Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Which Way To Albuquerque?




By Mark W. Danielson

Here’s a Wrong Way Corrigan story for you. Well, not Wrong Way, per say, but maybe Part Way. You see, the pilot of this bi-plane didn’t have much room to unfold maps so he made a strip chart – a map that covered his route, but little more. All was fine until an ominous cold front forced him to deviate off his chart. Now flying off memory and with a strong tailwind pushing him over Arizona’s mountains, he suddenly came upon an impenetrable gray curtain. Having limited fuel reserves and unsure of his position, the pilot was forced to land to wait out the weather.

The rain-soaked earth made a two-lane highway the only viable option. The bi-plane was seen making several passes along the highway before landing behind a large RV. The pilot then pulled his airplane off the road at the intersection of Marker 81 in the above photo. Now all that remained was waiting out the weather and getting directions.


One might think that a red, white, and blue bi-plane would attract attention, but in this case, it may as well have been nuclear waste. People stopped way up and down the road, but no one dared come near the airplane. Clearly, the denim-clad pilot was chilled by the seven thousand foot altitude. Two hours passed before he ventured to the ranch across the street. After parting cattle like Moses did the Red Sea, he found the house deserted and retraced his steps. Encouraged by a car that had stopped near his plane, he darted for his plane, flinging mud from his shoes, but ten yards short, the car took off like a frightened grouse. Gazing to the sky, the perturbed pilot contemplated his next move when he heard a pickup coming down the dirt road he had blocked. When the driver stopped, the pilot asked for directions to Albuquerque. Without hesitation, the dazed driver pointed toward a knoll. The pilot then thanked him, climbed into his plane, and took off. Fortunately, the driver’s sense of direction was right and I landed safely at my Alamagordo destination, a little south of Albuquerque.


This story is but one of my many misadventures in the airplane I built. My plane and I performed numerous airshows together, but one day we had to part ways so I could buy a house. I look back on this particular experience with both amusement and guilt because I was supposed to be a “professional pilot”. I’ve always wondered if the RV driver I landed behind ever met up with the pickup driver and shared a beer over this crazy experience. Looking back, I suppose that’s the best part of this story -- that I keep thinking about its ending. In that regard, it’s like a novel where every reader has their own take. Stories need that, for without that element, they may as well be text books. As for my lessons learned, I’ve never flown with another strip chart.

9 comments:

Chester Campbell said...

Funny story, Mark. I enjoy your aviation tales.

Jaden Terrell said...

You BUILT that plane, Mark? Wow. I might ride in a go-cart that I had built, but only on a flat surface for a short distance.

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Mark W. Danielson said...

Beth, I built so many balsa wood airplanes as a kid, building the real thing was relatively easy. The Skybolt's parts were bigger and more expensive, but the principles were the same so I never had any doubts as to its airworthiness. Then again, ignorance is bliss:)

Unknown said...

Great story, Mark! Enjoyed it. I used to fly with a lawyer I'd hired to depositions in Iowa. We made several trips. On one, he ran into a pole at the airport; on another he forgot to shut my door so I had a hurricane blowing through at me; on one, facing massive headwinds, we watched in horror, as cars passed us by far below, no doubt driving about twenty miles per hour faster than we were going, and finally, we had to turn around after we discovered an engine problem: birds had built a nest there. From then on, I drove... :<)

Jean Henry Mead said...

I love your aviation stories, Mark, and am impressed with your patriotically painted plane. I've flown into Alburquerque but much prefer driving because of all the airborne pollution. What's it like flying in smog?

Mark W. Danielson said...

Chester, Ben, glad you enjoyed the story. Of course, it's a lot funnier now than it was then:) Ben, it also sounds like you picked the wrong pilots. Then again, I was flying air ambulance plane when the owner in the right seat didn't properly latch the door. Once the top part of the door popped open on takeoff, I landed again, secured the door, and delivered the patient no worse for wear:)

Jean, it doesn't matter whether it's smog or clouds, we have adequate flight instruments to guide us. On a "clear" day in Bejing, I spotted the runway at the approach minimums of 200 feet and then stared at the red meatball some call the sun all the way to the gate. Needless to say, we all prefer flying in clear air.

Anonymous said...

I wish you health and happiness every day!
Ich wünsche Ihnen Glück und Gesundheit jeden Tag!
Je vous souhaite santé et bonheur chaque jour!

整形
婦產科
張艮輝
法拍屋
瑜珈
服飾
隔熱紙
清潔
雲林

Anonymous said...

I wish you health and happiness every day!
Ich wünsche Ihnen Glück und Gesundheit jeden Tag!
Je vous souhaite santé et bonheur chaque jour!

整形
婦產科
張艮輝
法拍屋
瑜珈
服飾
隔熱紙
清潔
雲林