. Gary<\/strong> said “The Hacienda House”<\/em> had previously been at Main<\/strong> and 160<\/strong> but was moved<\/strong> to this location<\/strong> some time ago.<\/p>\n

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Hacienda Costa Plenty<\/p><\/div>\n

The Wizard Of Oz Redux<\/h4>\n

A number of towns<\/strong> in Kansas<\/strong> feature “Wizard of Oz”<\/em> exhibits. This house<\/strong>\u00a0is not an exhibit per se but it looked to me<\/strong> like it could have been in the movie<\/strong>. The colors<\/strong>, the porches<\/strong> and the roof line<\/strong>\u00a0lend itself to the OZ look<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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More Artifacts<\/h4>\n

The Northeast<\/strong>\u00a0wind<\/strong> was continuing to build<\/strong> and Gary was concerned<\/strong> I might have trouble<\/strong> getting back to Wichita<\/strong>. I wasn’t<\/strong> too worried<\/strong> about getting there but I knew as the\u00a0head wind speed rose, the longer<\/strong> it would take<\/strong> to fly into it. I had told my wife<\/strong> I would mow<\/strong> the lawn<\/strong> that day so I was going to need get home at a reasonable time to do that. Gary<\/strong> had mentioned some historical photos<\/strong> he had at his office<\/strong> so I asked if we could see them before returning<\/strong> to my plane<\/strong> at Pat’s Farm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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In this room<\/strong> of his business<\/strong> we see Gary<\/strong> with just a few of the many historical photos<\/strong> and artifacts he owns. He keeps most<\/strong> of them at home<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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In his office Gary<\/strong> has a photo of the Schoolhouse<\/strong> we had earlier visited.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This photo of the Schoolhouse<\/strong> and later home of The Attica Artist Guild<\/strong> was taken by Ellis Photo<\/strong> of Alva, Oklahoma<\/a> in 1922<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Here he shows me a “Book of Family Histories”<\/em> and then the Life Magazine<\/strong> I discussed earlier.<\/p><\/div>\n

Garver’s Flying Circus<\/h4>\n
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Gary has a copy of an old photo<\/strong> of Karl Garver\u00a0<\/b>at Lone Tree Ranch<\/strong> just South<\/strong> of Attica<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Karl Garver – Garver’s Flying Circus<\/p><\/div>\n

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Gary<\/strong> has this copy of an original handbill<\/strong> promoting the shows.<\/p><\/div>\n

Wind Waits For No Man<\/h4>\n

I hated<\/strong> to leave because Gary<\/strong> had so many interesting historical pictures<\/strong> of The Flying Circus<\/strong> and Attica<\/strong> in general. But, it was getting pretty windy<\/strong>. Earlier in the season, a return trip<\/strong> into an equivalent\u00a0stiff head wind<\/strong>\u00a0took me two and a half hours to travel 63 miles (The\u00a0McPherson, Kansas Flight<\/em><\/a>). I love the flying time<\/strong> but didn’t want to risk running out of fuel<\/strong> or daylight<\/strong>. Prudence<\/strong> dictated a 2 to 3 pm<\/strong> departure. We headed back<\/strong> out to Pat’s House<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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I asked Gary<\/strong> to stop so I could get this shot of Pat’s Farm<\/strong> with the new wheat<\/strong> planted in the foreground.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Before we untied<\/strong> my plane, Gary<\/strong> took this shot of The Sky Surfer<\/strong> ready to make the trek to Selby Aerodrome<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0Cassius Clay<\/h4>\n

Before he changed his name, Boxer Cassius Clay<\/strong> had a famous line<\/strong> I will borrow<\/strong> from here. In the runup to his fight with Sonny Liston<\/strong><\/a>, Clay<\/strong> said his strategy would be to\u00a0“Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee”<\/em>. Since I would be flying<\/strong> directly into a 20 mph wind<\/strong> that was gusting to 30<\/strong>, I would adopt the first part of Clay’s<\/strong> immortal line and “Float Like A Butterfly”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Aerodynamic Observation<\/h4>\n

Years ago I was given a “naturalistic observation”<\/em> that provided some of the basis for my Long Distance Ultralight Flights<\/strong>. I was in my backyard<\/strong> with my dogs<\/strong>. The wind<\/strong> was about 20 miles per hour<\/strong> from the South with gusts to 30<\/strong>. It was windy<\/strong> enough that the birds<\/strong> were sitting<\/strong> it out. Out of the corner of my eye<\/strong> I saw a small, bright, yellow object<\/strong> making its way across the face<\/strong> of my fence<\/strong>. It bobbed<\/strong> up and down and side to side but maintained a constant<\/strong> movement<\/strong> forward<\/strong> into the wind<\/strong>. It was a\u00a0butterfly! <\/strong>By all rights, it should not<\/strong> have been able to fly<\/strong> in that wind at all<\/strong>, much less make headway<\/strong> against it. At first I assumed it was only able to make forward motion<\/strong> while being partially\u00a0shielded<\/strong> by the fence. The fence<\/strong> was North\/South<\/strong> – in line with the wind<\/em> – but I decided it was shielding the little creature somehow. Then, amazingly<\/strong>, the butterfly\u00a0flew<\/strong> above the top of the fence and kept going<\/strong>\u00a0though an area with many bushes<\/strong> and trees<\/strong> reaching altitudes of 2o to 30 feet<\/strong> until it disappeared behind<\/strong> the\u00a0trees<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

I noticed when it was clear<\/strong> of the fence<\/strong> its “zig-zagging”<\/em> increased<\/strong> in\u00a0amplitude<\/strong>\u00a0but its forward motion<\/strong> continued unabated<\/strong>. I pondered this for some time.\u00a0Since then I have witnessed<\/strong> other<\/strong> butterfly flight demonstrations<\/strong> of this sort and have drawn some conclusions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Boundary Layers<\/a><\/h4>\n

In the study<\/strong> of aerodynamics<\/strong> or fluid mechanics<\/strong>\u00a0is the concept<\/strong> of a boundary layer<\/strong>. In the context of aircraft<\/strong>, this describes the air<\/strong>\u00a0layer<\/strong>\u00a0that is “attached”<\/em> or “viscous”<\/em> to the object<\/strong> near it – generally a wing<\/strong>, propeller<\/strong> or fuselage<\/strong>. What it tends to do is to “grab on to”<\/em> and “distort”<\/em> the on-coming, non-viscous air mass<\/strong>. Most study of this effect regards high airspeed<\/strong> and has been conducted to enhance the ability of high performance aircraft<\/strong> to cut through the air with less drag<\/strong>. I can’t remember seeing anything about boundary layers<\/strong> at low<\/strong> air speeds. But, as I thought about it, it seemed obvious<\/strong> that the butterfly<\/strong> was making use of boundary layers<\/strong> at relatively low air speeds. In windy conditions<\/strong> there is a boundary layer<\/strong> around all<\/strong> types of objects<\/strong>. In the case of the butterfly<\/strong>, his objects of interest are trees<\/strong>, bushes<\/strong>, tall grass<\/strong>, and fences<\/strong>. Because the wind<\/strong>\u00a0inside the boundary layer<\/strong> is “viscous” and therefore considerably slower<\/strong> than the greater<\/strong> moving air mass<\/strong> around it, the butterfly<\/strong> was able to make headway<\/strong> by flying<\/strong> through the slower<\/strong> moving boundary layers<\/strong> around the trees<\/strong>, bushes<\/strong> and fence<\/strong>. Thus, while he appears<\/strong> to be flying forward against a strong wind<\/strong>, he is actually making decent headway<\/strong> by flying through relatively slow boundary layers<\/strong> attached to these objects<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A Man Has To Know His (Machine’s)<\/em> Limitations<\/h4>\n

Harry Callahan<\/strong><\/a> wasn’t talking airplanes<\/strong> when he uttered that line<\/strong> but the wisdom<\/strong> is well taken. A\u00a0lot of pilots<\/strong> would rather think of themselves as a Golden Eagle<\/strong> when flying. That really\u00a0misses the point<\/strong> for\u00a0Ultralight Flying<\/strong>. Taking inspiration from the Boundary Layer discussion<\/strong> above, if you are an Ultralight Flyer, it is far more useful to think<\/strong> of yourself as a butterfly<\/strong>. Ultralights<\/strong> have everything in common<\/strong> with them: low wing loading; lots of drag; relatively low power<\/strong>. A few years back, I adjusted<\/strong> my mind<\/strong>\u00a0to this. After that my Ultralight Flying<\/strong> experience made a quantum leap<\/strong>. It has become far more<\/strong> interesting<\/strong> and challenging<\/strong>. Now it is more like airborne judo or kung fu<\/strong>. Now I\u00a0don’t<\/strong> take the hit<\/strong> straight on<\/strong>.\u00a0I allow<\/strong> it<\/strong> to move past me<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Here’s how that<\/b> plays out.\u00a0I stay extremely\u00a0low<\/strong> and when possible fly around<\/strong>, rather than over, hedgerows<\/strong>. It works well<\/strong> and has permitted me much farther range<\/strong> on the limited fuel I can carry. But, if you try this, don’t forget that\u00a0Butterfly Boundary Layer Flying<\/strong> can only be done<\/span>\u00a0if you have\u00a0good “stick & rudder”<\/em><\/a> chops<\/strong> and maintain<\/strong>\u00a0constant vigilance<\/strong> lest one of the objects<\/strong> adjacent to the boundary layer<\/strong> reach out and smite<\/strong>\u00a0thee<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

‘Till We Meet Again<\/h4>\n

I thanked Gary<\/strong> for his tour of town and for the ride<\/strong> back out to Pat’s Farm<\/strong>. We untied<\/strong> the plane<\/strong>, put all of Pat’s<\/strong> stuff away and I pre-flighted<\/strong> the MXL<\/strong>. Everything looked good<\/strong> so I fired<\/strong> her up, taxied<\/strong> out and took<\/strong> to the air<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Just after takeoff I climbed so as to clear the area and take a couple more pictures. It was fairly turbulent<\/strong> but I twisted around in the seat<\/strong> to get this last picture of the Kernohan Home.<\/strong>\u00a0Gary Grigsby<\/strong>\u00a0is watching from his car.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Attica<\/strong> from 300′ AGL<\/strong> looking South<\/strong> under my right wing.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A little past Logan Street<\/strong> coming out of Attica’s North Side, I dropped down to begin my trip back.<\/p><\/div>\n

World’s Toughest Fixes<\/h4>\n

Lately<\/strong> I have become a Sean Riley<\/strong> follower. He is the host<\/strong> – better would be “Great Adventurer”<\/em> – of National Geographic Channel’s<\/strong> “World’s Toughest Fixes”<\/strong>. The guy is a superb athlete<\/strong>, skillful rigger<\/strong> and very effective host<\/strong>. Providence<\/strong><\/a> is a continual theme in my Flite Blog\u2122<\/strong> writings and again loomed large<\/strong> in this flight<\/strong> to Attica<\/strong>. The week before<\/strong> the trip I had watched Riley<\/strong> climb all over high tension power lines<\/strong><\/a> with a crew in Pennsylvania<\/strong>. \u00a0Not long after leaving Attica<\/strong> I came upon a new power line project<\/strong> that provided two benefits<\/span>. One<\/strong>, was that I got to see the building process<\/strong> in stages. Since I had seen<\/strong> his show, I recognized elements<\/strong> from it in “real life”<\/em>. Secondly, the path of the power line<\/strong> for many miles<\/strong>\u00a0traced<\/strong> exactly the direction<\/strong> I needed to go! This allowed<\/strong> “The Butterfly”<\/em> to track through<\/strong> all the hedgerows<\/strong> instead<\/strong> of having to climb<\/strong> over them or detour<\/strong> around them. It was deluxe<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

“Slow” Changes Everything<\/h4>\n

When you see these power lines<\/strong> I suspect a lot of folks will get\u00a0queazy<\/strong>. I want to assure you this is not “dare devil”<\/em> flying. To remind you, my Ultralight<\/strong> is flying<\/strong> between 38 to 42<\/strong> miles per hour. On top of that, even utilizing this “boundary layer\u00a0business”<\/em>, the headwind<\/strong> still costs me 5 to 8<\/strong> miles per hour. So, I am netting<\/strong> a ground speed<\/strong> of only 30 to 38<\/strong> miles per hour. This makes for\u00a0plenty of time<\/strong> to look ahead<\/strong> and plan<\/strong> a path<\/strong>. There is plenty of room<\/strong> along “the corridor”<\/em>. It is excellent fun<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Approaching a new high tension line installation.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A major junction. Three different lines cross.<\/p><\/div>\n

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It was very hard to take these pictures because of the turbulence. For a while, the new line paralleled an older smaller high tension line.<\/p><\/div>\n

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There was plenty of room between them so I flew the corridor for a while.<\/p><\/div>\n

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At this point the power lines diverged<\/strong> enough from my flight path that I crossed over this milo field<\/strong>. This “GlennView<\/a>“<\/em> was taken at 3′ AGL<\/strong> looking Northeast<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Then I noticed the pulleys<\/strong> hanging from the insulators. I had seen this on the “Greatest Fixes”<\/em> TV show<\/strong>. These pulleys are attached to the ends of the insulators and then new electric cables are pulled through them.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Sure enough, after a few more miles I saw a cable staging area ahead.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The North End<\/strong> of the yard contained many spools of new electric wire<\/strong> being readied to string<\/strong> between the poles.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Then a little further and I saw this\u00a0bulldozer<\/strong>\u00a0holding a length of cable taught<\/strong>. Long stretches of cable<\/strong> like this are extremely\u00a0heavy<\/strong>. It appears to me that the section<\/strong> going to<\/strong> the right<\/strong> had been completed<\/strong>. The next<\/strong> order of business would be\u00a0attaching<\/strong>\u00a0it to the section coming toward<\/strong> the camera. That would have to wait<\/strong> until Monday<\/strong> because it was Saturday<\/strong> and no one was working.<\/p><\/div>\n

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After leaving “The Power Line Corridor”<\/em> I came upon this interesting plowed field – looking East<\/strong>\u00a0from 10′ AGL.<\/p><\/div>\n

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After taking the previous shot, I noticed this sharp Quicksilver Silhouette<\/strong> in the fertile dirt below.<\/p><\/div>\n

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As I crossed the Ninnescah River<\/strong><\/a> I took this picture of Clearwater, Kansas<\/strong><\/a> from 300′ AGL looking North<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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This is about 20 miles<\/strong> South Southwest<\/strong> of Wichita<\/strong><\/a> which you can see on the horizon<\/strong>. I am at 500′ AGL. One of the few\u00a0corn fields<\/strong>\u00a0remaining to be harvested<\/strong> is in the foreground.<\/p><\/div>\n

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A mile or so later these guys were harvesting corn<\/strong>. I shot this with the telephoto<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Getting closer to home base but with the head wind maintaining<\/strong> and still flying fairly low, I caught this shot of a crew drilling<\/strong> an oil well South<\/strong> of Haysville, Kansas<\/strong><\/a>. I am at about 75′ AGL<\/strong> looking Northwest<\/strong>. On the horizon just to the left of the rig you can see Air Products<\/strong>. To the right of the rig is Occidental Chemicals<\/strong> and at the far right the DeBruce Grain Elevators<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

A Prairie Lighthouse<\/h4>\n

This repeater tower<\/strong> is my West Marker<\/strong> for Selby Aerodrome<\/strong><\/a>. It is precisely West<\/strong> of the field<\/strong> and features a blinking beacon<\/strong> at night.\u00a0Ultralights<\/strong> can fly up to 1\/2 hour after sunset<\/strong>. At that time of day, everything on the ground looks quite different and it is possible to get lost.\u00a0This tower<\/strong> comes in very handy<\/strong> at dusk when I am trying to find<\/strong> the field<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The Western Locator<\/p><\/div>\n

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Another harvest<\/strong> in progress. Note the “Sunspot”<\/em> enveloping the plane’s silhouette<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Haysville Saddle Club<\/strong><\/a>. Most Saturday<\/strong> mornings there is action here. I am at 700′ AGL<\/strong> and climbing to pass over the housing area and I-135<\/strong><\/a> just before I reach Selby<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Fairfield Polo Club<\/strong><\/a>. Usually the grass looks much better but it is the end of the season. I am at 1,000′ AGL<\/strong> looking Southeast<\/strong>. The highway cutting through the upper left<\/strong> of the shot is I-135<\/strong>. The road barely seen at the right edge<\/strong> of the picture is South<\/strong>\u00a0Broadway Street\/Hwy 81<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The sky<\/strong> was clear<\/strong> so, before entering the pattern for a few go-arounds, I took this shot with Selby Aerodrome and Horse Ranch<\/strong> in the center. I am at 1,000′ AGL<\/strong> looking straight East<\/strong>.<\/p><\/div>\n

Gossamer Threads<\/h4>\n

I wasn’t the only one<\/strong> besides the few random butterflies<\/strong> using minimal power<\/strong> to fly<\/strong> across the prairie<\/strong> that day. There were also countless spiders<\/strong> in the airspace using gossamer threads<\/strong> to\u00a0“kite”<\/em><\/a> their way to destinations<\/strong> unknown. A few of them<\/strong> must have felt like they touched off an afterburner<\/strong><\/a> when they hooked<\/strong> on to my wing cables<\/strong>. \u00a0After landing<\/strong> I saw them all over the plane<\/strong> so I pulled near the hangar shadow<\/strong> so you could see<\/strong> a few attached<\/strong> to my flying wires<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Spider Silk<\/p><\/div>\n

Back To Basics<\/h4>\n

Ultralight Flying<\/strong> – low and slow<\/em> – has been generally ignored<\/strong> by the Aviation Establishment<\/strong>. Most all aviation<\/strong>\u00a0research<\/strong> goes into High and Fast<\/strong>. That makes sense<\/strong> because that’s where the money<\/strong> has been. But for the sheer joy of flying it is hard to beat Ultralight Flying.<\/p>\n

In addition, the more I fly my Ultralight<\/strong>, the greater\u00a0appreciation<\/strong> I have for the capabilities<\/strong>\u00a0God<\/strong> has given his creatures<\/strong> which traverse the air. I hope to continue gaining<\/strong> insight into flying from the observation<\/strong> of their flying behaviors<\/strong>. The Birds<\/strong><\/a>, The Butterflies<\/strong> and now\u00a0The Spiders –<\/strong>\u00a0all make their contributions.<\/p>\n

Blue Skies & Tailwinds!\u2122<\/em><\/p>\n

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

Continual Revelation The more research I undertook prior to my flight to Attica, Kansas,\u00a0the more interesting things were revealed. Initially, my interest in visiting the town began from a news story I had read. It told of a man named\u00a0Nathaniel Grigsby\u00a0who’s convictions regarding a\u00a0particular political party\u00a0were strong enough to have them\u00a0engraved\u00a0on his\u00a0tombstone. I decided this […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,6,11,1],"tags":[76,83,26,49,51,35,41,48,25,45,78,22],"class_list":["post-9420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fun-flights","category-show-an-airfield","category-ultralight","category-uncategorized","tag-attica","tag-bnsf","tag-brian-fitzgerald","tag-flying","tag-fun-flight","tag-great-plains","tag-kansas","tag-quicksilver-mxl","tag-sky-surfing","tag-the-sky-surfer","tag-topeka","tag-ultralight-2","category-3-id","category-6-id","category-11-id","category-1-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9420","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=9420"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9666,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9420\/revisions\/9666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fitzvideo.com\/skysurfing2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}