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Monday, July 26, 2010

Why I fly?

Hittade en skön text på Helifreak.

By Andypants on Helifreak

What I Like About My Heli (Warning! Creative piece!)
I like The Decision.

The wind is fair. The wife is the same. The lawn’s mowed but you barely notice. Your eyes are glued to the treetops, judging the sway, and your skin is testing the air and tasting the breeze. The merest stirring, is all. You smile to yourself - somehow, you know The Decision has already been made.

I like The Preparation.

The wind is holding, but you don’t trust it. The wife’s laughing, but you barely hear. You’re busy checking voltages. The sim beckons and, like any obsessed athlete, you grumble as you know you should but the wind, the wind… the charger speaks. Time to get this show on the road. Deep in your chest, your heart starts beating faster.

I like The Walk.

The field’s as pretty as a daisy but you’re more interested in what lies above. Which battery first? The newest, today. 40C. It’s gonna rock your socks off. Your heart beats slightly faster still. You walk out, heli in one hand and a Tx nestled carefully in the other, feeling like either a condemned criminal or a rockstar as you stride to the middle. But aside from a few distracted joggers, this matinee is for an audience of one, and by crikey he’s a tough critic. You take a deep breath, and run through stick movements in your head.

I like The Tone.

You plug in your battery and the heli shudders like a live thing. A mess of notes falls out as it yawns and stretches its carbon-fibre tendons. Your dance partner is here and now, finally, you can feel your triphammer heart and wonder how long it’s been drumming against your ribs. You consider this as you check the gyro and, as you loop the lanyard over your neck and head back to your spot, you decide it doesn’t matter. All that matters is now. You turn, face your heli, pluck up the sticks and flick throttle hold. She tenses.

I like The Moment.

She starts off low, but you know better. She hits her stride, but you’re not fooled. 40 per cent, 50 per cent, higher… She has time to turn into a wild animal on a leash before somehow, magically, she just… floats. And you’re there right beside her, neurons lit up like a Christmas tree as eyes, ears, fingers, mind and heart combine to become something more than the sum of their parts. Serenity steals over you as flesh becomes lithium, bones cut of carbon and legs, well, you don’t need those things any more. Because now you’re a God - because now you’re FLYING - and a hundred generations would stare as you stood immobile, eyes dancing, wondering what minor deity could construct and control such a wonder.

We can, because this is our hobby and our real private love. We didn't choose to fly - the sky chose us.

I love My Heli.

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