Migration
Can Be Fun, BUT. . .
Excerpt from Joe Duff's 2004 Flight Log
 |
Joe
Duff, OM Pilot |
Migration Can Be Fun... Leading a small flock of naive whooping cranes almost 1200 miles to Florida is a great adventure, and if it weren't’t for the fact that it takes two grueling months, it may very well be rewarding.
Combining
modern technology of ultralight aircraft with the primal instinct to
migrate creates a noble calling, and if it weren’t for the fear
of failure, and all that could result, we might even learn to like
it.
Hop scotching across the heartland of America is enjoyable and
if not for the tight quarters, constant stress, and long hours,
it could be pleasant.
Spending day after day as guests of generous landowners would
be relaxing, if not for the fear of wearing out our welcome,
or the worry that comes when
we must pen birds in a strange territory.
A weather-induced break in lovely countryside would be agreeable,
if it were not taxing our dwindling budget of $1000 per day.
Flying an ultralight aircraft over the mountains in close formation
with majestic and trusting cranes could be awe-inspiring, if
not for the nausea
that accompanies
every take-off. If we could just relax long enough to put our full
weight in the seat, leading birds might be fun.
Flying an
ultralight aircraft over the mountains in close formation with majestic
and trusting cranes could be awe-inspiring, if not for the nausea that
accompanies every take-off. If we could just relax long enough to put
our full weight in the seat, leading birds might be fun.
For some, observing the weather is an enjoyable leisure activity, but
when the wind is always in your face, and it means another day away from
home, it diminishes the experience.
Counting the days to Christmas is normally joyous, but with a
daughter at home that I have not seen since early October
and miss so
much it hurts; at this point, counting the days until we complete this
long trek is scarcely tolerable.
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Make a two-column chart. Label one column "Fun" and the second column "Not Fun." Enter Joe's comments and then add any other comments that you think of yourself.
Journey North is pleased to feature this educational
adventure made possible by the
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).
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