This was the first trainer that I started out flying in pilot training - Enid, OK...(beautiful wheat-fields): the T-37 Tweet. I had a great time doing acrobatics in this amazing airplane. You sat side-by-side with your instructor.
My next wild ride was the T-38 "Talon." This thing moved fast! My first (and last) experience in supersonic flight. These types of airplanes, and the personalities it attracted, were a little too "fast-paced" for my liking.
The Lord in His sovereignty sent me to something a little more my pace - the B-52 "Buff." Let me just say right off that this is a Manly-Man's airplane. Just imagine 8 jet engines all at your command in one single arm movement. I wouldn't call it a "rush," but it was definitely a recognition that you were flying something that, at the push of a button, could dramatically change world history. I was sitting in the cockpit of one of these at Barksdale AFB, LA on the morning of Sept 11th, 2001. My interest was piqued when I heard the call over Barksdale's Tower frequency that, "Air Force 1, request to land, Runway 15," and saw the huge, blue and white Presidential shuttle land right next to us. President Bush gave a press conference there shortly after the morning attacks on the World Trade Center - what an amazing happenstance!
The B-52 had its own weariness (as does everything else); and God, once again, in His intimate knowledge of who He created me to be, ordained that I fly the world's most successful and well-known Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - the MQ-1 "Predator."
What an adventure this has been! Not only does it carry it's own arsenal of 2 Hellfire missiles, but you can fly it from half-way around the world! It scares me to think about the inventions our country is testing without the public's knowledge. I have to say that I love this $4 million experiment. $3.5M is wrapped up in the cameras alone! - all contained in the little "ball" hanging below the nose of the airplane. The rest of the structure really doesn't cost that much - it only boasts a snowmobile size engine and fairly flimsy landing gear. But it sure has made a huge impact on the way the military views the future of aviation!
So here I am in Vegas, teaching pilots how to fly this bite-size piece of aviation history. It's neat to reflect on where God has taken me (us), and what He's got in store for our future. I'm not sure the teaching gig can be a long-term thing for me, though - I can't stand hearing myself talk for hours on end - or even minutes for that matter!
The Lord in His sovereignty sent me to something a little more my pace - the B-52 "Buff." Let me just say right off that this is a Manly-Man's airplane. Just imagine 8 jet engines all at your command in one single arm movement. I wouldn't call it a "rush," but it was definitely a recognition that you were flying something that, at the push of a button, could dramatically change world history. I was sitting in the cockpit of one of these at Barksdale AFB, LA on the morning of Sept 11th, 2001. My interest was piqued when I heard the call over Barksdale's Tower frequency that, "Air Force 1, request to land, Runway 15," and saw the huge, blue and white Presidential shuttle land right next to us. President Bush gave a press conference there shortly after the morning attacks on the World Trade Center - what an amazing happenstance!
The B-52 had its own weariness (as does everything else); and God, once again, in His intimate knowledge of who He created me to be, ordained that I fly the world's most successful and well-known Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - the MQ-1 "Predator."
What an adventure this has been! Not only does it carry it's own arsenal of 2 Hellfire missiles, but you can fly it from half-way around the world! It scares me to think about the inventions our country is testing without the public's knowledge. I have to say that I love this $4 million experiment. $3.5M is wrapped up in the cameras alone! - all contained in the little "ball" hanging below the nose of the airplane. The rest of the structure really doesn't cost that much - it only boasts a snowmobile size engine and fairly flimsy landing gear. But it sure has made a huge impact on the way the military views the future of aviation!
So here I am in Vegas, teaching pilots how to fly this bite-size piece of aviation history. It's neat to reflect on where God has taken me (us), and what He's got in store for our future. I'm not sure the teaching gig can be a long-term thing for me, though - I can't stand hearing myself talk for hours on end - or even minutes for that matter!
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