(Wentworth Aerodrome, New Hampshire)
Source: 2015 Beartracks, Lauren West
The Bearhawk Patrol in all of its glory was ready to go. I was as ready as I could be. I had been in the air a dozen times but this was my first week long trip. I have known Bob Barrows for most of my life. I started making fiberglass parts for the Bearhawks about 5 years ago. After working on other R&B Aircraft projects and learning more about the Bearhawks, I decided I wanted to fly them. First thing first, I will need a license and knowledge of flying. I can’t think of a better way to get things started than an adventure in a Bearhawk Patrol with Bob.
I planned to leave on Tuesday morning, October 6, 2015 in the Bearhawk Patrol with Bob. Earlier plans to leave had been cancelled due to flooding. Therefore we were ready to go at the first chance we had. We were loaded up and ready to jump into the Patrol and go at 9am, but it was very foggy still. We stood on the runway waiting for the clouds to move out of our way and the fog to lift over the mountains. At 10am we could see the mountain tops and had clear skies to the northwest and thick clouds to the southwest. So we jumped at the chance to go. With thick clouds out one window and beautiful mountains out the other we headed north on our adventure.
Not knowing what to expect in the week ahead, I hoped to learn as much as possible and have fun. That is exactly what I did. With the help of wonderful hosts, Rick Papp’s, Mike Mitchell, and John Meade, my trip was awesome. I met an exciting group of people and everyone was willing to help teach me and answer any question I had.
When we met up with the Ohio Bush pilots near Warren Ohio on the way to Papp’s Airfield, the group consisted of pilots Rick Papp, John Graham, Don Emslie, T.C. Williams, Jim Kusan, Terry Dow, Lou Furlong, Bobby Cox, and of course Bob Barrows. Papp’s place is new and still under construction, but looks great. 9 planes landed there on the new dirt strip with no problem. Road traffic stopped and pictures were taken during the excitement of the Cubs and Bearhawk arrival. The Papps family took all of us in, filling their home and shop with pilots and gear.
The next morning, being a group of bush pilots, we all took off between the clouds. Having a beautiful flight with an ocean of clouds below us and above us, I found the hand held radio under my seat in the Bearhawk Patrol and started to listen in on the chatter. I overheard several of the pilots say that our destination coordinates had been changed. I then heard them mention that “Bob can sniff out an airport.” Good thing because I had just learned how to turn the GPS on! I got plenty of practice though, because of our sightseeing throughout the day, which included the Curtiss Museum. Bob and I greatly enjoyed the museum exhibits of Glenn H. Curtiss’ inventions and the local history.
Wednesday afternoon we landed on Mike Mitchell’s beautifully manicured grass airstrip at Old Forge, New York, in the Adirondacks. Here I was able to take some time to look at the other planes in our group, Super Cubs, Carbon Cubs, and Scouts, which were all excellent. Mike provided wonderful hospitality in his beautiful home which had room for us all.
The next morning we had an enjoyable flight to Island Bob’s for his lunch fly-in. There we met up with some more Bearhawks that were on their way to the WAD fly-in as we were. Island Bob’s airstrip was on a river island near Albany, New York.
At about 3pm our group of 9 joined about 20 more planes at the WAD (Wentworth Aerodrome) in New Hampshire. It was the biggest turn out ever according to the Meades, owner and hosts. Friday night we had a buffet with Alaskan Crab legs and Salmon flown in fresh from Alaska. Then we discussed the Saturday Fly-out route. There were many different ways this massive group of pilots prepped for the next day’s flight with the detailed flight plan info handout. GPS, aviation maps, and smart phone aps were all used, so I was able to learn many navigational methods.
Saturday morning we had a hearty breakfast at the Meade’s before our 9am departure with about 30 planes. With 8 airstrips to explore I was excited to go. All the stops were unique; some were corn fields, some were on the beach. The coast line of New Hampshire and Maine was gorgeous and my favorite. But Bob and I really enjoyed the opportunity to look at the airplane workshop at Cooper Farm, New Hampshire, it was a highlight attraction. We met everyone for lobster rolls at Bailey’s airstrip in Maine, where I met a few more Bearhawks. One family mentioned that they have the 4-place Bearhawk for the extra kid space that they were definitely using. After a very successful Fly-out we stayed at the WAD one more night before heading home. Naturally, we spent the evening beside of the campfire telling stories of flight adventures and misadventures. Hilarious tales of travel all over the world- hunting, fishing, skiing, and of course the fly-ins. Listening to the stories secured my desire to take the opportunities I have to do what it takes to get my pilot license. I truly had a lot of fun on this adventure. I learned a bit about navigation and a variety of airports, but most of all the people I met along the way encouraged me and pointed out infinite amounts of ways that flying a plane will be greatly beneficial for my family and career.
As we flew home I couldn’t help but notice how much my perspective changed, I loved flying. This is definitely something I would like to do again.