One of my friends here in Aruba is a member of the Aruba Flying Club. Late this afternoon, he invited me to meet some other members of the club and have a look at their plane. Here’s a photo of us, hanging out beside the Cessna 172 that was just back from a lesson.

The guy on the left is the one who re-started the club after it had ceased operation many years ago. The next fellow is a resident instructor. Then there’s my pal, and I’m last.

Thanks to the many commercial flights that come to Aruba every day, there is plenty runway. There’s also a tower to keep an eye on the traffic. This all makes it safer for new pilots. One challenge to flying in Aruba is the constant and gusty trade winds that buffet the island. You may not notice it in a jetliner, but it takes plenty of skill and quick reflexes in a 172. Training in these conditions provides valuable experience.

I’m grateful to my friends for the introduction to their club. I look forward to flying with them in the future.

Bon dia from Aruba.

…counting since that first human footprint on the moon. It took brains and guts to sit atop a missile aimed at the moon, going where the odds of survival should anything go wrong were slim to none. And things had gone off plan several times before. Still, three men, climbed into the capsule to take those odds. They beat them by climbing back out alive several days later.

When you’re feeling weak or not up to any particular challenge, think of the Apollo 11 crew and all the support people who made it possible for this incredible human achievement to be logged in the history books. If they did it, you can do it, too.

It’s coming up on the 4oth Anniversary of the first human to walk on the moon. It must have been literally amazing to see that happen on television. Today, we take space travel as a sort of ho-hum event, unless there’s a tragedy. Otherwise, it’s just another day at the office. Nonetheless, space exploration remains a dangerous, and at the same time, adventurous business that attracts some of the greatest minds on planet earth. I salute these brave and intelligent souls. They have more guts and brains than me. It’s one thing to get there; something else entirely to get back.

If you’re interested in checking out the restored tapes of the first moonshot, go to: http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html. They have a great website at NASA, full of info, photos, and videos. Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Hopefully you’ll never need the services of a med-evac helicopter like the one pictured below.

This is one operated by PENNSTAR, affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. I’ve seen these helicopters in action. It’s impressive. The pilot’s fly in all kinds of weather and have to land at the sites of car wrecks, train derailments, even other plane crashes. This is difficult duty to say the least. Then there is the pressure of flying with someone’s life in danger, which adds more pressure to an already stressful task.

So, my thanks go out to the pilots, nurses, and staff of this system. Hopefully, I’ll never see the inside of one of those helicopters. But you never know.

This airplane goes by the name of the Piper “Cub.” It’s signature shape is recognizable after more than fifty years in the air. Countless pilots first took to the air in this machine, which William Piper developed to satisfy his own desire to take to the air.

The proven design still flies, which is testament to Piper’s philosophy. Today, most people refer to planes of this configuration as “tail draggers,” meaning that there is a small wheel at the tail which sits lower than the nose. Truthfully, the correct term is “conventional” gear as opposed to “tricycle” gear. Well, this may be an esoteric digression here at The Bent Page, but I just wanted to set the record straight. And here’s a look at the power plant that pulls this craft through the sky.

It only takes four, air-cooled cylinders to do the job as this is a very light airplane. The cylinders are exposed from the cowling to promote cooling. These engines typically operate for about 2000 hours before requiring an overhaul. Then there is the cockpit.

As you can see, only the basics are here. You have an airspeed indicator and an altimeter, a tachometer for the engines along with oil temp and pressure. There’s a compass to point the way and a turn and slip indicator which is that curved, clear tube in the center with the black ball in it. The turn and slip indicator lets the pilot know that he’s flying in a coordinated fashion (or not) and this is an important concept in flight. If the aircraft is uncoordinated, it is slipping or skidding just like a car on ice. The problem is, in certain adverse conditions a slip or skid can lead to a spin and spins can end in tragedy. Hence the simple yet highly effective device.

Note that placard on the panel that says solo flight from the rear seat. This is to improve the balance of the plane when only one person is aboard. So if you ever see just one guy in the back you’ll know why.

At any rate, airplanes like this are fading from sight. It’s not cheap to fly and the interest among young people has declined a bit. I can’t imagine a computer game is ten percent as thrilling as flying a Piper Cub but tastes do change. I’d rather be the one doing something than among the others talking about someone doing something. Ah, well, to each his own.