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Dave: I can only imagine your joy and delight at your accomplishment. Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to "break through" at about 10,500 and was greeted by this beautiful site of the sun bouncing off the tops of the clouds, against the azure blue sky. These are the things God gives to us to enjoy and ponder the magnificence of His creation. I wonder what keeps the birds on course ?Doug
Dave, you're a gem for sharing this with us. Thanks
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Doug,
Congratulations,,,, you were the first one to jump on what to me was one of the most fascinating aspects of that encounter, Their navigational ability. Each time they returned to course they were dead on, even with the change in lead. The day was clear and visibility about as good as it gets around the DFW area (10-20 mi). but obviously with their inability to hold a sectional still they were not navigating off ground reference. Looking back on it now in retrospect it would have been interesting to follow for a few hours and see if the suns position was a factor. What I know about birds can pretty well fill up a thimble and not spill over the top.
I guess the bottom line in all this is what a joy flight can be, at least for me, and I think we tend not to share the beauty of it with each other, or to the non-flying public. A real pity that we tend not to discuss this aspect of flying. We are quick to share the technical aspects or the moments that require a change of underwear but not the beauty,,,, and that is why in reality we really do climb back into the cockpit. Flight is magical and beautiful,,,, never loose the magic or beauty or you loose your soul as a pilot and become just another system in the plane.
>>>>
Dave
41 Charlie
Dave's Ercoupe Page
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