As I eluded, there was a significant problem at the time of my launch out of San Diego – you’re just going to have to wait for Documentary Teaser to learn more.
Communicating with radios and texts during the first flight we understood the problem and after checking in with Blackhawk Paramotors knew how to fix it. Ray wanted to fix it immediately but I elected to keep flying to make as much distance during daylight and fix the problem overnight.
Our morning once again started with the weather briefing which didn’t have great news. The headwinds were going to be strong and difficult to make a dent in the 250-mile goal. Adding to the problem was they were coming over the mountain range creating rotor and turbulence. As a result, I made slight modifications to my planned route to shorten the distance.
What Happened when I changed my route and why it was a bad idea... Keep reading, it gets exciting.
After fine-tuning the engine and with a less than perfect LZ, I sent it at daybreak.
The launch went off without a hitch and it was clear we had resolved the issue that almost ended the expedition in disaster.
I thanked the team via radio and began to get on my flight path. During the weather briefing, Dave had given me two choices. Stay low where the wind wasn’t as strong, or climb through it and get over 8000 ft where you can catch a small tailwind. The winds were strong enough that I didn’t feel comfortable climbing through it and was concerned I would lose ground if I had to abort.
I soon found it pretty uncomfortable and wasn’t making much ground. I had to actively pilot the glider continuously and I knew my arms would soon grow tired. I made an attempt several times to climb, but very quickly got parked and even began flying backward which forced me to return to fly low just 20-100 feet off the ground. On an ordinary day, you would land and call it a day.
Determined not to give up and knowing our weather window would continue to close I pushed on, only occasionally resting one arm at a time for a few seconds before having to actively control the glider again.
Now’s not a Good Time, Can I call you back later
Harley Milne – Day 2 of the Paramotor Coast to Coast Record
I remember getting a call from my mom and Mike Robinson from Blackhawk Paramotors which auto-picked up on both occasions. I abruptly told them that it wasn’t a good time and that I was feet off the ground battling strong turbulent winds.
Things were getting worse and as I crossed a connecting road I considered ditching but pressed on. A decision I would later regret.
Another mile or two and things got much more violent. I realized after two hours and just 27 miles that this was just getting plain dangerous. It was then that I declared an emergency and headed towards the nearby airport. As I neared the airport I observed military vehicles and thought that it was a National Guard facility. As I got closer I saw a running track and decided to land there rather than near the active runway… One of the better decisions I had made so far that day.
As I landed the first of two surprises immediately hit me…
The winds were strong. As soon as I landed and while turning to bring it down, I was quickly toppled over onto the left side of the motor hoop causing it to buckle as I drove it into the ground. As I scrambled to my feet to get control of the wing I noticed that I was being surrounded by vehicles from which several armed guards emerged. They quickly asked if I was armed, if I had identification, and why I was there.
After allowing me to get the wing under control, unclip and set my motor down, I took my helmet off and explained my situation. They told me that I had landed at the Gila Bend Auxiliary airport which was in active use by the Airforce.
I was quickly loaded into a vehicle and driven to an office where they contacted authorities to determine what to do with me. In the meantime, a few short texts to my team were sent to help them come find me. They were held up at the gate for quite some time before allowing Tom and Ray in while Greg & Cynthia (non US Citizens) waited.
After some time passed, I was requested to complete some paperwork. This included an FAA incident report since I had technically entered Class D airspace without ATC/Tower approval.
Having completed the paperwork the mood lightened up and a great deal of interest was shown in my Paramotor expedition. We then loaded the equipment trailer and made our way to the front gate. Though I wouldn’t recommend landing at an active air-force training airport, I was able to leave with a smile on my face and a story to a bunch of questions.
As it happened, when I changed my planned route, which was intended to go between the municipal and auxiliary airport clear to keep clear of controlled airspace, I accidentally changed the path to be south of the auxiliary airport, and thus when I was making my emergency landing thought that I was heading to the municipal airport. There’s more to the story…
If you thought that was exciting, join me tomorrow for part 2 tomorrow which had even more excitement that included a pair of F35 fighter Jets
HaRLEY MILNE
Be sure to watch the Documentary to find out the ramifications I faced from the FAA and the Airforce.
