five thousands hours ago...

[wmelo]

From Lucas Machado, Brazilian HG Pilot, who completed 5,000 hours flying.

"5,000 hours ago

I saw my feathers begin to grow.
I have seen how fragile life is and how powerful nature is.
I saw how small the world is, up there.
And how infinite is great.

I saw rivers, lagoons, dams, seas and waterfalls.
I saw hills, mountains, mountains, peaks and mountain ranges.
I saw cities grow and forests disappear.
I saw pastures, plantations, fires and mining.

I saw clouds grow and dissipate.
I saw breezes and bursts.
I saw lightning and heard thunder.
I saw rains and storms.

I saw my shadow on the cloud.
I saw that she is outlined by a rainbow.
I saw the blue of a winter sky.
And the pollution below the inversion.

I saw birds of prey, condors, and king vultures.
I saw swallows copulating in mid-flight.
I have never seen a harpy or a maned wolf.
They all saw me.

I saw Mantiqueira, the Andes, the Alps, and the Canastra.
I saw the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean.
I saw the Sacred Valley and the Paraopeba Valley.
I saw all sides of the coin.

I saw (more closely than I should) fences, poles, wires, trees, and roofs.
I saw helicopters, balloons, ultra-light and gliders.
I think they saw me, too.
I did not see anything in the clouds.

I saw the consecration of friends and the resignation of others.
I have seen the resilience of some and the desistance of others.
I saw the hits of some and the misconceptions of others.
I have seen the passion of all.

I saw the technological advance.
I saw that our mentality has hardly evolved.
I saw the yield of our wings increase.
I saw their safety struggling to improve.

I've seen death closely, more than once.
I saw open reservations and others that almost opened.
I saw broken wings and others closed.
I saw the ground quickly pulling away and also approaching.

I saw Pepê next to my wing.
I also saw Calais and Paulinho.
I saw friends die and their children are born.
I saw the cry of those who shared.

I saw that the causes of the accidents remain the same.
I saw that we ourselves are most responsible for them.
I saw recklessness, malpractice and neglect.
I also saw luck smiling.

I saw the romanticism of the newbies.
And the malice of the veterans.
I saw the boldness of the young people.
And the caution of the more experienced.

I saw it all from above.
Where I see what I truly am:
A visionary."

[mingram]

very nice! and how did you get a phone number with your name in it?

[wmelo]

Those who are very important people (VIP) can request phone #s with their names


Seriously, it is google phone #. Once you subscribe to google voice, you can pick a number. Calls to that number are forwarded to your actual phone#