to create
Got back up in the air yesterday, just to maintain currency. In order to carry passengers I have to have 3 takeoffs and landings in the past 90 days (as per the FAA regulations), but at Sugar Valley the local regulations are more tight on account of the tiny runway and obstructions: 3 takeoffs and landings in the past 30 days. I flew over to Diane’s house again, did a few laps, flew back and did a couple of takeoffs and landings, to meet the requirement. It was cloudy almost all day, the ceiling was very low, but around when I got in the air things had cleared up somewhat, although there was still a slight layer of haze around 2000 ft that hadn’t yet burned off.
While performing the first takeoff of the evening I was freshly struck with the novelty of being able to move along all three axes. For the first thousand feet or so, the takeoff run is just like being in a quickly-accelerating car. But after that point, when my “car” is moving around 55-60 mph, I can pull back on the “steering wheel” and have the “car” move upward, against gravity’s pull, watching the ground fall away and seeing the tops of the trees. It was a fresh realization of that, and I loved it. Diane and I discussed it later–the pressure being gone, the wonder is returning, but accompanied with the God-given skill and knowledge to do things as they should be done. It’s a wonderful place to be. As I pulled back on the yoke yesterday evening and rose above the treetops, I felt a hint of the companionship of the myriad nightly dreams of flight I’ve had. The experience is unique.