Flying Machine

At the airport where I went for an Powered Parachute ride i saw this flying machine. It's powered by an old gas, one clynder Matag Washing Machine motor; one like my mother used when she upgraded from the hand washer. The smoke proves it is running.

The blue ball just behind the engine is a world globe, used for navigation. On top of the post, above the white flying instruction sheet and check list, is a candle in a small glass jar. The preflight instructions say light the candle before take off; it's the strobe light replacement.

The backseat has a spring for rapid ejection should it become necessary.

The wings are made of burlap stretched over a re-bar frame. It is a new design and not completely tested.

The wheels are from two different bicycles.

Flying Parachute

1-13-05 I actually went for a ride in/on this one. It flies about 30 mph and is a bucket of fun to ride. It will haul 500 pounds of people and takeoff and land in 400 feet. Fun, Fun, FUN!

It can't dive, loop, or spin, the things that get fixed wing pilots in trouble. It has three controls: a throttle, a left pedal, and a right pedal. Push the throttle to go up, push a pedal to turn, and decreas throttle to come down.

As soon as the machine starts moving the chute pops up over head, like pulling a kite string, and with full throttle you are airborne in 200 feet.

After the desert receives its sporadic rain it turns green and waits for warmer weather to show the thousands of flowers.

This 50 year old sentinel stood by the 4-wheeler road I traveled near Quartzsite on 1-12-05. These saguaros get their first limb when they are 75 years old. It will be many more years before riders will duck under its arms.

There are thousands of differnt plants on the desert and each one has a unique way to conserve moisture. 1-12-05

Freedom Isn’t Free

Freedom Isn’t Free
Written by Ray Sammons 2005

In this war torn world the quip “Freedom Isn’t Free” is used to remind us that we can not be free if we do nothing. Instead we are reminded that it takes purpose to be free. As a nation we must help other nations to be free so we can insure we will remain free from the tyrants that impose their own will on the masses. We must purpose to defeat the terrorists that want to take away our freedom.

Freedom has some personal applications also. We have a Shih-Tzu puppy she is one year old and named Duchess. She’s cute and impish and she is confined to the house, yard, and her leash. She has not learned that obedience brings freedom.

When I take her for a walk on her leash she wants to be free. She wants to run, play, smell, and get really tired. She strains on the leash and she doesn’t know that I’d like her to have those experiences and many more. The problem is she won’t come when I call her and therefore I can’t give her the freedom she desires. If she would come, stop, and stay on command then she’d have the desires of her heart.

People are like Duchess in many ways. When we obey the laws of the road (driving on the right side, stopping at the signs and lights, observing the speed limits, being considerate of other drivers) we are free to drive from coast to coast and from border to border. Obedience to the laws of the road brings the freedom of the road.

I have flown our private airplane all over the western United States and all the time I was enjoying the freedom of the skies I was carefully watching and following the charts. I needed the charts to stay out of the paths of other airplanes and to reach an airport before running out of gas. The freedom of the skies required close attention to detail.
Huge ships and small yachts plow the seven seas enjoying the freedom of the seas. When they leave port they cannot see their destination. Within hours all they see is water and to reach their destinations they must be slaves to the charts and maps. Freedom isn’t free. Freedom comes from obedience.

Our spiritual lives are the same, we must be obedient to enjoy our spiritual freedom. Jesus came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we had a debt we couldn’t pay. When we accept His payment of our debt we became free. Free from the Old Testament law, free from past sins, free to follow Him, free to go into the presence of God without guilt.

The Message, a modern Bible translation sums it up this way:

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. (Gal 5:13-14)