Been a while since i have been able to catch up on my message-boarding, but happy to report that last month i was able to complete my first true cross country. The reason for the trip was that a friend of mine purchased an experimental Thorp T-18 located in the greater Atlanta area and was looking for someone to split the gas to get it home.. as a fairly low time pilot i jumped at the chance to learn some real cross country navigation.
The Sonex twist to this story is that i was able to meet up with Kip who gave me my first ride in a Waiex. I cant thank you enough Kip.. N111YX is a great airplane and you gave me all the motivation that i need to keep plugging away at mine!
![Image](http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2839/kipwaiex2.jpg)
First ride in a Waiex
![Image](http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1065/kipwaiex3.jpg)
on the left = me remembering just why i am building this airplane in the first place
![Image](http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/6249/kipwaiex1.jpg)
the Thorp T-18 my friend bought forming up on an orange wing
![Image](http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/5980/thorp1.jpg)
the Thorp had a very basic panel.. we accomplished 2000 miles of navigation the old-fashioned way and didn't cheat with the GPS even once!
![Image](http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8097/thorp2.jpg)
the patchwork farms give way to the brown desert landscape somewhere over Texas and dont turn green again until a few miles before the Pacific
![Image](http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/3761/thorp3.jpg)
Meteor Crater outside of Flagstaff, AZ
![Image](http://img827.imageshack.us/img827/699/thorp4.jpg)
Colorado River
![Image](http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/2708/throp5.jpg)
Did a touch and go on a dry lakebed. The Thorp is one squirrely machine on the ground.. the Waiex tail dragger is a piece of cake by comparison!