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>>
>> WANT TO BE LIKE GEORGE JETSON
BUZZING AROUND IN YOUR FLYING CAR CONTRAPTION AND LET'S
INTRODUCE YOU TO A AUTO-GYRO A CROSS BEEN A
HELICOPTER AND A PLANE. WE WERE
INTRODUCED TO THIS 21ST CENTURY AIRCRAFT AT BYRD'S ADVENTURE
CENTER IN THE OZARKS NEAR CASS. THE AUTO-GYRO IS ALL GERMAN
ENGINEERING AND THEY'RE MADE IN GERMANY BUT THIS IS NOT THE
GYRO COPTER FROM THE 1950'S.
>> THE OLD GYRO HAS BEEN OUT FOR
YEARS BUT THEY'RE VERY DANGEROUS. THEY HAD ONE PLACE
AND THE MOTOR IS HIGH AND PEOPLE
KILLED THEMSELVES AND YOU GET THE TRAINING. ONE OF THE
THINGS DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE OLD AND
THE NEW GENERATION IS THE ROOTERS ON TOP. THEY WERE
LIGHT AND THEY DID THEM BY HAND AND
WE HAVE A ROTATOR AND HEAVY BLADES
AND HAVE INERTIA WITH THE G'S AND STABLE LIEZER ON THE TAIL
SO THAT MAKES THEM A LOT SAFER
THAN THE OLD GYRO.
>> SO ENOUGH OF JUST WATCHING. TIME TO GET STRAPPED INTO THIS
JETSON FLYING MACHINE. >> YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO
BREATHE. >> OKAY. THIS IS TRUE OPEN
COCKPIT HERE. >> YEAH.
>> OKAY. NEW WAY TO EXPLORE AND JUST TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE COVER ALL ANGLES HAVE THE CAMERA.
>> CLEAR.
>> ONE OF THE EXTRAORDINARY THINGS ABOUT THE AUTO-GYRO AND
THIS IS WHERE IT GETS ITS NAME FROM AND THE TOP ROOTER IS
POWERED AND THIS IS USED FOR THRUST AND TO DEVELOP LIFT.
>> CORRECT. POWER STARTING OFF.
WE GET TO 200RPM AND THE DIFFERENCE OF A GYRO AND A
HELICOPTER AND WE'RE LEANING THE
BLADE BACK AND THE AIR THIS WAY AND GETTING FASTER AND FASTER
AND ABOUT 320 WE LIFT OFF OF THE
GROUND AND HAVE POSITIVE AIR PRESSURE AND FLYING AND I CAN
STOP AND SPIN AROUND AND I HAVE AIR THIS WAY AND WHEN I STOP I
HAVE POSITIVE AIR AND I SPIN IT AROUND.
>> SO THE ONLY THING YOU CAN'T DO IS LAND AND TAKE OFF
VERTICALLY. >> CORRECT.
>> HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS ?
>> WE HAVE BEEN DOING PARACHUTES
AND I WE GOT OUT OF THE DAIRY BUSINESS AND I WANTED TO BE A
INSTRUCTOR AND I THOUGHT ABOUT WEIGHT SHIFT AND INSTRUCTORS
ARE A DIME A DOZEN AND THEN I WENT
TO THE GYRO CONVENTION AND THE GUY TOLD ME IF YOU'RE AN
INSTRUCTOR YOU WILL BE BUSY ALL THE TIME WITH THIS NEW
GENERATION OF GYRO AND HE'S CORRECT. I AM VERY BUSY.
>> WHAT THRILL DO YOU GET OUT? IT'S LIKE HAVING A HOT ROD UP
IN THE AIR.
>> OH IT IS. ONE THING THAT IS SO NEAT ABOUT IT ANY WIND
CONDITION -- LIKE I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SO LONG AND THEY
HAVE THEIR PLACE AND WE HAVE
STUDENTS AND THREE DAYS LOOKING AT EACH
OTHER AND WE CAN'T FLY BUT WITH THIS WIND WE CAN STILL FLY AND
LIKE YOU SAID A HOT ROD IN THE AIR.
>> BY THE WAY THIS IS ONE OF THE
MODEL TYPES. THERE ARE TWO OTHER MODELS WITH A COVERED
COCKPIT AND THE ELITE MODEL WITH
SIDE BY SIDE SEATING SO HOW EASY
TO LEARN TO FLY ONE OF THESE PLANES?
>> IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK IT
IS AND LIKE I WAS SAYING WITH THE POWERED PARACHUTE YOU HAVE
THE DELAY AND I HAVE STUDENTS AND TRAINED FOR THOUSANDS OF
HOURS IN A 747 AND WITH A BIG JET YOU CAN FEEL THE MOVE AND
POWERED PARACHUTE THERE IS A DELAY AND THIS YOU MOVE IT AND
IT RESPONDS AND YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT IT STALLING OUT
LIKE A REGULAR AIRPLANE SO THAT MAKES IT A LOT SAFER.
>> THAT IS THE MOST AWESOME EXPERIENCE. I THOUGHT THE
POWER PARACHUTE FLIGHT THAT WE DID
SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS AWESOME. THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE AND LIKE
A MINICHOPPER TO FLY AROUND AND EXPLORE ARKANSAS. AFTER
WATCHING HOW MUCH FUN I HAD FLYING AROUND IN THE AUTO-GYRO
THE VIDEOGRAPHER COULDN'T STAND IT AND HE THEN TOOK OFF TOO
INTO THE WILD BLUE YOWNDER. AND
WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT MICHAD DID ONE UP ON ME WITH
AN ARIEL STUNT OR TWO. YEAH, WE'RE CALLING HIM THE AUTO
CRAZY GYRO MAN.
>> AWESOME. >> ALL IN A DAY'S EXPLORATION.
>> ARTIST POINT ALONG HIGHWAY 71
ABOUT 8 MILES NORTH OF MOUNTAINBURG HAS LONG BEEN A
FAVORITE PLACE FOR MOTORISTS TO STOP AND TAKE IN THE
SPECTACULAR VIEWS. BECAUSE IT'S A FAVORITE SPORT
FOR ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ALIKE IT'S SIMPLY KNOWN AS
ARTIST POINT. THERE'S ALSO A GIFT SHOP HERE
WHICH FEATURES A VARIETY OF UNIQUE ITEMS INCLUDE HOMEMADE
JAMS AND JELLIES AND A MUSEUM WITH INTERESTING ARTIFACTS.
THE SCENERY AT ARTIST POINT IS
SPECTACULAR ENOUGH BUT IF YOU'RE
ADVENTUROUS AND UP TO IT WE SUGGEST EXPLORING ALONG ARTIST
POINT TRAIL WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY TAKE YOU TO ARTIST
POINT FALLS. >> THE TRAIL BEGINS AT THE
RIGHT OF THE GIFT SHOP AND GOES DOWN
AN OLD ROAD BED. THIS FIRST SECTION OF THE TRAIL IS COVERED
ON BOTH SIDES WITH KUDZU VINE, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS THE
VINE THAT ATE THE SOUTH. IT'S A
NON NATIVE PLANT THAT WAS INTRODUCED TO THE UNITED STATES
IN 1876. AS YOU MAKE YOUR WAY DOWN TO THE FIRST OF SEVERAL
SWITCHBACKS OFF TO THE LEFT IS A
ROCK FORMATION RESEMBLING A TOMB
AND YOU WILL SEE SOME INDIAN HIEROGLYPHS OR
MARKINGS INTO THE ROCKS AND THEY'RE ALONG THE TRAIL WHERE
YOU CAN FIND THEM CARVED INTO THE SIDE OF THE BLUFF WITH
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST. THE SECOND
MARKING IS NEAR THE END OF THE TRAIL AND UNDER THE BLUFF
SHELTER AND LIKE A PETROGLYPHS RATHER THAN A HIEROGLYPHS AND
THERE IS A LOVER'S LEAP HERE AND
A NICE POINT TO TAKE A BREATHER AND VIEW THE VALLEY BELOW.
AFTER SIX TENTHS OF A MILE YOU WILL HEAR THE FALLS FIRST
RATHER THAN SEEING THEM AND DEPENDING
WHEN YOU MAKE THE HIKE THE WATER
FLOW IS CASCADING NICELY OR BARELY GOING DOWN IF YOU DON'T
GO AFTER A GOOD RAINFALL. WE MIGHT ADD THAT THE HIKE BACK UP
IS STRENUOUS AND STEEP BUT EVEN IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO TAKE THE
TRAIL THE VIEWS FROM ATOP ARTIST
POINT ARE WELL WORTH THE STOP, ESPECIALLY DURING AUTUMN.
AS PIONEERS AND EARLY SETTLERS
MIGRATED WEST INTO ARKANSAS THE LOWER WHITE RIVER WAS A
TRANSPORTATION ROUTE AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS UNSPOILED
REGION WERE LIMITLESS. >> IT WAS THE ECONOMY AND THE
RIVER WHY PEOPLE CAME HERE. I GUESS THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY YOU
CAN GET HERE IN ARKANSAS FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE WAS TO COME FROM
RIVER IN THOSE DAYS AND SELTS SETTLED ON THE HIGH BLUFFS AND
ARKANSAS AND GEORGETOWN AND AUGUSTA AND ST. CHARLES AND SO
ON, AND I GUESS AT ONE TIME IT WAS THE ECONOMY YEAR, THE RIVER
WAS. AS YOU MENTIONED, FISHERIES AND PLASTIC
BECAME THE NORM YEARS AGO. TIMBER -- THIS WAS A HEAVILY
TIMBERED AREA AND THERE WERE A LOT OF JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
AND THERE ARE WHAT THEY CALL DUMMY LINES ALL OVER THIS AREA.
IT'S A RAILROAD LINE THAT
BASICALLY RUNS OUT INTO THE WOODS AND INTO SOME AREA AND
DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE BUT THERE AND YOU CAN FIND TRACES ALL
OVER THIS AREA IN EAST ARKANSAS AND
BUILT THE RAIL LINES AND HAULED THE TIMBER OUT OF HERE. OVER
THE YEARS IT'S BEEN TRANSFORMED.
IN MY EARLIER DAYS THERE WERE QUITE A FEW HOUSE BOATS ON THE
RIVER AND PEOPLE MADE A LIVING FISHING ON THE RIVER, PICKING
UP THE PECANS. THE PECAN INDUSTRY
WAS A LARGE INDUSTRY UP AND DOWN
THE WHITE RIVER. >> THE LOWER WHITE RIVER MUSEUM
STATE PARK IN DES ARC COVERS A 100 PERIOD OF ARKANSAS FRONT
TEAR LIFE UP TO 1931. >> THAT WAS BASICALLY THE STEAM
BOAT AREA WHEN THE COMMERCE AND SETTLEMENT HAPPENED IN THE
AREA. SOME OF THE EARLY COMMERCE WAS
AGRICULTURE AND TIMBER AND EVENTUALLY MOVED UP TO PEARLING
AND SHELLING AND WE ALSO DUE TO THE RIVER TRANSPORTATION COMING
INTO THE AREA BROUGHT IN TEACHERS SO WE FOCUSED ON
EDUCATION AND ALSO SOME OF THE DOCTORS AND PHYSICIANS THAT
CAME INTO THE AREA.
>> THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD IS ALSO OF COURSE COVERED HERE WITH THE
DES ARC RANGERS. >> YES, THE DES ARC RANGERS
WERE ONE OF THE GROUPS OF MEN THAT
JOINED THE CONFEDERACY THAT LEFT
DES ARC AND THEY WERE A CAVALRY UNIT AND COMPANY B OF
CHURCHILL'S MOUNTED RIFLES AND LEFT HERE ABOUT A HUNDRED MEN
AND WENT TO LITTLE ROCK AND THE FIRST BATTLE WAS AT WILSON'S
CREEK IN MISSOURI. >> NEXT DOOR TO THE MUSEUM IS A
REPLICA OF A LATE 1800'S LOG CABIN.
>> THE LOG CABIN WAS A PROJECT FOR THE VOLUNTEERS DID FOR THE
BICENTENNIAL AND THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE "FRIENDS OF THE
LOG CABIN MUSEUM" AND THEY NOT ONLY BUILT THE CABIN AND
RECONSTRUCTED STYLE CABIN BUT THEY LOANED ITEMS TO FURNISH IT
AND WE HAVE A KITCHEN SET UP AND
A BEDROOM LIVING ROOM SET UP. >> SO VISIT TORS CAN SEE WHAT
THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE LOOKS LIKE.
>> CORRECT. AND THE AMENITIES THEY HAD AND DIDN'T HAVE AT
THAT TIME AND ONE OF THE THINGS THE
CHILDREN POINTED OUT THEY DON'T HAVE REFRIGERATORS AND
MICROWAVES AND IT WAS A LITTLE HARDER LIFESTYLE IN THOSE EARLY
DAYS. >> IN THE STEAM BOAT DAYS
THEY'RE PAINTED AS BEING KIND OF
ROMANTIC, A GREAT TIME TO LIVE, BUT MOST OF THE FOLKS THAT
LIVED BACK THEN THEY LIVED A PRETTY
BARE EXPERIENCE AND BEFORE ELECTRICITY AND MAINTENANCE. I
LIKE IT NOW AND AIR CONDITIONING
AND SCREEN DOORS AND SO FORTH BUT IT HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY
OVER THE YEARS. I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO LOOK BACK AND
THINK ABOUT WHERE WE COME FROM, BUT I HAVE TOLD PEOPLE WE CAN'T
DWELL ON THAT. IN THE 50'S AND 60'S WHEN MAIN STREET WAS
BUZZELLING ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT AND PRIMARILY
SATURDAY NIGHT IN ALL THESE TOWNS AND WE CAN COMMISERATE
ABOUT IT BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE SO WITH THE INTERNET,
THE BROADBAND ACCESS THERE ARE WAYS
TO CREATE BUSINESSES IN SOME OF THE REMOTE AREAS THAT WE DIDN'T
HAVE YEARS AGO.
>> THE BLUE SPRING HERITAGE CENTER YEAR EUREKA SPRINGS AND
A GARDEN AND HISTORIC MILL SITE
AND PORTION OF THE TRAIL OF TEARS AND BLUE SPRING ITSELF
WHICH PORES OUT AT THE 38 OF 38 MILLION-GALLONS A DAY.
>> BLUE SPRING IS LOCATED FIVE AND A HALF MILES WEST OF THE
EUREKA HISTORIC DISTRICT AND LOOK FOR THE SIGN AT 210 WHICH
IN FACT ENDS AT BLUE SPRING. THE DRINKABLE CLEAR WATER
PROTECTED VALLEY AND GOOD HUNTING AND FISHING HAVE MADE
BLUE SPRING AN IDEAL SITE FOR HUMANS SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES.
BEFORE THAT WERE NATIVE
AMERICAN TRIBES IN ARKANSAS THERE WERE
THE OZARK BLUFF DWELLERS. >> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THEY
WENT BACK 10,000 YEARS AGO THEY WERE IN HERE AND LIVED IN THE
CAVES AND THIS IS ONE OF THEM HERE AT OUR BLUFF SHELTER WHICH
IS NOW ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND THE
UNIVERSITY GOT THE IDEA TO DO A DIG WHERE THE BLUFF SHELTER IS
NOW AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY HEADED UP THAT TEAM WITH
UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND DUG UP ARTIFACTS GOING BACK 10,000
YEARS AGO AND IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE AND WE HAVE SOME OF THE
ARTIFACTS IN THE MUSEUM NOW AND IT'S 8,000 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST
AND THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD HISTORY. TOM DILLARD DID A
STORY ABOUT THE OZARK BLUFF DWELLERS AND HE CAME UP WITH
THE SAME AS I DID IN HIS RESEARCH
SO THE PEOPLE WERE HERE. WE'RE
NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CHEROKEES AND
CHOCTAWS AND THE
NATIVE AMERICANS AND THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY HERE. THERE IS
SO MUCH HISTORY HERE YOU COULD CUT IT WITH A KNIFE.
>> LOCATED ALONG THE BLUFF SHELTER AND THE BLUFF LINE
ITSELF ARE HIEROGLYPHS UNLIKE PICTURE GRAPHS DONE WITH
NATURAL DYES AND THESE CARVINGS WERE AN
ANCIENT FORM OF WRITING. HIEROGLYPHS AND PETROGLYPHS
WERE USED BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AS
VISUAL INDICATORS TO LET OTHERS KNOW OF HAPPENINGS IN THE AREA
AND THESE WRITINGS SERVED AS A LASTING FORM OF RECORDKEEPING.
OZARK BLUFF SHELTERS WERE USED YEAR ROUND. HOW IS THIS
POSSIBLE IN THE WINTER TIME? WITH THE SOUTHERN EXPOSURE THEY
WERE SHELTERED FROM THE WINDS AND RECEIVED THE WINTER SUN AND
THE EXPOSED PORTIONS OF THE SHELTER WERE LIKELY COVERED
WITH SKINS OR MATS WITH MUD KEEPING
THE INSIDE WARM AND DRY. WHAT BECAME OF THE OZARK BLUFF
DWELLERS IS UNKNOWN. AFTER LIVING IN THE OZARK MOUNTAINS A
LONG TIME THEY SEEM TO HAVE JUST
VANISHED LEAVING FEW IF ANY CLUES OF THEIR DISAPPEARANCE.
FOR MANY YEARS THE OSAGE CLAIMED
BLUE SPRING AS THEIR TRADING POST.
>> IT WAS A TRADING POST AND THE
INDIANS -- THEY CALL THEM THE STRONG BOAT INDIANS AND FLOATED
DOWN TO NEW ORLEANS WITH THEIR GOODS AND TRADED THE CANOES IN
AND CAME BACK AND REPEATED IT ALL OVER AGAIN SO IT WAS A
MAJOR TRADING POST AND THERE WERE
THREE MILLS HERE AND CORN MILL OTHER MILLS AND THIS WAS A
MEETING PLACE AS WELL AS A TRADING POST BECAUSE BACK IN
THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO ELECTRICITY. EVERYTHING WAS
DONE BY MECHANIZATION, IF YOU WILL. OVER SHOT MILLS, UNDER
SHOT MILLS AND THE MILL WHEELS AND WAS QUITE A THING TO SEE.
I WISH I COULD HAVE SEEN IT BUT
YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE AT WAR EAGLE I THINK.
>> IN MARCH OF 18 13 BLUE SPRING
WAS A STOPOVER FOR THE CHEROKEE FROM THE FORCED MARCH IN
GEORGIA AND 30,000 BEGAN THE JOURNEY
AND ONLY 7,000 SURVIVED. DURING
THE EARLY 19 HUNDREDS WATER FROM
BLUE SPRING WAS SHIPPED TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY
AND KNOWN AS THE EUREKA BLUE SPRING
WATER COMPANY. THERE'S ALSO A MEDICINE WHEEL GARDEN AT BLUE
SPRING HERITAGE CENTER. THE MEDICINE WHEEL IS A POWERFUL
SPIRITUAL AND EDUCATIONAL SYMBOL
WHICH HAS AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN MOST NATIVE AMERICAN
CULTURES AND RERIFES THE CONCEPTS FROM A
WOODLAND CONCEPT OF THE WHEEL FROM NATIVE AMERICANS. BLUE
SPRING ITSELF THOUGH REMAINS QUITE THE MYSTERY BECAUSE ITS
SOURCE IS UNKNOWN. >> NOBODY KNOWS WHERE IT COMES
FROM. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THEORIZED AND MAYBE FROM ALASKA
AND WHEN THEY HAD AN EARTHQUAKE AND MUDDIED THE WATER BUT IT'S
NOT FROM TABLE ROCK OR BEAVER LAKE. IT'S UNKNOWN ORANGE AND
DIVERS WENT DOWN AND THE CONSERVE EASIER TESTED IT AND
IT'S DRINKABLE. IT'S 38 MILLION-GALLONS A DAY. IT'S
THE LARGEST SPRING IN NORTHWEST ARKANSAS AND PURE WATER AND THE
LAGOON IS FULL OF TROOT AND PEOPLE FEED THEM AND HAVE A
GOOD TIME WITH IT.
>> IN 2004 DIVERS FROM AQUATIC CAVE XPLORATION BEGAN EXPLORING
BLUE SPRING AND DISCOVERED IT TO
BE A VERTICAL AND VERY DEEP UNDER WATER CAVE SYSTEM.
TRYING TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF
THE TIGHT AND NARROW PASSAGE WAYS AND TRYING TO
LOOK MORE AT THE MYSTERIOUS DEPTHS OF BLUE SPRING.
>> SO EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE THE
BLUE SPRING HERITAGE CENTER FOR YOURSELF AND FOR MORE ON THIS
DESTINATION PLUS MANY OF THE OTHERS OR ORDER A COPY OF THE
EPISODE VISIT US AT AETN SLASH ?ROAR EXPLORE AND WE WILL SEE
YOU NEXT TIME FOR ANOTHER EXCITING ADVENTURE OF EXPLORING
ARKANSAS