Airborne

For anyone still following the blog, here’s a link to the article that Tanner mentioned. I’ve copied the text here, but it’s definitely worth visiting the link above to review the comments:

Suwanee teen pilots cross country trip
Tanner Smith, 19, got his pilot’s license when he was 16. Until August, a typical solo flight for him would be going to Winder for lunch. But his last destination was a little farther than Winder. He decided to go cross country to California.

SUWANEE — Tanner Smith, 19, got his pilot’s license when he was 16. Until August, a typical solo flight for him would be going to Winder for lunch. But his last destination was a little farther than Winder. He decided to go cross country to California.

“Flying is so much easier (than driving). There are no stop lights, you just get up and keep going. It’s just like cruise control practically all the way,” Tanner Smith said. He got his pilot’s license only a week after he got his driver’s license.

The teen grew up joining his father, an amateur pilot, as a passenger in their Piper Cherokee, a four-seat single engine 1969 plane. For a while, Smith’s longest trip was his 50-mile air test when he got his license. Then, he heard about a teenager sailing around the world in early 2010. He thought he could do something similar, by flying across the United States.

“I guess it was like the biggest thing you could possibly do with a pilot’s license,” Smith said. “Everyone wants to go cross country in their cars, it was like, ‘Hey why don’t we do this and watch the scenery.’”

The idea wasn’t mentioned again, until the teen Smith’s uncle came for his graduation from Peachtree Ridge High School. His uncle Steve Lawler wasn’t a pilot, but had a thirst for adventure.

So a partnership was formed. Lawler helped plan the trip and stops, book hotels and take pictures, but it was Smith who would do all the flying. His father Fred Smith’s role was to give advice but let the trip be his son’s independent achievement.

“I wanted him to do this, but as a father you’re always anxious and apprehensive. We spent two to three weeks reviewing and training,” Fred Smith said.

Colleen Smith trusted her husband’s judgment that her son was ready to fly. But she didn’t tell a single friend or coworker what her son was going to do.

“I didn’t want to hear them say, ‘Uh! I can’t believe you are letting him to do it,’ because then I would start doubting my judgment,” Colleen Smith said. “Driving on 285 or 85 is a lot more dangerous than (flying) in the sky. There’s nobody up there texting.”

Tanner Smith and his uncle took off Aug. 3, taking 3 or 4 days to reach Ramona, Calif., and returned to touch the East Coast on Jekyll Island. Smith had to rely on his eyesight, so he could only fly in good weather. The plane only holds 50 gallons of fuel, so refueling was necessary every three hours.

Lawler, a 51-year-old technical marketing engineer in Silicon Valley, didn’t have a close relationship with his nephew before the trip. But talking for days — with the help of noise-canceling headphones — strengthened their bond.

“I liked the idea of doing something like that completely off the wall,” Lawler said.

When they reached into the western states, they were overwhelmed by the blistering heat (115 degrees outside the plane, 135 degrees inside). They landed in Deming, N.M., and saw the Milky Way, meteors and satellites in the clear skies.

The trip required careful planning to make sure the pair didn’t enter military airspace or other restricted space. The plane had a spot GPS so the family members could watch the trip’s progress from a computer. They had a bit of a scare when the GPS broke and the signal was lost.

When the pair finally returned to Atlanta airspace, Smith’s father had a surprise.

“You’re father welcomes you home,” an air traffic controller broadcasted across the radio, a message heard by hundreds of pilots in a commercial and private plane in the area.

“It’s pretty incredible he did it and got back.” Fred Smith said.

Chris Dancy, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association media relations director, said cross country flights by teens aren’t common.

“For any pilot, it is an impressive feat in planning and airmanship,” Dancy said. “Once you’ve learned to fly, making that 50-mile trip or making that 2,500-mile trip involves all the same skills. You do have to more of it.”

The teen is now a freshman at the Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in computer science. He would love to take another big flight, perhaps up north.

1 Comment »

I finally have an opportunity to follow up and express a few emotional musings on the journey, especially now that I’ve had a little time for things to settle in. Excuse the long-winded post…

Although the overall experience was remarkably diverse—both physically and spiritually—what stands out most is the consistent theme of brilliant sun and intense heat. Considering how spontaneously the circumstances that aligned to make the trip possible, I recognize it as synchronicity, and from that realization, take consolation in the fact that the best times in my life have unfolded similarly.

When we first discussed the possibility of the trip while visiting for the twins’ graduation, I immediately encouraged the idea, but wasn’t convinced it would come to fruition. Those concerns were allayed about a month later, when I received an email from Tanner detailing an initial route he’d explored. That served not only as the catalyst to work through the logistics required to make the dream real, it also released my imagination in anticipation of the time to come.

The Zen of Small Planes
Having flown commercially countless times, I’ve always derived solace from being in the sky: whenever possible, I choose the window seat and spend the majority of the flight gazing out the window at the landscapes below and clouds above. As far back as I can recall, the process has provided a sense of peace and serenity, to the extent that I feel my anxieties fall away as I merge into the timelessness and magic of the natural rhythms of the planet. However, this journey introduced me to landscapes beyond imagining. There’s an obvious and significant difference between flying in a jetliner at 540 mph at 36,000 feet (3871 kph at 11,000 meters) and the Piper at 7500 feet and 110 mph (2286 meters at 177 kph), yet this doesn’t approach explaining the difference. Having 180+ degrees of horizontal visibility is as close as I’ll probably ever come to being a bird: The experience was completely liberating, providing the opportunity for photographs that wouldn’t be possible any other way. The lower altitudes were especially appreciated for the details they disclosed. I recalled the images of one of my favorite photographers, Galen Rowell, (and how he and his wife died in a small plane crash).

Hearty Folk in the Heartland
I’m assuming you’ve heard the disparaging term “fly-over country,” typically uttered by self-important coastal residents that feel nothing of importance could possibly occur in the central parts of the continent. This couldn’t be further from the reality we encountered: everywhere we went, we found genuine, strong, vibrant people that consistently offered to help in any way possible. This was remarkably refreshing as compared to some with whom I work in the computer industry that consider cynicism a virtue and sign of intelligence. Simple is better.

Hot, Hot, and More Hot
As we landed in Greenwood, Mississippi on our westward route, I was amazed to see that the corn fields were completely parched and brown, with small, stunted fruit. This was particularly surprising given that it was only mid-August, and it reminded me of the fires in Russia, the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan, and the fact that the period from January through July was the warmest in Earth’s history, with more heat records broken than any year before. I also learned recently that the the Arctic’s Northwest and Northeast Passages have been ice-free for the fourth year in a row: this has never happened before, and reinforces speculation that Arctic sea ice will disappear completely in summer by 2030. Rest assured: I contemplated the role fossil fuels play in this as I filled the Piper’s tanks with LL100 (low lead!) aviation gas. As we opened the plane we were assaulted by the intense heat and humidity: it felt like entering an oven. The heat continued as we made our way west, but fortunately the humidity diminished (and a good thing too, since the temps continued to climb, reaching the hundred and teens in Arizona).

Crossing the Mississippi river shortly after Greenwood felt like entering the “real West,” and as we proceeded, the vegetation gradually became lower, smaller, and more sparse. Both Tanner and I were relieved as the visibility increased, and soon reveled in 100-mile horizons. Although we left the humidity behind, the temperature in Casa Grande, Arizona was the hottest I’d seen in over 30 years. As mentioned previously, the New Mexico landscapes were some of the most colorful and mysterious we’d seen. We flew slightly to the east of Mount Lemmon, just north of Tucson, and were impressed by the mountain oasis it provided. Moving into Arizona and the hottest part of the day, we moved through some of the most rugged, barren, and alien terrain I’d ever seen. The complete absence of vegetation or cloud cover allowed the sun to bake the rocky surface, resulting in boiling thermals that made for very bumpy flying, regardless of our altitude. We were grateful for having brought water: the air felt as though it was sucking every bit of moisture from us.

The Mexican Border
We looked forward to seeing the Mexican border, and after passing Yuma, Arizona we were surprised to see a distinct, black line in the sand indicating the border fence. I was reminded of the controversy surrounding Arizona’s immigration laws. It’s ironic that any American can raise a stink about immigration, when the Europeans that came to North America committed genocide and stole the land from the native inhabitants.

The West Coast
As soon as we passed south of the Salton Sea, the humidity increased, and the temperature and visibility decreased once again. Making our way into the Ramona, California airspace, we were surprised to hear how busy the air traffic controllers were. Ramona impressed both of us with the blend of authentic western ranching flavor and flaky coastal California “grooviness.” It was relaxed and comfortable. Knowing we’d flown as far west as we could, we eagerly anticipated touring the San Diego area, so we jumped in our little Chevy Aveo (the last and only car available at Ramona’s Enterprise lot), and headed down into the big city. In spite of my familiarity with Bay Area traffic, I was stunned at the congestion we found, but it really didn’t bother us, since we had nowhere special to go. My impression is that San Diego is second in California only to Los Angeles in size and density.

I don’t know if Tanner found it as amusing as I did, but it was interesting that we were able to only book three separate motels for a single night each. On the third day we ended up a mile or so from the coast, so we headed to the beach. There were plenty of surfers attempting to make something of the meager waves, and I felt that we should hear Good Vibrations and see a woodie drive by.

Heading Back Home
We left Ramona on a crisp, cool morning, and were grateful that the flight was smoother due to the cooler air over Arizona. Arriving once again in Deming, New Mexico, we were pleased when the airport manager lent us a minivan, as we wanted to find a motel with working Wi-Fi. The number of motels in such a small town was surprising, but we ended up at a Super 8 at the edge of town. It was also surprising that we only found one non-fast food restaurant open on Sunday at 7:00 PM; ironically, the one housed in the motel at which we’d stayed on the way out.

We left Deming on another beautiful morning, but soon the clouds began to build. Landing in Andrews, Texas, I realized that the monsoons were building, so we’d have to make our lunch relatively quick. We left just in time. I was moved by many of these small western towns, particularly ones like Andrews (celebrating its centennial), from the perspective that they are products of the age of cheap petroleum. Considering the situation with peak oil, I wonder what will become of these places: there’s little to no opportunity for growing their own food to sustain their current populations, not to mention the increasing likelihood of drought.

Weather, Or Not?
As we made our way further east, we both became increasingly anxious as we saw the thunderheads building earlier than they had before, but realized that we could always find a place to stop for the day should the weather prevent us from reaching our destination. Everything worked out perfectly, and we managed to dodge the storms. Entering the Atlanta area was stunning from the perspective of how large the metropolitan area is. As we approached the Lawrenceville airport, I was impressed when I asked Tanner how many times he’d landed there: he showed obvious excitement and confidence as we made the final approach to our homecoming.

Interesting Fact About Jekyll Island, Georgia
Although our initial plan was the route from Atlanta to the west coast and back, we agreed with the suggestions to achieve coast-to-coast closure by making the day trip to the coast of Georgia. Ironically, the weather turned out to be the least conducive to flying for the entire trip, resulting in an overnight stay on Jekyll Island. I later discovered that the Jekyll Island Club is the location of a significant (infamous?) event in US history: the founding of the Federal Reserve. Forbes magazine founder Bertie Charles Forbes:

Picture a party of the nation’s greatest bankers stealing out of New York on a private railroad car under cover of darkness, stealthily riding hundred of miles South, embarking on a mysterious launch, sneaking onto an island deserted by all but a few servants, living there a full week under such rigid secrecy that the names of not one of them was once mentioned, lest the servants learn the identity and disclose to the world this strangest, most secret expedition in the history of American finance. I am not romancing; I am giving to the world, for the first time, the real story of how the famous Aldrich currency report, the foundation of our new currency system, was written… The utmost secrecy was enjoined upon all. The public must not glean a hint of what was to be done. Senator Aldrich notified each one to go quietly into a private car of which the railroad had received orders to draw up on an unfrequented platform. Off the party set. New York’s ubiquitous reporters had been foiled… Nelson (Aldrich) had confided to Henry, Frank, Paul and Piatt that he was to keep them locked up at Jekyll Island, out of the rest of the world, until they had evolved and compiled a scientific currency system for the United States, the real birth of the present Federal Reserve System, the plan done on Jekyll Island in the conference with Paul, Frank and Henry… Warburg is the link that binds the Aldrich system and the present system together. He more than any one man has made the system possible as a working reality.

Funny how few people realize that the Federal Reserve—a private corporation, not a federal agency—creates new money by loaning it into existence: Some even say debt doesn’t matter. Time will tell…

Tanner and I definitely enjoyed the sultry and relaxing evening there, exploring the tropical island in our Red Bug electric car. When we returned the car the next day we learned that the Days Inn motel at which we stayed was built by a flying enthusiast in the shape of an airplane. Checking the weather forecast for the next day showed overcast in the morning followed by thunderstorms, which was cause for concern for me, as I needed to fly back to San Francisco the day after: I couldn’t afford to stay another day. Fortunately, the day broke clear, and we departed shortly after 9:00 AM, descending shortly afterward through a gap in the building cloud cover to refuel. As we continued back to Atlanta, the undercast became contiguous, increasing our concern about landing. Fortunately, the clouds broke up as we approached the Lawrenceville airport and we landed without incident. Our journey was complete.

OK, Stop Rambling Already
In conclusion, I’d like to mention the aspect of the trip that’s most difficult to convey in its essence, yet most profound to me. By far the most rewarding part of the adventure was the opportunity to get to know Tanner and in turn open myself to him: we learned much from one another. A number of times initially I attempted to see things through his eyes: a nineteen-year old hanging out with his fifty-one year old uncle, yet the more I did so, the stranger it felt. As far as I’m concerned, we transcended the nephew/uncle relationship and became not only peers but friends, and for that I’m immensely grateful. When I agreed to participate in the trip, I really had no idea of what flying entailed, yet I had no doubt about his abilities: that should be obvious, since I literally entrusted my life to him. Our agreement worked out perfectly: he’d handle things in the air, I’d cover the ground stuff. It’s an honor to have dedicated two weeks of my life to the experience of getting to know such a kind and intelligent soul. Our sincere thanks to everyone for their love and support: we couldn’t have done it without you. But thanks most of all to you, Tanner.

One last thing: croutons are cool.

No Comments »

Currently I am at Tech, finishing up my first week of classes. They’re all fine. My Calculus II teacher has a sense of humor and my English I teacher has a New York type of accent. Loving Tech. Even completed my RAT “Recently Acquired Techie” cap.

Anywho, I started this post before I moved in to college and today I logged in to explain about the newspaper article we would be featured in and noticed Steve was working on his reflection of the journey. I thought to myself “Gosh, Steve has more than I do so I should do this while I have the free time”. So here I am.

When we began the trip, I hadn’t had much time talking to Atlanta Center. For those who don’t know <city name> Center is pretty much the guys who watch and take care of the planes flying from region to region of the United States, kinda like big brother – Steve was amazed how they knew our altitude and where other planes were. I had done it before with Dad and a few other people, but it still was something that I didn’t know every answer to everything. That was about the only thing I was worried about before we left. I didn’t want to screw it up especially in front of lots of other planes. I didn’t want to identify myself as a young pilot.

Since we had done so much planning, I did not particularly have to worry too much about restricted, military, and the various Class B airspaces around the route. Sure, now and then ATC would ask me to stay a bit more outside the airspace than I had planned to be, but it worked.

Looking back, it really wasn’t that hard. What made it easy? The planning. What would’ve been without planning? Chaos. Having all the charts, the plan, the kneeboard pages, and everything else made it easy. Even when we got to San Diego, realized that I needed the reverse route of the kneeboard plans which I had thrown out or shoved in my kneeboard pockets, we didn’t fret. I had my MacBook Pro, which ran VMWare containing the Voyager flight planning software. Simply exported the route as a PDF, put it on a thumb drive, and checked at places we went if they would let us use their printers. Easy fix.

Another thought that is occurring to me right now is that everyone at the airports and the places we went were nice and friendly. When we needed a car, we could use for free. The only place I recall that we had to pay to get a car was in San Diego, and that was only because we were using it for more than an hour. Getting gas was easy at airports. Self-serve was no problem and I’m sure Steve is now an expert at doing that as he did most of that.

The only things I can say what I wish we had done was keep a better journal, use the Flip Mino more often, and remember to bring water after had gone into Texas. Perhaps if we did a video journal every night using the Flip Mino. Once we start thinking its easier to remember what happened, but putting it down into text is kind of hard as expressing an idea or situation is slower.

Well, that is probably the pilot viewpoint of the trip. I don’t know if I have any other viewpoints. If there are any, I can’t think of them at the moment. So, yeah.

1 Comment »