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 | Friday, September 7, 2001
A great chicken dinner, just like Amelia had on her stop in Terre Haute. Thanks to Jean Ann and her daughter.
We arose bright and very early this morning (4:30 a.m.) to head out to Wright Patterson Air Force base. Our escort, Brian Moore, an enlisted man at the base, who is an air traffic controller and our volunteer escort, was at the hotel at 5:15 a.m. to pick us up. We were a little concerned about the weather and wanted to make sure we were ready at first light.
As it happened, we departed at approximately 7:00 a.m. which was later than our original plan. It was hazy and while the visibility was not that great, the air was smooth and quite nice. The rain and storms that had concerned us in the forecast never developed and we landed in Terre Haute just slightly later than anticipated.
The reception at Terre Haute was again beyond out expectations. Recalling a similar meal served to Amelia when she was in Terre Haute, Jean Ann and her daughter had prepared for me a chicken dinner complete with homemade biscuits, coleslaw and a local favorite called ?friendship bread." It was fantastic!
Our great Belleville greeting (above)
When the plane was refueled, autographs given and pictures taken, we were off to Belleville, Illinois, and Scott Air Force Base where Amelia had also landed. There are two separate runways at Scott and we were directed to the base side, as the civilian side was is use. We then taxied over to the civilian side for an absolutely fantastic reception by hundreds of people including perhaps fifty students from the Mascoutah Grade School, 4th grade class, who have been studying Amelia Earhart. I was given flowers by the kids and a warm official welcome by the mayor and a host of other dignitaries.
We then went back to an Air Force hangar (where the Avro is sleeping tonight courtesy of the U.S. Air Force) and participated in the dedication of the first airplane, for a combined community and base friendship park, that is soon to be constructed. The base commander, Colonel Stickford, welcomed us warmly recalling a similar welcome by his predecessors to Amelia Earhart so many years ago.
We then had a great lunch at Eckert?s Country Store and Farms. The Eckert family has been here for seven generations! Then we visited the house where Amelia actually stayed and saw where she had slept. Pamela and her husband own it and they were very gracious hosts for our visit. It was almost eerie to literally walk in the same halls and rooms where Amelia had on the flight we are recreating.
We are off to the country club dinner (the same club where Amelia was entertained). I?ll tell you more about that later but I have to get ready now.
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