I needed a windshield for my endless homebuilt Taylorcraft project. The cost of the windshield was bad enough, but the extra $165 for truck freight and $40 for foam packing really upped the cost. For that money, I figured I could fly to Jeanette, PA and pick it up myself. I ordered it from LP Aeroplastics and determined that they would deliver it to the local airport in Jeanette.

I waited a week or so for the perfect weather window, which was Monday, June 15. The wind forecast showed no wind for whole route for the whole day. For once the forecast was right on. I sent them an email to let them know I was coming, then broke ground in my Taylorcraft at 5am. The straight line distance each way was 581 miles. I had packed a tent, sleeping bag, camp stove and groceries in case this took more than one day. I thought of everything except my camera.

After trimming for a slow climb, I turned off the radio and plugged in my mp3 player to listen to jazz. The course on my tablet took me along the south flank of Mt. Washington. The rolling green foothills were beautiful in the early morning light. I passed just south of Rutland, directly over Saratoga to land on the lovely grass runway at Cooperstown, NY. The open T-hanger line next to the runway was full of light sport aircraft; my kind of place. My old flight guide indicated they had mogas and 100LL. They had neither; the pumps were padlocked. There was, however; a very nice rest room, which was unlocked.

Well, so much for my halfway point gas stop. I pushed on to the next airport at Oneonta. It was deserted, but had Jet A and 100LL credit card pumps. I couldn’t get the hose to unreel, so I had push up real close, then wrestle the huge fire hose up the step ladder. I had to go easy on the trigger, so’s not to get blasted off the ladder, but I still managed to overflow the wing tank. This necessitated flying the rest of the way with the door cracked open to clear out the gas fumes. By now it was around 9am. I called LP Aeroplastics from my tracfone to let them know I was about three hours away, to be informed that they don’t deliver during their lunch hour. That was fine; I’d be looking for them after that.

The Greensburg-Jeanette Regional Airport has a 2500 foot, paved, lighted runway, but it has seen better days. There is nothing there but a tin maintenance shop/garage and three airplanes sitting out in the open. I made a horrible landing, bounced, ground looped into the grass, between a pair of runway lights, circled around and came back up on the runway between another pair of lights, and taxied nonchalantly back to the small ramp area; my grand entrance. By now it was around 12:30pm, so after a nice chat with the caretaker and plugging in my tablet to recharge in his garage, I sat down to couple of cups of tea and trail mix under my wing.

As it rolled around to 2:15 and no sign of anyone with my windshield, I called LP again, “Oh, he’ll be right out.” Sure enough, shortly a bearded, long-haired hippie pulled up with my windshield in the back of his jeep. Now I don’t want seem judgmental; I would probably have long hair, too, if I had any. He helped me maneuver the windshield into my baggage bin; thank heavens it fit. I retrieved my tablet and was off.

I had passed a big airport thirty miles back, Indiana Co.-Jimmy Stewart, and I made for there now, as I was very low on gas. Upon landing, I pulled up to the gas truck, and started experiencing the super hospitality. I was taken over to see the pristine Taylorcraft 15 in a big open hanger nearby, and was offered free cold drinks from the cooler in the terminal while my tanks were topped off. That can of Brisk ice tea really brought me back to life. I passed on the free fruit.

Approaching the Mohawk River Valley, I had to pee really badly, so I diverted slightly to Fulton County Airport. There is a diner on the airport, but at this hour and this season, there was nobody around. I fueled up from the credit card pump, pleasantly surprised to find 100LL at $3.75 per gallon. By now the sun was sinking low behind me. It was a race with the clock. I want to clear the Green Mountains before dark. My tablet was running low on battery life, so I shut it off and plugged in a battery stick. I was going to need it later to navigate through the White Mountains in the dark.

I succeeded in crossing the Green Mountains in twilight, but I was north of Rutland, so I went back on the tablet. I could see the black mass of the mountain tops in the dark, and with the aid of the tablet, I got through the White Mountains without any trouble, and started a gradual let down once back in Maine. The tablet battery was getting low; fuel was getting low; and I could tell by oil pressure that oil was getting low. And after clicking on the lights at Norridgewock, my final approach was low, and I drug my wheels through the tree tops, but I’m home. It was 10:30pm.