Atlanta to Mojave

[142YX]

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!


First ride in a Waiex


on the left = me remembering just why i am building this airplane in the first place


the Thorp T-18 my friend bought forming up on an orange wing


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!


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


Meteor Crater outside of Flagstaff, AZ


Colorado River


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!

[N111YX]

Thanks for the pics, Nick!

"Did a touch and go on a dry lakebed"!

I wish I could do that more often!!!