AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012 - 56

LAST CHANCE

Remember, you have until August 31, 2012, to renew your membership for a chance to win this rugged, versatile aircraft (www.aopa. org/sweeps).

Following the Yellowstone River, we continue northwest into Montana, where the valleys are a lush green. Trees that are standing look healthy and plentiful, but a matchstick carpet of charred trunks is scattered among them, remnants of the massive fires that blackened almost 800,000 acres in this area in 1988. Weaving our way up the river valley toward Gardiner, Montana, the peaks on both sides rise several thousand feet above us. But we needn’t climb any higher. The Bozeman Pass soon comes into view to our left, and we follow it west to Gallatin Field. Kounis and Fizer land first and I listen in on the tower frequency as they get directions to the “pilot shelter” that the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) has built at the airport. The gleaming facility has restrooms and showers, a tiedown area, and campsites. The tower-controlled airport with regular airline service also has a grass runway perfect for the Tornado Husky parallel to its main runway, and

it’s offset far enough to allow parallel approaches in VFR conditions. After landing, I taxi to the pilot shelter and position the Tornado Husky on the grass. RAF President John McKenna is hosting a barbeque dinner at the shelter tonight, and the Tornado Husky is sure to draw attention from Montana pilots who appreciate its specialized capabilities so well suited to flying in this region. As soon as the airplane is secure, however, rain begins falling and towering cumulus clouds appear to the west. The Tornado Husky—living up to its name—seems to attract wild weather wherever it goes. Fortunately, McKenna has space in his hangar, and the airplane gets safely tucked inside. We flew the Husky to remote locations that put the airplane to much more difficult tests than today’s crosscountry flight. But our sightseeing trip above some of the crown jewels of our country’s national park system is an experience to savor. AOPA
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

BAKER VAIL

A WHIRLWIND YEAR IN THE TORNADO HUSKY
As the time to hand over the keys to the AOPA 2012 Sweepstakes Tougher Than a Tornado Husky approaches, I’d like to express my gratitude for 12 months of unforgettable adventures in this magnificent airplane. During the year since the Tornado Husky, then bruised and tattered, first came to AOPA headquarters in Frederick, Maryland, it’s brought us to some amazing places and introduced us to some terrific people: Afton, Wyoming, where the Aviat Aircraft craftsmen who originally built the Tornado Husky returned it to as-new condition; Ryan Field near Glacier National Park, where the Recreational Aviation Foundation revived a donated backcountry strip in the rugged Rocky Mountains of Montana; coastal Maine in autumn, where we camped under the wings; and Key West, Florida, where we skimmed above coral reefs. It has overflown Acadia, Everglades, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone national parks; the Chesapeake Bay; New York Harbor; and the Continental Divide. It’s inspired a wounded U.S. Marine, Adam Kisielewski, to become a pilot, and
56 | AOPA PILOT July 2012

carried my mom, Wilma Melville, over the Statue of Liberty where she spread her late husband’s ashes at a place that well represented his remarkable life. Everywhere its oversized tires touch down, the Tornado Husky brings the excitement of aerial adventures. That message resonates with AOPA members who visited the Tornado Husky at events such as AOPA Summit, Sun ’n Fun, and EAA AirVenture. The Tornado Husky has benefited from generous sponsors, including XM Satellite Weather for its Garmin GPSMAP 696, a Rosen Sunvisor, and a protective canvas cover (with the Tornado Husky logo!) from Bruce’s Custom Covers. The airplane has flown about 120 hours in the past 12 months, and its final AOPA trip will be to AOPA Summit in Palm Springs, California, October 11 to 13, where it will be awarded to its winner. If there are tears in my eyes at the parting, they’ll be tears of joy, for I can anticipate some of the lifechanging experiences that the pilots who will guide this young airplane and their passengers can have on their own flights of wonder. —DH

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11 -In IL 20 n Fly APR Sun ‘n Fu 11 > 20

http://www.aopa.org/sweeps http://www.aopa.org/sweeps

AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - July 2012