October 26, 2004 Migration Day 17 No Go: They Would Run Out of Gas Top Cover Cessna Top cover pilot Paula Lounsbury provided a great weather report at 5:30 this morning from her airborne position 58 miles to the southeast. Conditions were calm at today's destination in Kankakee County! But it was a different story at the pen site in LaSalle County. OM pilot Brooke Pennypacker checked out the local conditions. He took off into the east wind and got airborne at what appeared to be less than 30 feet of taxiing distance. Once at 400 feet altitude, Brooke reported a ground speed of only 20 mph. At 500 feet, his ground speed had dropped to 19 mph. At 700 feet he was plodding along at only 16 mph. This would have meant a flight of over 3 hours to the next stopover site. The trikes would never make it; each aircraft holds only enough fuel for about 3 hours of flight. It's another disappointing day of waiting. Will they fly to Kankakee County, IL. tomorrow?  Meanwhile, try today's journaling questions and you'll learn something fun! Which pilot? Photo OM Which pilot? Photo Wayne Kryduba Which pilot? Photo OM Try This! Journaling Questions Do you see the big black letters on the trikes in the photos above? (Click on photos to enlarge.) They are the plane's license plate. Read Joe's description about these numbers in this labeled photo and you'll find out which pilot flies each plane. In your journal, write what each pilot's identifier stands for. Where is it found on the plane (2 places)? If you were an ultralight pilot, what would you like for your license plate? Why? What instruments does the pilot use to how fast the plane is traveling through the air? What instrument tells him his ground speed? (HINT: See the same cockpit photo you used above to learn about the plane's identifiers.) Answers Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure made possible by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Copyright 2003-2004 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our feedback form