Second year of Aerobatics

    This is such a fun niche of the aviation world that I have only begun to discover.  

 

    I completed my 1st year of aerobatic competition in my Citabria flying at the contests in Hondo and Edna TX in the primary division.  I was the only pilot in primary in those two contests and won by default, but the trophies are nice.  My scores improved each time and I learned a lot more in the process of  being apart of these events.  My goal for the first year was to win the Texas series championship in Primary which I was glad to receive a trophy at the following year's Lone Star Aerobatic Championship.

    After having a lot of fun the first year, I set my 2nd year goal of being able to fly in the Sportsman division.  This division is more challenging for pilots flying high performance airplanes and the sequence is basically the most I can do with the 118hp Citabria.  I spent the spring practicing the more difficult sequence and got relatively comfortable with the figures I would have to fly.  Each practice run would leave me out of breath and exhausted.  I never got the chance to have another pilot judge my flying so I had no idea of how good or bad I was flying.

    Finally May rolled around and I was happy to be a part of the 2024 Lone Star Aerobatic Championship and compete in the higher division.  I enjoyed meeting the other pilots and flying the more exciting sequence.  My main goal was to fly three clean runs and let the scores fall where they may.  My scores weren't high, but I was happy with them considering the equipment I was working with.  At the end of the weekend I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had placed 8th out of 13 pilots.  

    Unfortunately the next competition in Kansas City was canceled due to weather and I suffered from maintenance issues over the summer so I didn't get to practice as much as I would have liked.  However with the slow schedule at work I made the decision to enter the two remaining Texas competitions and sign up for the IAC Nationals in September.   I knew I was hopelessly outclassed in airplane, but I just wanted to go an enjoy the experience and learn from the other pilots competing at that level.

    In September the contest at Hondo was a great warm up for the Nationals.  I got to fly against several pilots and really work on improving my scores.  I got some good advice on how to fly the more difficult figures so they would look better to the judges.  When I got back I immediately got to work cleaning up the airplane as much as I could.  I knew I would have top scores, but at least I could have a nice looking aircraft.  I was able to get my parents to come down to Ft Worth to help watch the kids for the week and Saturday  morning I was heading North before the sun was even up.

    Once I arrived in Salina KS I went through the usual paperwork and inspections that I had done before at every contest.  The only difference was the scale, Nationals had ninety pilots competing this year.  Just like any big operation it was a lot of hurry up and wait.  I was excited to meet the younger kids on the college teams.  I managed to fly the last practice session before a heavy storm rolled in.  Once I landed I discovered I couldn't make the turn off the runway with the strong winds pushing my tail around.  I had to shut down, jump out, physically push my plane off the runway, realign it into the wind, and then hop back in to taxi to the hangar.  Once I got to the hangar doors, about ten kids from the college team grabbed the wings and tail to push it into the hangar.  

    The rest of the contest flew by.  I was assigned to help judges who were scoring the intermediate and primary divisions.  I had never seen the gliders fly competition aerobatics before so that was a new experience.  My first two flights went ok, but the judges were strict and I didn't score as high as I would have liked, but my third flight scored about as well as I could expect.  One thing that was really nice about the nationals was that every flight was videoed and live-streamed on Youtube.  I actually got to watch myself fly the sequence right after landing which was great for learning from my mistakes.  Most importantly my boys got to watch me fly from home.  

    At the end of the week I was ready to fly home.  I had met my goal of three clean runs, and finished 2nd to last.  I had approached this event as one where I would be competing against myself and was generally happy with my scores and what I had accomplished.  Three weeks later I flew again at the Texas 2 Step in Edna which should be N86594's last contest.  Earlier this summer I had purchased a Pitts S1C and next year I won't be limited by the airplane I am flying, I'll only have myself to blame.  

    Flying aerobatics has been so much fun and has made me a much better and confident pilot. 

"We're praying for you"

Please stop.  

    The phrase "we've been praying for you" is yet another cheap platitude that is more insulting than reassuring and does nothing more than to make you feel good.  I honestly take it as more an insult than a blessing.   All that tells me is that you want to make yourself feel better without actually doing anything. 

    First, I don't believe for one second that you've given me or my family a second thought much less have been pouring your heart out to God on our behalf.  If you don't know any details about me or my family (such as how many kids I have) then I have zero belief that you are constantly praying over us.  Truth be told, I don't believe that there is anyone in any church, anywhere that even knows my kids exist.  I do know for a fact that no one in the church cares about my kids (or at least not enough to reach out to them).

   

    Second, the Apostle Paul said "5Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

See prayer is an expression of faith but just like faith without works it is dead unless it is followed up by practical action.  I'd much rather have your help than your prayers.  Most single parents are drowning under the crushing load of work, chores, bills, errands, doctor/dentist visits.   Before you pray for me, help me catch up on laundry, dishes, mow the grass.  

If I need real help, the church is last place I search for it.  My first call is to my unrepentant heathen brothers in the military.  I never have to wonder if they will come through for me.

  

  Third, prayer request time is usually a thinly veiled act of gossip, victimhood, bragging, and virtue signaling.   Some of the requests are genuine but far too many are nothing more than a way to grab attention and sympathy.  It gets quite ridiculous at times. 

    Prayer has real power.  To quote a USAF survival manual "Regardless if a deity is actually listening, there is a real impact in stating you needs and fears out loud."   Speaking aloud what we are afraid of, grateful for, worried about, and hope to come has both psychological and spiritual real effects.  However as James noted those prayers need to be followed up with real action.

    So if you care about me and my family at all, please stop praying for me and come fold my laundry.

The social media "highlight reel" problem.

    This past summer my family and I went on our usual long summer road trip.  We were able to visit DC, NYC, Boston and New England.  After this summer the kids can say that they've set foot in all of the lower 48 states.  I had a great time showing the kids around the sites where our nations early history actually happened.  I enjoyed sharing pictures on Facebook and Instagram with plenty of positive comments from family and friends commenting on our adventures.  

   However,  those pictures don't show the whole picture.  There's no picture of draining the sewage line from the RV.  No video of the epic meltdown by my 9 year old.  No record of the dozens of fights between brothers.  No consideration of the substantial expense of fuel, food, and activities.  Yuck!

    That's the biggest problem with social media.  We only see the highlight reel of people's lives and never the whole reality.  The reality is messy and nowhere near as glamorous as our "highlight reel" makes things look.  

    By itself this isn't a problem but inevitably it leads to us comparing our lives to our friends top ten moments.  All media has done this for ages leaving us with unrealistic standards to judge ourselves against.  It's such an easy trap to fall into even if you know it's there that most of us can't help ourselves.  

    We see our friends all living their "perfect" lives and think that somehow we are less than those perfect people on our social media.  In reality, they have plenty of fumbles, errors, bad calls, and interceptions that they just didn't share with you.

Turning my world upside down.

     This all started with me doing something really stupid.  

 

    After two years of owning an aerobatic capable airplane I told my self that I could try a simple roll.  Well, that was my annual reminder that I can be a complete idiot.  I screwed up the maneuver and wound up doing an ugly split S with the airspeed indicator past redline as I recovered.  Turns out that you really should get proper instruction before flipping your airplane upside down.  

    Ok, I wasn't a complete idiot.  My airplane is certified for aerobatic maneuvers and I started out with plenty of altitude.  I had done rolls and loops before as part of an "upset recovery" course so I thought I remembered how to do a proper roll.  As it turned out, I had selected the maneuver, a right slow roll, that my plane was most challenged by.

    After I had reminded myself that I'm stupid, I resolved to get proper training.  For my birthday I signed myself up for some aerobatic lessons with a local flight school.  They used a Decathlon which is very similar to my Citabria.  I was excited to learn how to properly fly some basic aerobatics.  After we were done, Curt told me "well, go home and practice these in your plane."   I honestly hadn't really considered that, but he was right.  The next time I went up I was able to fly loops, rolls, hammerheads, and cuban 8s.    It was like I had found a whole airplane that I didn't know I had.

    A month or so later a chance encounter at a regional fly in with a member of the local IAC chapter and I was able to see the routine for the Primary (or beginner) category.  I remember thinking "I can do all of these one at a time, I just have to string them together."  The next few times I went up I practiced the primary sequence and eventually signed up for a three day aerobatic training camp nearby.  That was a fun and intense few days of flying where I was able to make significant improvements in my flying.

    When May rolled around it was time for my first aerobatic competition.  I quickly discovered that it is a lot of "hurry up and wait" but it was also very educational.  I was assigned to assist one of the judges when I wasn't flying and was able to see what they were looking for.  Two of my boys were able to come watch me fly and watch the other pilots wring their airplanes out.

    When the contest was over I had placed third in the Primary division.  Considering the pilots and airplanes I was competing against, I am very happy with this result.  I hope to continue competing and flying my airplane in this new and exciting area.

No tears in Heaven?

      "Sinners in the hands of an angry God" is one of the most famous sermons of the 18th century.  It was a pivotal defining moment in modern Christianity leading to the first "Great Awakening" movement sweeping across America.  This mindset of God's condemnation has become so pervasive that the common perception of the lost is one of "God sending someone to Hell" for their sins.

    In June 1944 there were two great amphibious landings.  Everyone knows the importance of D-Day in Normandy but also 10 days later in the Pacific the Marines invaded the island of Saipan.  The invasion force consisted of 500 ships and 120000 men.  At Saipan the Japanese civilians and the native Chamorro people were told great lies about the brutality they could expect from the American invaders.  While the Japanese army had in fact been guilty of indiscriminate killings and rapes all across the theater, the US invaders would do nothing of the kind.   Any criminal conduct was rare and the military planners had brough food, medical supplies, and even pre-fabricated housing for the civilian population of the island.

    Despite all these measures the many of the civilians fled to the far north of the island as the Marines forced the Japanese to retreat.  Once there they had nowhere to run and believing the lies that they had been told many civilians decided to jump to their deaths into the shark filled waters below.  They had believed the lie that the Marines were coming to destroy them.  Marines that had spent weeks fighting and killing Japanese soldiers watched in horror as civilian old men and women threw their children and then themselves into the ocean.

 

Banzai Cliff Saipan

    Despite the common belief that God sits in Heaven waiting to judge anyone who has for whatever reason broken any of his arbitrary rules, the reality is quite different and much more tragic.  The reality is that God sits in Heaven in complete heartbreak while he watches helpless as thousands of people he loves throw themselves over the cliff.  

     No matter how badly he wants to, God can't force us to love him.  He can't stop us from walking away from him and throwing ourselves off that cliff.  Any parent who has lost a child to addiction or other self destructive behavior knows exactly how God feels about his lost children.  You would do anything in your power to , but you can't make the choice for them.

    The Bible notes how "Jesus Wept" after the death of his friend Lazarus which is one of the many examples of how God posses the entire range of emotions that we do.  He grieves even more for those that are lost than we humans ever can.  He rejoices for those that do turn off the wide road and come back to him even more than we can conceive.  

This video shows exactly how God feels about the lost.

        In June 1944, 18 year old PFC Guy Gabaldon was part of the invasion force.  From Mexican descent, he lived and was partially raised by a Japanese family learning the language.  He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 and was assigned to the 2nd Marines preparing for the invasion.  Once the invasion force landed, his conversational Japanese was in high demand integrating prisoners.  At night he snuck out beyond the American lines and started convincing Japanese soldiers and civilians to surrender.  

    Ultimately "The Pied Piper of Saipan" would facilitate the peaceful surrender of 1500 people who would have otherwise been killed outright or have jumped off those cliffs.  He wasn't always successful and was eventually wounded by some of the holdouts during the final days of the battle.  His heroic actions earned him the Navy Cross (the second highest award for valor).

    Despite our best efforts to run away from God and refuse to follow his path, God came down to Earth and lived among us.  He chose to sacrifice himself so that we would have a way home.   He loves us so much that he would do anything to give us the opportunity to turn back to him.  That is the message of Easter.

Death and Taxes

 

    Its amazing how something that is inevitable and happens to couples every day is never discussed much.  I understand how many people want to avoid talking about loosing the most important person in their lives, but this hit is coming and you need to brace yourself.

       Turns out every one of us has a fatal disease called life and despite all the advances of modern medicine, these bodies of ours mostly don't last past 80 years.  That means that we are all going to die some day and if we are part of a married couple and/or have children that depend on us someone is going to have to handle the aftermath.  Some will have this process drawn out over a long period of time others like me get hit suddenly out of nowhere. 

    Losing a spouse is one of the biggest emotional traumas that happens to a person, but it's as inevitable as the sun setting and rising each day.  So many people don't want to think about it but that is the wrong approach to take with this subject.  It may seem morbid to some, but accepting and planing for what happens after someone you love dies will make the hit slightly less painful (it's still going to hurt plenty).

    The first and most important advice is to hold on to whatever will keep you moving and out of the pit of depression that grief can pull you down into.  For me, my kids still had to be care for and that kept me from drowning in my grief.  Even when I felt like nothing more than looking at her pictures and crying, there would be some issue with the kids that needed attention.  Church, work, school, kids, volunteering, whatever it is that makes you get up, get dressed, and out of your grief bubble, you need to embrace it.

    Secondly is to acknowledge that your brain is not at 100% when dealing with grief.  To the maximum extent possible avoid making any big life changing decisions until you are thinking somewhat clearly.  The common advice is 6 months, but that will vary by each individual.  When Sarah passed, I decided very quickly that we would not be making any big changes till the end of the kids school year.  They needed the stability and familiarity of their neighborhood friends and schools for the first year.

    Everyone is going to want to talk to you about "what happened?"  It was particularly so in my case because of the sudden and unexpected nature of Sarah's passing as well as the media coverage.  It will be painful to retell the story of the worst day of your life, but it also makes you face things and will get easier over time.  Of course, "I don't like to talk about it" is a perfectly acceptable response too.

    Everyone will give you their advice, just smile and say thanks.  Only you know what is going to be best for you and your family.  Find a handful of trusted friends or family whose wisdom and advice you can count on.

 

    There are quite a few hidden pitfalls that surprised me (and many other widows/ers I've spoken too).   Hearing that these experiences are normal and common to everyone who goes through this has helped me deal with them as they hit.

    The one that everyone avoids talking about and surprised me most was "Widow's Fire".  You go from a happy, healthy, married sex life to instantly "no one is ever going to look at me that way again".  That is a big shock to your system.  Your body is used to the physical intimacy and dopamine hits from being with your spouse so it releases hormones craving what was lost.  In this day and age there are a multitude of ways to handle this poorly.  

    The biggest shock is how many friends you will lose through this process.  Everyone will tell you "if there's anything you need, just call" but a few months after the funeral they will all fade away.  The biggest gut-punch will be the people you thought you would be able to count on, but they let you down.  However, you will be surprised by someone who you never thought of who will become your rock.

    The first year is a giant shock to your system and every anniversary is a painful reminder that your partner isn't there with you anymore.  First birthday without them, first Christmas with an empty stocking, first summer vacation on your own, and many more.  Each one is a gut punch that will hurt.

    The second year is the worst for many people.  Everyone assumes that you are doing OK but you are most definitely not OK.  However as long as you keep your focus on the future and keep moving forward you will get through it.  At some point your grief will go into remission.  It will always be with you but your life will go on.

A Family for Everyone?

   At my church there is a big sign in the lobby that says "a family for everyone" and I roll my eyes every time.  They are good people and honestly mean it when they try to include everyone, but even the most dedicated outreach will miss someone who is drowning right under their noses.

    Some time ago a friend reposted this picture of a lion chasing a zebra colt with the caption "when people say they don't need the church."  The implication is that we are safer in the herd of the church family where we are safely protected by our close association of our close relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

                                    

    There is a problem with this metaphor, zebras don't have families.  They don't give a damn if that poor zebra colt gets eaten.  They only associate into herds because the odds of being attacked drop dramatically with large numbers of other targets in close proximity.  In this picture there are a dozen zebras looking at the child about to be eaten and they are passively looking on with an expression of "glad that's not me".  

    What that caption is assuming is that zebra are like horses.  Horses have a tight knit family that will fight for each other.  If there had been a foal in danger from a lion, the stallion would be charging, the mares would be guarding the other foals, and the lion would be the one running for its life.  If one of their herd is injured, they will surround and guard the hurt family member as long as possible until they recover.  Lions still get their fair share of horses, but not without the family doing everything possible to protect the lost.

    That's where today's church is failing miserably.  Today's church is what I like to call "the Sunday morning country club" where all the wonderful popular people go to see and be seen.  Meanwhile the hurt and wounded are simply abandoned and left to bleed out on the front steps.  Far too many people come looking for some connection and are simply excluded from the cliques that tend to form.    

    The most damning example of this in my life is the way our church forgot about my children. My older kids have all quit attending because they felt ignored and excluded.  No one at the church even noticed or cared that three orphan kids just disappeared.  James 1:27 specifically commands the church to minister to widows and orphans, but today's church seems to deliberately exclude single parents and their kids.

    Of course many people have had a good experience and have found a community in the local church.  I'm genuinely happy that so many have had a very different experience at church than I did.  Some have been welcomed with open arms and I'm glad they were.  However, it hasn't been that way for me and my family.