Page 11 - Jan2020
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We need to fly the 100 miles in the morning arriving in In the middle of the night I wake Karen and tell
time for the mandatory briefing, then fly the two 100 her we’re not flying. KDN has nothing to prove.
mile races back to back and return home before dark. She is already a Kings Cup winner. She is seventy
The hair stands up on my neck and that small voice I have years old and has earned the right to bask in the
learned to listen to over 45 years of flying is telling me to glory of a lifetime of flying. She doesn’t deserve to
stand down. I delay my decision and decide to think be thrown about in gusty wings in the hills at low
about it overnight. level. I am responsible to deliver her to a new
owner in a few weeks. I am not going to put her in
any unnecessary risk and decide not to race her
again. KDN is staying on the ground and we will
prepare her for her final special event next
weekend at the Goodwood Revival where she is
entered into the Freddy March Spirit of Aviation
Concours d’ Elegance competition. This is not a
race. It is a competition where she will be judged
on her Historical Merit, Present Condition,
Originality, Quality of Preservation, Effort
I think back about all the great adventures we have had
Contributed to Attend Event. I think she will
with KDN and the wonderful people we have met. We
represent herself just fine and deserves any
have been very lucky considering the amount of bad
attention she will get.
weather experienced this summer throughout the UK. I
think about KDN and the long life she has had, as a As I go over her one final time with the polishing
prototype aircraft, test plane, marketing star, air racer rag, I have time to reflect on our time together.
and sport flyer, and survivor. Fortunately caring, The rain is drumming on the hangar roof, and a
experienced pilots who have treated her right have flown few tears are hitting the wings.
her. Many other Chipmunks have been lost over the
years due to bad decisions. KDN has always been ready to
go when asked, and stands ready once more for what is
beginning to look like a challenging day of flying.
To be continued...
