Prop Wash – Volume 4 April 2013

Friday night at the movies could have been better only if you were there. There was plenty of popcorn, hot dogs, soft drinks, and braggin’ and lyin’ going on, just not enough listeners. We thought Robert Redford would be a big draw for some and Waldo Pepper would bring in the aviator crowd. As it turned out most came for the food and drink and camaraderie. We had to blink the lights several times to get the crowd to settle down to enjoy the movie.

We had only one attendee fly in; August and his brave wife flew a Cessna 150 all the way from Executive Airport. They were on their second date, after being married for thirty years. It put some spark in the relationship. Halfway through the movie they got up and moved to the back row. Does a 150 have a backseat? There were other couples that reminded me why we took our dates to the movies. A movie is always more enjoyable when you can sit close and share a popcorn with a soul mate.

The weather was perfect, the sun set just in time to bring on the dark. There were no mosquitoes, just an occasional moth that fluttered through the projector light. There were a few who lingered after the movie to see if their name showed up in the credits as one of the stunt men. As for me, during the movie, just as in real life, there were moments during the stunt flying scenes when I just closed my eyes and thought happy thoughts. Another successful flight, this time not from the right seat, but from the back seat.

Words by Dave Harris