Up, Up and Away!

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Up, up and away, is not nearly as easy as down, down, crash the ground!

Bruce's newest hobby is radio control airplanes, a joy that he shares with Bryan. A rogue airfield is just 3 miles from our home, allowing Bruce to head there when it's a good day to fly. One of his earlier flights ended with a crash, and he spent the next four months reconstructing the plane, piece by piece, oftentimes fabricating the new parts himself. Actually he got almost as much enjoyment from rebuilding as the actual flying. He came to realize the value of a "experienced flyer" to coach him until he got his wings again. He changed the name of his plane from Aveastar to Halfastar after he rebuilt the entire front end. Bryan holds Bruce's plane back as Bruce revs the engine for pre-flight testing.

Flight Conditions favorable: dry, low wind, good visibility and low air traffic. Bryan and Bruce await their turn for the runway. Sometimes there are as many as five planes in the air at a time, but they are usually experienced pilots. Chris named this activity "The Good Old Boys Club" since there is an unspoken rule to not invite the wife and kids. Plane etiquette dictates that if someone crashes, no one laughs. A comment like, "It's a good thing I remembered to bring a bag!" or "Cool, did you see that huge cloud of dust where he hit?" are not acceptable.



Bryan's maiden flight with a flight coach. He has yet to crash his plane. (Bruce says, "He has yet to land his his plane by himself either.")It's a well-ordered group of flyers ranging in age from 12-70+. Notice that Bryan's coach is a "Bruce-Wanna-Be" - he is wearing suspenders too....AND they don't match either!