I dare someone to come up with a better picture than this.... Awesome... we both look pretty damn hansom... Gonna have to get an 8 X 10 

Drain men....do you suppose there is some relation there? 

Did I mention about the jacket? 

It's getting there....  

"We would like to take this time to thank Ford......" Kevin took this pic for Whites Ford in Urbana... 

Another good pic from the pilot's seat.....er..... pilots 'area' (currently no seat there!) in the Beech... 

Wow...Allison was quite right....I would leave her for something that beautiful in a heartbeat.... 

Overall cockpit shot... 

Just another great pic... 

What a great picture!! The man flying this was none other than Tom Reilly himself...If you don't know who he is; which I guarantee no one will unless your name ends in Shank, and you only know because I've told you about him, then you need to listen to me more... Dad snapped this photo right as he was lifting off adn a gust of wind picked up the left wing.... I swore he was gonna ground loop it! lol...like you people even know what means....See, when you ground loo......oh forget it....think cartwheel! 

As many of you have heard me say...I will be buried in that jacket.... 

My grandfather....my dad painted his A-2 for him years ago for Christmas... 

Ray was our pilot...for the incredibly stupid out there, that means he's the one in the left seat... He's a pretty nice guy. Not only has he been flying B-17's for nearly 10 years, but he is also a fighter pilot w/ the Alabama ANG, and also flies commercial jets I believe.... He is huge, standing at like 6' 5.... 

Me videoing out the window.... 

Me & Kevin ...(he's the dweeb poking around in the nose...) 

Damn...Sexy, what else can you say? Nothing makes you look studly than being a tthe controls of a 3.5 + million dollar airplane... 

Believe it or not, this is seriously a 3 person job! 

Tom Reilly to Kevin, "Thats good, gravity will do the rest..." wow.... 

my two babies....I love my camera.... 

A pretty face in the setting sun... 

"I know that I shall meet my fate somewhere among the clouds above."

Well the birthday went pretty well. I got some cool stuff and a good amount of $$ to put in the bank. Not sure if I will splurge and get myself something or not... Knowing me, I won't. I just can't spend money... Unless it is something important or pertinent to our utter survival as human beings, such as something airplane related, I won't buy it. If you haven't read it in Allison's blog, my brother and I's flight got pushed back until this coming thursday. Not only that, but we got pushed back to the first flight.... That is, the first flight since the 100 hr inspection, and the first flight since we suddenly rely on my 14 y/o idiot of a brother to check the oil in engines 2-4.......wow...I'm frightened. Not really though...I have decided that I would much rather fly on this airplane, with 100 hrs on the airframe, than a jet liner. Reason: Your modern airliner has many thousands of hours in the air, more electronics, and jet engines…. Basically, more can go wrong… It was really neat to watch Kevin, my dad, & Tom Reilly in the cockpit running up one of the engines.
Allison & I went to watch Kevin play in one of his first high school games, but they kept having to delay it because of the lightning. So we eventually came home and they finally played later on winning both games today. He scored two goals against another teams varsity squad so hopefully he can keep up the good work. He would be even better if he really put his heart & sole into it.
Alright, I should probably bring this to a close. I need to go try to a.) get this tie tying thing down, b.) try out a couple of different outfits to wear for the flight Thursday…. I figure if I don’t make it, Ima go out doing something I have dedicated my whole life to, aviation……

I know that I shall meet my fate
Somewhere among the clouds above;
Those that I fight I do not hate,
Those that I guard I do not love;
My county is Kiltartan Cross,
My countrymen Kiltartan's poor,
No likely end could bring them loss
Or leave them happier than before.
Nor law, nor duty bade me fight,
Nor public men, nor cheering crowds,
A lonely impulse of delight
Drove to this tumult in the clouds;
I balanced all, brought all to mind,
The years to come seemed waste of breath,
A waste of breath the years behind
In balance with this life, this death.

Here she is... 

The Chance of lifetime...

Okay, So I guess I haven’t done this in awhile…. Time to get back in the swing of things… Let’s see; what’s new? Not much I guess. Got married, moved into the new house, didn’t get that damn coaching job I was hoping for… But it’s ok… If it was meant to be it would have happened. Spent most of the day today at the airport. Dad got the B-17 to come to Urbana for a few days. While it is up here they had some people come in to do the 100hr inspection on it. Hopefully, if all goes according to plan, by Thursday it should be done and it will be giving rides Thursday morning. My brother & myself should be flying on one of the flights. My grandfather bought us rides. He also donated $2000 so that they can get some bombs for the plane…Mind you, they are not REAL bombs… I think they are made out of some fancy styro-foam…damn expensive styro-foam. It will be quite the adventure to ride in it… pretty scary really… but if thousands of aircrews could board the same plane 61 years ago, then I think I can suck it up… Out of 12, 731 B-17’s built during the war, there are only roughly 50 left in the entire world. Of those 50, less than 14 are airworthy. Hopefully the weather will not be to bad the next following days, as well as on Thursday. I plan on wearing the ole flight suit, but it depends on how hot it will really get I suppose. Keep your fingers crossed that we make it back okay!
Okay… I’m really actually pretty damned tired today and I seem to only be rambling about complete frigging nonsense that no one really gives a flying fuck about anyways….alright, I’m out-adam