Archive for the ‘Aviation’ Category
A Lazy Sunday With John Denver
It’s still really hot outside. So hot that Peter and I decided that we had no choice but to lock ourselves in the house and do nothing. It’s been fantastic. During this day of nothingness, we decided to wipe the dust off of our instruments and give ‘em a whirl. It’s been months since we played and we thought we’d honor a fellow pilot by attempting to play one of his greatest songs (Take Me Home Country Road). It’s not the best rendition but it was a ton of fun and our boy, Simba, sure did like it (at least for the first 3 minutes). )–Update: for some reason the video isn’t working so Im going to have to upload it later!)
For those of you that didn’t know, John Denver was a pilot. He died in 1997 when he crashed his Long EZ into the Pacific Ocean. It was a tragic accident and every bit of it could have been prevented.
Apparently, he purchased the plane just one day before he crashed. It’s so sad. He was a very experienced pilot but made some really bad decisions. He was unfamiliar with the plane and had less than an hour experience flying it (they say he only had a 30 minute check-out). What’s most sad is that the entire accident really could have been prevented if he only did a thorough check-out and had a little more experience with the aircraft. While in flight he realized that there was not enough fuel to get him where he needed to go so he needed to switch tanks. Sounds easy, right? Well, it would have been if he knew more about that particular plane! The Long EZ is an experimental aircraft (aka: homebuilt) and it had a few configurations that he wasn’t familiar with, specifically that the fuel selector valve was behind his shoulder. This, compounded with having a sticky O-Ring (?) made it difficult to switch tanks so while he was trying to work it all out, he did a nose dive at 500 feet. For those of us with pilots in our lives, its a horrifying thought. Thank g-d for pre flight check lists, and for all the pilots that use them.
Peter and I are dedicating this one to John Denver. Rest In Peace.
[Insert WORKING video here!] Sorry, folks..
Crazy Train: Our Trip to Manteo
I finally figured it out. I can’t tell you how much work was put into the production of this ridiculously simple video. Last Summer, Peter and I flew to Manteo, North Carolina. It was an incredible trip and I did my best to video tape it. We left from Chesterfield Airport around 11:00 AM and made it to Manteo in about an hour, which is pretty amazing considering it is about a 4 hour drive.
After we returned I spent countless hours on my Mac trying to figure out how to put music to this video. I’m not sure how those ‘kids’ figure this stuff out so quick, but it took me a really long time. Either way, thanks to Garage Band and Ozzie, here she is.
Our trip to Manteo. Enjoy!
