The Flights For Life

The Flights for Life.com To benefit the American Cancer Society

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The Flights For Life.com is a flying event to raise awareness and support to benefit the American Cancer Society. A series of solo flights will be made in an open cockpit ultralight to air shows in Arizona and New Mexico in 2008 and 2009. The final flight of the series will be a 1500 mile cross country flight from Bisbee, Arizona to Oshkosh, Wisconsin ending at the AirVenture air show in July 2009.  AirVenture is the largest air show in the United States. Please read the web site and its links and discover how you can offer donations, pledges and sponsorships to make this a success. We need your help to find a cure for cancer.
Well, We are back home from the 2008 AirVenture at Oshkosh Wi. What an amazing experience. I really hope that anyone that has even the slightest interest in aviation gets to attend one of these shows. Reports say over 10,000 aircraft were in attendance and over 47,000 campers. Great weather, and our hats are off to the volunteers that make it happen. That airshow runs like clockwork and I am still amazeed by all the friendly people we met. Thanks AirVenture!
AND, Congratulations to Bob Haufman, our friend and tool loaner, and now a fellow pilot! Bob soloed this week in the Xair Standard he built himself. Pretty darned cool Bob. Now just learn to keep your knee off of the radio freq knob, and you'll be fine.

Thank you all! The turn out at the Border To Border 2nd Annual Air Shown Sat, March 15th, in Douglas Arizona was a great success. We have sold over 60 "Flights for Life" T shirts to help the American Cancer Society, and we received several cash donations. Please see the "Donors" page. In spite of a very windy day, we had a great time. A lot of interest in The Flights for Life and The Mule Mountain Relay for Life was generated. We really enjoyed seeing all those bright purple Flights For Life t-shirts walking around.

ALERT!!! As of 06/25/2008, The new Bisbee runway is finished and is open. Beautiful smooth surface, great big numbers and all new runway lights. The dirt runways are in great shape and should be graded again soon.

Pilots!   Bisbee welcomes you. Enjoy a very scenic flight into Bisbee Muni airport, P04 on your charts. Lots of tie downs. Borrow a loaner car from Art, the temp FBO and take a short drive into Bisbee, Arizona. Experience an incredible breakfast or lunch at the award winning Bisbee Breakfast Club. Open 7 to 3 Thursday thru Sunday. Visit with Pat and Heather Grimm the owners. They have given The Flights For Life support. While enjoying a great meal ask for Kim, a pretty darn good waitress, and a great wife too. Drive through old Bisbee, up Brewery Gluch and enjoy one of the true mining towns in Arizona history. Don't forget to buy fuel from Art at the airport. Enjoy and fly safe.

ALERT!  Please feel free to use my home e-mail if necessary. christians49@netscape.com You will recieve an answer. Our home phone is 520-432-5244.

The airplane making the Flights For Life was constructed in 2005 and 2006 taking 180 hours to complete. It is an Xair, two place ultralight powered by a Rotax 582 watercooled, two cylinder, 64 horsepower aircraft engine turning a 72 inch Powerfin ground adjustable propeller. It is a three axis airplane with full dual controls. Equipment includes an Icom A200 tranceiver, an EIS, electronic engine monitor, ELT, emergency locator transmitter, and a safety BRS, ballistic recovery parachute. It is FAA inspected and certified and has N349AZ as it's tail number. Cruise speed is around 60/65 mph (depending on winds) and it has a stall speed of 30 mph. It carries 13.9 gallons of fuel and we will be adding two strut mounted tanks before the flight to Oshkosh for added flight duration. Excellent control and flight qualities make it a joy to fly. The plane is based at the Bisbee, Arizona airport. Please send any questions to christians49@netscape.com Thanks.

   The Flights For Life is an idea that has developed and grown after the recent passing of a family member due to lung cancer.
   Adrienne Kay Eldridge, my wife's mother, was diagnosed with lung cancer in September and passed away a short two months later on November 17th. 2007 at the age of 71. She is greatly missed.
   Having seen the effects and results of this disease first hand, we wanted to try and do something that would help other families, victims and survivors in a search for the end to cancer.
   We decided a way to contribute was to help the American Cancer Society in their battle against cancer. It takes awareness, exposure and funding to continue the research and work the ACS performs. The American Cancer Society is a non-profit organization investing about $130 million into research,education and support, each year. Every dollar donated counts!
    Initially, plans were made to do a fly-in to one of the local air-shows here in Arizona this year, and hand out information and hopefully take donations for the ACS. The plan rapidly grew from one air show to as many as we can fly to this year and next .
   The final flight for The Flights For Life will be a cross country flight in July 2009 from Bisbee, Arizona to the largest airshow in the United States, AirVenture 2009 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, about 1500 miles in an open cockpit airplane weighing 700 pounds! See the itinerary page for more details on this exciting flight.
   We need donations, pledges, and sponsorships to make this a success. 100 percent of all the proceeds from the 2008 season will go directly to the American Cancer Society. To donate on line please go to  www.mulemountainrelay.org         To become a sponsor, or make a pledge, please send an e-mail to christians49@netscape.com
THANK YOU!