Please Note:-

           This page is in Text Format
           If this Page is displayed as a separate form
           Use the "Close" command to exit,
           or use the "Back" Command to return if this page 
           is displayed by your Browser


UPDATE EIGHTEEN

CONTACT - KELLY HALL
805-824-4608 (Dick Rutan's office)
OR 805-943-4589 (home office)
805-824-9575 fax
kelly@hughes.net (e mail)
www.canard.com (web site)

THE SPIRIT OF EAA FRIENDSHIP WORLD TOUR CONTINUES
SNORKEL, SCENERY, SERVOS AND SPRINGS

Tahiti is a rough place.  There isn't much to do - you can enjoy the
immaculate beaches, the scenery and you can snorkel until customs opens,
but that's about it.  Good thing Mike and Dick have learned to "rough
it" during this world flight adventure.

Turning back time a bit, Dick returned to Australia after the Roanoke,
Virginia lecture and the LongEZ re-join was done in Brisbane, Australia.

From there, the duo flew on to Norfolk Island - a place they both
immensely enjoyed.  The owner of the hotel toured the island with Mike
and Dick - a historic island populated with descendants of Christen
Fletcher and his crew (Mutiny On The Bounty).

Burt and Tonya Rutan have vacationed on the island of Fiji before, and
their friend, Jay Johnson, took care of everything for Mike and Dick
after the two LongEZ's arrived.  On approach, it was discovered that we
hadn't obtained a landing permit for NADI, but David Young of Air Fiji
came to the rescue.  The island, Mike, said, is truly gorgeous and
surrounded by a barrier reef.  They flew around the other islands, but
were unable to visit - those other islands only had 300 foot grass
strips.  

Then it was on to Pago-Pago and then an arrival in Tahiti on Saturday. 
On the Fiji to Pago-Pago leg, Ground Mission Control's Dick Blosser
reported: "DICK AND MIKE DEPARTED FIJI AT ABOUT 2245Z OR 3:45 PM PDT IN
CLEAR WEATHER AND EXPECT TO ARRIVE PAGO PAGO ABOUT 8:00 PM PDT.  DICK
DEPARTED WITH 100 GAL FUEL ON BOARD.  CURRENT GROUND SPEED IS 163
KNOTS." DICK BLOSSER	

This flight from Pago-Pago to Tahiti was eight hours of beautiful
weather and blue skies; a welcome change.  Dick Blosser reported from a
message from Mike and Dick, "@ 1500 LOCAL PDT WE R 750 MILES FRM TAHITI.
DR IN LEAD. 11K ALT TAX 160 KTS. GS 157 KTS. FOB 83 GAL. HF IS POOR
TODAY.  HAND FLY, NO A/P (AUTOPILOT). HOPE SERVO IS IN TAHITI. WX SCAT
CU 6K FEET-HI BKN CIRRUS ABOVE. LIT TUB. WIND 120/07. DR"

Later during that flight, Blosser reported, "RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING FROM
DICK (RUTAN).  464 MILES OUT TAHITI. WX CAVU.  BIG BLUE ALL ARND. 
160KS. DR"

The guys got younger on this flight as the LongEZs crossed the
International Date Line once again (you know, when you can take off
tomorrow and land yesterday).  Only problem here was it made their
landing permit active for Sunday instead of Saturday! (details,
details)  The local Aero Club helped out with parking the birds (Mike
and Dick had been asked to move the LongEZs because they were in the
parking bay belonging to a 747 and the big bird was due to arrive in a
few hours).  As for accommodations, Mike and Dick stayed at the Bali Hi
- a grass thatch hut right on the beach!

The party came to a halt when customs opened on Monday.  Both auto
pilots needed repair (Mike's had an electrical problem, but Dusty Rhodes
talked him through it, and Dick faced a broken servo and had to hand fly
the previous leg).  Mike also had to replace a broken nose gear spring. 
On Wednesday, the guys were ready to move a little closer to home and
flew from Tahiti to Totegegie as they make their way to Easter Island,
where they'll be met by Victor Sifri and Melvyn.  There isn't any
aviation fuel available on Easter Island, but Victor has plenty waiting
for them.  He had fuel shipped on the once-a-month freighter in May -
thanks Victor!

After a visit on Easter Island, flight plan calls for the Guayaquil,
Ecuador leg.  Weather history and reporting is nil - there's nothing
between but about 18 hours of air time!

Until next update...

blue skies!

Kelly

This trip has been made possible by our great sponsors:  The
Experimental Aircraft Association, Avemco Insurance, Toshiba, Trimble,
INMARSAT, COMSAT, Sun N Fun, Mattituck, Superior Air Parts, Inc., Wayne
Wright at www.canard.com, Aircraft Spruce and Specialty, Dick Blosser,
Dr. George Jutila, MentorPlus, Leslie Carlsen, Harry Maybeck and more.