Wife support!

[Paul Tjaden]

Put Lauren to work this AM doing tandem discovery flights at Quest. I have found that her job with Visit Florida, though rewarding in many ways, doesn't create enough income to keep me in the style to which I have become accustomed. Her new job will add nicely to her other income and perhaps I can buy that new sail plane I have been eyeing.
Seriously, Lauren did great, her passengers loved her (not in that way) and she had a ball. Now I need to teach her how to fly the tug so she can tow me up when she's not busy with other chores.

P.S. to Hugh, I like your philosophy regarding days spent at the airport not being subtracted from your lifespan. At my rate, I could last forever.

Paul

[kcarra]

So both of you are all healed now? That's great news! And Lauren renewed her Tandem Rating?

Karen

[Lauren Tjaden]

Ahh, how sweet Paul posted this. It actually was really fun taking up clients.
I'm NOT all healed, seven months since my wreck. I still haven't landed on my feet and have really just gotten the mobility to start thinking about it. Also, for some reason, the way I hang in my Pulse in my Rotor harness makes me really sore and I can only take about 20 minutes of flying before pain forces me to land -- but I get stronger every day. I also still haven't flown my Litespeed. I do an hour of PT every morning, pumping iron and stretching.
I just started taking Discovery Flights because I wanted to be absolutely assured I had the strength to insure my passengers' safety first -- and I finally know I have that strength.
Paul is still not totally better, either, but he has had a couple of flights in his Mark IV. He did lots of soft tissue damage and his elbow acts up if he flies much. The good news is that he has turned into a superb tow pilot, since he practically lives in the plane.
I love the performance of my LS, and I love XC, but I feel I need to have almost perfect landing skills in order to avoid a repeat of my accident, since I fly so much and often in conditions that are challenging in one way or another. I worked very hard on my landings before and I'll see what I can do with devoted effort. It has been a very long, expensive, painful road I have traveled and I would love to step off of its surly surface for good.
Anyhow! The tandems are the best fun I've had in a long time, teaching people how to turn and showing them the sport that has given me so much joy. Hopefully I can perfect my skills enough that I can enjoy XC adventures again.
Lauren

[mcelrah]

Hi guys! Just soloed in the sailplane today, at long last. Took longer than I expected since I only got out to the club every 5 weeks or so, on accounta hang-gliding and paragliding and sailing and kayaking - I mean, it IS summer ya know? This week is a training camp where you take leave from work and try to accomplish some goals. So now it's "what's next?"... Tomorrow, I will re-solo in the Grob-103 (today was the ASK-21), then MAYBE Wednesday transition to the single-place old metal Schweizer Sprite. Maybe start working on the Husky tow plane again (gotta pass the 2-place Husky first to get to the easy-to-fly Pawnee).

So, is Quest a good place to come for a tandem rating? And Dragonfly?

Sallie is now a P1 via a FiFi training weekend with Dwayne McCourt in WVA. But she took out the oilpan on the Volvo up on Dolley Sods...

"The family that flies together, stays together." - Hugh

[mcelrah]

Paul,

I think we should go in on a Lambada motorglider for $120k. I'm sure our wives can afford it...

- Hugh

[Matthew]

"The family that flies together, stays together." - Hugh

*****

That doesn't rhyme. It's gotta rhyme. "The family that flies together, buys together!!!"



Matthew