Men Celebrate Success Of WI Charity Flight

By Aero-News Associate Editor Rob Finfrock

It was a daunting mission... but for a VERY good cause: take one Cirrus SR22, fill it with two eager pilots, and set out to land at all public, paved airports in the state of Wisconsin, as well as the Air National Guard Base at Volk Field... and, do it all in one day.

Dr. Bruce Kaufman is on staff at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. Matthew McDaniel is a licensed ATP/CFII at Progressive Aviation Services. Earlier this year, the two set out to raise funds for programs at the hospital, by attempting to establish a national flying record.

The two decided to call their adventure the "Romp Around Wisconsin." One day, one plane... 104 airports.

"Matt and I have decided to tap into our love of flying, and combine it with our devotion to children, to create a different kind of fundraiser," said Dr. Kaufman on the 'Romp' website (available at the FMI link below).

After an earlier attempt in May was thwarted by weather (after the two had already landed at 40 airports), Kaufman and McDaniel took to the skies Tuesday in the Cirrus, dubbed "Blue Kids One", in another quest to raise money for the hospital... and, establish a record. 

The result? After 17 hours, three fuel stops, and 2,119 Nautical Miles... the two landed at their 104th and final Wisconsin airfield at 9:15 pm Tuesday night.

Unlike the last attempt, "[t]he weather gods were smiling on us for sure," the men wrote to ANN. "Lots of strong weather to contend with, but just as we'd get to the edge of it, our routing would have us turning and going away from it."

"We only made ONE change to our entire plan... we pushed our first fuel stop out from airport #31, to airport #32, due to fog lingering at #31," Kaufman and McDaniel added. "However, that fog had moved away from that airport by the time we got there. So, we were able to do our landing there and then fly on to the next airport to land and refuel."

Highlights of the trip were "way too many to mention." And the lowlights? A brief weather scare, as they watched storms building in Minnesota and move towards WI... and, "17 hours and only three bathroom opportunities!!"

Of course, it wasn't ALL about establishing a new record (all the numbers cited are still subject to verification by the National Aeronautical Association)... most of all, it was about helping the young patients at the hospital.

"As of this writing, we have raised $8,410 for the kids," the men wrote. "We hope ... to reach and surpass our goal of $10,000 very soon."

FMI: www.firstgiving.com/romp