October 7, 2001 Twenty-two Minutes Airborne! Photo Operation Migration Great news! Today seven birds flew with the ultralight for 22 minutes -- the longest time yet, and equal to the longest pre-migration sandhill crane training flight in last year's trial run for this all-important whooping crane migration experiment. An eighth bird flew for 18 minutes before turning back with Deke's aircraft. Both Joe and Deke felt the group could have gone longer if they'd been flying in a straight line instead of the large loop path they had chosen to fly. The flock showed no signs of being tired. Ranger Jennifer Rabuck at Necedah says, "Signs are looking better and better that we'll have a successful trip. We're still aiming for an October 15th departure date but the weather looks questionable for the next several days, at least for training flights." Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Copyright 2001 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form