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TEN ROMEO NEWSLETTER

DCA-SVO COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT, Report 3

August 28, 1987

Dear Friends:

The arrival of TEN ROMEO at Sheremetyevo on June 18th at 1:31 pm Moscow time represents, once again, the successful culmination of a project two years in planning.  True, my arrival was one hour later than the protocol flight-plan ETA as filed six months earlier.  That extra hour was the result of difficult weather between Helsinki and Moscow.  Actual flight time was 41 hours, 31 minutes and 18 seconds, with no sleep during the trip.

The reception upon arrival was unbelievable.  As soon as TEN ROMEO came to a stop and the prop stopped turning, Steve Honeybill and I were surrounded by nearly 100 friends and members of the press and TV corps.  Every newspaper in Moscow carried the story, and wire services went world-wide with TEN ROMEO's accomplishment.  TV coverage was surprisingly broad, and when I returned home I received a letter from a friend who said, "Mil - I was sitting in my hotel room in Hong Kong watching the news, and there came TEN ROMEO out of the clouds and landed at Sheremetyevo!"  How's that for international coverage?  (I had invited Ted Turner to fly the trip with me.  He was too busy to make the trip, but he surely did a masterful job of covering the event!  Thanks, Ted!)

But - let me back up and start at the beginning.

The days prior to departure were hectic.  There never seems to be enough time to complete all details.  Lift-off from Washington National (DCA) was eight minutes past noon (eight minutes past our EDT) and just before departure an excellent press conference was held, arranged by NAA and Col. Brown.  FAA support was outstanding, with particular attention given to our unusual flight plan by John O'Hey who told me, "You and TEN ROMEO are embarking upon a significant and unusual flight.  I want to be the person who filed your Washington-Moscow flight plan properly!"

A number of supportive messages reached us during the 48 hours before departure, with Ed Stimpson's note passed to me as I climbed into the plane for departure.  (Ed is president of GAMA, and an enthusiastic 10R fan.)

The tower called the time at "start-of-roll" and again at "lift-off", and the historic flight was on its way!

North of Washington TEN ROMEO was given a normal "hand-off" to Harrisburg Approach.  "Harrisburg Approach, this is TEN ROMEO with you on a 'hand-off', level at 7,000 feet."  The "hand-off" was acknowledged by Harrisburg, and the altimeter setting given.  There was a moment of silence and then, "TEN ROMEO, under 'remarks' on your flight plan it indicates you are flying under NAA record sanctions, and ---- YOU ARE FLYING FROM WASHINGTON TO MOSCOW!  CAN THAT BE TRUE??????  AND IN A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRCRAFT????"

I indicated that was the plan, and that in about 40 hours we expected to land at Sheremetyevo with a new World Speed Record.

His response was quick and to the point.  "When you get to Moscow give our warmest regards to all your Soviet friends from us here at Harrisburg Approach!"  Once again, as has happened so often in the past on TEN ROMEO's Friendship projects, there was the spontaneous expression of both desire and hope for friendlier relations between Americans and Soviets.  In my travels in the States I often receive both appreciation and thanks for the friendship and understanding that TEN ROMEO's projects generate.

The trip to Goose Bay (CYYR) was uneventful.  The turnaround at Goose went quickly with a full fuel load taken on.  A check on weather brought bad news, with our next leg to Reykjavik placing us just west of a low-pressure area.  It would have been better to wait for passage of that low-pressure, but it was important to parallel the time frame of the 1937 Soviet flight as closely as possible, so I decided to depart immediately.

Halfway to Prins Christiansund, the Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) at the southwestern tip of Greenland, a considerable headwind began to build.  As I passed the NDB and headed for Reykjavik, the headwind was measuring 50 kts.  I knew it would be impossible to complete the leg on the fuel remaining, so I made a 180-degree turn for an emergency refueling stop at Narssarssuaq.

The options were to leave 9,000 feet, let down over the ocean and follow the coast line around the land mass to the fjord approach to BLUEY WEST ONE (as it was called in World War II), or cut across the tip of Greenland and save five minutes.  I had passed a number of holes where I could see the ocean and knew the ceiling was about 4,000 feet.  I opted for the shortcut, which was an unwise decision and I knew it was wrong the moment I made it.

The land mass of the southern tip of Greenland is rugged terrain with large obelisks of granite reaching many thousands of feet into the sky.  With 50 kt winds whistling through such irregular, steep granite formations, predicting the wild contortions of wind above the land mass should not have required much thought.

Within moments of my 180-degree turn, I slammed into the turbulence of that wild, inhospitable, menacing environment.  It was as if TEN ROMEO had flown into a stone wall.  In five seconds we were at 10,500 feet, and ten seconds later the altimeter read 7,000 feet.  There was no controlling the aircraft.  I struggled to keep TEN ROMEO right side up.  The engine faltered with heavy ingestion of rain water, and the vibration was violent in that second or two before the alternate air placed the engine back on line.  There was no cockpit control of the aircraft, either through throttle or elevator use, as TEN ROMEO became a pawn in the hands of a natural violence incomprehensible in its magnitude.

The turbulence was greater than anything I have experienced in 44 years of flying, and upon reflection, I feel fortunate in having met that bit of weather in a Beech-36.  A lesser aircraft would have come apart.

Time is measured differently in a life-threatening experience.  How long was TEN ROMEO at the mercy of an unrelenting weather opponent?  Hard to say - it may have been two minutes or perhaps five, but each second seemed like an eon.  Eventually TEN ROMEO was released from the grasp of that weather god and was spit out over the ocean, where a descent brought us below the turbulence and cloud cover and an uneventful landing was made.  Uneventful except for the 56 kt cross wind component that was encountered.  It was a tricky landing and, once on the ground, I could not park the aircraft on the ramp, but had to find a building to hide behind while taking on 102 gallons of fuel.  A quick breakfast, and we were on our way to Reykjavik.

As we left Reykjavik it became apparent that the Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) was functioning intermittently.  (Shades of the North Pole trip!)  With Norway just over the horizon, there was no concern about the balance of the trip to Moscow, but the possibility of flying the return trip across the North Atlantic without a functional ADF was unthinkable.

Before departing Washington I had made arrangements with Bendix/King Radio Corporation to use their High Frequency (HF) Home Base as a communication point for the Moscow flight, and each hour, on the hour, contact was made with my colleagues at Olathe.  (It should be mentioned that my King friends have had a continuing interest in TEN ROMEO's adventures, and had asked that I stop by the plant for a careful panel check before my departure.  TEN ROMEO left the King Hanger with all equipment functioning perfectly.)  On the next call-up to KI2XAO or King HF Home Base, I mentioned the malfunction and asked that a back-up ADF be sent to me in Moscow by a FINNAIR flight.  (This arrangement worked perfectly since FINNAIR is a sponsor and committed to being helpful to TEN ROMEO's American/Soviet friendship ventures.  FINNAIR personnel in Moscow suggested the unit remain in Helsinki for pickup upon my arrival there.  Mighty nice to have reliable, concerned friends around when a crisis develops!)

TEN ROMEO pulled onto the General Aviation ramp at Helsinki at 7:00 a.m., right on schedule, and our Soviet navigator was waiting for us.  Refueling was accomplished, weather checked, and the flight plan for the final leg was confirmed in place with Helsinki Flight Service.  We were then on our way to Moscow on Red Airway One!

The 529 nautical miles from Helsinki to Moscow provided another opportunity to deal with many kinds of weather.  It was necessary to cross a "front", and in the process we encountered turbulence, icing and head winds.  When we were 80 miles from Sheremetyevo, we learned that the airport had been closed due to bad weather, with all flights being diverted to Leningrad.  Because of the world-wide attention of TEN ROMEO's COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT and the fact that the 1937 flight we were honoring had commenced in Moscow, TEN ROMEO was expected and the field was opened for a brief window for our ILS approach to Runway 07 Right.

My navigator turned communication over to me so that I could talk directly with Sheremetyevo Approach.  I was given a heading, and cleared for the ILS Approach to 07 Right.  I clicked in the Missed Approach point on my panel, and as I looked for the familiar dance of the course indicator to lock on, nothing happened.  A failure of either my equipment or ground equipment was immediately obvious to me and the Soviet Controller, and I was cleared by the Soviet Controller to the Missed Approach point.  As I came up on that point, I radioed, "Sheremetyevo Approach, this is TEN ROMEO requesting a SURVEILLANCE APPROACH to 07 Right!"

As a true professional that Soviet Controller understood what I was requesting, and he then gave me the best "talk-down" I have ever flown.  Each heading was received and flown, and in several minutes I was on the approach end of runway 07.  A perfect landing followed and the COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT was complete!

The welcoming committee of dignitaries was impressive, the media force did its job, and the "Visa Support" provided for this trip enabled clearance procedures to move swiftly.

At the Belgrade Hotel, I took steps to deliver my letter carried from Washington to Chairman Gorbachev.

My message to the Chairman indicated that since Soviet interceptors had two opportunities to shoot down Mathias Rust and his Cessna 172 but did not, this commendable restraint was being interpreted in my part of the world as evidence of the Soviet Union becoming a more responsible member of the community of nations.  I further indicated that I had worked with teenagers most of my life as a teacher and college administrator, and knew them well.  "They are", I said, "full of energy, spontaneous, think little of consequences, and come springtime, do strange and interesting things, like go to Daytona Beach, or fly to Red Square."

I indicated that if the Chairman wanted to "spank" Rust as a wayward child and send him home, I'd be happy to fly him and his Cessna out of Sheremetyevo on Red Airway One to Helsinki.  (On June 11th my friend Rit Kaylor had checked me out in a Cessna 172 and my log book was endorsed to qualify me for the flight.)

My connections in Moscow are sufficient these days for such a message to be delivered, and I found myself in two days of negotiations with the Central Committee for Rust's release,

On the first day of negotiations the Soviet position was placed on the table.  The Soviets thought Rust's flight was a plot by a Western government to test their radar defenses.  I pounded the table and said, "POPPYCOCK!!!  There is no government on my side of the Curtain that would play that fast and loose with the life of a child - a teenager.  Prior to that flight, the odds were 99 to 1 that Rust would have been shot down and killed!"

An amazing thing happened.  The trust I have built over 29 years and 15 trips with my Soviet friends allowed my position to be heard, and the Soviets seemed to drop their "Western government involvement" stance.

A number of additional concerns were raised - Rust was purported to have dropped an oil can over the Gulf of Finland to generate a "slick" to suggest he went down and thus divert flight-service attention from his penetration of Soviet Air Space.  There were 72 minutes unaccounted for on his flight - did he stop and confer with conspirators within the USSR?  There was a "Ban the Bomb" decal on the front of Rust's aircraft in Red Square that was not observed when he departed Helsinki.  Most of this information was carried by a West German newspaper more committed to creating news than reporting it.  My Soviet friends placed a disclaimer on the questions raised indicating, "such matters are being raised by YOUR Western press, Millard!".

Each of the concerns was addressed and after two days of negotiating I thought I had convinced my Soviet colleagues that the Rust flight was a teenage "prank" with no one else involved.

When I returned to the States I made arrangements with my FINNAIR friends and the Soviet Embassy in Washington to be in Moscow within 12 hours if my services were need to fly Rust and his plane out of the USSR.  I might also mention that a week after my return home, I received a phone call from the Associated Press indicating that Rust would be released the following day, and they wanted to do an interview on my perceptions of his flight.  Plans for his release reversed rather quickly at a critical point, it appears.

I have strong reservations that question the advisability of placing Rust on trial with the concomitant world-wide press platform such action will generate.  After all, following a pair of railroad tracks to Moscow doesn't require any great piloting skill.  (Reminds me of following the railroad tracks back to Foster Field in Texas in 1944 when visibility dropped.  Our only risk was encountering a Navy cadet flier following the same tracks home in the opposite direction to Corpus Christi!)  And - everyone knows flying 50 feet above the ground will probably escape radar detection.  Further, to allow me, a Sport Pilot with extensive experience in flying Soviet skies, to fly Rust and his plane out would accent the Soviets' approval of light aircraft in their skies when normal protocol is followed.  Fortunately, Rust will probably not be tried for espionage, perhaps due to my negotiations.  A full-blown trial of Rust will tend to give his act cosmic importance which it may not deserve.  Furthermore, the spectacle of a great nation such as the Soviet Union becoming so focused upon a teenage "prank" seems more a mark of previous Soviet regimes, rather than the present enlightened Gorbachev leadership.  Rust should have been fined $500.00 by Aeroflot for air violations and sent home.  The Cessna 172 should be returned to its owners.

But - back to Moscow.  What a pleasure to be in that city as a hero for a week!  The day following my arrival, young man rushed across the street and thrust into my hands a newspaper copy of TEN ROMEO's arrival and said, "I was a controller at Sheremetyevo when you arrived yesterday!  Would you please sign this article?!"

Following the delivery of my letter to Chairman Gorbachev, my major objective was to negotiate a reduction in my landing fees at Sheremetyevo.  Nothing is done within Soviet bureaucratic functioning without a "rule" to follow.  Since there are no privately owned light aircraft in the USSR, there are no rules governing how they should be handled.  However, airlines use Soviet skies routinely.  Thus, airline rules were applied to deal with a 3600-pound Beech-36.  My Soviet flight costs for 10R's flight were $4,000.00.

It is hard to know where all of my help came from, but Col. Chkalov was involved, as was Dr. Plekanov and Dr. Arbatov.  Dr. Georgei Arbatov is a remarkable man.  His name was first called to my attention by my oldest son who four years ago said, "Dad, I just met Dr. Arbatov at a civic dinner here in town.  You should become acquainted with him.  He seems like a reasonable Soviet, and I think you and he have similar goals - to improve understanding between Americans and Soviets!"

I always listen to my bright offspring, and drop by Dr. Arbatov's office whenever I am in Moscow.  His "right-hand", Dr. Sergei Plekanov, has become a special friend.

I have followed Dr. Arbatov through numerous appearances on US TV over recent years, and agree he is highly competent with a better understanding of the United States perspective than many of his Soviet colleagues.  This may come from his leadership of the Canadian/US Institute, a top Soviet "think tank", but his process of understanding probably was initiated by his contact with US troops toward the end of World War II.  My visit with Dr. Arbatov was warm and friendly, and without his assistance my $4,000.00 Soviet flight fee for TEN ROMEO would probably not have been waived.

One of many enjoyable times during that exciting week in Moscow was lunch with Dr. Plekanov.  It was an opportunity to catch up on our visiting, but he also introduced me to a delightful luncheon cafe.  It was small, off the beaten path, and served the best broiled chicken I have ever tasted.  It was tender, but had a faint aroma of spice that prepared the palate for the delight to come.  Sergei explained the administrative structure of the cafe, indicating that the workers formed a committee to set the menus and prices.  It appeared to me as a "private enterprise" operation under a Communist umbrella.  Perhaps it was an operation benefiting from the new Gorbachev policy of "decentralization", thus giving the workers more of a say in their work.

My conversations with Sergei roamed over many mutual interests.  I was reflecting upon the miracle of my success in TEN ROMEO's Friendship Bridges, and mentioned my friend Sam Stratton.  Sergei came to immediate attention.  "But Millard, - Sam Stratton is such a TERRIBLE hawk!''

My response was reflective, "Yes, Sergei, Congressman Stratton has held major responsibilities on the House Armed Services Committee, but he represents my district in Congress and has been a personal friend for many years.  He is one of TEN ROMEO's strongest supporters in building increased understanding between Americans and Soviets!  I received many messages of support for my COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT just before departing Washington last Tuesday, and Sam's was one of the most sincere.  Did you know that it was his personal intervention with Ambassador Dobrynin which helped overcome major Soviet bureaucratic obstacles to TEN ROMEO's 1985 FRIENDSHIP FLIGHT?"

It was a pleasure to reveal to Sergei a side of Sam Stratton with which he was unfamiliar.  Indeed - perhaps it was a major step in recognizing that the West's insistence upon adequate arms does not preclude a basic desire we all have for our world to be a safer place for our grandchildren.

In fact, world-wide concern for lessening the arms race becomes more obvious every day.  It is purported that Chairman Gorbachev asked his Central Committee, "We have 10,000 nuclear weapons.  Would you feel safer with 20,000? And since you say you would not, would you feel less safe with 5,000?"  This seems to be the cornerstone of a new approach to arms by the Gorbachev leadership and we are seeing the effect of it already.

There is not time nor space to reflect adequately upon that wonderful week in Moscow.  There was a sumptuous meal in the home of Igor Chkalov with his lovely wife, son Valery, and Nick Dombkovsky.  An evening was spent with Andrew Sturua and his beautiful wife, and I was able, after three tries over two years, to personally place in his hands a master copy of the PBS TV film, FRIENDSHIP FLIGHT.  (The first copy drowned in the Soviet TV review process; the second was mailed and probably got stuck at the border without conversion equipment required for its review.)

Two days before my departure I went to the airport to the trip home.  I entered the airport concourse and "official-looking" person I met what I wanted to do.  The response was immediate and completely supportive as all restrictions were lifted.  I was driven to the flight line where I transferred internal fuel to the wing tanks, did a careful preflight, and picked up the balance of the 200 brochures I had brought to Moscow for distribution.  I had come to the airport by taxi, but Aeroflot provided transportation for my return to the city.  That day, Sheremetyevo seemed similar to Western airports.

The Press Conference just before departure from Sheremetyevo turned into a "party" and was an experience I will never forget.  Elena, Vladislav, Victor, Igor and Valery, Mikhail, and many more of my friends came to see me off, as well as an additional group of reporters all eager to have an interview.  It was an exciting time, and I pulled Elena aside and said, "Finally, Elena, you are going to see TEN ROMEO close up!"  "Oh no, Millard. That would be impossible!  The Soviet border is right over there at that Customs door here inside this terminal!  I will not be allowed to go beyond that point!"  "Elena, leave it to me.  You are here, and must have a close view of that wonderful 'FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE' of mine.  I intend for you to walk out to TEN ROMEO with me!"  I spoke to the Airport Director, and all members of my group were allowed to accompany me to the flight line to look at and touch my beautiful instrument of detente.

Departure was on time and the return home to the States was routine.

As I think back to the excitement of the COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT I am filled with pleasure and satisfaction.  True, there were a number of minor disappointments.  The Jubilee Party, which I had modified my flight plan to attend, was rescheduled for the evening of June 17th for some reason unknown to me.  My expectation of highlighting the extraordinary accomplishment of the 1937 Soviet flight by speaking with Soviet children at Young Pioneer Camps did not happen.  The "visa support" provided by the "USSR-USA Society" was appreciated, but was not adequate to keep me from being shunted outside the center of Moscow by Intourist to Hotel Belgrade which is simply not adequate for my meetings with the Soviet leaders with whom I work.

On the plus side is the twist of fate which allowed TEN ROMEO to make the flight safely, and then there are the additional 20 speed records accomplished by the flight.  Beyond this, and far more important, are the unusual personal contacts and negotiations which passed beyond the superficial to levels of substance: sharing with Sergei a side of Sam Stratton with which he was unfamiliar, the feeling of concern and interest which waived TEN ROMEO's Soviet flight costs, the comment that on TEN ROMEO's next flight to Sheremetyevo, no Soviet navigator need be aboard, the suggestion that Aeroflot leadership might be willing to work with me to structure regulations for the use of Soviet skies by privately owned light aircraft.  And then there was the unique experience of negotiating substantively for Rust's release knowing that my Soviet friends were in great jeopardy in opening such a delicate matter with a Westerner.  I could feel the trust they held for me.  They knew I would not reveal my contacts or the arrangements that enabled me to negotiate on Rust's behalf.

All of this is mighty "heady" stuff for a retired educator who is simply doing what he enjoys most - flying a beautiful Beech aircraft on friendship missions to a nation of people who have much in common with Americans, but who have not had the opportunity over the last four decades to discover these American/Soviet similarities through personal contact.

But - it's time to look ahead!

I am scheduled to arrive in the Soviet on October 21st.  I expect to speak with school children about American/Soviet friendship and my COMMEMORATIVE FLIGHT, will make further contact with Aeroflot on drafting rules for light aircraft use of Soviet skies, and see many friends.  I have invited my friend Vladislav Trapeznikov to be my house guest here in Delmar for two weeks in November and must check on arrangements for this with the Soviets as well as the US Embassy in Moscow.  (Vladislav did an excellent feature article for the September issue of SOVIET LIFE entitled, "HARMON'S AIR BRIDGE OF FRIENDSHIP".)

The brochure which was used as a press release with the media before flying to Moscow will be restructured with the story of the successful trip added.  This item will be printed in sufficient quantities for distribution to school children before whom I speak.  There will be several high school presentations before my departure to Moscow, and while in Moscow I expect to speak before assemblies of at least three of the schools where I have friends.  When I leave Moscow, I will fly to West Germany where I am scheduled to speak to German school children, returning to the States in time to provide a keynote address to 600+ high school students attending the Hilton Model UN Seminar in Rochester, New York, on November 13th.  Once again a request has been made to PEPSI-COLA asking for sponsorship of the restructured brochure.  Each of you has received a copy of the brochure - it is a package PEPSI-COLA should be happy to be associated with, since it will go to thousands of school-age children where the "drink of choice" matter is a constant factor.

Turning to TEN ROMEO --- upon my return Bendix/King had the aircraft at their factory hangar for three days and went over the panel, checked tension on all autopilot controls and turned the aircraft over to me in excellent shape for the Air Show swing.  My "smoke unit" is in process, and my acrobatic refresher work has been completed.  Some consider TEN ROMEO to be the most famous aircraft around, after the Voyager, and it is of great interest when on static display at Air Shows.

Dodson Aviation has become a Support Sponsor, and Gene Olsen and Ted Nelson have become Technical Advisors.  Gene's specialty is acrobatics, and Ted will provide advice on higher-altitude flying with the use of oxygen.

Some of you may have seen an ABC news program recently where I made some comments.  I had been invited to Chautauqua to speak to the 240 Soviets who were attending an institute on East/West matters.  Beth Nissan did a brief interview that was used for the evening news during which I was asked the value of such programs.  "They are mighty important!  With 240 Soviets here they are bound to make friends with Americans, and that is a big plus.  We should have ten times this number come to the States for such institutes!"  That was aired on the evening news on August 26th.  The following morning ABC was at Chautauqua for their "Good Morning America" segment.  The morning program began with a clip in which I said, "When one has dear friends on both sides of the Iron Curtain, one's whole perspective of the world changes for the better!"  ABC has a warm spot in my heart, ever since they brought me to NYC for that interview with Joan Lunden following my 1985 flight to SVO.  That flight uniform of mine makes a bright splash, and I hope some of you caught the most recent clips.

The FINNAIR logo on my flight jacket generates interest at press and TV interviews, and static displays.  Folks think I work for FINNAIR.  Guess I do!

Next report will reach you following my October trip.