Dawn Patrol. First light is past, as is the sunrise. The sky above is clear and blue, yet there is no direct sun. A line of cumulous to the east, out beyond the coast, is guarding us from the early morning rays that promise another scorching summer day. The air is calm and seemingly almost cool in the shadow of those clouds, and the lure of flight is too much to resist. I glance at the clock - I have the time! As I strap on the Valkyrie, my hands flow through the familiar pattern that brings her to life, and in a wink of an eye we are climbing through the dead calm of morning. Not so much as a ripple disrupts my flight path ? the airplane is connected to my eyes through my fingertips as we head out to the practice area.
I look to the east and see a magnificent sight ? rays of sunlight beaming out from behind a distant line of clouds, towering upward and shading miles and miles of earth. The sunlight leakied around the edges of the vapor white hot, searing to the eye. I look to the west and see more early clouds, off in the distance, their tops glowing bright white as they top the shade from their eastern cousins. I fly along in the cool, shaded air, and realize that I am not really on the flat gulf coast ? it is as if I was in the mountains far to the west, the land below me a fifty mile basin, the clouds rimming us like mountain ranges thousands of feet high, beckoning in the distance. The sun was breaking over the eastern range, looking for all the world like it was in eclipse, the coronal fingers sneaking around the edges of the towers, glowing and flashing as I flew through the cracks in the sky ? like jumping across glowing tendrils of lava in a volcanic field.
The sunlight became less scattered as I climbed out of my little basin, but up ahead, a small patch of cumulous offered shade for a little while longer. I ducked behind them as I reached a safe aerobatic altitude, the shade providing a nice little box in which to get my morning exercise. I let the Val have her head as we rolled and looped in the shadows, playing hide and seek with an ever-growing sun. The game could only last for a few minutes as the day grew bold, but that short time was enough to invigorate the soul and prepare myself for the work to come. I looked at my watch ? I was due back. The schedule beckoned, so I released the G?s that held us in our hiding spot, rolling as I dove out into the sun, heading for home and a soft touchdown.
It?s 0700?time for breakfast.
Paul
I look to the east and see a magnificent sight ? rays of sunlight beaming out from behind a distant line of clouds, towering upward and shading miles and miles of earth. The sunlight leakied around the edges of the vapor white hot, searing to the eye. I look to the west and see more early clouds, off in the distance, their tops glowing bright white as they top the shade from their eastern cousins. I fly along in the cool, shaded air, and realize that I am not really on the flat gulf coast ? it is as if I was in the mountains far to the west, the land below me a fifty mile basin, the clouds rimming us like mountain ranges thousands of feet high, beckoning in the distance. The sun was breaking over the eastern range, looking for all the world like it was in eclipse, the coronal fingers sneaking around the edges of the towers, glowing and flashing as I flew through the cracks in the sky ? like jumping across glowing tendrils of lava in a volcanic field.
The sunlight became less scattered as I climbed out of my little basin, but up ahead, a small patch of cumulous offered shade for a little while longer. I ducked behind them as I reached a safe aerobatic altitude, the shade providing a nice little box in which to get my morning exercise. I let the Val have her head as we rolled and looped in the shadows, playing hide and seek with an ever-growing sun. The game could only last for a few minutes as the day grew bold, but that short time was enough to invigorate the soul and prepare myself for the work to come. I looked at my watch ? I was due back. The schedule beckoned, so I released the G?s that held us in our hiding spot, rolling as I dove out into the sun, heading for home and a soft touchdown.
It?s 0700?time for breakfast.
Paul
