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America the Beautiful

Scott Chastain

Active Member
How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace,
Who brings glad tidings of good things,
Who proclaims salvation,
Who says to Zion,
"Your God reigns!"
Your watchmen shall lift up their voices,
With their voices they shall sing together;
For they shall see eye to eye
When the Lord brings back Zion.

Isaiah 52:7-8
 
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Wow Scott!

You and Vlad are making it hard to keep up! :D

Looking forward to more of the trip report....

Nice job!
 
What a great adventure you're on Scotty. Sorry I missed you when you passed through Louisiana. I may have passed you in the air on my own mission trip to Winslow, AZ. It's a good reason to fly. Paul used a boat. You're just updating the means of getting there. John
 
This is amazing Scott. Beautiful write up so far and anxiously awaiting the rest. I've been to several of the same stops as you (Taylor, Sedona, and a few more). It is an amazing country and you tell the story so well.
 
Bike?

Scott, that is a great post! I'm looking fwd to the next chapter. Question, can you tell me the model no of your bike and a link? What size are your tires? Does it fit in the rear baggage or rear seat area? And do you know the weight?
Thanks, Bill
 
Great writing, great photos, and an uncommonly frank and authentic spiritual perspective. Thanks!
 
Sure enjoying the story and those great photos.

Modest recommendation: on tiedown knots, ditch those knots that you're using, they won't hold up to a real blow. They'll slide up the rope and things will get sloppy and loose and the plane will start rocking and eventually something will break. Instead, use three half-hitches after pulling the ropes just as tight as you can get them -- don't use chocks while doing this. I tie one main, then the other one, cranking down on it, and then the tail, pulling the plane back as I do for more tightness.

When the length of the ropes permit, I double-up the rope. The idea is to gain more stiffness. Anything to keep the plane from moving around.

I learned this after some 100+ mph winds at the Boulder Airport in 1981 or 1982. We lost about a dozen airplanes. I walked among the wreckage examining what failed, and among the survivors, examining what worked.

Dave
 
The best ever.

Scott,

Your epic flight around our great country, your excellent travelog and high quality photos in my opinion is the best I've ever seen posted in the Forums. I read every word.

Jake Thiessen
Independence, Or
 
Scott,

Your epic flight around our great country, your excellent travelog and high quality photos in my opinion is the best I've ever seen posted in the Forums. I read every word.

Jake Thiessen
Independence, Or

ditto
Thanks for being real. Keep bringing it.
 
Scott,

Sincerest thanks for the write-up. I feel a twinge of completely selfish regret that your great adventure is ended and did not include a dog-leg further inland to my little piece of Virginia, where Lorri and I would have welcomed you and sent you on your way provendered and hopefully refreshed, certainly prayed-for. How I wish that I had at least heard of the trip before you got underway.

Maybe next time.

Also keeping a wary watchful eye on the apocalyptic developments at this time in our nation's struggle to keep our republic,

-Bill
 
FANTASTIC READ.

Beautiful airplane....the story was mind grabbing and interesting...pictures outstanding...we need more of this..
 
Modern Day Alexix de Tocqueville with guidance from above

On the morning of the 29th, after two full days of mountain biking Sedona and Cottonwood, the T-storms were becoming even more violent in the Moab, UT and Leadville, CO areas. I elected to make a mad dash for Santa Fe, N.M., skirting a nasty cell to the north of me. At Santa Fe, I fueled up, then headed to Sonora, TX (KSOA). I would spend one night there:

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While I was in there cooking up a bowl of stew, I was greeted by a gracious RV-10 builder/pilot (remaining here anonymous as a courtesy to his privacy) who gave me the keys to his Jeep. I used the Jeep to explore historic downtown Sonora and the Caverns of Sonora---an amazing 2-hour spelunking tour that rivals, even surpasses in some cases, the beauty Carlsbad Caverns:

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Scooter,
What a trip.
I've been to some of your places, and always wanted to land at Sedona.
Great flying.
Daddyman
 
Reading every word with admiration. Thanks for taking the time - its great motivation for the build for sure, but also a great reference for the beauty of the nation.

After seeing the DC post and knowing how much walking you must have done, I was surprised to see the comment about "pacing the runway" at the end of the day. Your pedometer must be smoking...:D
 
This is an amazing story! Thank you so much for sharing this with us. The pictures are fantastic! I'm so glad you got to experience this trip of a lifetime.
 
Doesn't get much better

Scott, this is a incredible trip report. Thanks for taking the time to post the great photos and commentary of your journey :)
 
Scott, in my book this wins the award for the best trip report on VAF, and there have been some very fine ones.

The picture of your beautiful -8 with the sun-tinted cumulus behind it is an award winner. It could certainly make Van's calendar.

Thanks -
 
It is probably the only airport in America where one can find a Pitts---or any aircraft for that matter---performing an inverted ribbon cut in the FBO building:

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Minor correction... That's not a Pitts, it's an EAA Biplane. :)

Awesome trip, someday I hope to do something similar!
 
Missed you in Fredericksburg, VA

Scott,
We have a very active RV presence here at KEZF.
Together with a private fly-in community 6 miles north (Dogwood), I believe there are 17 RVs.

Many RV-8a's.

You are always welcome back here, we have a spare room.

Keep up your mission.

Daddyman
 
Being a Herman Melville fan, and sincerely captivated by the stories of early American whaling expeditions as depicted in his masterpiece, Moby Dick,

On your next trip, then, consider dropping into KPSF. Arrowhead, Melville's summer home, is just a short drive away. And from it, if you look to the north, you'll spy a couple of bumps on the horizon that might remind you of a certain mammal.

I admire your pluck on this trip. I'm not sure I would have had the guts to make it, not knowing where I'd be staying etc. I wish my RV would loosen up my risk-aversion for such things. Heck, I wish I had the courage to contact people on the RV hotel list and ask "hey, can I stay with you?" With retirement not far off, it would make a fun few weeks.

Can't wait to read your writeup of your stop in Minnesota. And if you're ever this way again, yeah, you can stay with us. ;)
 
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What a trip

Scott,

I am really enjoying your posts, and following your progress across America. You built a beautiful RV-8, and I take pride in the knowledge that I answered some of your questions as you built her.

What you are doing is the ultimate expression of building and flying your own aircraft. I envy your freedom to just takeoff solo like a modern day "Easy Rider" on your trip to discover America.

After eight years of regimented flying for the Air force and then another twenty eight years of similar flying for American Airlines, I'm not sure I could break out of the routine and free my brain for such a journey. I admire what you are doing, and will eagerly follow your post back home.

Danny
 
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Heck, I wish I had the courage to contact people on the RV hotel list and ask "hey, can I stay with you?"
.....
And if you're ever this way again, yeah, you can stay with us. ;)

Bob, that statement right there...the sentiment that you're more than willing to welcome a perfect stranger into your home simply because they're part of the RV community? Yeah, we all share that. Please reach out and contact folks on the RV hotel. I'll bet it's as much fun for the hosts (more, maybe) as it is for the guests.
 
Scoot, thanks once again for sharing this epic adventure. I have no qualms in believing if this story was told elsewhere, it would not garner the spirit our RV community shares. Whether we all know it or admit it, we are in a special club, group, class, or maybe it's a herd. One thing is certain....you've sparked a many idle hearts and I for one, plan to follow your lead. Thank you.
 
Scott, you inspired me to re-read Acts 2. Never heard a pilot admit to hearing voices. Every other Saturday I have breakfast with a good friend at the Denham Springs IHOP. Last Saturday the voice in my head kept saying "bad idea". My friend had called the IHOP and assured me they were opened in spite of the heavy rain and predicted flooding. We ended up abandoning his Subaru and hitching a ride back to Baton Rouge in a big 4x4. I should have listened! John
 
I couldn't help but notice in post#74, in a photo of Main St., Wellsville there was a banner on a street lamp for Alfred State College, a nearby State College I attended in 1973-5. It brought back fond memories of that beautiful part of the country which I haven't been back to in these many years. Thanks for the reminder and for sharing your experiences on your epic journey!
 
Scott,

I check VAF several times a day for the usual stuff, but your journey is the one thing I look forward to reading when I get there. You are an inspiration.
 
A real mini series

Hey I've been watching this great mini series " America the Beautiful" by Scott Chastain. Anybody know what time it's going to be on tonight. I'm hooked .:D
 
I was trying to recall...

I was trying to recall a story in any aviation mag that I have EVER read that I enjoyed more. Well I couldn't. That got me thinking about how cool VAF is. Then I realized it was time to pay my VAF dues..... done.

The word Epic has been used by many in their replies and I can't think of a better description. Every instalment keeps you wondering what cool thing is he going to have happen next.

Scott I imagine you could have a pretty good second income flying around the country writing about your adventures.

Joe
 
Scott,

This is such a cool write-up. If you ever turn it into a book, I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

Scott, pray on that suggestion for sure. I can't possibly know what His answer might be, but I think an expanded version would sell very well at the faith bookstore. Gotta fund those mission trips somehow.
 
Scott, pray on that suggestion for sure. I can't possibly know what His answer might be, but I think an expanded version would sell very well at the faith bookstore. Gotta fund those mission trips somehow.

Amen. Eagerly awaiting the westward legs of the pilgrimage.
 
Observation about awesome, epic thread

Scott, as you no doubt know but aren't saying, no small part of your travelogue's compelling quality is your refusal to get side-tracked even momentarily in exchanges with those of us cheering you on and hungry for more, or eager to add our personal mini-connections to your larger story.

One outstanding reason this reads so well is that, like watching a Ken Burns series where the still photos take on a mesmerizing life of their own, our narrator seemingly cannot hear us responding, and he soldiers on through his script with his face set like flint to get the story told without interruption. Good job. I'd be bantering with every one who jumped into my thread, and it would never reach this level of epic - even if a trip I'd made ever rivaled yours (none has).

Do carry on. Please.
 
Wellsville

Scott,

Great write-up on Wellsville. I was born and raised there, and learned to fly there in the early 90s. You certainly picked the best spot to eat, but can't believe that you walked there and back from the airport! That is a hike!

Thanks for all the photos...

Oh, and the view out the back of Don's back porch? That's my parents' house!
 
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