As we taxied down the runway in a zig-zag manner in a Great Lakes Biplane modeled after a 1929 design, pilot Anne Hopkins explained to me over the headset that she had to zig-zag to see over the nose of the plane.

Then we were off.

Ms. Hopkins visited Grove City Airport in Springfield Township Tuesday and Wednesday as a unique way of peddling her recent book, "Sticks & Wires & Cloth," which is a story about her flight experiences, which began 20 years ago at the age of 37.

The local airport was one of more than 30 smaller airports the Tucson, Ariz., woman plans to visit over a three-month period, beginning Aug. 1.

Some of the airports she has visited so far include those in or near Spencer, Iowa; Clay Center, Kan.; Salida, Colo.; and Seymour, Ind. Her upcoming schedule includes Bar Harbor, Maine; Morristown, Tenn.; Lawrenceville, Ga.; and Galveston, Texas.

Her story is titled after a quotation by Richard Bach from his 1969 story "Nothing By Chance: A Gypsy Pilot's Adventure in Modern America," which was written about his piloting experiences before he was known for his famous story, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."

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