Arizona to Oshkosh 2021

[Kitfox Pilot]

Only think better would be if I was there too! Haha. Keep enjoying your time touring around the north states and we will enjoy the posted pics.

[jrevens]

Love your reports, Steve!

[Av8r_Sed]

So many great places to visit and photos to post. Thanks for taking us along Steve.

[DesertFox4]

Thanks guys. This has been a nice time in Minnesota and Northern Iowa. This is where I learned to fly and where I thought I’d be flying a Kitfox with floats off all these beautiful lakes. Didn’t quite turn out like that but I am flying over a lot of those lakes in a Kitfox. All in all, not bad at all.
Seeing the changes in the crops since I’ve been here is a real treat. Harvest is in full swing and fields that were a lush green when I arrived after Oshkosh, have transitioned to brown and now are being tilled for next years crops.


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My time here hasn’t been all flying though. The above photo may give you a small
clue as to how today was spent. My hometown has a chain of five lakes. I got reacquainted with three
of them today. 85 degrees today but nice, real nice, on the water.

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Taken from the boat, a photo of Martin County’s courthouse undergoing a replacement of the copper topped
portion of the domed roof. A very expensive project but badly needed to maintain this really beautiful historical building. No doubt it will soon turn green like the original but for now, a copper beacon visible for many miles away under a bright sun.

Thanks for putting up with my simple photos and short descriptions. Not as exciting as a Trent Palmer action packed video but
trust me, my fun meter is pegged in the red every time I get to fly this wonderful airplane.

Harlan, there’s lots of room up here for your Kitfox too. Kind of hope to see your new grass strip when it’s ready next year.👍

[avidflyer]

Nice bunch of posts about where all you have visited in Mn. If you get up around my area, you will have to stop by. I have 2000' with trees on the ends, but that's plenty for a Kitfox. JImChuk

[Kitfox Pilot]

Grass is 2'' tall and growing! Look forward to seeing you land here myself!

[DesertFox4]

Thanks for the invite Jim.😃 I was thinking of contacting you for a visit right after Labor Day weekend. I was supposed to fly up to Brainerd for a family reunion on Bay Lake but weather forced me to drive up instead. Derailed my plans to fly the Brainerd area, one of my favorite spots in the State, and maybe swing up your way. Maybe next year if I get back up this way. Gotta save a couple nice strips for next visit to Minnesota. Keep the grass mowed.👍

[DesertFox4]

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We did fly today. No exciting strips as time was limited for traveling from base.
Kind of gusty and bumpy before a little storm system passes through.
This is my temporary base of operations, Fairmont, MN. Learned to fly here way back when.
My brother is just touching down in his Adventure 7GCAA model Citabria on runway 13. He’s a little faster
with 180 horses to my 100 so he arrives usually about one minute before me.

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Fairmont Municipal. In the ‘L’ shaped grove of trees on approach to runway 13 is an aircraft that didn’t quite make the runway. It’s been up there for a month now. About 35’ up. Two occupants had to shimmy down a tree after the “landing”. No injuries but the aircraft is not reusable.
Retrieval will wait until the corn is combined. No hurry. It’s not going anywhere. They were lucky for no injuries either from the “landing” or the climb down.
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From above-
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from below.

[DesertFox4]

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Springfield,MN. Nice little field. Only 6 city hangars available on the field but saw a sign on door in pilot’s lounge that said,
“Hangar available. $65.00 a month.” Nice hangars too. Wow! At those prices, you could afford to fly
a whole lot more. Fuel was not bad either. $4.44 per.
Springfield, you’re looking mighty good. So are many many airports in the upper midwest. Lots of them up here with similar
stories. Your Kitfox would just need a pair of snow skis and maybe floats too. Lakes everywhere.


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Springfield, MN. No grass cross runway but one real nice 3,400’ hard surface 31/13 runway.
If this sweet airport was within 100 miles of Phoenix, there would be another 50 hangars all filled with aircraft and 5 students doing touch and goes in the pattern. We had the place to ourselves on a just about perfect fall day.

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We did find a fun grass strip on the way home to dinner.
One of my brother’s friends northwest of Welcome, MN has a farm strip. We had to give it a try.
You can see their hangar behind my brother’s Citabria. Lots of neat projects tucked away
in that hangar. Stinson project, a Pacer that was lengthened and 180 hp added to the front. Another Pacer project and:
this little steam powered automobile. You just never know what hides behind a hangar door.
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Some of the car’s “plumbing” hidden beneath the seat.
Wish we’d landed here an hour earlier. Might have gotten a ride once a head of steam was gotten up.
As it was, sunset was too close so maybe next trip up. Sure looks like fun though.

Well , this very likely could be my last landing on grass for awhile. Days here are dwindling down to a precious few, as the song goes. Arizona calls with maybe a stop in Missouri to see an old friend I’ve never met, yet. If weather permits.🤞

[efwd]

Looks like a fantastic day Steve. Fly safe.
Thought that little car had a radial in it or something. Lots of, what appears to be oil, leaking.