Z-O--O-M!!!

“There were oh-so-many roads

I was living to run and running to live

Never worried about paying or even how much I owed

Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time.”

Yesterday we lost an American hero. I was familiar with Chuck Yeager because I built a Bell X-1 model when I was a kid growing up, and then saw it hanging near the ceiling of National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. For me, that was going full circle and it was really cool to witness it in person.

Flying has always captured my interest. Mainly from the ground, but I have been fortunate to have some adventures along the way. Some were planned, and some were not.

My most memorable one was many years ago when I was on a “business” trip on the West coast. I was there to be “westernized” by the magazine our company represented. Since they were based in the West, they felt we should see life from their perspective, because life in the West is different.

The second morning we were there, we went to small craft airport; I could never have suspected what we would do next. The experience was to travel in an open-cockpit airplane and fly over the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Yes, you read that right. 

With each flight was space for three of us, and before we got on—-as I was putting on the goggles—-I asked the pilot if we could fly “upside or wing walk.” As far as stupid looks, I got a doozy with that question. 

We took off, and probably 8 minutes into the flight, we were upside down; I can honestly say, I have never held onto anything so tight in my life even though we were solidly placed into our seats. We did loops, twists, and dives…the person I was with got off the flight and lost it. She was grey and really not as happy as I was that I had asked the question.

Right now I am considering buying a drone. I know I will not be able to be aboard, but I am really looking forward to taking pictures—-there is something very enticing about being above and looking downward, I am just hoping I don’t fly it into a tree or wires.

The photo above was taken a few years back at Chicago Air & Water Show; unlike this year, when it was cancelled, the marvel of flight at the show is right above us. I know I will never break the sound barrier like Brigadier General Chuck Yeager did, but I can always marvel at how brave he was and the excitement he brought to flying.

Thanks for stopping by.