| (Continued from Part I) | | | | the terminal building, looking for a place to park |
| Five and a half hours later, I arrived in Kansas, | | | | for the night. My intention was to go into the |
| tired but elated. A handful of deaf pilots were on | | | | airport lounge to sleep on the couch and then fly |
| hand at the airport to welcome me. I felt right at | | | | the rest of the way home the next morning. |
| home. | | | | But the problem was I couldn't decide whether to |
| Throughout the week, we flew to different | | | | stay put or continue my flight. I was having an |
| locations, including Amelia Earhart's birthplace. On | | | | argument with myself over this. After all, I |
| most of those flights, one or two passengers | | | | reasoned, it's only another 45 minutes to my |
| was usually on board to share in the cost of flying | | | | home airport and I have to make a night flight |
| the airplane. Although Kansas is well known for its | | | | sometime - why not tonight? The weather was |
| thunderstorms during the summer, we were | | | | gorgeous with clear, calm skies. |
| mercifully spared and got to do almost everything | | | | It was very tempting but something told me not |
| that was on the schedule. | | | | to push it. Reluctantly, I picked a spot by the |
| Everyone had a great time and the week flew by | | | | terminal building and shut down. I would later find |
| all too quickly. Soon it was time to go separate | | | | out it was not the best place to park. |
| ways and return home. | | | | Stepping out of the airplane, I noticed it was eerily |
| Fortunately, I would be getting a little tailwind on | | | | still in the cool, damp air. Not a single soul was |
| the day of departure and because of that, I | | | | around. It was a weird feeling being by myself at |
| decided I had enough time to make a stop in | | | | such an unfamiliar place. |
| Illinois to visit with a fellow pilot before continuing | | | | Most small airports have a combination lock on |
| the rest of the way. | | | | their buildings to prevent unauthorized people |
| After flying for about two hours, my friend | | | | from entering after-hours. Only pilots had access |
| greeted me at the Illinois airport. We spent the | | | | to the combination because they knew where to |
| afternoon catching up and ate a delicious lunch at | | | | look for it (the airport facility directory). That way |
| his house. At one point, I glanced at the clock and | | | | they could stop in for a vending-machine snack or |
| realized it was getting late. It was almost 5 pm. I | | | | catch a quick nap before continuing on with their |
| still had another 3 hours of flying before arriving | | | | flights. |
| at my home airport and I wanted to get there | | | | As I approached the building, I was shocked to |
| before sunset. At that time, I was not yet | | | | see it did not have a combination lock. I could |
| comfortable flying at night. I was still a relatively | | | | have sworn the airport facility directory |
| new pilot and was not ready to stretch my | | | | mentioned this place had one. Upon closer |
| comfort zone. | | | | inspection, I could see the door was bolted from |
| My friend quickly took me back to the airport and | | | | inside! Perhaps I was mistaken. |
| dropped me off. After refueling and getting a | | | | A million thoughts ran through my head, "How am |
| weather update, I was back in the air, climbing to | | | | I going to get in?" "Where am I going to sleep |
| 7,500 feet, heading east. I dodged low-level clouds | | | | tonight?" |
| here and there and motored on for two and a | | | | My first reaction was to check the front entrance |
| half hours, enjoying the scenery below me. | | | | to see if it had a combination lock. |
| Based on the GPS, I could see that I was not | | | | No such luck. |
| going to make my home airport before sunset. I | | | | Taking a deep breath, I surveyed the area. The |
| began making preparations to land somewhere | | | | gravel parking lot was illuminated by the moonlight |
| for the night. Looking through my list of alternate | | | | yet completely devoid. The road that ran |
| airports, I picked one that was only 45 minutes | | | | alongside the airport was pitch black, |
| away from my final destination. I keyed in the | | | | overshadowed by towering pine trees on both |
| airport identification (KOEB) into the GPS and | | | | sides. There was nothing for miles around. I was |
| punched the "Direct To" button. | | | | the only breathing soul there. |
| Thirty minutes later, I saw the green and white | | | | I decided to try one more time to get in the |
| rotating beacon of that airport. The sun was just | | | | building and made my way to the back door |
| about to dip below the horizon, plunging the entire | | | | again. Aggressively rattling the doorknob, twisting |
| area into darkness. I knew I made a good choice | | | | and pulling, it would not budge. Peering inside, I |
| to land there. | | | | could see the faint outline of a couch. How I |
| Circling above the airport to check the position of | | | | wanted to get in there! |
| the windsock (to determine the direction of the | | | | Slowly turning around, I stared at the small |
| wind), I made an uneventful landing on the | | | | airplane. |
| appropriate runway. After landing, I taxied over to | | | | It was going to be a long night. |