It's a Tough Call

I think I want to make a point about health care.  Maybe not a point.  Maybe just a hypothetical question.  Perhaps not about health care ,  but the more general question of a society taking care of it's own.  Or man's humanity to man.  Or inhumanity.  Bear with me,  it may be a while before I get to the point.  "Really Lloyd?"  "What a surprise".

I have been getting some annoying calls on my cell phone.  From numbers unrecognized by my contact list.  You all know exactly what I mean.  Of course I do not answer calls from unexpected numbers.  If you answer and it is a nasty, toxic, telemarketing scheme,  it can lead to more annoying calls.  Or something even worse.  It could be that you will find yourself the victim of a clever criminal computer scheme that winds up charging calls to your phone and the calls show up on your providers bill and the money gets routed from your provider to the criminal hacker.  And it can lead to idenity theft.  Because the more you fight it,  the more the criminal finds out about you.

So what happens is:  I don't answer these unidentified calls.  Sometimes it is a legitimate call and a voice message is left for me.  Fine and good.  I simply label a new contact.

But if no voice message is left,  and the call is repeated: of course I still never answer.  But I type the number into Google.  I almost always find out enough info on the number to know it is toxic. For free.  Then I label that number in my contacts with the name "do not answer".  The calls keep coming maybe once or twice a day,  but it doesn't frustrate me quite as much because I know what it is.  Immediately.  And I feel as if I have some control.  After a few days,  or weeks,  that number will give up and try someone else.  It's still a pain,  but not that bad.  Then another toxic number will start calling and the process starts over.  When I have two toxic numbers calling during the same week,  that is indeed unfortunate.

I am no closer to getting to my point about health care and humanity.  But let me forge on.

Lately I have been getting an even nastier type of calls.  The sender has to be a devious, sadistic, son of a witch.  The calls come up without a number and have the word "unavailable".  I don't answer and there is no voice message left.  What possible reason could the sender have except viral harrassment?  Is this a young hacker who has outgrown ripping the wings off flies?  So today I called my cell phone provider.  I won't mention their name,  but their initials are Verizon Wireless.  The technology in the way they fielded my call was pretty amazing.  I was put on hold after a long and arduous voice response conversation with a computer.  The "on hold" part was a series of short and not so short infomercials.  This went on and on.  New phones.  Minutes deals.  Upgrades. Features. Sales.   I pads.  Smart phones.  Video tablets.  I listened to a hundred of these and they never started to repeat.  I put the phone on speaker and moved it away from me far enough to stop the torture,  but close enough to hear in the remote case that a human would come on the line.  Finally someone did and they didn't sound like they were in India.  The young lady was very nice and listened patiently for my geezer rant about the harrassing "unavailable" calls.  One possible solution, she said, was changing my phone number.  They would do this for free.  How nice.  I didn't do that because:  1.  nobody would have my number  2.  the bad guys could start doing the same thing to my new number!  Next was "Call User Contol".  With this system the phone rejects any call that is not 10 digets.  So the word "Unavailable" trying to come in would be a rejection that the receiver never knows about.  This costs five dollars a month.  And does nothing to help about those telemarketing calls which do show a phone number,  toxic as they are.  I tell her to sign me up.  She tells me according to her records I am due for an upgrade and she gives me a pitch I think she is reading from a script.  I tell her no thanks.  Even though my phone charges up and discharges way too fast: meaning battery is dying.  And now and again when I hit the 5 key it feels too stiff and puts up 3 numbers on the screen in a blink.  That malfunction would be a deal breaker,  but the problem goes away after I fret for eight minutes.

Again,  I'm no closer to the point about health care.  I better get to the point or I will forget what it is.
I started thinking about my nice new Verizon service which fights off one kind of phone virus. I told my wife about it and I heard myself say something like "you know it really isn't fair that I have to pay 5 bucks a month because my phone has a germ attack and Joe Blow my neighbor has been lucky about computer calls and he doesn't have to pay 5 bucks a month."  Then I stopped talking and started thinking.  I would not wish these toxic calls on Joe Blow or anyone.  But Joe Blow might start getting them tomorrow.  I think if Verizon can stop it for me,  they should stop it  for everyone as part of their service.

Bing.  My point.  Maybe if every Verizon customer  paid a penny a month we could all have the insurance against this type of call.  It just comes with the phone.  It's part of the phone like having a ringer.  You have to have it.  You can't opt out and not pay the penny a month.  Everyone wants it and they don't want to even have to think about it.  It's a no brainer.  Once it's in the system it probably won't cost Verizon a thing.  It will be a done deal.  It will have the power of every single customer quietly enjoying the protection of the service.

My point Part 2.  I was unlucky about getting toxic calls.  Joe Blow was lucky.  I've been lucky to be somewhat healthy  all my life along with my wife and son.  Some problems of course.  I don't want to be without health coverage.  There's more.  I don't want any family in my country (or on the planet) to not have health care available to them.  I don't want any child to not be insurable.  Or have any family become bankrupt due to health expences.  ANY FAMILY.   ANYONE.  Rich or poor.  Paid up premeums or not.  Black or White.  Gay or not.  Christian or not.  Pre existing condition or not.

I'm not making a pitch for Obama care.  I don't care what politician gets credit for it.  This is a simple thing.  First we make sure no one goes hungry in the United States.  Then we make sure everyone gets the medical care and treatment they need.  Period.  This takes priority over having wars against countries we don't like. And wars to protect oil we think we need so some of us can get richer.  I don't know a damn thing about Obama care.  And I know you don't know much about it either.  I don't care if they keep Obamacare or get rid of it.  The Genie is out of the bottle now.  If Romney wins,  he won't be able to just say that our new health care system,  under him, will be no Obama care.  The lack of something is not something.

 Yesterday my brother told me he is glad the Supreme Court upheld the Constitutionality of Obama care.  He said he likes the provision that no lawyer can ever, under the system, deny someone a treatment because the lawyer has an expert witness that can say the treatment might not work,  the patient might die anyway, etc.  And no insurance company can put a top on the expenses that have been spent on a patient,  so they get no more treatment under insurance because of the top out.

Again,  I'm not selling Obama care or Obama.  I don't like that Obama rammed this program thru congress in the middle of the night.  But myself.  I'm glad the Supreme Court upheld it too.  My son is turning 24.  So now we have two more years of him on our insurance.  If the vote went the other way,  he's on his own.

I know lots of people that really hate Obama.  Hey,  politics is politics.  Just like religion.  I'll say it again.  I want EVERYONE in our country to have health insurance.  And I want EVERYONE to chip in and pay for it.  Whether they need it or want it or not.  Just like highways and schools.  It's more important than highways and schools.

46% of us like Obama.  46% of us hate his guts.  So come November the 8% will decide.  And Obama and Romney and every Senator and Congressman and Governor and Commisioner and Alderman and Sheriff and Dog Catcher will be kissing the behind of that 8% and promising the moon and their first born child to that 8% and spending more money than has ever been spent on an election in the history of the world on courting that 8%.  It won't matter who wins.  Again the Genie is out of the bottle.  The system has been about money for a long time.  But now the system is about and controlled by money.  It won't matter who wins.  The rot is too far gone.  It won't matter who wins.  We will still have to have a universal health care system.  We already have it.  We never called it universal.  After all we're not socialists!  But the Supreme Court has decided it's OK to have a universal system within our Democratic Republic.

I have to admit,  this election is entertaining.  Our country is literally "on hold".   I do miss the reality show comedy of the Republican Primary.  Sarah for President!

I contacted my congressman,  Andrew P. Harris.
I got a message back.   "Unavailable"

LLITTY    ::::+::::

Luscombe Part 2

Today promised to be fair weather,  and cooler.  Just eighty degrees and white puffy clouds.  At 8 AM I smelled the decaf brewing and looked out my bathroom window.  Weather as predicted.  I was supposed to be hustling to get the Luscombe rolled and pre flighted,  then  take a shower and go.  But I found myself having a few cups of that decaf and sitting and chatting with wife.  We talked about my interesting friends and her interesting family.  And we talked about the heat wave and today's sea change which gave us puffy clouds and 78 degrees.  I got the plane ready first.  Then took the shower.

The Luscombe is harder to ramp up and launch than the CherOHkee.  The Luscombe is easier to ramp up and launch than the CherOHkee.  I guess I could write a post about what that means.

That reminds me of one of my first blog posts.  When I asked the question "what airplane is the easiest to fly?"   Answer:  The airplane you fly every day.

The fly-in I was headed for this morning was only maybe 28 nm away.  Over by Salisbury.  As I taxied out I looked at some new turf I had seeded.  I knew I had planted it too late in the season.  I looked at the ten acres of melons my farmer had put in.  And all of the irrigation equipment involved.  And my runway was tan,  brown and red instead of green.  The heat wave had scorched it.  And I thought of the fly-ins I had been to recently.  Horn Point.  Kentmorr.  Sugar Hill and now Art's.  All within 30 nm. of my place.  I had the brief thought that I could go to a car show or fly-in every single weekend from now through September if I wanted to.  I even know a few dates in October.  Hey,  I said.  I'm taxiing the Luscombe and not thinking about it.  That's good.  I must be getting comfortable in the airplane.  But taxiing is what we called in the airlines a "Sterile" activity.  No talking.  What about talking to myself?..  Pay attention Lloyd.  There's always something you need to be doing in an airplane.  Where's the wind.  Will there be deer or foxes on the runway.  Engine instruments.  Nice to be getting comfortable finally in this little taildragger.  I just have to be careful because I'm naturally lazy.

I chugged along at 2500 feet.  I had my window open and my elbow outside as in a car.  I was neither hot nor cold.  The viz was sweet after our huge entire east coast cold front.  No GPS,  VOR, or radar vectors.  I am lost on a 28 mile trip.  But how can I be lost.  There's Vienna.  I know it well.  Oh and there's Sharptown.  Hey I've gotta stay away from Laurel Deleware.  They skydive there.  And I can't get near Salisbury.  A Control Tower.  In a cardboard box on the empty right seat there is my Garman 196 portable GPS.  And an ICOM portable tranceiver.  I just don't feel like turning them on.  There's highway 13.  The road that bisects the Delmarva Peninsula.  And there is Delmar.  A town half in Deleware and half in Maryland.  I'll follow that road east out of Delmar toward the beach.  Yes,  there is the Ocean City skyline. But where the heck is Art's?  I'm lost.  I can't be lost because there is the town of Pittsville.  I look straight down.  There is the Fly-in.  "Airstreams and Airplanes".   I see the gaggle of big, shiny trailers.  I circle in a dreamy,  I'm not ready to land yet,  way.  I'm the first plane there.  I get parked and I watch the next two airplanes land.  My friend Dempsey greets me and I ask if there is coffee.  He says no but he can get some.  I asked what he meant by that.  He pointed at the dozen or so beautiful Airstreams and said:  "There's thirteen kitchens".

Gen.  Av. Informal       ::::+::::

The Luscombe

Just like the term "full circle" suggests.  Here I am in the learning curve of relearning how to fly a taildragger.  44 years ago I first soloed a taildragger.  It wasn't my "first solo".  That was in a PA-28 nose wheel.  So my first taildragger solo was a "checkout".  Like one would get today.  Except today one gets a taildragger endorsement in one's logbook to satisfy a regulation.  Back when I first soloed that Champ when I was 18 yrs old,  of course there was no endorsement required.  In fact the taildragger was called a "conventional" gear airplane.  Nose wheel was unconventional.  I flew some other taildraggers way back then.  When I was maybe twenty and in college at "Maryland".   I checked out in a yellow Piper J-3.  We all know that airplane.  When I was a kid  the words  "Piper Cub" meant any small airplane.  The guy who checked me out was Jeff Brinkerhoff.  His dad George was a renowned pilot and barnstormer.  I still remember that checkout.  It was a balmy Spring day and we were bounced around and it seemed more kite-like than even the Champ.  After a little airwork and 4 or 5 landings we were back on the ground.  I knew I was rougher in this thing.  You had to fly from the back seat,  I didn't quite have the feel yet.  But I was very happy when Brinkerhoff said he would like me to come back tomorrow and he would fly one pattern with me and if I was ok like my last landing today I would be signed off for solo in the cub at College Park.   I came back the next day and flew with him again and he went around with me just like he said and got out and I took the plane for the rest of the hour and shot landings and tooled over the family house in Lanham.   Little did I know,  a few years later I would become an instructor at College Park and log 400 hours riding in the front seat of Brinkerhoff's J-3's teaching primary students how to fly.  It was a huge honor to know and be friends with Brinkerhoff.

After that, I wasn't quite done with taildraggers.  When I was about 25 I was working at Cumberland Airlines.  I got my foot in the door there because they needed a primary instructor.  Later,  I got a job flying  the US Mail for them.  During that period I bought my first airplane.  A Citabria.  A 7-ECA.  It was like the Champ I had flown.  It was, in fact,  the same airframe as the old Champ.  But all dolled up by a new company called "Champion",  then "American Champion".  But my Citabria wasn't new.  It was a bit worn.  But to me it was wonderful and I could write a hundred blog posts of adventures and flights of fancy in the little 7ECA.

During one winter I guess it was 76/77 I wound up in Pittsburgh flying Air Mail and Emory Airfreight.  It's too long a story to begin to tell here.  What a winter.  It became a huge stepping stone an my aviation career.  I got 175 hours in a Beech 18T.  This was a Hamilton conversion. twin beach with PT-6 turbines.   Although it did not require a type rating,  it was run by a two pilot crew and that was required by the contracts for mail and freight. (And you needed two guys to load the freight!) This was my first "Captain" job.  This Beech was a taildragger.  It was nicknamed a "Kerosene 18".

Ok.  Just one more taildragger from the past.  When I was 27 and 28 yrs. old I found myself flying DC-3's.  I got about 400 hrs. SIC time.  (Not sick time.  I learned all about that at the Major Airlines)  SIC second in command.  Co-Pilot.  Being a DC-3 copilot is an interesting job and you are too busy working to learn to be the Captain.  But that's another story.  I guess I got maybe 6 or 7 hundred hrs. Captain.  So add in another 1100 hrs. tailwheel to my logbook.

So here I am today 30 years later  I wanted to go light sport.  Cheaper, no medical, simpler,  back to the fun.  So sell the Cher OH Key right?  No I'm not ready to do that.  But I wanted a light sport airplane.  The hardest thing about getting what you want is figuring out what you want.  I decided it had to be a 7AC Champ.  It couldn't be a 7ECA,  my favorite.  Because it is too heavy to be a light sport.  Oddly,  like I said above, it is really the same airplane.  I couldn't find a 7AC.  They all need engine overhauls and recovering.  Or they are all done like new and dolled up.  Then they start at $47K if you can find one.

Usually airplanes find me.  That's how I got my Citab.  That's how I got my M10 Cadet.  And that is how I got the Luscombe I just bought one month ago.  A Lucombe for me, for my light sport plane.  Luscombe was not even on my radar.  I didn't think it was cool.  I never paid much attention to them.  I figured since I couldn't find a Champ,  I'd just wind up with a J-3.  They start at $40K.  Anyway the Luscombe came to me from a friend who hated to get rid of it,  but he had too many toys.  Nice toys.  Like a '56 Cessna 310 Songbird straight tail tuna tank gorgeous Oshkosh winner.  So he never advertised the Luscombe.  He offered it to me and I said yes.  Now I own a taildragger,  like my first plane.  I am the "full circle pilot".

A few weeks ago another buddy who is immensely qualified gave me an hour's dual in the Luscombe.  Then I started flying it solo.  I'm learning to fly all over again.  It has been a humbling experience.  I used to be a real hotshot in taildraggers.  I'll never even say that again.  I could do a whole blog post about the details of the various techniques and problems that I have been working on since I started flying the Luscombe.  Before I close,  just let me give one example and suffice it to say I've been working at this!  Every project is more difficult than you expect it to be.  After getting in about 35 landings and maybe7or 8 hours in this thing,  I finally got in my first "wheel landing".  And I hopefully can perfect that as I go so that from now on all my crosswind landings can be wheel landings which makes it go better.  Oh,  and by the way I have loved every single minute of it.  And the Luscombe is basically the same type of light sport classic plane as the J-3 or the Champ except it costs half as much, goes considerably faster, and is all metal.

I took it to the Horn Point fly in.  And the Kentmorr fly in.  And hopefully many more to come.  My Cher OH kee is parked outdoors.  And dirty.  And not flown.  And only gets attention from my nephew and his uncle.  It probably thinks I don't love it anymore.  But I love it very much.  And I newly appreciate it's electric starter and it's nose wheel.

GAI          ::::+::::

More Third Class Blues

I was so excited when I got the word about the AOPA and EAA working together to get rid of the toxic FAA third class medical. It sounded so reasonable. Now I'm a bit worried about the commenters in our ranks. I saw a lot of negative comments about the proposal. And the proposal hasn't even been written yet. The negative commenters all say the same thing. They don't want any limitations put on the new "3rd class medical free" pilots. They don't want the third class to go away in a "light sport" kind of way. They want the new rules to allow the recreational pilot to fly at night, on instruments, in planes up to 6000 lbs. With as many passengers as the plane can hold. Any horsepower etc. This group of commenters are basically in line with the petition that was written a year or so ago, that suggests that the third class is useless and we ought to get rid of it. The petition mentions the 6000 lbs. The problem with this approach is two fold. First, it asks for too much and the FAA will not agree to it. Second, it doesn't take advantage of the "foot in the door" that the light sport rules present. If it weren't for light sport, there would be no flying at all without the medical. (except gliders, ultra light etc). We all know that the 1320 lb. restriction is hopelessly ridiculous. But it at least got rid of the 3rd class on some level. It won general aviation something it needed for a long time. I am gratefull for it. I'll get a classic light sport myself in order to keep flying. I think we full circle pilots and basic general aviation pilots ought to get behind this AOPA/EAA proposal. If it is done with the restrictions, ala light sport, it will likely pass. And a whole bunch of guys will be all set with a whole bunch of nice airplanes. Lets get this done in a way that the FAA can tolerate. The AOPA and EAA lawyers will know just how far to push it and get it passed. After this gets passed, we can always ask for more. I'm surprised we have light sport. And gratefull. Let's let our experts sell this next step to the FAA. It's got a good chance. Let's not blow it just so a very few of us can fly at night and IFR. I'm 62 years old and have 24,000 hours. Now I want to fly for fun. Keeping IFR recency, and charts, and airplane equipment, up for filing IFR is work. Not fun. And single engine at night: On a pretty night, I admit it's fun, but I can live without it. I wouldn't do much of it anyway, for obvious reasons. The same reasons that I don't want to fly single engine IFR. I'd rather have these planned proposal limitations to drop the 3rd class, then no new deal at all. We'll set this deal back, or kill it, if we shoot for the moon. Goodbye 1320 lbs. I sure hope so. GAI :::::+:::::

A Ray of Hope in Third Class Blues

Out of the AOPA Summit in Hartford just today, just now, came a big announcement. An announcement that will hopefully be a lifestyle changer for me. The AOPA in cooperation with the EAA (that in itself is a miracle!), is putting together a proposal to be submited to the FAA after the first of the year. The proposal would eliminate the FAA 3rd class medical. It would allow all licensed pilots to fly with a drivers license for recreational purposes in the way that "light sport" pilots now fly. There will be limitations on this medically self monitored recreational flying. The limitations will be decided in the coming months for the proposal. Examples of the limitations might be: 180hp or less, 4 seats or less, one passenger only, day/VFR. We will hear a whole lot about this in the coming year. The difference for me in having a new, rational, medical situation for recreational flying means I would keep and fly my little Cherokee which I am familiar with. And I would not have to get a light sport aircraft: which I do not want anyway, and which I would not be as safe in, and which I would likely have to hand prop, and which would require some difficulty and expense to set up with radios that I would be comfortable in using in the SFRA and other situations. The EU and the manufaturers of new $120K light sport aircraft are not going to like this no 3rd class idea. Pilots will not be forced to buy their airplanes anymore. I'm sorry if this hurts their business. But I want them to know that I would never buy a little tiny 800 pound airplane for $120K in any circumstance, medical or not. If I see the EU and the light sport manufacturers lobbying against this new proposal, I intend to lobby against them. This new wave of energy to rid recreational flying of the cumbersome medical requirements, which were never needed in the first place, stands to be a huge boon and savior to American General Aviation. We need this. I need this. And I know I speak for many. Anyone who has a "special issuance" knows how absurd the 3rd class really is. Okay my post on this is almost over. I got one more thing to say. I have read remarks made against getting rid of the 3rd class. The remarks may be from people who have something to gain from the light sport manufacturing industry. But some remarks seemed to be from regular general aviation pilots who want their fellow pilots to "able" when they share the sky. These nay sayers need to back up their senseless fears with statistics or shut the hell up. Someone with a medical certificate of any class is just as likely to be incapacitated as someone who is self certifying. And one other thing nay sayer: if you like the third class so much then just go and get a second or first class as much as you want. By the way, you will find all three classes are almost exactly the same! But stay out of our fight to keep flying. We want to fly as long as we are healthy and we want to fly all our wonderful and safe airplanes in the aging fleet such as the Cessna 172. America has the majority of General Aviation aircraft. Our fleet is old and reliable. Our pilots are old and reliable. Let's fly.

8th Annual Fly-In at Lloyd's

The fly in was August 6th. I tried to get ready. We were in a major heat wave. So I didn't really need to mow. I patched fallen plaster. I had three tires from three different vehicles repaired or replaced. I cleaned up my stack of engineered lumber, and in the process Eric and I built eight benches. I hired Eric to work with me for about 30 hours over three weeks. We moved and painted 4 picnic tables. We decluttered the hangar and the hangar's loft. I knocked down some brush and woods to try to create what I called an "Infinity View" in the back yard. My wife and I took 4 pickup truck loads full of junk and clutter from the house to the dump over a 7 day period. The attic is still chock full. We scraped, primed and painted the northwest wall of the house. I added a bed to the man cave. My wife got us ready for eight overnight houseguests. I took my wife to dinner at CGE on Friday, a week before the fly-in in the Piper. Then the next night took Eric to dinner at GED in the Piper. We spent a whole day clearing brush. I primed and painted the hay wagon. On Thursday before the fly in my buddy Brian 3 came over and stayed a week. We extended the stage in the hangar by two and a half feet. We cleared all the storage off the stage and set up the bandstand to get it ready for Jon the drummer and light man. I had a port a potty delivered. My buddies flew in from Asheville Friday night and we started working even harder. We mowed and built a few tie downs and drank some beer. My wife's mom and her husband came in also Friday night.. I visited and kept working. I slept about three hours and got up at dawn and it was fly-in day. I mowed a parking area in the field in front. At about 11AM the planes came in. We had Trey and Janice. The quintessential fly-in attendees. They had the Luscombe. But some day they will bring in thier other plane. A classic 310. Then came an Arrow and a beautiful Saratoga. Another 172. A Decatholon. An Alon A-2 from SBY. A beautiful RV-8, and a Classic Stearman. We had wheels with the wings. We had a bike group led by my buddy Brad. There were nine BMW's from the western shore One of the BMW's was a Triumph. Two of the BMW's were Harleys. These guys are so nice and so colorful. They make any get together a phenomonon. I had two secret celebrities too. Of course, by definition, I can't tell you who they were. We wound up with eleven planes, nine motorcycles, one Quad named "night rider", a bright red Saturn Sky Turbo with the top down, which was a big hit on the flight line. Over eighty people. Most of the kids went swimming and the pool seemed perfect, thanks to my wife who overhauled the robot vacuum and tweaked up the chemicals. Rain threatened all day but never came. Folks from far away like Hancock and Philly started heading out and the bikes rolled down the driveway. The airplanes said goodbye with a flair and a fly-by. The Stearman and the Asheville airplane stayed tucked in for the night. As the sun went down I finally got some takers on my hay wagon ride. With my mentor Steve driving the old International we had a nice cool ride with the moon coming up big and deer at the treeline. We had about twenty people on that wagon. When we got back, we turned on the stage. And Jon's Disco Billy neon train wreck lights. There were three real musicians there: Jon, Gary, and Mikey. And some open mike hogs like yours truly. They played some great blues. I got to sing some ballads. I guess about twelve folks stayed over and we were in the pool to the wee hours. They got me up on Sunday morning and I was a zombie. Another three hour night's sleep. We took two planes and two cars over to CGE and we all ate at Kay's. The Stearman and the Cessna fueled up and we watched them head west in the 9AM, humid already, 80 degree air. Wife and Brian 3 and I drove home. "What are you going to do now Lloyd?" "Sleep and then swim." GAI :::::+:::::

Smoketown

We got a late start yesterday on going up to Smoketown. We arrived at 1PM or so. It was winding down. The weather wasn't pretty. There had been 180 airplanes in attendance. That's a lot despite the weather. We didn't see much. We had our $200 hamburger and went home. I saw a beaver. Not a De Havilland. A little critter that scooted along the ramp when we were refueling. We got delayed about an hour waiting out a thunderstorm. Then there was this lovely flight home with the atmosphere washed clean and everything green. We landed at home and for the first time ever I was in the back seat of my CherOHkee for a landing. I was not to see the 180 airplanes. I was not to get my free T shirt I had registered for. I was not to get much in the way of food. I was not to see many of my friends. But after my two buddies and I landed here at home we went into the hangar and had a drink and sat around and talked, I was very happy indeed. We had parked our two little sports cars right next to eachother in the hangar and had ample room when we rolled in the CherOHkee. It never fit like that before. But I had cleaned house in the hangar and made it bigger somehow. Smoketown wasn't a bust at all. Being with my two good pilot friends made it a very good day indeed. I think you make your own good days. A fancy fly in can't make you happy. You make you happy. I still havn't gotten back to normal since our fly-in here. That was eight days ago. That fly-in got me motivated to de clutter a bit around here. And work toward a goal. That enabled me to make myself happy. Be happy my friends. LloydLou.com GA Informal :::::+:::::