Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Kingless Crossing

In the days of old, when pilots were bold,
A kingless crossing would never be told.

But on this north day a voice from a cloud
Decreed this time only it would be allowed!
As king's word is law, let's see him proud.

One by one his subjects made the cross;
Failure here would be an epic loss:
A flight in the kingdom without the air boss.

Alex ran out of time to fly before the morning squalls dried up, and he had to leave to pick up his kids early from school. A rare day: the King of Kahana did not get under his wing. As my daughter Kalei would say, "You don't hear that every day." At the end of the day, perched on his rooftop with radio in hand, he cheered team Gradient across the bay in the boaty north flow: Woody on his Freestyle, Maui Doug on an Aspen 3, Duck, Stalker and Sidehill on Aspen 4s. Meanwhile, our guests from Whistler, Joris and Janet, enjoyed their first Hawaii flights under their very colorful Sky wings. Kevin arrived late and enjoyed a local flight under One-Eye's former Aspen 3. And by his smile on the LZ, it's clear that he's a happy new member of team Gradient.

We could hear Frank and Johnimo at Makapuu, telling their life stories over the radio. I did finally tell them to get a room. I'm not sure who else flew there: some day we'll get a photographer or writer in that gaggle.

The debrief was short and mead-less. Kitchen passes were expiring: Woody's wife, Nancy, is in town, so he was gone upon landing. Maui Doug was rushing back to Shelly, Stalker to Jen, Duck to Ginger, Kevin to Heather and myself to Donna. We are pretty lucky that they put up with this addiction.

So, Alex: you did miss a day to cheer, but on the LZ you didn't miss a beer.

It's Time to Fly, Get Your Gear, jackets too, and Go!!!

2 comments:

Alex said...

Thanks for the writeup Thom. Sheer poetry. Not sure why that picture is so blurry though: you missed me so much you must have shed a few tears onto your lens!

Thom said...

My stories are more enjoyable after your brush, now if you could touch up the photos these would be more tolerable.

It's a little fuji water proof. Some day I might get an Iphone just to take pictures of course.