To Thereafter Teach

One of the good things about having to talk to kids, about things they're not getting right in their responses to life, is that it compels us to think about our own and, from that place, to thereafter teach by example.

In that way, being a parent or grandparent or adult mentor can help make us better people because we'll sometimes do for them what we might not otherwise do for ourselves...

LPK
LiveJournal
5.20.2012 (a)

Ferrari of the Skies

Amazing! Just saw a Piaggio Aero Avanti II on its way up to cruising altitude after takeoff from Hancock International. It was quite a ways off but I could tell by the canard wing on its nose, along with the overall profile, that that's what it was.

(Our proximity to the airport is the reason why I was able, a few years back, to get my Red Cross certification in aviation disaster response. That and the fact that the hotel I worked at was a designated Red Cross shelter.)

Anyway, the Piaggio Aero is an Italian-designed aircraft which successfully incorporates a twin propeller design in a "pusher" configuration, meaning that the engines are set into the trailing edge of the wings and the rear-facing propellers push rather than pull the aircraft through the air.

Additionally, the wings are set far back on the fusilage which minimizes the noise and vibration transmitted into the passenger compartment. Which is the reason for the little canard wings on the nose of the aircraft.

It's called the "Ferrari of the Skies" because of the beauty of its lines and the luxury of its ride. And because Piaggio has a ten-percent interest in the Ferrari motor car company, I suppose.

Obviously, there aren't many businesses or individuals out there able to afford transportation of this pedigree so seeing it, even at that distance, was a rare treat. A clip from Piaggio Aero follows, if interested.

LPK
LiveJournal
5.20.2012 (b)