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Rising from Viral Ashes

A delay of game at KMRN turns into a P-51 Mustang airshow for patient pilots. Dick Karl
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic made flying a "precious" activity for the author, sharply curtailing it initially but intensifying his appreciation for subsequent flights.
  • He recounts his cautious return to aviation, including solo flights to exercise his plane (wearing a mask) and a multi-day co-pilot assignment on a CJ2+.
  • These renewed flying opportunities, encompassing technical checks and charming small-airport experiences, brought the author a profound sense of well-being and deepened his love for aviation.
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Call it renewal or redemption, but flying has taken on a more important, maybe even precious, role in life. COVID-19 made sure that flying for all of us was sharply diminished. As we started to come back, I found the cadences and clearances to be more like diamonds, each exquisite and pleasing in a lapidary way.

Dick Karl

Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Dick’s monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them.

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