More proof, the Red Baron flies again

Remember these photos?

If you are a reader of my Flagship blog, "AROD138 in Beautiful West Chester, PA" then you know I posted these photos more as proof of what actual hand made Halloween costumes used to look like, as well as an opportunity to praise my mom's handiwork and embarrass myself further by perpetuating the "Nerd" narrative that is a recurring theme in my writings.

Now it seems to me, as I would assume that it would seem to anybody looking at these photos without knowing me, that one would surmise that whomever is in these photos, because of their obvious, early love of flying went on to have a fabulous career in Aviation.

Well, KIND of....

If these photos were taken in 1973, then check this photo taken only 15 years later.

Now is that a costume or what?  I went from cowboy boots, jeans, a cardigan sweater and a paper bag flying helmet, wrapped in a paper mache and chicken wire Fokker DR.1 to a Nomex Flight Suit, Survival Vest and SPH-4 Helicopter flight helmet standing next to a Beechcraft RU-21A Ute. 

As embarrassing as it is to admit this, I have to tell you that I used to take all my ALSE (Aviation Life Support Equipment) home with me instead of putting it in my locker back at the unit so I could just look at all the cool stuff I had, and of course show my little brothers.  That used to drive the ALSE technicians crazy when they tried to keep things up to date with my survival gear and couldn't because I'm playing dress up at home.

And hey, that wasn't all, when I get around to it, I'll scan the photos I have of when I used to work for ComAir, Delta's commuter airline, marshaling Embraer EMB-110 Banderantes, or "Bandits" around the ramp, throwing luggage in the back of them, driving little tractors, and various other cool stuff I used to do back in the day.  

The point of this whole thing is though, my brush with Aviation as a career was short lived in the grand scheme of things.  I flew as an Aircrewman for 10 years, I earned the Senior Army Aircrew Wings in that amount of time, but I only worked at the airport for about 4 years.  With the exception of getting the bulk of my private pilot's license flying out of the way in Denver Colorado almost TEN YEARS AGO since my first SOLO, I haven't had the where with all to finally knock it out and take the check ride.  It's ALWAYS something right?

Well, the point of this blog is not to seek pity, nor beat myself up over it, but perhaps help me refocus what's important to me, and perhaps exploit my passions in such a way that maybe I can accomplish something like getting my pilot's license, and then do some volunteer work with it too.  Hell, my late Uncle Galaor Carbonell was an Artist, a Professor of Art, an Art Critic and a published author of books on Art so who knows, maybe I'll write a book!

As I pick up readers and well wishers, I hope they'll cheer me on and remind me of the obvious rewards in getting it done.  Who knows, maybe one day, cross your fingers, you'll see me flying one of these...