As two area couples begin a trip attempting to fly over every country in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, more than a million school children may go with them.

Monday, November 01, 1999

As two area couples begin a trip attempting to fly over every country in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, more than a million school children may go with them.

R.W. &uot;Buzz&uot; Kaplan and his wife, Betty, of Owatonna, and Jim and Maryalice Hanson of Clarks Grove, set out today in Kaplan’s single-engine Cessna Caravan. The couples have previously flown this aircraft to Europe and Africa.

In addition to the South American adventure, they will attempt to cross to Antarctica, becoming one of the very few single-engine airplanes to make that crossing over the cold, stormy seas.

The flight will be followed on the Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics web site, developed and maintained by the Aviation Education Section with the help of Heritage Halls Museum.

The web site will include downloadable curriculum suggestions for the use of teachers.

Jim Hanson said 2,600 postcards were sent to teachers with the web site address.

They can access 60 tutorials and applications on the web site.

The Office of Aeronautics hired three elementary, three middle school and three high school teachers to help the group write curriculum. This includes topics such as history, information on rain forests, facts on the aircraft and biographies on the crew. It will be updated three times per week. Hanson said on their previous trips, they kept in contact with their communities through faxes and letters. &uot;The web gives us a chance to share with more people,&uot; he said. He said the foursome takes these trips about every three years. &uot;It takes us that long to recover,&uot; he said with a chuckle. Of the reason the group chose South America, Hanson said they’ve previously gone north, east and west, but not much south. &uot;We’ve been on five continents, and Antarctica will be number six,&uot; he said. The flight takes them from Owatonna to the Caribbean, all down the eastern coast of South America, to Antarctica, back up the western coast of South American, through Central America, Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Key West via the Cuban corridor and back to Owatonna on Dec. 19. In all, they’ll travel 9,146 miles southbound and 8,341 miles northbound. &uot;With creative flight planning we’ll have flown over every country in the Americas – 41 including the U.S.,&uot; he said. Hanson said they do it for the sense of adventure involved. &uot;We try to instill a sense of adventure. Not all the adventure has been used up.&uot; He added some areas they’ll be flying over are uncharted. &uot;It’s nice to know there are areas of the world left like that,&uot; Hanson said. For the trip, Buzz Kaplan will serve as pilot. Betty Kaplan is in charge of ground travel and accommodations. Jim Hanson is in charge of radio navigation, arranging the final logistics and permits to fly over the various countries. Maryalice Hanson, a third-grade teacher at Halverson Elementary, will be updating the web page with photos and text. There will be two versions available: Buzz Kaplan’s journal and pictures, and the special version for students. The web site is www.dot.state.mn.us/aero/friendshipflight99.html. A free poster with map of the trip is available through the web site. &uot;We encourage everyone to log on,&uot; Hanson said.