loved ones to a permanent list she is compiling for display. Her plans aren't finalized yet but
she will be taking a southern route across the
country and stopping every night. More
information will be forthcoming here and on the
Wilder Network.
[ 27. July 2007, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Ranger1 ]
Posted by Melanie Reber (Member # 3707) on :
Good morning Betty,
I am so pleased to see you have posted this information.
I wanted to get back with Grace, but her email requested only calls. (not something I like to do)
Anyway, yes, I would be more than willing to help with this project in any manner.
My best to you both, Melanie
Posted by 5dana8 (Member # 7935) on :
Hi Ranger
God Bless for doing this for lyme awareness.
I can't be there but hope all goes well Dana
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
That is really wonderful! I sure hope she comes to my area!!!
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Please let us know her itinerary when it is settled, so we can visit and also let the local media know. Maybe get some press coverage or tv time.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Lou,
Not a problem. She will appreciate the help in
getting the word out. She will be giving me and
the folks at the Wilder Network the specifics just
before she leaves. She still has some work to
do to get the plane ready for the road.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Betty, how wonderful for Muriel and the LYME community. we are cheering her on on her personal triumph, etc.
great she has something for folks to sign on their loved one's deaths from lyme.
i look forward to hearing her flight plan since IOWA is more northerly than southerly!
BEST WISHES MURIEL for a safe round trip! Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Thanks for the update!! I'm sad she won't be coming my way!! We all wish her well!!!!
Posted by pmerv (Member # 1504) on :
Betty if you send me notices to my email at pmerv at hughes dot net I can post them on all the state groups on her route. There are online information and support groups for all states now.
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
Betty, thx for the update on Muriel, etc.
Phyllis, great idea posting them on your site for those states! great thinking. Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Great idea, Phyllis. When I get any further
updates I'll let you know. Grace appreciates
all the help you can give. As you can realize
this is a great undertaking. She could have
shipped the plane out west via air but wishes to
bring attention to Lyme awareness and
memorialize the loved ones we have lost with
the plane she has been painstakingly restoring
for many years.
Thanks again for your support.
Posted by CaliforniaLyme (Member # 7136) on :
Hey you guys, I've spoken with her on the phone- she is a really nice and really neat sounding person!!! Will be glad to help out any way I can and will email- Sincerely,
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Grace would like me to thank all of you who have volunteered to help her with Muriel's move. She has all your information and shortly when she has firmed up her plans, she will be contacting you explaining what she has in mind. Her major concern right now is making sure Muriel will have a safe way to be transported on the flatbead trailer. When that is worked out, she will be ready to make the move. Tentatively the time frame would be the beginning of September. When she is ready to go she will have a project phone number available which I will post here. Thanks again everyone. Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
Wondering if she is going to have any events/stops along the way? Like, if she is going to D.C., it would be nice for her to exhibit the plane at the historic College Park airport and also at the Smithsonian Air and Space facility at Dulles Airport. I bet those places would like to have her for a day or two. This would have to be arranged in advance. Would be good if she had a press release and good photo of her and the plane to give to the media in advance. Get some publicity, let the public know about it in advance.
This same kind of thing could be done at other airports along the route. But it would take some scheduling and contacting people along the route so they could help with the publicity.
Any chance this could be done?
The press release should probably leave out the lyme part, let people know about the plane and Grace in advance, find out about lyme when they arrive. If local lymies help out along the way, maybe they could arrange to copy a single page or half page flyer to hand out. Should be the same one everywhere, with a careful statement of the facts. Maybe there already is such a thing that could be used.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Lou, Great ideas. I'll let her know your
thoughts. She has other folks helping her with
everything else. My job was to get the word out
to the Lyme community. She will be doing a press
release shortly, I will post it here. She
wishes Lyme people to come out when she is in
the area to answer questions about Lyme and tell
their stories to the media; she would rather
speak about the plane. The Wilder Network and
John Drulle Lyme Fund contact info will be on
the plane to also help answer questions. Grace
has told me that pilots across the country will
be involved in promotion and fly overs. As far
as I know she is going through Wash., D.C. for a
specific stop. When I find out anymore of the
plans and exact itinerary I will post them.
Thanks all for your interest.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Grace has decided to put off Muriel's move until the end of September due to the nasty weather and high temperatures along the route right now. She also wants it to be more comfortable for the people that will be coming out to see her along the way. It also gives her more time to plan her stops. There will be press releases and the itinerary will be published before she leaves. Grace wishes to thank all of you for your best wishes and offers of help. More to follow soon.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Thanks again for your support.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi Everyone,
The following is Grace's official press release.
A Very Special Aviation Project and Lyme Disease Tribute is taking shape in America!
In 1937 Amelia Earhart dreamed of flying around the world at the equator. After completing three-quarters of the flight, she and navigator/co-pilot Fred Noonan were lost at sea near Howland Island in the South Pacific.
Amelia's and Fred's disappearance in the Pacific 2556 miles east of Lae, New Guinea was and is one of the most controversial news stories of the century....many outlandish theories have circulated since the disappearance of Amelia and Fred. A California pilot named Grace Mcguire
solved the mystery in the early 1980s when she discovered Amelia and Fred had been using faulty coordinates for their destination, Howland Island.
Grace was unknown then but in her map case she started carried the route for the most ambitious flight in aviation history...to duplicate and complete Amelia's world flight using the same type aircraft, an original 1935 twin engine Lockheed Electra L-10E, powered by the famous Pratt & Whitney 1340 engines.
Preparations for the flight began in the mid 1980's but Grace became seriously ill with Lyme Disease and had to shelve her plans for a while. Despite a very long battle with Lyme, Grace continues to move ahead with her plans.
She recently made the exciting announcement that she will attempt to recreate what happened on the Lae, New Guinea to Howland Island leg of Amelia's flight.
The plane, named "Muriel" for Amelia's sister Muriel, will be trucked from New Jersey to California for the final stages of rebuild and assembly. "Muriel" secured to a flatbed truck will travel west with wide load escorts making stops along the way to meet with Lyme patients. The trip is a tribute to those taken by Lyme Disease.
Contact Grace for more information: 1-732-530-4498.
If any one would like to see the original with the photo; please email me at [email protected] and I will send it to you. Thanks again for the support. Posted by lymedesign (Member # 8791) on :
Thanks Ranger1 for the update and thank you for being so dedicated in your efforts to educate people about Lyme. My daughter and I appreciate all of your hard work and it was nice to meet you last weekend at the local fair. Your booth was wonderful.
Posted by Ann-OH (Member # 2020) on :
This is such a great idea and such an interesting idea to prove that Ms Erhart had the wrong flight plan.
"Muriel" should get lots of local press and be a wonderful vehicle (pun intended) for educating people about Lyme disease.
Please keep us posted!
Ann -0H
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi All,
Grace would like you all to know that the truck
with "Muriel's" wings and engines have left New
Jersey this afternoon for the trip to
California. The truck should arrive in
California by next Tuesday. Grace will now
be concentrating on getting the cradle finished
and ready for the fuselage plus coordinating
what is happening in California. As you can
imagine all of this prep work is very
exhausting. She is
very grateful for all the many well wishers and
families wanting to remember their loved ones.
When a firmer departure date and final route is
determined I will post it here. Grace and I
thank you for your patience and your outpouring
of support. Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Grace would like me to report to you that she
has received many requests from across the
country to have loved ones names and pictures
placed on "Muriel". She places name decals on
the nose cone of "Muriel" of people who have
died from Lyme and on the rest of the fuselage
is names and pictures of those devastated by
tick borne illnesses. She doing this at her own
expense;as you can imagine there are quite a few
at this point. She appreciates all the good will
and support immensely. Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi All,
Grace has been out in California supervising the
delivery of the wings and engines to the new
hangar and setting up her office and living
quarters. She will next be checking on the
cradle manufacturing progress. Once that is
complete the trailer will be fitted with the
cradle and be coming up to New Jersey and loaded
with "Muriel". Many thanks for all the support.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
As previously posted, Grace has had a couple of
delays but is now in final preparations for her
move with "Muriel". It will be hard to let
everyone know the exact route especially once
she departs as there are many factors that may
cause the route to be adjusted and stops to be
made or not made. She would like anyone
interested in the project to contact her for
information by leaving a message on her machine
at 1-732-530-4498. She will be checking that
number daily while on the road and will call
back if possible. Grace's trip is a tribute to
the late Dr. John Drulle and "Muriel" is
carrying the banner of the John Drulle Lyme
Fund. She is also honoring those that have been
lost to tick borne illnesses with a banner that
will be on permanent display in California.
Thanks everyone for all your interest and
support.
Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi Everyone,
The day has finally arrived! Grace and "Muriel"
are on their way. The truck departed the hangar
today around noon and they have made it to the border
of New Jersey. With "Muriel" being a super wide
load, their route is dictated by each state they
go through so it will take some time for the
caravan to make their way out west. Grace
wishes to thank everyone who contributed names
and pictures for display on "Muriel" and all who
have supported her with good thoughts. Please
pray for a safe and easy trip for Grace
and "Muriel". Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi all,
I've heard from Grace this morning and she is
200 miles east of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and
will be overnighting there tonight. Many people
have come to see Muriel at the stops which
could be at a truck stop or motel depending on
where they are instructed to stop. The whole
caravan will have a day off in Amarillo City,
Texas on sunday because super oversize loads
must not be on the road on sundays in Texas.
Grace wishes she could stop every time someone
sees Muriel but due to the logistics she can't.
Let's all wish Grace and Muriel continuing good
weather and a safe remainder of her trip to
California. Posted by Ranger1 (Member # 12659) on :
Hi All,
It's been a long three week journey, but Grace
and "Muriel" finally arrived safely in
California thursday morning. Grace will be
taking a break to recover from the trip and then
continue her efforts in restoring "Muriel" to
full flight ability. Grace will be focusing on
preparing for her flight around the world. She
hopes to bring her message of Lyme awareness,
remembrance of loved ones lost and saluting the
brave doctors who treat us, around the world.
The decals and banners will stay on the plane
for all to see who visit the hangar. She wishes
to thank everyone for their support and prayers
and Happy Holidays to all.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Darn. I missed this. I had a home in Grover Beach so I would have been very close to seeing her in Santa Maria.
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![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)
![[hi]](graemlins/hi.gif)
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Thanks for your ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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and Happy Holidays to all.