This blog is going hot!

Well, the shoulder surgery went well and now it's time to get busy and resume the blog! And traveling!

We're leaving the house in the tender care of Micky's mom, the neighbors, and Rex, Micky's brother. It's nice not to leave the house empty!

We've published an itinerary in detail so our friends can find us. Basically, we're going to the Gulf Coast of Florida and then mess around.

The big reason for the trip is that I'm finally going to get a Pilot's License and fly as Pilot-in-command. I've been in aviation for over 40 years, broke Mach in a Phantom, operated Intruders all over the world including off the Coral Sea and Midway. Even though I've got nearly 2000 hours flying in corporate jets while kneeling between the cockpit seats (Don't even think it!), I've never had a license!

First I was too poor, then too busy, then the FAA would not have liked my blood pressure medicines.

In 2004 they changed the rules and established the Sport Pilot license and Light Sport Aircraft category of planes. But the aircraft in 2004 were pitiful. A 65-horsepower J3 Cub is a classic airplane, but totally impractical, loud and uncomfortable for any usefull trip. That coupled with a $5k training load and no place to rent a plane even close meant the dream was a selfish one.

So I built the world's greatest home-built flight simulator cockpit in the spare bedroom and toured the upper reaches of the ether electronically. Made me very happy.

Then the Germans built a great little folding-wing carbon-fiber cutie named the Remos.

I whined and sulked around while my shoulder healed and did my research. Money and time are very persuasive. I've got both to spend on this project! And both my wife and my girlfriend support me in my madness.

Called Jim Julius in Sarasota and lay bare my soul along with the numbers on a VISA card.

Now I have the big flight bag full of goodies and skadoodles of study materials. Just for fun I set up a practice test. Passed with 90%. Tried it again and was lucky to get credit for spelling my name right. I know most of the material, but the gaps (stuff I never needed to learn) are glaring. And althoughh I'm very comfortable in the cockpit, the sight picture for determining elevation on approach and all the other "square-jawed hero pilot shit" was replaced by my swagger and attitude.

Watch the blog for my bloopers.