November 29, 2001 Day 44 Onward, Cranes! Ground crew vehicles. Two cranes in the Chevy Astro van today! Photo Operation Migration Goodbye, Suwannee County, hello Gilchrist County. The cranes took off in light fog at 7:17 and flew 20 miles in 41 minutes. The pilots had to stay at lower altitudes as Paula, flying above in her Cessna, was reporting a 20-knot headwind at 1500 feet. The cranes have now come a total of 1140.0 miles. The unusual thing about today's flight was that Crane #5 traveled along with #4 in a ground vehicle. The team grew concerned about #5 yesterday when he flew with his neck in an unusual posture. An afternoon X-ray showed that everything appeared normal, with no obstructions, no foreign objects and nothing out of the ordinary in the neck structure. Blood samples were also drawn and will be tested for contaminants. Results should be back soon, and they are carefully watching his behavior. In this populous state, the team feels lucky and grateful that the cranes have not encountered humans or animals to break protocol. And every day, one of the team members does a hero's deeds. Read Joe's account of Nov. 26, when Deke was the day's shining star: Deke to the Rescue Try This! Journaling Questions Last year's total distance was 1250 miles, but the team shifted the route from last year's and shaved off a few miles. We double-checked with Heather, who confirmed the exact distance remaining was 97.8 miles from their last stopover in Suwannee County, FL. Now that you know the EXACT distance that remained yesterday, how many miles remain to go after today's flight? If they go 20 miles a day, when will they arrive? Headwinds at 1500 knots are what speed in miles per hour? (Knots X 1.1508 = mph) 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