The way to love someone
is to lightly run your finger over that person's soul
until you find a crack,
and then gently pour your love into that crack.
~Keith Miller

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Oh my gosh ... what a great day. Whoever said one's happiness level is at pretty much the same "line" pretty much all the time ... well, he hasn't been around airplanes. I've been flying a Piper Warrior the last several days. It's little 150hp engine is enough to catapult me to an entirely different happiness level ... . I like the airplane. I have never flown anything that tiny before. Even the light weight engine cowling is endearing. Today I flew it .5 NE of here for a pitot/static check. That was the shop we worked with to tend the Navajo. It was very nice to land over there today. I saw a King Air with both front windows busted out ... Right side had blood and pin feathers all over the place ... Left side was fingerprint size fractured opaque ... No forward through visibility at all. The pilot landed by opening the ... I call it a hand window ... I don't know why ... anyway ... good save peering out the side. I saw the pilots getting ready to meet insurance guy, but they were off to happy hour before I got to hear the tale. Heard left seat was first time in a part 135 operation. Buzzard strike ...

I also boarded the prettiest King Air interior I've ever seen. Even the front two seats were white suede leather. I told the mechanic that I didn't think I would prefer that over just plain ole leather, but it sure was ... nice, very nice. I didn't want to touch anything just in case. Almost lick me lovely ... for those rare moments when smelling just isn't enough. Later met a couple of retired ... Hmmm one was retired, the other active ... anyway, airline pilots. Pilots are generally very amusing company, and these guys were no exception. One guy retired from the Tokoyo route and seemed to be having a fine time building RVs and driving his motorcycle around the field. Other guy was walking back from the tree line when my buddy called out ... he was pretty surprised to see a couple of ladies out in the middle of nowhere ... must be really nice to take a whiz just twenty steps from where your joy ride is hangered. Navy IP just got a CFI ticket and may want to use it some ... he liked the warrior ... . Just back here from AZ and CA ... Welcome home. Life moves slower over here where everything is green or becoming green.



Probably the best thing ... well, I love radial engines. A T28-C was sitting in maintenance. It is ... awe andthen some. Those guys are so big my eye can't quite see them well. What a magnificent airplane. ... Just sitting on the ground they fill my heart. I told the mechanic to call me when he knows it'll be flying ... I just want to sacrifice a few more hearing decibels on it ... He said I could absolutely count on the owner letting me fly it! Hmmmm ... We'll see about that. Apparently he just likes to take other pilots up. I would be very happy just to be near by when they light it up ... Just thinking about watching it do laps makes me feel ... Happy. Very Very Happy.

Last night I read about the difference between romantic love and companionable love. Romantic love is doomed to fizzle ... yeah, probably must be true. The writer, Dr. Haidt, equates it to cocaine or heroin. I don't know anything about illegal drugs ... But I do understand the notion of wild ass euphoria. I don't quite get there with airplanes ... But ... Well, I've never flown a T28-C. I think it might be just splendid. ... Yes, maybe.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing better than radial engines...

DeAnn said...

...Uh, I have heard of a thing or two which might give it a run for it's money, but I think you may be right Captain. Your sublime description of the V2500 A-5 engines makes my toes tingle!