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TEN ROMEO NEWSLETTER TEN ROMEO TO MOSCOW, Report 5 May 18, 1984 Dear Interested Observers: I hope you find this report as exciting to read as I am finding it is to write. My schedule into Moscow was as planned, and on Monday morning I made my customary courtesy call upon friends at the Embassy. My circle of friends once again, expanded and am impressed with the dedication and effectiveness of those serving our interests in Moscow. Steve Grant was helpful, and I had a delightful visit with Ray Benson, spoke with Bob Bradtke, Jon Purnell (who married the daughter of a close classmate), and Henry Clark. My next stop was at the Moscow Civil Air Board, where Mikhail Lynbinov was expecting me. He suggested a meeting be arranged for clarification of any questions related to the official FLIGHT CLEARANCE PLAN that I would be registering upon my return to the States. The meeting was held at the MCA Board on Thursday, May 10th, at 10:00 a.m. Present were Mikhail, Chief of protocol, his immediate superior, Mr. Sanoroukov, Chief of the Department of International Relations of the MCA Board and he brought a technician-colleague. With me was Henry Clark, a top-flight counselor from our Embassy. The meeting was open, friendly, and even carried considerable humor. And this - above the invaluable insights and information I received. A major clarification dealt with "Flight Plan Route". I had filed Oslo direct Moscow, meaning great circle route. Their understanding of "direct" was by established airways. I indicated I would have no problem coming in via the airways, but suggested, "please don't approve a great circle route to Moscow the week after my flight, or I'll lose my record." Their laughter was good-humored and genuine, and they said, "Dr. Harmon, we wouldn't do that to you.'" There was concern about "third party" insurance, since they will have a navigator aboard, and this was discussed to their satisfaction. We talked about the refueling needs I'd have in Moscow, and how fuel and navigator costs will be covered. They expressed interest in equipment I would be carrying, and were pleased that their SSR would be able to pick up my mode "C". I mentioned the CAT II capability of my King equipment, and discussed the protection my Stormscope would give me should there be thunderstorms in the vicinity of Sheremetyevo Airport upon my arrival. Should this happen, I suggested I'd simply set up a holding pattern with the direction of their controllers, and wait til the storm passed. Again, there was the smile, and they suggested they would schedule the thunderstorms elsewhere, since a holding pattern would hurt my record attempt. My heaviest concern prior to our meeting was the meaning of the term "sponsor" as used in the protocol filing package. It was a pleasure to learn that this term was only a request as to who would be filing for my visa. As we were about to leave, I suggested that a female navigator or 120 pounds would enhance my record time much more than a 220 pound male navigator. This precipitated great laughter and they said, "You must think all of our women are huge!" It was not until later that I realized what had caused the slippage in communication. They understood "female" and "120" but are used to thinking of "kilo" rather than "pounds". My guess is that I will have a petite lady navigator of no more than 130 pounds. As I left the MCA Board conference room that morning, and reflected upon the hour or warm, open, cooperative exchange of information with the Soviets present, I had the feeling that we might just have been a party to the most friendly, productive conference between Soviets and Americans for the last indefinite past. Perhaps this is the real "GOOD NEWS" of today's report. With the wild rhetoric in the media between our two governments, it is remarkable that such a productive meeting could occur. On the other hand, with government relationships strained, perhaps communication at the lower level on a "people-to-people" basis become easier. If this is true, then there is great hope for the future, for it means that all parties concerned recognize that we live in a world far too dangerous to allow all communication to halt. There is so much more I would like to share with you about that recent quick trip to Moscow. May 9th is considered the happiest day of the year in the USSR and celebrates the Nazi fall to the Soviets in Berlin in 1945 ----. The streets are bright with flags and posters, nobody works, (or so it seems) and millions crowd the streets and parks of Moscow in a festive mood. Soldiers and veterans wear their medals, flowers are exchanged, joyful music abounds, there are no military parades, and at 10:00 pm. Moscow is circled by 360 degrees of spectacular fireworks that light the skies for miles and miles. Perhaps I should share with you a school visit that I had on Tuesday. School #29 is one of my favorite Soviet Schools. Each trip to the USSR I have visited this center for teaching urban children. A number of the staff are personal friends, and this warm feeling must be reciprocated, since I now have a standing invitation to drop by for a visit at any time without going through the normal bureaucratic clearance procedures. Inna Mikhailovna is the Director or Principal of School 29. After a chat or two in the halls with students and teachers, we went to Inna's office. That morning Pravda had mentioned the Olympic problems which were growing; Inna wanted to know what I thought might happen. I expressed the hope that soviet athletes would participate. But," she said, "when we sent our athletes to your country in 1980, you housed them in a prison!" "Inna, athletes from all countries were housed in that new building up at Lake Placid which would later become a prison!" "But athletes should not be housed in prisons!" "Inna, Lake Placid is a little tiny town. The athletes had to be housed in that beautiful new building, or else in tents, and it was too cold to put them in tents!" We both expressed the hope that Soviet athletes would take part in this year's competition. I mention this exchange only to suggest that communication can be very difficult between different societies. Inna is interested in the United States, and must have positive feelings about Americans, or we could not be the good friends that we are. It is my hope to invite Inna to be my guest this fall here in Delmar. We will visit schools, and perhaps I'll even be able to help her understand the economics of capitalism a bit better. But - back to TEN ROMEO TO MOSCOW! Upon my return from Moscow, I received a call from the Berlin Desk of the State Department suggesting that a destination other than Templehoff be used on my trip from MOSCOW. Rules prohibit a private U.S. aircraft from using the Air Corridor out of Berlin. While there is usually a way to gain an exception to any rule or regulation, particularly if there are competent administrators in charge, this process has a way or becoming time consuming. This latest turn of events, along with the possibility of the return ferry permit for TEN ROMEO being available from the Frankfurt FAA office, has resulted in a change of my flight plan route. I now plan to fly from MOSCOW to Frankfurt, rather than Berlin. Yesterday the GOODRICH boots were installed, and they work perfectly! Continental has provided a spare starter and alternator which I will carry with me. AOPA has become an Equipment Sponsor by providing a number of support items. One of the first items which caught my attention in the mail as I began to clear fly desk Monday was a note from Walt Dean of ARNAV. It was our expectation that the AVA-1000 Loran-C would have the Russian grid installed. Walt indicated some technical problems that might preclude using the Russian grid for navigation. As if in answer to a prayer, Monday afternoon I received a call from Don Dodgen, of SPERRY. Don asked if it was too late for SPERRY to be helpful in the TEN ROMEO TO MOSCOW project. Obviously, it is never too late. After speaking with Don, I did a bit of research and found that SPERRY has been helpful in many unusual projects. Next week I expect to be in Phoenix, Arizona, where SPERRY engineers will install an INERTIAL-OMEGA IONS-1020 system in TEN ROMEO. The use of such equipment was far beyond my wildest hope or expectations, but it will provide better than any equipment I know of the capability of staying dead-center on those airways into and out of Moscow. AND SO NOW - TEN ROMEO is equipped properly for the task ahead with only the IONS-1020 and the internal fuel tanks yet to install and they are scheduled. Furthermore, the warm meeting last Thursday gives me every expectation that the door to Soviet Skies will be opened to me. NOW I will be moving for the PROJECT SPONSOR(s) for TEN ROMEO TO MOSCOW. There are a number of friends who have said they will, at the proper time, speak with acquaintances upon my behalf for the money required for this project. Sooooooo - now is the time for such contacts to be made. And, if any of you have ideas, please pass them on to me. Perhaps I should mention that yesterday afternoon in Akron, while the de-icing boots were being installed, I spent four hours with the media. Four TV stations, and two newspapers were present. It is nice to be the most exciting event in Akron on any afternoon, and many thanks are due the GOODRICH PR Department, but once again it shows, in my estimation, the pervasive excitement this project seems to generate among those who hear about it. The press came because the project is unusual, it deals with a subject - East/West relationships - which is usually negative, and again, perhaps they came because of the hope we all have in our hearts that there must be a way to have friendly contact and communications between East and West in spite of our many differences. Jim Delmonico is president of our local TV-6, CBS outlet. He called Mark Phillips, the CBS Than in Moscow, who was expecting me when I arrived on his doorstep. He, too, expressed interest and thought this project was a "delightful little story". Perhaps CBS should have an exclusive on this project, and if this happens I'm sure sponsorship will be assured. Jim is presently dealing with a strike. When it clears, I'll be in touch on what develops. ----------- TEN ROMEO TO MOSCOW Flight Plan Route It is planned to register each leg of TEN ROMEO's Flight Plan Route for CITY TO CITY WORLD RECORDS. Flight legs have been planned to slightly exceed normal fuel range of the standard Beech-36 configuration, and thus enhance the possibility of any World Records obtained being held for a period of time. TEN ROMEO will be modified to carry a maximum of 150 gallons of internal fuel. For each leg, fuel load will be managed so that gross weight will be held to under 3,858 pounds to remain within NAA Class C-1c Group I.
A Russian navigator will be aboard TEN ROMEO from Oslo to Moscow, and from Moscow to Frankfurt. *If, for whatever reason, final approval of the OSL-SVO-FRA flights is unavailable at the last minute, the alternate route will be: OSL to FRA, Oslo --- Frankfurt, 686 nm. ---------- TELEX MESSAGE May 23, 1984 To: Economic Section REQUEST FOR FLIGHT CLEARANCE IN THE U.S.S.R. The following are responses to nine questions of FLIGHT CLEARANCE protocol package for use of U.S.S.R. Air Space:
Additional Information: A. Upon TEN ROMEO's arrival at Oslo, MCA will be notified by TELEX. B. Expenses of fuel and Soviet navigator will be covered by American Express card. c. Female navigator at 50-60 kilo would enhance record possibilities. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||