This is a ridiculous time to be awake on a Sunday, but Rudder had a plane reserved
at 6. I was supposed to go up with him, but just didn't feel too well. Mornings,
despite rowing and all that, are just not my body's favorite time. I think he was
counting on using me as a safety pilot so he could do instrument approaches under
the hood, but he was nice about it anyway.
A "hood" for flying
purposes, is a visor that lets you see only the instrument panel. Since the pilot
can't see outside to look for other planes, mountains, or the ground, a safety
pilot is required. Hmm, maybe I need to add a flying terminology
page.
Speaking of flying, last night we went to the aerobatics club's
annual pool party. Aerobatics is an expensive sport -- a new Pitts S-2C, an
absolutely adorable biplane that climbs like it's on afterburners, rents for about
$200/hour, or sells for well over $200,000. And that's not even what elite
competitors fly. This is one reason we hadn't gotten so far as to take aerobatics
lessons. This is also one reason the sport tends to attract those who have bushels
of money to burn.
One reason to attend these parties is to see the
houses they're held in. The house last night was clearly the work of
professionals....professional architect of mansions, professional interior
decorator, professional landscaper. It was very attractive, but there were no
personal touches in any of the public rooms except for some family photos. None.
The kids' bedrooms and the parents' offices (plural) appeared a
little more lived in, though none of the bookshelves had any books on them that
looked like they've ever been read. (When the set of leather-bound Great Books is
part of a collection spilling off the shelves, I believe they're there to be read;
when they and the encyclopedias are the only things on the shelf, then they were
put in place by the decorator.)
The ping-pong table, swing set, hot
tub, and water volleyball setup looked like they saw more use than almost anything
in the house, which is unlikely in an area where temperatures have been well over
100 for the last 3 months. I suppose any house looks a bit more sterile when it's
cleaned up for a party, but this appeared to be straight from the model home
decorator. It wasn't a home, just a beautiful and immense house.