Monday, January 21, 2008

My Saturday Adventure.

When we had a little extra money I allowed my DH to buy a plane, it is a small one seater ultralight. Even though my DH is a geologist by trade, he is a pilot by heart. When we started school we didn’t know there were pilot programs or he’d be a commercial pilot now instead of a mine geologist. This little plane gives him the excuse to get in the air and relieve stress. Which is a good thing. However, we were storing the plane at an airport whose hangar rentals were almost 100. A month, and over 3 hours from our home. My DH found a hangar that was not only just an hour away but only 40.00.

So with kids at home and baby in tow, we drove to Cedar Fort to get the plane. DH dressed like an Eskimo (it is an open cockpit) got in and flew it to Nephi. With me driving like a mad woman to get there before the sun started to set. So in Nephi he refueled and headed to Mount Pleasant. Where, when he landed, the fuel tank slipped off the straps and sat on my DH’s legs. It took us a few minuets to get my DH out of the plane and fix the tank straps so it wouldn’t happen again. We stopped at a great little buffet and ate dinner before going home.

I sat in the truck as he readied the plane in Cedar Fort and had some cool ideas for my book watching him do a preflight check and pull the plane from the hangar etc. I have a too active an imagination to be normal.

But that wasn’t the Caveat of the day. As I was feeding the baby I saw a bird swoop past the truck and towards the plane. Needless to say the bird hit the propeller and was killed instantly. I was sick to the point of throwing up. It was awful. I am a bird owner and lover. It was a scene that rolled over and over in my head the whole day. Sadly I was looking for a opening scene for a book I am working on. I think this is it. It will be hard to write but it seems perfect. Sometimes inspiration doesn’t come from the greatest of situations.

6 comments:

Muta said...

Thank your husband for me. I'd laugh so hard I'd split a rib. I just wish it was caught on film so I could see it. LOL that's just absolutly awsume!!!

Muta

Anonymous said...

when you'll fly in an open cockpit in the middle of January in Utah, you KNOW you love what you're doing!

I was sorry to hear about the bird, but I'm awfully glad it happened while DH was on the ground and not in the air! That could have been very bad indeed.

C. Michelle Jefferies said...

Weston, That, or he's just crazy. :)

Muta, it might sound funny but it was awful. It decapitated it very cleanly. :( The birds owner was so devestated about it. When I realized it was a raptor, I was even more sad. Although it isn't a good idea to go falconing around an airport. Bird strikes are deadly for both birds and humans.

Michelle

Muta said...

I've posted Randy Johnsons Famouse fast ball on my blog because of this. It was a 1 in a million chance that it happened and he was pissed.

Muta

Marilyn said...

Wow, you guys bought a plane! Woohoo! I'll have to tell my husband. Too bad you guys don't still live here.

Don said...

As a wannabe pilot, my WIP has quite a bit of single-engine flying in it.

Sorry to hear about the bird, though. I hadn't even thought about writing in a bird strike.