[GreenKeys] (belated) Happy Veteran's Day

[gil smith]

A Happy Veteran's Day to all greenkeys Vets.  (oops, I'm actually an hour 
or so into the day after).

Thanks again for your service to our country.  A heartfelt thanks from a 
civilian.

This year I attended the Veteran's Day Fly-in at our local airport (FFZ: 
Falcon Field, Mesa, AZ).  There were great stories to hear, and great 
planes to see.  Rides were available on various cool planes, including a 
Stearman, P-51 Mustang, and B-17 Flying Fortress.

I did something I have wanted to do for many years -- I took a ride on the 
B-17.  This B-17, Sentimental Journey, is part of the local CAF museum's 
collection, and looks almost factory-new.  I believe there are only about a 
dozen still flying.

This year the CAF lost a plane, and two dedicated volunteers;  a very rare 
and meticulously-restored HE-111 crashed not that many months ago.  I stood 
there realizing how unpredictable the future can be, so I got my ticket for 
the B-17.

I was sitting second-back in the nose, looking out at the props as the 
engines roared to life.  As we turned onto the runway centerline, I could 
see the P-51 zig-zagging up the taxiway behind us.  I was grinning like a 
kid, and realized it was my first time down runway 22R in something over 
180-HP.  As we exited the pattern for a 20-minute flight, the Mustang 
banked across our nose, screaming past not more than a hundred feet in 
front of us.  Very cool indeed.

To all the Vets who actually lived the days of the B-17, B-29, and P-51, 
the days of the B-26, F-80, and F-86, the days of the B-52, Huey, Cobra and 
F-4, the days of the B-1, F-15, F-16. F-18, and F-117, or any of the many 
other conflicts we find ourselves in, thanks, from the rest of us.

gil



;-------------------------------------------------------------------------
;  vaux electronics, inc.             480-354-5556
;  www.vauxelectronics.com    (fax: 480-354-5558)
;-------------------------------------------------------------------------