December 6, 2005 Migration Day 54 Photo Operation Migration. A Perfect Day in the Air! +97 Miles After a frost delay, Chris took flight with all 19 birds on his first day as lead pilot! When 12 of those cranes later broke away from Chris's aircraft Richard zoomed in to pick them up. Joe later said, "It seems this entire migration has been one long weather delay punctuated by single days of great progress. Today we covered 97 miles in only 1 hour and 46 minutes. That equates to a speed over the ground of just under 60 miles per hour despite the fact that the birds were still flying at their normal 38 miles per hour through the air. At times my GPS told me we were traveling over 70 mph. Now why couldn’t we have more days like that!" Today's flight brought the grand total to ~957.4 statute miles. That's progress! Next stop: FLORIDA? NOW we're talking! Help the Cranes and Planes Reach Florida! Track the Migration Use our map or make your own with this migration data. (Click map to enlarge.) Keep a Migration Journal • Today's Question: How does the ultralight plane change what is normal for crane flight in the wild? Use this fact in your reasoning and comparing: In the wild, the lead bird does the work of breaking the air and creating the "wake" the rest of the birds are flying on.) For more help, see and hear: How Does the Trike Help the Cranes in flight? History: What happened a year ago today? When do you think they'll cross the border into Florida this year?       Migration Journal Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in cooperation with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Copyright 2005 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form.