WHOOPER FINN FIELD REPORT NO 3

Into our third week and the temperature is rising. Southern Georgia and Florida are hot and humid at this time of year. The daily temperature is typically in the high 80s F and overnight will drop slowly to the high 60s F. The humidity is in the region of 90% so it doesn't take long when the temperature drops for heavy dew to form or low level fog.

So it was with our flight into the Bombing Range prohibited zone surrounding Banks Lake Wildlife Refuge. This is one of the intended stops for the whooping Cranes. The early morning fog lifted into rolls of translucent low clouds about 300 feet above the ground. Above the sky was clear as the sun struggled out of bed. The scene was magical. Banks Lake appeared through the mist like some prehistoric swamp, with trees growing out of shallow water and lush vegetation encroaching into the lake from the margins. Flocks of white Ibis took off and wheeled around as we flew overhead.

I wasn't to keen to see the 13 foot alligators in the swamp too close up and preferred to survey the area from a safe height - certainly a height that would allow us to glide clear if the engine decided it wasn't up to the task. Not that the engine has caused us any concern up to now, but with alligators (very active in the height of the mating season) present in the water below, survival instincts come through loud and clear!

Our departure to Ocala, Florida took a little time, and the clouds were starting to build as we headed South. The thermals strengthened sufficiently to almost pull Martin, the handling pilot, out of the aircraft on one occasion. There was an ominous black edge to the base of the biggest clouds, which were starting to build up into thunderstorms. The airstrip we had decided to survey was called Suwannee Point and we were flying down the Suwannee (pronounced Swanee) River so it s was perhaps apt that I was concerned that we might be about to go down the 'Swanee' given the threatening nature of the weather. Suwannee Point had disappeared under the planting of Pine trees for paper so as we had just flown over Flint airstrip we had another look at it and made the decision to land.

Lightning flashes lit up the sky shortly after touchdown and the decision to stay at Flint was made easier by the hospitality of our impromptu host Gil Flint, and the weather briefer at Gainesville who reported a line of thunder cells between us and Ocala. Gil is a Stearman buff, and as we waited for the ground crew to turn around and retrace their route 80 miles North again to Flint, he related stories to us about flying Stearmans across America. His wife Jan came home from her teaching job at Lake City, reporting hail and thunderstorms that were heading our way. The aircraft was quickly derigged and placed out of harm's way as the first drops of rain began to fall.

Fortunately, the storm headed North, and we could relax. Gil and Jan took us to their favourite local restaurant and we enjoyed their company and an excellent meal. The ground crew arrived, successfully passing their first real test of 'hot planning' and we spent the night camping in the Flints' backyard.

In the morning, Jimmy didn't quite manage to fully carry out the sandal safety drills and on his sandal with a small nest of Fire Ants attached - he won't be repeating that particular mistake!
We took off in the morning to complete our southernmost mission which was to fly to Chassahowitska National Wildlife Reserve, the final destination of the Cranes. Even at 9.00am the clouds were starting to build up and we flew at 4,500 feet weaving around the biggest ones as we went. The Wildlife Reserve is coastal swamp, shallow water for the Cranes, but also full of snakes and alligators. Even where there appeared to be solid vegetation as we flew over we could see the reflection of the sun on the water through the vegetation. Definitely nowhere to land out here!

The Gulf of Mexico lay below us, stained brown by the decaying vegetation and tannin rich waters that run into it from the Florida rivers. Only as we looked out to sea could the promise of clear water and sandy beaches be seen. A few strings of small islands called Keys were visible and some a ribbon of golden sand defined their margins.

A landing into Post Oak, a cattle ranch airstrip, to the North West of the Wildlife Refuge, yielded yet another friendly face in the form of'Book' Cunningham, a Veteran of World War II US Army piloting as an Artillery Spotter. From here it was a relatively short hop to overnight at Leeward Air Ranch, a community built around flying. Here it is a condition of living as part of the community that you must build a hangar and own an aircraft. All sites have access to a 2,000 metre grass runway and there are a wide variety of aircraft owners here. One man owns and operates a MIG-17 from the hangar built as part of the house. You have got to have aviation in the blood to live in a place like this! We are the guests of Bill and Pat Doty, owners of a warbird known as the Vultee Valiant, a contemporary of the Harvard. They also own a beautiful 1956 Beech Bonanza, which looks like it rolled off the production line yesterday.

We were unable to stay at Ocala airport as planned due to the weather-enforced stop at Gil Flint's but he managed to arrange our visit to Leeward before we left. Many thanks to you all. The ground team deserve a day off and as I write this report and the plans prepared for next week's flying programme, they are exploring the Orlando tourist sites.

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