"In the Shadow of the Blade" www.intheshadowoftheblade.com

     LZ Lakeland.  The Huey's flight plan included a late night refueling stop and an RON at Lakeland on October 2.  Members Nguyen Ky and Mike Wyman were on hand to greet the weary crew and to help them get to their hotel.  In gratitude, both were offered some stick time on the next day's flight to Punta Gorda.  Ky's friend, Iris Sater, and Mike's son, David, were also eager passengers.  David looked great in Dad's old, one-piece flight suit.

     Mike said, "The experience was incredible!  I haven't flown a Huey in 14 years, but when the left seat clicked into that familiar position, I felt as though it had only been since yesterday.  Airspeed, altitude, heading, trim, and power settings were instinctive, and all the right indications just seemed to automatically appear on the instruments and gauges.  4,100 hours in helicopters and an SIP rating in Hueys has to count for something."

     Also, many thanks to Donut Dollie, Susan McLean, for volunteering to drive our gaggle of excited aviation crewmembers back home to the Tampa area.

David and Mike Wyman. Nguyen Ky is in the left seat.