Why?

This is a long story, not so long, but pretty long!

Many years ago, Hap met Bob Denton while opening Donna Nook Range for the Royal Air Force.  Hap was the Third Air Force Range Officer, which made him the Royal Air Force Range officer.  The RAF had no range officers of their own, using Air Traffic Controllers for range controllers.  Bob Denton was the head Air Traffic Controller at the soon to be opened Donna Nook Range.  But, RAF procedures required a real or pilot range officer to open a range or change a target.  Thus did Bob and Hap meet in 1975 and kept in touch after they both left their respective air forces.

In 1992, Bob and his lovely wife Kay began the tradition of spending their yearly holiday in the states for the month of October.  Thus, they were there to greet young Jack when he came home from the hospital shortly after his birth day!  The holidays continued until Bob passed away.  Then, just Mrs. Kay came until she was no longer able to travel due to the need for dialysis.  During this time we became very good friends with Paul and Emma Langstaff, Mrs. Kay's son and daughter in law; then with their wonderful kids Jack (known as Jackal) and Eve.

The Langstaffs, who now live in Perth, Western Australia, came to visit in late spring / early summer 2009.  They asked if Jack could visit with them in Perth this summer.  Thus did Jack spend January 2010  in Perth.

Back off to Reno in September 2004, for the last of the German Air Force F-4s visit to the Reno Air Races.  Hap was convinced by Jon Proehl, a young kid (now the Wing Commander at Reno) to join him for the Air Races.  The trip was contingent on Jack getting a chance to sit in the front seat of an F-4.  An even longer story which resulted in us meeting Thorsten Uekermann, LTC GAF, the last commander of the German F-4 Fighter Weapons Unit.  Luckily for us LTC Uekermann has an easier name to remember Mad Uek.  The picture of Jack in the front of 174 was our Christmas card for 2004 and somehow we stayed in touch with Mad Uek from then on.

Jack has taken up riding, Dressage, English style, of all things.  An opportunity presented to go to the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.

The Langstaffs decided to visit Mrs. Kay at the start of April 2010.

Now, it all comes together.

Dru and Jack are leaving Monday 22 March 2010 on Southwest for Houston Hobby, there they will travel via ground transportation to Houston Intercontinental to hopefully travel on a Continental pass to Amsterdam and rent a car to travel to Northern Germany to visit with Mad Uek and his lovely wife Heidi.  Oh yes, and see the last German F-4s of JG-71, the unit Hap converted from the F-104 to the F-4 some 35 or so years ago.  Then, some time in Germany, maybe the Hotel Ibis where Dru spent Desert One.  Then, due to the horses of the Spanish Riding School having the Pony Flu and performances having been canceled, off to the UK to visit Mrs. Kay and the Langstaffs in York.  Then finally back home from England on Continental, and somehow home.

Three weeks of travel and adventure!