FLUGTAG 2010 SCHOOL OF ROCK

Well its been a while since I've posted I've been busy these last few months. Nevertheless I would like to tell you the time where a crazy dream became and even crazier reality. It started on a quite morning in June while I was at work, and my cell phone started to ring. Looking at the number I had NO clue who was calling. As the time old saying goes when opportunity knocks you answer. My Team and I were now selected to try and fly at RED BULL FLUGTAG Philadelphia. Please keep this in mind I was jumping with excitement, I've tried countless times to compete at any of there events with no such luck, this idea was my big break. Try try and try again one day I was bound to get it. So as soon as I got off the phone with "ground control" I went straight to lunch calling all my team mates to give them the great news... Now before I go on telling you about build I thought it would have been easy to build. The saying "Grace under pressure" comes to mind and it really stresses your relationships between friends and loved ones a lot. So we've started the build thinking "Making a Gibson Flying V will be easy" from Gus Mosser team drummer. Guess again, We had idea of making the plane like a kite. Two problems, first we dont know anything about planes or kite. Second where to even start. So of course the strong head leader I was I went into building this without a clue! Great now what? The first plane was made from a 2x4, tyvek and duck tape. Now two weeks into this build this plane isn't taking any shape and we are only 4 week away from the contest. At that very moment in time I learned what it meant to be a leader, all the members of the team had skills, and I needed to use them to the fullest. Melissa Wolff was put in charge of making all the outfits and accessory for the band. Which itself is a pretty tall order. Gus Mosser is both master welders and fabricators, and I was the designer late nights we spent in his shop welding and building an airframe out of scarps. We were on a massive budget, nevertheless we ran into another problem. What to use for skin. So I had to call in outside help from a good old friend Don (75 years young) retired air skin maker. So I explained to him what the problem was and we ended up making it all out of tyvek. Now keep in mind I did put in all the fights my team and I got into about who what where and how. At the homestretch day of the contest do or die we are about to find out if our labor of love blood sweat and tears are about to pay off. Our team is up and the wild was blowing hard it was a very strong tail wind. I am at the cockpit and controls. My heart beating out of my chest all the what if are coming to mind well too late now. Here we go my team is pushing my towards the Ben Franklin Bridge, and off the edge I go like a rock. All the summers hard work crashing to the Delaware river below with me attached bottom of it. We crashed the plane never recovered so to this day the plane still lies at the rivers floor. Now I been asked 100 times now what does it feel like when you get to the point of NO return. Let me tell you this no matter how loud the crowed is you dont hear a thing. For those split moments the craft and yourself are one and the same until impact. School of Rock will one day fly again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1h0CTZv96Q

More pictures will be added please feel fee on contacting me if you would like to know more