Fun !! Nice place to fly AND in shorts / t-shirt. I've only rarely been able to do that (and not where I live (halfway to San Francisco on the Calif Coast))- it was VERY cool when I could. Cool music too.
Meeting up with some other trikers in Kentucky the following two days, I left NC and crossed the Appalachian Mountains at 8500'. We were heading to Trikefest 2013 in Chicago -- or so we thought. I met up with Gary Berdeaux in Glascow that afternoon and air-toured the area the next day while awaiting Tony and Kevin's arrival from Atlanta.
At McDonalds, on the day of our Trikefest pursuit, we surmised that we wouldn't make it. A cold front with nasty winds behind it was blocking our front door arrival, and guaranteeing a two-day tailgating experience. The choice was made when Kevin announced a recent transaction that netted him 168 acres with a 2200' grass strip south of Atlanta. "Why don't we have our own Trikefest? -- we'll call it Trikefest South", and so it was.
We flew over mountains and rivers, and two premier hang-gliding sites in Tennessee, while on our way. That evening we were eating Papiya and drinking Margaritas in Midtown Atlanta, planning our first day of Trikefest South -- a tour of Delta's World Headquarters at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. Kevin is a Delta Captain and his credentials got us carteblanc as we meandered throughout for eight hours.
The following day we all flew but in different directions -- mine was down to Savannah to pick up a passenger. I had always wanted to cruise the Georgia Barrier Islands in a trike, and this was my opportunity. After a good night's sleep we departed a coastal grass strip and got down on the deck after the population was well behind us. It was nothing but sea turtles and wild horses for the next 80 miles.
The goal was mid-Florida for the day, but the rain encouraged us to spend the night at St. Simon's Island. The following day we made it to Fernandina Beach, Fl and got rained out again. After a seafood lunch and dinner, we found a motel room and checked the weather for the next day. Everything looked good to go south this day but a medical emergency back in NC had us heading north.
The weather north was not good but perhaps doable. A straight shot back to Savannah brought us in under a low overcast, and the next morning was clear but wet in the early morning. A stationary front stretched across my path and the sky beneath me became a solid white an hour into my flight. Just when I started to worry about my gas a hole appeared that allowed me to spiral down and scud-run for 10 miles to the nearest airport. That same hole allowed me to climb back up and complete my journey behind the front.
I hangered my aircraft, kissed the ground, and headed to the hospital. Mid-Florida will just have to wait until the colder temperatures arrive sometime next month. Birds fly south in the winter and I hope to have the opportunity to join them again. This was how I spent my summer vacation 2013....
That's a great adventure story Doug ! Maybe Trikefest South will become a regular thing and more of us can go. The back story of how it was you got to your goal of the Georgia Barrier Islands makes the movie more precious and come to life!!
Comments
Fun !! Nice place to fly AND in shorts / t-shirt. I've only rarely been able to do that (and not where I live (halfway to San Francisco on the Calif Coast))- it was VERY cool when I could. Cool music too.
Looks like a great place to fly for sure. T-Shirt weather is leaving us here. Wore my flight suit for the first time in a while these last two weeks.
T-shirt weather is going here too! This was last month and most enjoyable, and was close to the conclusion of my week-long, 2000-mile journey.
Dude, tell us all about the 2,000 miles!!!
Meeting up with some other trikers in Kentucky the following two days, I left NC and crossed the Appalachian Mountains at 8500'. We were heading to Trikefest 2013 in Chicago -- or so we thought. I met up with Gary Berdeaux in Glascow that afternoon and air-toured the area the next day while awaiting Tony and Kevin's arrival from Atlanta.
At McDonalds, on the day of our Trikefest pursuit, we surmised that we wouldn't make it. A cold front with nasty winds behind it was blocking our front door arrival, and guaranteeing a two-day tailgating experience. The choice was made when Kevin announced a recent transaction that netted him 168 acres with a 2200' grass strip south of Atlanta. "Why don't we have our own Trikefest? -- we'll call it Trikefest South", and so it was.
We flew over mountains and rivers, and two premier hang-gliding sites in Tennessee, while on our way. That evening we were eating Papiya and drinking Margaritas in Midtown Atlanta, planning our first day of Trikefest South -- a tour of Delta's World Headquarters at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport. Kevin is a Delta Captain and his credentials got us carteblanc as we meandered throughout for eight hours.
The following day we all flew but in different directions -- mine was down to Savannah to pick up a passenger. I had always wanted to cruise the Georgia Barrier Islands in a trike, and this was my opportunity. After a good night's sleep we departed a coastal grass strip and got down on the deck after the population was well behind us. It was nothing but sea turtles and wild horses for the next 80 miles.
The goal was mid-Florida for the day, but the rain encouraged us to spend the night at St. Simon's Island. The following day we made it to Fernandina Beach, Fl and got rained out again. After a seafood lunch and dinner, we found a motel room and checked the weather for the next day. Everything looked good to go south this day but a medical emergency back in NC had us heading north.
The weather north was not good but perhaps doable. A straight shot back to Savannah brought us in under a low overcast, and the next morning was clear but wet in the early morning. A stationary front stretched across my path and the sky beneath me became a solid white an hour into my flight. Just when I started to worry about my gas a hole appeared that allowed me to spiral down and scud-run for 10 miles to the nearest airport. That same hole allowed me to climb back up and complete my journey behind the front.
I hangered my aircraft, kissed the ground, and headed to the hospital. Mid-Florida will just have to wait until the colder temperatures arrive sometime next month. Birds fly south in the winter and I hope to have the opportunity to join them again. This was how I spent my summer vacation 2013....
That's a great adventure story Doug ! Maybe Trikefest South will become a regular thing and more of us can go. The back story of how it was you got to your goal of the Georgia Barrier Islands makes the movie more precious and come to life!!