By Ted Grussing
… it was a beautiful day to be aloft sharing the firmament with clouds and little else. The sun started breaking through the clouds as I was on my way to the airport around 10:30 this morning and by the time I took off there was a lot of sun and shadow making beautiful patterns on the ground. I turned the engine off about ten miles from the airport and had a “sled ride” back to the airport … no lift. I fly my patterns very close to the airport … downwind leg over the edge of the mesa, base leg about a quarter mile off the end of the runway and into a very short final approach. This way if there is unexpected sink (a frequent condition at Sedona) I can still make the runway … not a lot of other options when flying into or out of this airport. When flying as a glider with engine off you have to plan that the engine will never restart … it always does when I need it, but being a mechanical device, failures do happen and usually at the least convenient times.
I took this shot just after I turned final for landing and was 249 feet above the end of the runway … and about 160 feet above the far end of the runway. Landed a little past mid field and exited the runway at A-3, rolled across the taxiway and almost to my shade. I have to turn right when I get to the ramp area and it is uphill so I only made it to about 100 feet from my shade structure. To make it all the way I would have to carry too much energy when I turn off the runway putting unacceptable side loading on the aircraft … and of course there are the times when I need it for more than a few hundred feet
Seems like a good thing to do again tomorrow and maybe the next day and the next … I love being in the air and the solitude and beauty is absolutely amazing .
Have a beautiful day and weekend … share a smile with those you meet and greet today and every day … no better way to go through life. Back Monday morning … at least that is the plan.
Major dietary change … off of cookies (when I finish what I have) and back to milk chocolate (bought twelve bars yesterday).
Cheers
Ted
A bird flies through the sky, and I fly with it. I am each pearl of moisture sparkling in the sun.
I lie lazy on the clouds. And I acknowledge my kinship with each winged thing.
I see all as one, and nothing repels me, as this new day climbs noiselessly out of the valley of the night.
Peace lies over the world and over the world of my soul.
— Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
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