1343 NM to the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air & Space Museum

June 7 – 13, 2005

It was to be just another fly-in.  Only difference was, it was being held
700 miles away, under some of the most restrictive airspace in the world, at
the world's premier aviation museum, and it was by invitation only.

Nervous?  Us?  Nevah!     :-)

When Margy Natalie invited us to fly into the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy
Center of the National Air & Space Museum, to participate in the "Be a
Pilot" event (and the first-ever general aviation fly-in) at the museum, we
knew it would be an awesome trip -- and, wow, we weren't disappointed!
This journey dished up everything (except mechanical problems, thankfully)
from weather diversions to delightful surprises, from high density airspace
to air defense identification zones. Sprinkle in good friends and a wondrous
experience at the nation's finest aviation museum, and you've got the
makings for a trip of a lifetime.

It started badly, however. Our plan was to fly either north to Mackinac
Island, by way of Door County, WI, and then to Dulles "over the top" of the
Great Lakes, OR to fly south to St. Louis and spend a day at Six Flags
before proceeding eastward.  It would be up to the weather to decide our
fate.

Neither plan worked.  We ended up working late on Tuesday, trying to get
everything hammered together at the Inn, and the weather sucked in BOTH
directions -- so we went with a new "Plan C," which was "let's see how far
East we can fly before darkness or storms stop us..."

We didn't get far.   Just an hour east of Iowa City we ran into some really
nasty stuff that forced us to set down for the night in Rantoul, IL (home of
the former Chanute Air Force Base, and current home to a terrific aviation
museum) with lightning and heavy rain raging just a few miles off our port
side.

After a pleasant night in an utterly forgettable McHotel, the next morning
dawned sunny, and we briefly discussed stopping in Cedar Point, Ohio to let
the kids spend a day at the theme park there.  Unfortunately, the juicy air
mass that was stuck in place over the Eastern half of the nation meant that
the weather was highly unstable, with "pop-up" thunderstorms threatening our
entire route of flight.   Thus, we figured we had better press on, if
possible, lest we get stuck under a bunch of storms for the week and miss
the Big Show.   Implementing Michelle's (of this very group) suggestion, we
set course for Frederick, MD -- home of AOPA and a great on-field restaurant
called the "Airways Inn."   (A great recommendation, Michelle!)

With good early morning weather and almost no wind, we made good time,
landing in Frederick just past noon.   Of course, there were no storms to
fly around, which only poured gasoline on our decision to over-fly the theme
park!  The kids were NOT happy, having had their "theme park rug" pulled out
from under them not once, but TWICE in two days. We will definitely need to
make this up to them, soon.

Once on the ground at Frederick, our first order of battle was to find a
place to stay.  To our amazement, the helpful folks at the FBO could not
find an open room in Frederick -- on a Wednesday night!   They were
dumbfounded and very apologetic -- but had no other suggestions.   By now
(of course) the mid-day weather in the area was starting to look pretty
nasty, with thunderstorms popping up everywhere, so we really didn't want to
depart -- but what to do?

Well, it was early in the day and I figured the room situation could wait,
so we decided to check out AOPA headquarters, which is located on the field.
After an easy walk from the FBO, we wandered into the heart of general
aviation's "nerve center," dressed like the tourists we were, wondering what
we might find inside....

The lobby is somewhat cold and forbidding, since the structure is your
typical office building.  The receptionist, however -- the only person
visible in that area -- was welcoming and seemingly thrilled to see us, and
she immediately started making phone calls to try to line up a tour.  This
was our cue to find the cafeteria, as we were all parched and hungry from
the long flight -- and with her guidance we found the snack bar for
refreshments.

After re-hydrating, we walked back to the lobby, where our receptionist had
lined up an impromptu tour guide -- one of the ladies who answers the phone
in the customer service department.   She gave each of us an AOPA "CARE
package" containing  a coffee mug, hat, stickers, etc., and spent the next
45 minutes giving us a very thorough tour of AOPA.   It's a great facility,
with many enthusiastic, aviation-focused people on-staff, and we had a great
time.  (We even got to see Phil Boyer's office, although Phil himself was
away.   I got to sit in his big leather chair and gaze in wonder at all the
awards and plaques he has accumulated.)

Best of all, when we told her that we had been unable to find a hotel room
in Frederick, she asked Boyer's personal secretary to get on the problem
right away.  Within five minutes, she had  found a room in town -- how's
THAT for service?   It obviously pays to have connections, and AOPAs got
'em.

Eventually the tour took us to Julie Boatman's office.  Julie is the
journalist who wrote the terrific article about our Inn that appeared in
AOPA Pilot last fall, and I really wanted to thank her "in-person."   We had
conversed via email before coming to Frederick, but I had told her to look
for us on Friday!  Here it was only Wednesday, and she suddenly found the
four of us standing unexpectedly in her office.  Being the typical Iowa girl
that she is (she learned to fly in Iowa City), she rebounded nicely, and
invited us to join her and her husband for dinner at the Airways Inn -- the
on-field restaurant.

Delighted, we set a time to meet, and drove our rental car to our new-found
hotel, where we were able to clean up and let the kids swim before heading
back to the airport for a great dinner of crab cakes, baked potatoes, and
home-made cream of crab soup.   The food was fantastic, the conversation
enlightening (her husband Mike flies 767s for American, and had a few good
tales to tell), and we finished off the evening by driving to their favorite
ice cream parlor in old Frederick for dessert.

Old Frederick is OLD, especially by comparison to anything in the MidWest.
We're talking early 1700s, rather than mid-1800s, and that extra century
makes a remarkable difference in the character and signature of a town.
The roads are incredibly narrow (obviously designed for horses and
carriages), and the buildings that have survived are brick and full of
personality.   The ice cream parlor was in a very old building, and was
owned by a retired school administrator who clearly did it because he loved
to do it.   We shared another hour of conversation and unhealthy food.   It
was marvelous!

Eventually we had to bid them adieu, and it was with reluctance that we
toddled back to our hotel.   Not only is Julie a remarkable writer, Mike and
her are warm and friendly "real" people, too.  We will remember our time
with them fondly.

Because we had arrived early, we happily found ourselves with a couple of
"extra" days in the schedule.   We didn't have to be at the Udvar-Hazy
Center until the event on Saturday, and we now had all day Thursday and
Friday to fill -- but what to do?

Almost by accident we discovered our proximity to several Civil War
battlefields by glancing at a road map of the area.   I have always been
fascinated with the Civil War, and Mary was curious enough to suggest that
we check out Gettysburg on Thursday.  So, we loaded up our rental Mazda 626
and drove 45 minutes to the battlefield, wondering what we might find there.

To say we were blown away is an understatement.   The three-day battle of
Gettysburg is unrivaled in its savagery and carnage, and the hundreds of
memorials -- all erected to honor a specific unit or engagement -- are
EVERYWHERE, scattered throughout the huge battlefield.   To stand in the
field where 12,000 men advanced into the face of withering fire during
Pickett's Charge, in the very spot where fully half of them died, was just
overwhelming.

The gigantic cemetery is sobering, and the National Park Service does a good
job of explaining the rather complex battle.    All in all, it was a very
worthwhile side trip, and I highly recommend touring this historic site if
you get the chance.

After an early dinner in Frederick, we were ready to tackle flying into
Dulles, where we had reservations for the night.   Unfortunately, the late
afternoon popcorn thunderstorms had started up again, and -- as luck would
have it -- one of the cells settled over Frederick.   So, we waited...

And waited.  Finally, around 7 PM, it looked like our opportunity to escape
had arrived, as both flight service and Doppler radar confirmed that there
would be a small corridor between storms that would allow us to make the 15
minute flight into Dulles VFR.  So, after filing our ADIZ flight plan with
Flight Service, we contacted Potomac Approach while still on the ground to
obtain our discrete squawk code and activate our flight plan.

Once airborne they told us to contact Dulles Approach, and proceed.   I did
so, and told them what we were squawking and that we were proceeding inbound
to land at Dulles, with Bravo (the ATIS) -- to which they misunderstood and
replied that we had not been cleared into Class B airspace.  He then asked
where we had obtained our squawk code, to which I replied Flight Service.

After a few moments of awkward silence, he gave us a new frequency to
contact, where "there would be someone who knew what you are talking
about"...

This turned out to be quite true.   Once on that frequency, this
much-friendlier gal at Dulles Approach told us to fly a heading toward the
airport, and to let her know when we had the field in sight.   From that
point on, she never had us deviate at all -- it was an absolutely straight
shot into Dulles, certainly far easier than landing here in Iowa City.  I
was very careful to verify that I was actually cleared into the ADIZ and
Class B, but otherwise it was an absolute no-brainer to fly into one of the
busiest airports in the world -- an unexpected (and welcome) surprise.   (Of
course, landing on an 11,500 foot runway was tough, but I squeezed 'er
in.... ;-)

What made it even more fun was the fact that Dulles was in the midst of a
"ground stop," where all departures were halted due to the nasty weather all
around!   It was a gas to be able to fly into Dulles, completely unimpeded,
taxiing past dozens of airliners that were waiting (no doubt in frustration)
to depart, while we gleefully looked up at them and waved.   It was great!

The folks at Piedmont Hawthorne -- Margy's FBO of choice -- were
outstanding, if somewhat non-plussed by having a Cherokee 235 on their ramp.
We were the ONLY non-bizjet GA plane on the ramp, and it was clear that they
were NOT used to little planes visiting -- but they were cordial and
friendly, helping us unload our luggage and generally treating us like
royalty.

Our hotel shuttle quickly arrived to pick us up, although it took quite a
while to get back to the Wingate simply because "you can't get there from
here."  Dulles is a VERY big place, and being "adjacent" to the airport
doesn't really mean that you are all that close.  Still, we found the hotel
to be very nice, reasonably (for DC) priced, extremely short staffed, and
would recommend it to anyone flying into visit Udvar-Hazy.

After a good nights sleep, Friday seemed like a good day to do the "tourist
thing" down on the National Mall.    Margy had clued us into the
reasonably-priced (for DC) shuttle bus that runs between the NASM downtown
and the Udvar-Hazy Center, and that bus sure made it a snap to get downtown!
Between our hotel's free shuttle to Udvar-Hazy, and the NASM shuttle bus, we
he didn't need to rent a car, which saved significant money and hassle.  We
spent a very enjoyable day in withering humidity exploring the new World War
II memorial, and a few of the museums that we had missed during our last
visit back in 2000.

Margy's prayers were answered, and Saturday dawned clear and warm, much to
everyone's relief -- the show would go on!  We arrived at the FBO at 7 AM to
find Ron already mounting up in their newly restored (and drop-dead
gorgeous) Navion, ready to taxi "off-road" to the museum.   Soon we were
trundling down the entire length of Dulles -- a distance of several miles --  
heading toward the Udvar-Hazy Center.

Dulles is not the most confusing airport I've ever been at, but it comes
close.  Because of a huge construction project in the heart of the airport,
the taxiways and ramps are a bit screwed up, but the ground controllers did
an admirable job of mixing us in with the 747s and MD-80s.    We worked our
way all the way to the southern edge of Dulles, where the fence leading down
the road to the U-H Center was wide open, awaiting our arrival.

Unfortunately, ground control only cleared us to the run-up area just NORTH
of that fence.   Just south of the fence gate we could see construction
vehicles going back and forth across the road, and just inside the fence sat
an airport security vehicle, with some sort of a cop inside, apparently
unaware of our presence.   In the distance we could see Ron's Navion, and
one other aircraft, apparently shut down...

So we sat.  And sat.   Eventually a Citation (also part of the show) pulled
up behind us, and -- after ten minutes or so -- irritably asked ground
control why he was stuck behind "several GA aircraft that are just sitting
there" waiting to go through the gate.  The ground controller (who clearly
was too far away to see what was going on) simply replied that he could only
clear us to the run-up area, where we were all sitting, but that he would
check on the situation.

Within a few minutes the proper people were contacted, the road ahead was
cleaned and cleared of construction FOD (which turned out to be what we were
waiting for), and we all began the cha-cha line taxi down the road to the
museum.    In the end, the taxi to the museum actually took far LONGER than
our flight in from Frederick!

But it was worth it.  We were all parked on the ramp nearest the X-35, the
F-4 Phantom, and the historic engines on display (for those who can
visualize what's inside the museum), and instructed to go inside, where we
signed in and were given identifying signage and a prop card to display.
Margy was everywhere on the ramp directing traffic and generally going nuts,
but it was the kind of "controlled chaos" that always goes along with a busy
airport ramp.  Everyone played well together, and within minutes the ramp
had taken on the look of the museum -- everyone neatly lined up, with signs
on display and an orange post keeping people away from the props.

To say that it was very cool to be on display with Bruce Bohannon's Exxon
Flying Tiger, an F4U Corsair, a Beech Staggerwing, two Marine Corps
Harriers, and a bevy of other general aviation aircraft would be an
understatement!    We all got out our cleaning solutions of choice (ours was
Lemon Pledge, of course) and started polishing off the grime and bugs from
being parked outside for too many days.

Of course, being the representatives for "Family Flying" we had the
"manpower" to get the job done far more quickly than most.  With each of us
cleaning a wing or a wheel pant, Atlas was quickly restored to his usually
gleaming self, and was made ready for his moment of glory!

But first (as they always say) we were treated to a nice catered breakfast,
and a private tour of the museum.  Unfortunately we got tangled up yacking
with people on the ramp for too long, and missed the majority of the tour,
but that was our own danged fault.   The breakfast was delicious, but we had
to cut it short cuz the museum was opening -- and we didn't want to miss our
cue!

For the next four hours, we were on the ramp in shifts (due to the heat and
humidity, we took turns taking one of the kids into the air conditioning),
meeting and talking with museum visitors from all over the world.   They
would come out in groups, having been given a good "pre-flight"
indoctrination by museum staff about not touching planes and propellers, and
then would slowly wander the ramp from plane to plane.

Visitor after visitor was at first incredulous, and then excited to hear
that the four of us had arrived from Iowa in "that little plane."   They
asked great questions about every possible topic, from gas mileage, to
range, to cost, to the usual "how do you pee in there?"    It was a lot of
fun, and I was pleasantly surprised that Atlas wasn't ignored in favor of
the more exciting-looking planes on the ramp.

In fact, in some ways we were paid MORE attention, especially by the
families being led by "wannabe" pilots.   We've all met them, and we were
all just like them, once upon a time.  Almost immediately I could detect the
glint in the eye and the wheels starting to turn as they asked themselves
"How can *I* do this?"   These folks asked more pointed questions about who
we had to talk to on the radio, what it cost to land at airports, and how
much learning to fly cost.

You could tell some of them were very, very serious about flying and we did
our best to persuade all of them that family flying wasn't some kind of a
pipe dream that took super-human intelligence or finances to achieve.   Some
of the wives were noticeably wary of my enthusiasm, and it was easy to tell
that some conversations had already taken place between these couples.  Mary
would then jump in and tell the wife to take a "Discovery Flight" or
something similar, and hopefully persuaded our "doubting Teresa" that flying
wasn't just a crazy thing for her husband to do on weekends.

And we were the living proof of it.

It always surprises me how so many people have such a warped view of
aviation, and I always have to remind myself to start at the lowest common
denominator when talking to newbies, which is that flight is exciting and
joyous!   There were a few people -- mostly women -- who were openly
skeptical of what we were doing, and within a few minutes it became clear
that they simply had no idea what general aviation was about.   These were
the ones we took the most care with, as we carefully explained how "the
System" worked, and helped them to realize that GA is really a huge part of
flying in America.

More than one of these skeptics mentioned those "idiot pilots who keep
flying over the White House."   It's sad, but the few morons amongst us have
obviously risen to the "top of the minds" of many non-pilots -- especially
in the DC area (naturally) --  and we all truly have our work cut out for us
to counter the impression that we're just a bunch of cowboys up there,
flying around randomly.

All too soon, the day was over.   Even though the ramp must have been over
100 degrees (and we're both sporting the sunburns to prove it), and even
though the kids started whining after the first hour, neither of us wanted
to leave.   To be parked at the Udvar-Hazy Center, on the same stage as the
Space Shuttle, the Blackbird, and the Enola Gay, was surely the dream of a
lifetime, and we never wanted it to end.

Soon, however, we were being shooed away -- our day in the sun was over.
Michelle (there displaying her beautiful Maule), being completely
comfortable with DC airspace, volunteered to lead those of us who were
staying the night back to the FBO as a "flight of four," waaaaaaay at the
other end of the airport.   It was hilarious as the four of us "ducks"
waddled across the big, bad airport together, seemingly clustered for
safety, and I'm sure more than one airline pilot got a chuckle out of the
sight -- but I think the extremely busy Dulles ground controllers really
appreciated not having to deal with the four of us separately.   It worked
perfectly, and we were soon back at Piedmont-Hawthorne....

...where the makings of a party were brewing!   Ron and Margy were throwing
a post-event bash at their home, and were kind enough to not only provide
all the marvelous food and drink, but to ask their son to chauffer us to and
from their home, too!   We spent the next several hours eating, rehydrating
with hops and grains (glad *I* wasn't driving!), and enjoying the company of
a house-full of fellow pilots.  It was a perfect end to a wonderful day, and
we just can't say enough good things about Margy and Ron -- you guys are the
best!

After catching a ride "home" with Ron, we saw that we should depart at
O-dark-thirty in order to get home ahead of the remnants of a tropical storm
that was battering the Gulf of Mexico.   Unfortunately, our hotel's wake-up
call never came, and we blew through the alarm, too.  (It was set to
"radio," not tuned to a station -- and the hiss sounded just like the stupid
air-handling unit in the room...)   So, we got off to a late start, and I
knew at once that we'd be lucky to get beyond Indiana that night....

Once again, however, flying in the ADIZ turned out to be a real no-brainer.
Dulles approach just had us fly directly to a nearby VOR that was directly
on our route of flight, and that was that -- no muss, no fuss, and we were
soon on our way in perfect VFR conditions -- with a TAIL WIND! .

Sadly, however, the weather forecast turned out to be 100% accurate, and we
hit the tropical storm not far from Indianapolis.   With massive
thunderstorms, low ceilings, and deteriorating visibility all around, we
landed at Anderson, Indiana, where we spent a pleasant night in yet another
McHotel.   That night tornados roared through the area, but Atlas survived
on the ramp without a scratch.   The next morning we had to wait a few hours
for the system to move off to the northeast, but soon we were winging our
way on an uneventful flight home.

Just 11.7 hours total time (10.7 in the air -- 1.0 of taxi time!), and a
lifetime of memories.   It's hard to imagine topping this trip, but OSH '05
is only six weeks away...