March 17, 2001 Nahunta, Georgia to Jekyll Island, Georgia

Steve Thomas/Proficiency and Training flights across America

We awoke at 4:30 again this morning and prepared for the last flight. The weather forecast was for NW winds at 5-10 mph inland and 10-15 mph on the coast, partly sunny in the early morning changing to rain later and highs in the 60's.

Just as the sun was rising we arrived at Nahunta and began to unload the American Spirit to preflight it. When it was light enough to see good and I knew there was no fog hanging around I took off on runway 36 and turned east toward the Atlantic Ocean.

The clouds were beginning to roll in but the sun was still between the Ocean and the clouds on the horizon. It was very pretty as it shined a reflection on both. I wasn't sure how swampy it would here, but it was not bad at all. It looked like there were plenty of emergency landing spots between the little deltas or fingers from the rivers meandering to the Sea.

There is a new suspension bridge going up south of Brunswick and it was about half completed. I flew right past it and it was pretty neat as it was the most predominant object on the landscape. It spanned part of the Saint Simon Sound where the Brunswick River flowed into it.

From there I flew over the coastal marsh to Jekyll Island on the south side of the Sound on the Atlantic itself. Chuck was ahead of me on the road by a few miles but he got slowed down after getting on the Island. I flew around the marsh for a few minutes taking pictures, then flew over the south end of the Island to the Beach on the Atlantic side and out about 1/4 mile over the Ocean.

There were a few people on the beach already and they started running toward me as I turned back into the wind and my speed slowed from 56 mph to 17 mph. The winds on the coast were blowing from the North Northwest across the Island so I dropped down after I was close to Jekyll River.

Chuck was at the airport now and I flew up the river to it on the west side of the Island. The approach to runway 36 was right over the river. The winds were strong at 15-20 mph at 100 feet and as I got over the airport the trees made some dirty air and the windsock was jumping up and down.

There was no other traffic and Chuck was parked in the lot beside a taxiway. I landed on the taxiway parallel to runway 36 and taxied up to the trailer before dropping the chute. That flight lasted an hour and I finished the flight at 8:00.

I will write some specific numbers after I go back and check my records but this made the total distance flown on my flight path from Oceanside, California to Jekyll Island, Georgia 2,464 statute miles!

I will return to Kentucky now and write my book about this adventure in detail. I look forward to doing it again in the near future for an official record when the powers that be will allow it.

If you are ever in my neck of the woods drop me a line and let's get together for some good flying. I have a private airfield in the back yard and skilled Pilots are always welcome!

I will be leaving this website up as long as I can so enjoy it and pass it on for others to enjoy also. Until the next adventure, have a good one!

Steve Thomas
Pilot of the American Spirit

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