Lately there hasnt been much going on in the ol' aircraft factory. I have tenatively pegged May for the delivery of the wing kit so I am in save mode. Because of this, the urgency to finish up the empennage tips has kind of taken a backseat to other stuff. I am still working on them from time to time and certainly will have them done by May. I'll post some pics and a progress report soon. Lots and lots of sanding...
In the meantime I just finished reading an excellent book called "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts. Mr. Coonts is an excellent aviation author, I really enjoyed his writing style and I highly recommend this book to other aviators. To get an idea of his writing style, check out the link on my blog page under "Why I Fly"....his words, but definitely how most pilots would say it if we all could write so eloquently. He also was the author of "Fight of the Intruder" which was later made into a movie. Stephen flew Intruders in the Navy before becoming an author. The Cannibal Queen is about his personal 'Aerial Odyssey Across America' in a 1942 vintage open cockpit Stearman biplane during the summer of 1991. The other cool thing is that he actually was living in Boulder, CO at the time, so he references flying in Colorado quite a bit. During his aerial odyssey, he lands in all 48 states in one summer. That would be quite an adventure, and it was quite a good story to read.
He had several paragraphs in the book that I really liked but this one was probably my favorite...this is how it feels to be passionate about aviation.
Excerpt taken from "The Cannibal Queen" by Stephen Coonts, copyright 1992, page 140,
"Dont you ever get bored up there?" someone once asked. No, I don't. As the miles slowly pass I think of many things, of things I have done, of things I wish to do, of my children and my parents and people I have known. Over a mile above gorgeous country on a gorgeous day, my mind wanders freely.
Up here life takes on its proper perspective. You are a mere gnat afloat in this endless sea of air, above this huge, sprawling land. You and your earthly concerns shrink to their true significance. Ambition, love, lust, acquisitiveness, pride, envy--all of these components of the human condition lose their attraction and their sting up here in the vastness of the sky.
Today is my day to fly and get a glimpse of eternity. This is my day in the sun. Yet like all living things, I will grow old and my eyes will dim and someday soon I will be part of that earth below. Then it will be someone else's turn to fly up here, breathe this pure air, feel the sun's warmth on his arms and hands, look with mortal eyes toward that horizon that stretches into forever. Perhaps, just perhaps, he will do it in the Cannibal Queen or one of her sisters. With proper care this mechanical contrivance of Lloyd Stearman's brain and the hands of Boeing craftsman will still be flying long after I have joined Stearman in the grave. Stearman, the Wrights, my grandparents, my parents--all of those who went before.
But that still lies ahead for me in this great adventure we call life. Today I am here, aloft. Today is my day. Today is my day to fly."
I couldn't have said it any better, lets all celebrate our time in the sun and not take it for granted...
