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Wright Aircraft Works LLC
1400 Robert E. Lee Ln.
Brentwood, TN. 37027
USA 615-403-5486
This newsletter provides information to
Wright Aircraft customers on any items of interest and any operational or design changes
or Just talking about neat places to put your
nose down.
In an effort to simplify my life, spend more
time traveling with my wife Patricia, I have
sold the nose lift company to two of the finest
and most talented aviation people in the Canard
community. Valerie and Robert Harris of EZ Jet
fame. Contact them at
VHarris509@aol.com. Robert is a DAR, A&P,
and has designed and developed many successful
Canard concepts and is working on a highly
modified LongEZ that should take flight this
summer. Valerie is an IA, A&P and will manage
the Nose Lift part of the business so contact
her for Nose lifts, parts and service.
Visit their web page
http://www.ezjetinc.com/
Bahamas Visit
There can be no better place to put your nose
down (with a Wright Nose Lift of course) than in
the Bahamas. I plan another flight to the
islands after Sun & Fun 2008 and if anyone is
interested in flying along with us contact me at
StaggerEZ@comcast.net
2007 Trip report
Sunday morning April 22, four planes departed
Fort Pierce airport southeast to North Eleuthera
airport, one of the Bahamas airports of entry.
The flight included Curtis Wray and Chris Long
in their EZ, Bill Allen, who flew his Long EZ to
the States from the UK, me and my wife Patricia
in the StaggerEZ, and Jim Hudgin and his wife
flew their Aerostar. As required by Bahamas
flight rules we filed a VFR flight plan, had our
passports and life-vest with us and activated
the plan in the air with Miami center after
departing, and headed for an airport of entry.
As I started the climb to 5500 feet with Curt
and Bill in loose formation, my attention was
focused on higher than normal oil and cylinder
head temps. The air- to- air frequency we agreed
on after departure turned out to be a near-by
ATIS frequency so I was not able to make a call
to Curt and Bill to advise them that I may have
to go back. I finally found the air-to-air
back-up frequency and overheard Bill and Curt
talking about this new wacky over-water
procedure of flying with the gear downJ.
After recovering from that brain fart, I raised
the gear and all temps returned to normal. We
landed at North Eleuthera after about one hour
20 minutes. After checking in with Customs, we
departed to Staniel Cay about 80 miles away and
half way down the Exuma Islands. We stayed at
1500 feet above the water so we could fly under
Nassau control and talk to each other. We
enjoyed the view of the waters of the Great
Bahamas bank to the west, getting a view of what
cobalt blue really looks like. This is one of
the sights that you cannot put into words and
must be seen to be appreciated. We flew west to
pick up the chain of the Exuma islands and
followed them to Staniel Cay. The winds were
unusually high for this time of the year blowing
15 to 20 knots from the east so the 3000-foot
runway at Staniel Cay had a 90 degree cross wind
that made landing a bit challenging but all went
well. I have always found it interesting that
the ride is always smooth over water regardless
of the winds. We all had a great time getting
to know each other better, talking “aviation”,
hanging out at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club
http://www.stanielcay.com/, and enjoying
fresh sea-food and cold margaritas. The Island
is a very laid-back “Jimmy Buffet” kind of
place. We had a golf-cart waiting for us at the
airport that we used to go the short distance to
our rooms and explore the island. We rented a 14
foot Boston Whaler and explored the near-by
islands where we snorkeled with some large Nerf
sharks that you could touch as they swam by you.
On one of the islands we were met by large pigs
that would dog paddle (or is that pig
paddle?)out to the boat to beg for food(hey-I am
not making this up!!)The locals told us the pigs
were more dangerous than the sharks and to stay
away from them. We snorkeled in the Thunderball
Grotto (an underwater cave you swim into) where
the James Bond movie was filmed and saw lots of
colorful fish. Curt and I climbed to the top of
the hill above the cave and took photos of the
boat below. Everything about the island was as
great as I hoped it to be. Next year we will
depart from Sun & Fun fly- in as we did this
year for another island experience. If anyone
would like to join us for the 2008 trip send me
an email
StaggerEZ@comcast.net and I will put you on
the list. Hope more canardians are able to go
with us in 2008.
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