A Blast From The Past!
As it is the last day of the Year and we start another tomorrow.....most of us take a moment to contemplate the past year and consider what the new one might hold.
When I opened pprune a few minutes ago.....an old acquaintance had left a PM for me to read.
I met him at Duxford when I was there flying the Huey owned by Phil Connolly.
At some point in a weak moment I allowed this young fellow to sit in the pilot seat of the Huey.
I very much regret that now.....as in his PM he informed me of the approaching likelihood of his becoming a licensed helicopter pilot.
He remarked of the impact of sitting in the Huey seat had on him and strengthening his desire to become a helicopter pilot one day.
I suppose I played an unknowing role in spreading the illness most of us have suffered....wanting to fly.
I very much wish him well in his flying and am humbled to receive such a compliment as was made by his taking time to catch up with me all these years later.
I look back at my flying career and as I have remarked many times in the past....if I ever write a book it will be about the people I have met and what a treasure so many of them are to me.
One of my regrets is I treated my Log Book as a sterile place to document flight hours and aircraft types.....and did not add photos, and journal entries to more fully describe each flight and event related to those days.
I have been very fortunate in been honored to know some very good folks over the years.
Perhaps I shall write that book one day....but will have to leave a few chapters out to protect the guilty.
Happy New Year to all....and especially to our fledgling aviator for reminding me of why we should all be ambassadors for our trade and industry.