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November 3, 2001 Day 18 Record-setting Flight into Indiana! Photo Operation Migration At long last--good weather, and everyone was REALLY ready to fly! The team left Kankakee County, IL (which was 255 miles from Necedah) at 6:32 a.m. for another record flight time. They flew for 2 hours and 9 minutes, landing at 8:32 a.m. in Boone County, Indiana and covering 91.4 miles! A very slight tailwind helped, but the temperature was very warm (74F/24C) for the birds to make such a long flight. Joe reports that the five birds began panting with about 10 miles remaining until their destination. Crane #7 dropped out about 10 miles into the flight, and Joe has an idea why: He said that seconds before take-off when the birds are released from the pen, they sometimes get tangled in the excitement. As a result, crane #7 was behind right from the start and couldn't quite catch up to the others. So it simply dropped out. The crane tracking crew found him, and Crane #7 and Crane #4 made the trip by truck in special crates. All seven birds are hunkered down and resting from a terrific flight. Try This! Journaling Questions What is the total distance the birds have covered in the migration so far? How many miles to go? Besides panting, what are some other clues the birds might give to show they are getting tired from flying? (We'll play an audio clip of Joe's answer in a few days, so record your thoughts to compare.) Map the Migration Make your own map using the latest migration data 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