Gulf Shores, Alabama - June 14-21, 2003 - Roll Tide!

The Kirwans (Jody, Kelly, Jack and Daniel) took the Skylane for their family vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Being 4 years old, Jack was an old hat at this flying thing, but this was 7-week old Daniel's first big trip in an airplane.  The weather was a big factor for the entire trip.  The morning of our departure, June 14, 2003, there were severe thunderstorms just North of Louisville toward Cincinnati, and there was one area of storms in Nashville we had to circumnavigate.  Thanks to our Strike Finder, Flight Watch and ATC, though, we got through the area of bad weather with little more than an hour of actual and some rain.

Level at 4000 feet with the GPS, autopilot and Strike Finder doing their things.

Pilot (Jody) and copilot (Jack) picking our way through the bad weather.

Fortunately, Walt Disney's VCR tapes travel well and keep young Jack occupied once clear of the weather.  The yoke was the perfect size to hold the remote screen, and a few special wires from Radio Shack allowed Jack (but not us) to listen to the soundtrack in his headset.

Kelly in the back keeping the youngest passenger entertained.

Daniel doing what he does best.

Jack Edwards Field (KJKA) in Gulf Shores, Alabama 4 hours and 8 minutes later, and that's with a big headwind.

Here's what $10 per night tie-down fee gets you - your own place to park and tie-down (assuming you bring your own ropes like we did).  With the luxury of our hangars, I almost forgot how to use the pitot cover, cowl plugs and control lock.

After all that work, we get a front seat to the Gulf of Mexico.

Down here, thunderstorms are easier to see and avoid!

Here's our condo.

Kelly, Jack and Daniel enjoying the beach.

Camp Kirwan.

Jack by the condo's pool (which is very kid friendly).

Jack and Daniel (and Kelly) with their cousins, Molly, Holly, Shawn and Drew.

Our second visit to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida (about 30 minutes to the East).  We absolutely love this place, and the day before we watched the Blue Angels practice here for free.  To learn more about the museum, click here.

A replica for the first naval airplane, the Triad.

A Sopwith Camel.

A Jenny.

The NC-4, the first plane to leave America and successfully cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Another view of the NC-4.  This thing is huge and what is truly amazing is that this plane was built and flown just 8 years after the Wright Brothers' famous flight at Kill Devil Hills.  The wingspan on this plane is longer than the Wrights' first powered flight!

The Blue Angels' Gallery.  There are 4 types of airplanes in this hall (3 shown) - the A4 Skyhawks formerly used by the Blue Angels, a Stearman trainer, a Texan trainer and a Mentor trainer.  This hall is special to Jody because of the four different types of aircraft displayed here, he has flown two (a Stearman and a Texan).

One of only a very few Japanese Zeros left, and the only one still in existence that participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor (eerie).

The conning tower and actual flight deck of the USS Cabot (an American aircraft carrier) are in the museum.

This little Cessna was flown by a South Vietnamese aviator onto an America aircraft carrier the last day of the Vietnam War.  The American carrier captain had his crew (against his Admiral's advice) push several helicopters off the flight deck to make room for the Cessna to land.  Inside the 2 seater - the South Vietnamese officer, his wife and their 5 children!  The crew of the carrier sponsored the family's U.S. citizenship which they all obtained.

June 21, 2003 - time to go home and, of course, more thunderstorms and headwinds.  We decided to get off the ground before the Sun woke up.

Thunderstorms to the East.

Thunderstorms to the West.

And, thunderstorms where they should always be - behind us (to the South)!

Once we were clear of the stationary front that was producing and feeding the thunderstorms, we enjoyed CAVU weather the rest of the way home.  Redstone Arsenal in Northern Alabama.

Hunstville, Alabama and Space Camp.

Back at Bowman 4 hours later.  Jack just needed one more picture with the Skylane.

Jack and Daniel after an early morning flight home.

Awesome trip!