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TEN ROMEO NEWSLETTER WINGS OF FRIENDSHIP FLIGHT, Report 2
June 1, 1990 Dear Friends: In early April, I went to Moscow as planned to hand deliver to the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation and the US Embassy eight flight plans for TEN ROMEO and seven similar single-engine Bonanzas to fly into Moscow, USSR, on June 7, 1990. This report will provide information on that trip, will bring you up-to-date on progress (or the lack of it) on efforts to obtain approval for the June 7th Soviet flight, and will highlight work done on TEN ROMEO to prepare for the upcoming North Atlantic crossing. Last fall, while in Tallinn visiting with my friend, Rev. Olav Parnamets, I was invited to preach from Brother Olav's pulpit on my next visit to Tallinn. As a certified Methodist lay preacher, I was delighted to receive this invitation since, with 900 members, Olav's is the largest Methodist congregation in Europe. I arrived in Tallinn with a heavy, apprehensive heart as the result of the disturbing news in late March of the impending, precipitous move toward independence by Lithuania. Events seemed to be moving too rapidly for reasonable control, and I feared for the safety of my many friends in Tallinn. Last fall when I was invited to preach in Tallinn on my next trip to Estonia, I had no idea that assignment would fall on Palm Sunday. I had prepared my message over a period of three weeks before my departure from the States, but as I returned to my room Saturday evening, April 7th, I felt a compelling uneasiness that the message I had prepared for the next morning was not adequate. My sermon was scrapped, and by 3:30 a.m. a new message had been completed. Palm Sunday, April 8th, was a beautiful, crisp morning with bright sunshine. The church was packed. I began with "MA OLEAN EESTLANE!" (I am an Estonian), and explained that I felt that way because of many Estonian friends whom I loved. I offered the right hand of "Wesley" fellowship from my church in Delmar. The scripture reading was Mark 11:1-10, my favorite passage of Christ's triumphant march into Jerusalem on that first Palm Sunday. I then asked if there were parallel events in our present world that might relate to that first Palm Sunday, and offered two events for consideration. The first parallel triumphant march was in Eastern Europe of recent months, when the desire for freedom and democracy brought about monumental changes. The Berlin Wall came down, and Soviet military forces remained inactive. That triumphant action succeeded, and was not followed by a Calvary. I then turned to events in Tiananman Square and suggested that when that Chinese student defied that tank, for one brief moment humanity won! But three days later, three thousand Chinese students met their Calvary by the brutal repression of the Chinese government. "How tempting it is," I suggested, "for you in the Baltic States to throw your lot in with that heroic Chinese figure as you defy the sovereignty of the Soviet Union over your daily lives and move for an immediate secession and independence." "But - it won't work! It won't go the way Eastern Europe went, and let me tell you why! I went on to suggest that they were facing a 70-year military paranoia on the part of the Soviet Union, and the moment any of the Baltic States secedes, the western flank of the USSR is left open to the possible establishment of a hostile, foreign military base. As reasonable as Gorbachev is, he is surrounded by a large number of military and Soviet leaders who continue to think there is great risk to the USSR in today's world. "You in the Baltic States have survived the worst of times, the Stalin era. Don't spill your blood in Baltic streets today by precipitous action. Time is on your side, and the whole world is praying for you! Patience, dear friends, patience!" Response from the congregation was enthusiastic. One man rushed up to me after the service and said, "I will pray for you every day of my life!" Women wept, and a number of people expressed with emotion that they never knew that people (my circle of friends in America) who lived so far from their shores could have such concern and love for them. The sermon was recorded at the suggestion of a pastor friend in Kansas (thanks for the suggestion, Don), and when I reached Moscow my friends in the Canadian/US Institute made copies of the tape and sent transcripts of the message throughout the USSR. I sent a copy of the tape to Estonian leader Valjais, and Lithuanian President Landsbergis with a cover letter. On Easter Sunday Radio Moscow carried a précis of my sermon on all networks, both domestic and international. A major part of my distress as I left home for the Soviet Union was the unprecedented pressure in Washington upon President Bush to immediately recognize Lithuania as an independent nation. While I am well aware of the plank in the Republican Platform supporting all nations who are suppressed and subjugated, premature recognition of the Baltic States as independent nations could be dangerous in many directions. Those of you who have followed my work through these Newsletters know that I have great respect for President Gorbachev. However, coupled with this respect is an absolute belief that there are limits which must not be prematurely exceeded. As reasonable as Gorbachev's view may be of the world ahead and the new role of the Soviet Union in international politics, I am convinced Gorbachev has no intention of allowing the Soviet Union to disintegrate from within while he is at the helm. He may be reluctant to use Soviet military power to maintain the integrity of the 16 contiguous republics, but practical politics, fed by internal difficulties, may require repressive measures if precipitous action can not be held in check. With time, President Bush and President Gorbachev could work out agreements to counter 70 years of Soviet military paranoia. Then, a new status for the Baltic states might be possible without spreading panic through large portions of the traditional Soviet military leadership. On April 8th in Tallinn I focused upon an important, but little understood, factor in the complicated mosaic of current evolution within the USSR as a result of my 31 years of Soviet contact. The message I carried was given a larger distribution than I ever imagined possible. It was with great relief that I heard on April 24th that President Bush had announced there would be no sanctions against the Soviet Union on the Lithuanian matter, and on April 26th, France and West Germany counseled restraint to President Landsbergis. These statements, in my estimation, provided a breaking action to the uncontrolled events which seemed to be cascading the world toward an unnecessary disaster. It seems to me that the timing of my Tallinn arrival and the message I delivered were Spirit driven. The wide distribution of the sermon was prevenient grace in action. Being in the right place at the right time to make a small contribution toward Peace through increased understanding is an unusual honor. * * * * * * My time in Moscow was as busy as ever. Upon my arrival at the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation, I was delighted to learn that a friend of mine who took part in my negotiations in previous years had been promoted to Chief of the International Relations Department. He was my primary contact for pre-filing the eight flight plans for the June flight. At that first meeting on April 10th, it seemed appropriate to recast my request to fly a squadron of Bonanzas into a new form entitled "DECLARATION OF INTENT". This was prepared, and delivered with the eight flight plans to my friend Chief Gannady Matveev, the US Embassy in Moscow, and the West German Embassy since two of our aircraft carry West German registration. Following the delivery of the flight plan, I went to the headquarters of the Soviet Sport Flying Clubs where I presented a beautiful piece of art work by Dayton artist Pat Whipp, reviewed aircraft flown by members of the club, and set in place arrangements for a visit to that headquarters by my colleagues and me in June after we fly our Bonanzas into Sheremetyevo. Additional work was done on the joint US/USSR postage stamp with review and suggestions by several Soviet friends. There was considerable enthusiasm regarding the concept of such a stamp. Only time will tell how successful we will be in bringing this interesting project to fruition. At a second meeting with the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation it was suggested that proper fuel for our Bonanzas might not be available in Moscow. I indicated we would all carry sufficient fuel for the trip in and out. It was also mentioned that normal procedure would be for five aircraft to be accompanied by a Soviet navigator. I suggested that with two flights into Sheremetyevo it was my hope to serve as navigator for the group of Bonanzas I'd be flying with. I left Moscow with great expectation that our June flight would be approved. This project seems like a concept "who's time has come". There has been great interest in flying Soviet skies by many of my pilot friends. Finding out if such a trip has become a "kiss" operation is appropriate. * * * * * * Upon my arrival home, a mighty tight schedule was necessary. As you know, my old engine was given a field overhaul in preparation for the Moscow trip. The day I returned from the Soviet Union was the day the work on the old engine was finished, and also the day the new engine arrived in Pagosa Springs. A friend in Continental Motors leadership worked some special magic (thanks, Bud), and after a brief consultation it was agreed that the remanufactured engine should be installed in TEN ROMEO and this was done. This took an additional week, and then I flew commercially (thanks, Jim) to Colorado to begin the job of breaking in the new engine. On the flight back to Albany, the engine was flown hard, and every 15 minutes a change was made in the engine setting to prevent any "grooving". Then, a second flight west was made. A stop at Bendix/King was important as the panel was reviewed and declared ready for the North Atlantic crossing. Additional engine checks were made with the fuel pump flow showing just what we wanted. New engine baffles were installed. Flying to the West coast was an interesting experience! I had seldom flown TEN ROMEO to more than 10,000 feet, and while I studied the maps carefully, I knew I'd have to fly considerably higher even through the passes of the Continental Divide. And so it was! I found myself directed to heights of 17,000 feet once and three times to 16,000 feet. This was interesting flying, but pointed up the need for TEN ROMEO to have Van Carpenter's FLITE TURBO system aboard. TEN ROMEO was mighty sluggish at those higher altitudes, and I was particularly concerned about engine temperatures which, when pressed to such altitudes, found their way into the red lines. But - everything worked fine. The trip to ARNAV was important. A prototype R5Oi ARNAV Loran C with the Soviet chain was installed and I'll test fly it to Moscow. An ARNAV ELT was also installed which transmits the aircraft registration as well as the Lat/Long location. The new engine is performing beautifully. After the break-in oil was removed, I found I had used 1/2 quart in 30 hours of operation. The compression check is excellent, and the hard flying for break-in seems to have given me a tight engine. Preparing TEN ROMEO for yet another flight into the Soviet Union has been mighty time-consuming. The inflatable door seal cuts down on noise, as does the heavy window installation in position two on both sides. Flags on the cowling have been completed, and the panel has been brought up to factory specs with the transponder recalibrated, the remote gyro for the HSI reconditioned, and the installation of a fan on the rear of the firewall to cool instruments. The deicing boots were fine-tuned, and a small split in the exhaust was repaired. TEN ROMEO appears to be in excellent shape for the Atlantic crossing and the trip into Sheremetyevo. * * * * * * Let's look for a moment at the process of attempting to lead a flight of light aircraft into Moscow. The reason for this project was to determine if the Soviet Union is ready for an influx of light US aircraft. A number of my flying colleagues have flown to all corners of the world and for several years have suggested a flight into Moscow. This seemed the year to try. However, the effort to bring this about has been far greater than my colleagues, who have not had experience working with the Soviets, could imagine. My January warning of the difficulties ahead have been confirmed. The influx of American aircraft into Soviet skies has expanded greatly. I've heard they have doubled or tripled. However, the problem that complicates the matter for the average "Sport Pilot" or pilot owner who flies not-for-hire single-engine aircraft is the difficulty in coordinating communication between the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation and INTOURIST, the official Soviet agency dealing with foreign guests requiring hotel space and services relating to arrival and departure. Corporate jets usually bring presidents with business interest in joint ventures into the USSR. In these cases, the Soviet partners in the joint venture handle all of the related matters for the visiting corporate executive. I hand delivered the eight flight plans to the Soviet Ministry of Civil Aviation, the US Embassy, and the West German Embassy on April 10th. As a matter of fact, the primary reason for that Moscow trip was to attempt to expedite the handling of our eight aircraft and the 16 individuals planning to fly with me to Moscow in their own Bonanzas. I waited for a month for some notification, and when it did not come, I made a number of inquiries. The Soviets said they would move the approval to us as soon as the US Embassy moved the flight plans through protocol channels to them. Two telephone calls, a telex to the US Ambassador, and a DHL overnight delivery of duplicate flight plans to our Embassy apparently has not resulted in our project moving ahead. Our clearances have not arrived, At this moment - only a few hours before our departure for the North Atlantic crossing - we do not have approval for our flight into SVO. I don't consider this unusual, but other members of our party have grave misgivings about paying $800.00 in advance for Moscow accommodations with no guarantee that they will be allowed to fly in to take advantage of them. Because of speculation on the difficulty encountered on the "WINGS OF FRIENDSHIP" flight may be fruitless, but a number of observations may be appropriate. First, the US Embassy is terribly overworked and understaffed. A Soviet friend indicated he passed the Embassy and saw a protester carrying a sign that said, "Down with US Bureaucracy!". Changes within the USSR have caused a monumental increase in requests for US visitations and all related matters requiring embassy attention. With the Summit to prepare for, the request of eight light aircraft to fly into Moscow must be about knee level in terms of priority. Still - for 31 years my experience has reflected high support from our Embassy on all requests. In the rush of heavy schedules, it seems unlikely that our flight plans could be "lost in the shuffle". On one of my calls from the States to the Embassy, I spoke with "John" of the Economic section. When I requested the flight plans be moved to the Soviet Ministry, he said, "We don't get involved in that any more. The request should go direct". I explained what Chief Matveev had said about moving our flight plans to him through "protocol" channels from our Embassy. John was sympathetic, and said he'd look into it. Is it possible that our government has great concerns about the action in the Baltic States, and does not want US light aircraft flying over a possible combat zone? A far-fetched idea, with the breathing time recently gained by President Bush's decision on the Lithuanian matter. It seems very unlikely to me that President Gorbachev will handle the difficult situation in the Baltic States with other than his normal reserved response. I continue to think his action to hold his country intact will move ahead without excessive repressive action. Last week - very late in the planning of our "WINGS OF FRIENDSHIP" flight we requested assistance from the "Jeppesen Flight Management" group on the west coast. This group handles implementation of flight clearances all over the world, and has been used extensively by Frank Haile and his group of "world trotting" Bonanza colleagues. Their response was simple. "We do it all the time. We'd be happy to help you!". The problem, of course, is that Connie and her colleagues at Jeppesen have no capability or interest in dealing with Intourist for normal hotel accommodations and related matters in the USSR. Connie also said Soviet navigators are no longer required in General Aviation flights into the USSR. (Perhaps my three years of negotiations with the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation were helpful!") This calls to mind three years ago when my Soviet colleagues expressed the possibility of light aircraft making arrangements to fly Soviet skies through the Sport Flying Club of the USSR. At that time I made the suggestion to my friends in the Sport Flying group, and they said they had no experience along that line and wouldn't know how to proceed. I also thought the number of US pilot-owners wanting to fly into Moscow would be so great as to require handling on a par with General Aviation business aircraft. But - wish us luck. We are about to build - or attempt to build - one more fantastic FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE between Americans and Soviets. --------------- Harmon Associates April 10, 1990 The Honorable Vytautas Landsbergis Dear President Landsbergis: As an American, I have great sympathy for what you are doing. One of my sons is a musicologist at the University in Basel, Switzerland, and thus I am familiar with the intensity of feeling you professors bring to your profession and life in general. On Sunday, April 8, 1990, as a Lay Preacher in the Methodist Church, I preached to the largest Methodist congregation in Europe which is located in Tallinn, Estonia. My message was, "Patience, Dear Friends, Patience!" I have many friends in Estonia and the Baltic countries. I worry about their safety when there is precipitous, quick action which could lead to unhappy times. PLEASE - as an American with many Baltic and Soviet friends - slow down your march for independence! Your victory will be just as HARMONIC" two years from now as two months from now, and your place in history will be far more secure two years from now! A tape recording of my Palm Sunday sermon is enclosed. I hope you will find my sermon suggestion worthy of consideration! Respectfully, Millard Harmon Enclosure: Tape recording of Palm Sunday sermon in Tallinn -------------- Harmon Associates June 1, 1990 PRESS RELEASE To: Media friends of Dr. Millard Harmon and his Beech-36, TEN ROMEO Subject: "WINGS OF FRIENDSHIP" flight of five Bonanzas to Moscow On June 3rd, at 8:00 a.m. Dr. Millard Harmon and his copilot, John Coppage from Albuquerque, New Mexico, will depart Albany, NY, in TEN ROMEO for Goose Bay, NFLD, where they will rendezvous with pilot friends to fly to Moscow. Harmon has flown his aircraft, TEN ROMEO, into Moscow twice before, and said, "Since my first FRIENDSHIP FLIGHT into Sheremetyevo my friends have said they'd like to fly with me to Moscow. This is the year we'll try that!" Harmon made a commercial trip to Moscow in April, and on April 10th he hand delivered eight flight plans (those planning to fly the trip at that time) to the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation, the US Embassy, and the West German Embassy. Two aircraft in the flight are registered in West Germany. Harmon said, "We're not sure the Soviets are ready for an invasion of light, owner-flown aircraft, since we have not yet received approval to fly Soviet airspace. Three of the original members of our group have dropped out, since it takes a great deal of faith to prepay $800.00 in Soviet Intourist hotel and related costs without knowing if we will be allowed to fly into Moscow to enjoy the accommodations. This is, for the group still committed to the flight, an exercise in faith. If we are allowed to fly Soviet skies, this will be a fantastic FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE, and I'll be able to introduce my friends to Moscow - a city I've visited over 30 times since 1983." Four aircraft are expected to "join-up" at Goose Bay Sunday evening, June 3rd. Their route, which will be flown in loose formation, will take them to Reykjavic and then Helsinki. There a West German aircraft and crew will join them. On June 7th at 8:00 a.m. the group expects to depart Helsinki with arrival at Sheremetyevo, Moscow, three hours later. "Our fingers are crossed", said Harmon, "but the warm chemistry between President Bush and President Gorbachev this week should increase our chances of success." Departure will be from PAGE at Albany, NY. Media and friends are invited to see them off. A short Press Conference will be held before departure. Those expected to link-up with Harmon at Goose Bay are:
In Helsinki they will be joined by Reinhard Buchaly, DEEBR, (Beech V-35B), Dusseldorf, West Germany and copilot Tanja Kujelis. The three aircraft withdrawn were from Anaheim, California, Poynette, Wisconsin, and Hannover, West Germany. The heavy commitment in time, money and effort of all members of the WINGS OF FRIENDSHIP flight is a testimony to the expectation that the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation will welcome the ABS (Adventurous Bonanza Squadron) flight to Soviet skies.
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