Elle on Travel: Of Interest to Aviator Types

For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man. --Wilbur Wright

Recent travel with friends and family took me to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I soon realized that we were very, very close to an important site to aviators worldwide: Kill Devil Hills (Kitty Hawk). In 1903, this windy expanse was where the Wright Brothers did their glider experiments and are recognized as having successfully made the first sustained powered aircraft flight...While at the Wright Bros. National Memorial, I walked the length of the marker for the first flight (120 feet) to the 4th--852 feet away from the takeoff point. Looking back down the way, I realized how phenomenal that must have been at the time. People thought they were crazy...
...but thanks to them, we can cross oceans and have even left the Earth altogether. We now take for granted what was but a dream to them then.

Steelhead Goes Tiny for the Dogfights!

Tinies took to the air in Steelhead for two dogfights held in Port Harbor!Many, like Miss Krystine Qinan here, had never flown before and had a great time learning how. I was so tickled to see folks flying who had not done it before!Some of us posed for a photo on the runway after the 1 pm SLT dogfight...
The later one, held at 7, was also very popular and is was a lot of fun seeing Steelheaders as their tiny selves...
But the big surprise was Mrs Peterman, who despite an appendectomy the evening before, came inworld anyway to cheer us all on. Feel better and get well soon!
I'd like to thank Cornelius, Zoe, Phin and Lunar for helping me to organize it! It was tremendously fun. Thank you!

Tinies Dogfighting in Steelhead!

Oh, the huge manatees! As you can see, my flying was a bit rusty!

In conjunction with the "Summer of Flight" aviation exhibit at the Steelhead Public Library organized by Miss Riven Homewood and Mr Nichus Bermann, planes of all eras are out on display at the Ballroom and there will be a Tinies Dogfight in Steelhead Port Harbor on Wednesday, July 1!

The main dogfight will be at 7 pm SLT, but there will be an overseas-friendly one at 1pm SLT as well. Free tiny aircraft by Cornelius Fanshaw will be provided and everyone is welcome. Just bring your bravery and your tiny self!

Hustle & Bustle in Steelhead

Sheriff Fuzz found Lunar and me sitting on the curb outside of the Hotel after setting up the aviation display in conjunction with the Library's exhibit. We must have been looking rather forlorn as he said something about us loitering. I suggested that if we were panhandling, that would have been a problem, and we promptly asked him for a few lindens. You can guess what his answer was...
We ended up on the pier docks in the Tackle Company shop at the Steelhead Navy's Recruitment Center in Port Harbor. I really enjoyed building the Cannery Row-inspired structures and Lunar speaks more on that HERE. I was creating a "Made in Steelhead" crate that can be placed around. If you'd like your own free copy of it, do visit the Offices...And in preparation for the tinies dogfight event in Port Harbor on July 1, Lunar created a rather fantastic floating runway. Zoe joined Lunar, Tensai and me as it was being constructed...

An Interesting Evening

The other night I stood in the doorway of the lighthouse at Laval Point, the portraits of my (RL) great-great grandmother and aunts behind me, and wondered..."What shall I do?"
I sat with some tea by the water, but this was entirely too sedate for me!I decided to take the old airship out for a spin over Steelhead! Yes!Although, after dodging mountains and the Hotel & Ballroom Tower, I soon realized that a sedate evening knitting in front of the fire at the Messmer estate in Caledon Penzance with our kitty snoozing by my side wasn't a bad idea...

Salute to a RCAF Colleague

From the notice:

"Sumie Kawashima passed away in RL Friday evening, Dec 12 of complications from a bone infection. Sumie's rezday was Aug 13, 2007, & she became a Caledon resident soon thereafter. A designer, builder, and test pilot of various aircraft, she founded Kawashima Aero. Sumie was a Group Captain in the Royal Caledon Air Force, head of the Risen Demons, and demon-protectress of the Tamrannoch Sanitorium. Her friends will sorely miss her. Memorial service will be announced at a later date. Boing boing, Sumie."

Fair skies Capt. Kawashima...

RCAF Anniversary

On a lighter note, I went to Connolly Aerodrome in Penzance and celebrated the first anniversary of both the Aerodrome and the Royal Caledon Air Force with its founder Zoe Connolly and other pilots and well-wishers. I do believe a good time was had by all...

Rivet Town Inventor's Expo

Phin and I took a quick trip to Rivet Town to see the Inventor's Expo, where I had a booth set up, along with many other inventors, designers and builders. We made our way to the boat launch to Rivet Beach...We walked around and came upon Miss Selkett Felwitch, who created a most unusual and simply elegant steampunk air vehicle. Sleek and lovely, its wings expand and contract. She will be making it available soon in her shops and I am glad as I was enchanted by it and look forward to flying it in the future.

Freefall

After the joint Steelhead-Caledon fox hunt event at Loch Avie, we danced in Steelhead...Afterwards, I was walking through my lovely neighborhood in Mayfair and happened to see the ferry pull up and thought "Why not?" I took a fun quick trip around Carntaigh, Cay, Caledon On Sea and back...
Then I thought that I would test Mr Writer's newest skydiving lift...Thank God for parachute devices and, ahem, glitch pants...

Caledon Firth Anniversary Regatta!

A year ago the Caledon Firth's expanse of central water void sims were created. They have become very popular and used for the recreation of Caledon's citizens for both aviation and sailing. Today, in an event hosted by Dia, the new Duchess of Sound, many of us came to celebrate with a regatta! I donned my European-style sailor's outfit...And took my fast little sailboat for a spin around the Firth...
Upon our return, we also took to the sky as well and I accepted a ride from DrBob Margulies in his new balloon by Miss Ilsa Munroe...We all flew along the Southern coast of the Firth from one end to the other, turning around to attend the formal...
DrBob and I decided to take a more direct route upwards to the dance platform upon reaching Sound. That is Lionsgate in the background...

'Shroom Searching!

Caledon's gone mushroom hunting crazy. Mushrooms are appearing all over the Realm of the Roses, and some only appear during the night. There are 24 documented ones, but there are rare ones out there too. Gryffin invited me to go hunting with him and I resisted at first, given my normal streaks of bad luck regarding hunts in our fair nation, but I was reassured that it would be fun...and it was! Until I took a nibble of a Caledonus Ordenalis... While in Glengarry, we were joined by Miss Discovolante and Mr Fourwzy when the Guvnah appeared and gave us a preview of things to come involving hunts in Caledon. He filled the ring with them before reassuring us that the 'shrooms will be a permanent feature and there was more fun to come!
As you can see, I did not learn my lesson well and took a nibble of a Xenobiologus Horgidae...uggghhh. Gryffin told me to quit that or I'd get grass stains...
We had a great time running all over Caledon and Winterfell waiting for the mushrooms to appear. Join the hunt!
Later on that evening, I joined Phin at the Aerodrome where Miss Wind was showing us new uniforms for the RCAF paratroopers...

The Few. The Proud. The Tiny.

The RCAF Screamin' Tinies were out in full force for a weekend of tiny dogfights over the Sound filled with thrills and spills!

(pictured: DrBob Margulies, Corn. Fanshaw, Zoe, Dia, Elle)

Dogfight #1 Saturday: Got taken down to 9 hit points before finding myself in a ditch somehow in Lionsgate...
Dogfight #2, Midnight SLT: The Crimson Koala (Lord Primbroke) appears. Here he is being pursued by Zoe...
Dogfight #3, Sunday: Miss Nika Dreamscape took some fun videos of the Squadron in action. Here we are defending HQ against sky pirate Alex Chadbourne...
Here is a poster I made with a fun motto I quipped while we were posing for it...
Afterwards, we all went to the Prop Spinner in SSC for their "Memory of Lara" event for RFL...
My tiny colleagues, as your Squadron Leader I salute you!

Playing Catch-Up

I am constantly taking photographs to record my adventures while inworld, so I shall play a bit of catch-up as to my activities during the strike. First, I forgot to post this picture of Dia and me looking brave before dogfighting over the Sound last weekend. For those of you who have a tiny avatar and might enjoy flying, do contact me as it is quite enjoyable and stable even on bad laggy days...On the 15th, I joined the Duke of Murdann at his home in Murdann for a salon about freedom, what it means to us, and how we can overcome those obstacles that hold us back. We were joined by Miss Puchkina, Mr Epsilon and Mr Smashcan. Thank you Otenth, I had a lovely time...
This past weekend, the lag was atrocious so we pilots gathered at Dia's Loft pub in Steelhead instead for good conversation and drinks...

Announcing Tiny Dogfights: May 3 & 4

As posted by Air Commander Zoe Connolly:

Officers of the Royal Caledon Air Force are planning two days of aerial combat fun during the first weekend of May 2008.

All participants will meet at the Connolly Aerodrome in Caledon Penzance at 10:00 AM SL time on Saturday May 3rd or Sunday May 4th (or both days if you prefer) for what may be the biggest air battle ever fought by tiny avatars!

All you need is a tiny plane with the Terra Combat System (TCS) and a tiny avatar. A tiny dog avatar would be perfect, but if you have your heart set on another, we'll be glad to see you in another tiny incarnation.

Everyone is welcome. You do not need to be a Caledon resident or pilot with the Royal Caledon Air Force. All we ask is that you join the RCAF group during the time of the event itself to facilitate communication in group chat during the events and use a tiny avatar and tiny plane during the dogfights. Tiny planes will be provided by RCAF Marshal Zoe Connolly. The Tiny Avatar you use is up to you. Once we start, air battles usually last 30 to 40 minutes.

Fair Skies!

Air Commander Connolly--Tiny Flyer!

RCAF Air Commander Zoe Connolly decided to be tiny fox tonight and go flying...I personally love how agile tiny planes are...
That is her flying above me, and she enjoyed it so much that she has announced an upcoming tiny dogfight--in tiny dog AVs in the weeks ahead...
We both "hoooo'd" as she landed the plane. Way too much fun!

RCAF Screamin' Tinies Uniform!

After a certain Air Chief (by the name of Messmer) said he wanted one way too many times, I sat down and created the tiny version of the RCAF uniform. It will be distributed to all members of the Screamin' Tinies squadron and made available to those who would like one...I thought I'd test Mr Denver Hax's Boojum Bomber, which has beautiful textures...
I took it for a few laps around the Firth. It handled sim crossings beautifully, was very (almost too) responsive, and...
Was the first tiny aeroplane (airships aside) that I've actually managed to land on the runway! I will test its TCS and bombing capabilities another time...