This
event will not be webcast. Our apologies for any inconvenience.
Ron
Lowery and fellow pilot Mary Walker flew a kit-built plane to retrace
the epic journey of Lewis and Clark in commemoration of the 200th
anniversary of the Corps of Discovery's odyssey. Using rivers to guide
them, these modern-day pioneers crossed the magnificent prairies and
western mountains of America along a historic route that is still
endlessly fascinating.
To fly this exceptional route, the two
used a plane called Cloud Chaser, which was originally designed for National
Geographic magazine on photographic expeditions of Africa. Lowery,
with the help of his son, Alan, spent 1,800 hours and three years
building Cloud Chaser. The lightweight aircraft is equipped with twin
100-horsepower engines and a large wing, resulting in tremendous power
and weight capacity. In the open cockpit the pilot sits far forward of
the landing gear, which enabled Lowery to photograph without the
obstruction of wings, struts, and landing gear, even when using a
wide-angle lens. The plane could be slowed to an airspeed of only 45
mph, allowing him to frame and focus on scenes of incredible beauty.
Lowery's fascinating account of this
journey will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29, in the
Museum's Vette Theater.
