Busy, busy, busy, ever since our Saturday morning arrival. We landed here at the start in Fort Myers about 9:05 a.m. local time on Satuday and went immediately to credentials checks, then airplane inspection, then registration... finally checked in to the hotel and went back to the airport in time for the bbq. Fort Myers' mayor and port authority folks were at the bbq and said a few words of encouragement and congratulations to the racers.
Sunday morning started off with our handicap flight, and from there was filled with briefings, beginning at 10 am, and Monday the same.
Now it's Tuesday morning, Race Day, and we'll start off with a final weather briefing over breakfast, then off to the airport.
Team Ely-Kummer being #55 will be starting next-to-last. There are now 51 airplanes in the race, as some have dropped out.
I think we received a fair handicap, 113.9 knots. The challenges we will face racing the Cheetah will be 1) starting at the back, meaning a later take-off time, meaning less opportunity to skirt any weather problems; and 2) we have the lowest handicap speed of the entire field. Even the Grumman Traveler and all C172 models handicapped faster.
Looks like our weather challenges will be at the first stop at Waycross, as t'storms are forecast by 1 pm local time - if all goes well we'll be out of there before then; and then for Wednesday, Elkhart, Indiana's forecast doesn't look too great.
I want to send a big huge thanks to Mr. J. W. French for the "GOOD LUCK!" phone call last night. J.W. flew around the country in a Bucker Jungmeister two years ago, a tribute flight, the Sam Burgess Memorial Junket. We met him when he came through Liberty, Texas on his trip. I was pleasantly surprised and honored that he thought of me and took the time to call and wish us the best.
You may be able to listen to the start live on www.liveatc.net if the Fort Myers Page Field tower is up. Go to LiveATC.net and navigate to KFMY, which is Page Field, and click on the control tower. We are scheduled to take off at 8 am local time.
We'll turn on the Spot tracker and will check in on this blog as we can.
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We are thinking about you and cheering you on in Tullahoma, Tennessee! We dispatched the TRW Sweeper to clear your path. And we will monitor your progress on LiveATC for all of the waypoints that are up and running there. Have the time of your lives!
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteI had a spy at Tuscaloosa who was watching at the fence line. He is from Tullahoma, but found himself down in Alabama today and stopped by at my urging. His VMS is fllled with background noise of the activities on the ground. Racer 51 was visible to him, but a check with the line boys revealed that you had likely passed through already. Your SPOT verified that theory based on timing. His name is Jim Apple and his wife is the president of the local comm college here. They will like meeting you if you and your husband can stop through here on your way home from FDK. You are almost to KHOT now - enjoy your evening and GET SOME REST if you can!
Linda, hope you and your co-pilot are doing well. Wednesday should be a fun day for your team.
ReplyDeleteSharon! Just had a chance to read your comment, sorry we didn't get to meet Jim Apple, but how cool that we have had you following the race and cheering us on! I just can't say enough about how much that means to me!
ReplyDeleteBrenda - we are doing well and are having a blast - Thanks!