Shuttle launch viewing and Warbird Adventure

Well my airplane has sat unflown for a while now since I flew on a comercial airliner to Florida to watch the liftoff of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It was spectacular. liftoff was right on time at 2:01pm and the sight was uterly breathtaking. I cannot describe the feeling other than an uncontrolled rush of emotion that the human mind cannot properly cope with. It filled all your senses; your eyes were dazzeled by the light from the booster flame trail, your ears were filled with the roar of the liftoff, you entire body rumbles with the compression waves of the monumentally powerful engines. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced and I hope to have the opportunity to do it again.

I got a few good shots but not what I had hoped. I will always remember that sound, the feeling and the emotion of the launch. I highly recomend it to anyone interested in the space program and even those who are not.

The day after the launch I had the opportunity to fly a WWII T-6 Texan. The person in the plane with me was a certified flight instructor so I was able to do the flying above 1000' and I now have T-6 time in my log book. I also have aerobatic instruction loged as we were doing aerobatics as well. It was quite exciting.

We started off with steep turns, which I have done many times in Serenity, but quickly moved on. With each new manuver, James, who was the CFI, would demonstrate it first and then I would take the controls and replicate it. Steep turns were no challenge at all as I have done many in the past, but then we moved on to aileron rolls. This is a simple enough manuver, you point the nose about 20 degrees above the horizon and then push the stick full to one side. This was such a thrill! It is the first time I had been inverted in an airplane.

We also did a manuver called a wing over, which is a quick way to turn around by clinbing and dropping the nose to the side. Next was the loop. This was something I have always wanted to do. The picture here is from the loop. It was a 3G manuver so the most intense of the day. This was followed by barrel rolls and an 8 point roll.

You can visit their website at http://www.warbirdadventures.com/ I highly recomend it!