Grace and Power:747-8 First Flight

41 years ago, the world became much smaller when the first Boeing 747-100 took off from Paine Field in Everett, Washington on Feb 9, 1969. Just a day before the 41st anniversary, the latest iteration of the Queen of the Skies took off, ensuring that this great airplane will be flying 50 years after its debut.

Emerging from defeat, when Boeing lost the competition to build a large freighter for the USAF (the winner was Lockheed's C-5 Galaxy, but as the cliche goes, Lockheed won the battle and Boeing won the war), the 747 more than revolutionized air travel, it redefined it. More people could fly farther and in more comfort than ever before. Non stop was just not New York to London or Paris, or London to Cairo, but now non-stops New York to Tel Aviv, London to Tokyo or Sydney to Los Angeles, routes only dreamed about with the 707 or DC 8, planes 1/2 the size of the 747.

Over the years, the 747 grew in size, power and range, with the -400 series accounting for 695 of the over 1,500 built. The early 100, 200 and 300 series were quickly replaced with the newer twins, Boeing 767, 777 and Airbus 300, 310 and 330 series. Only the Airbus A340 challenged the Queen with four engines. Just in the last two years, the Airbus A380 double decker has surpassed the 747 as the biggest airliner in the skies.

As the twins and even the new Boeing 787 cut into the 747's market, the old girl found a new life as a freighter. It would probably be safe to say as many as or even more 747's fly as freighters than passenger airliners. Less glamorous, for sure, but still gracing the skies 41 years after the first one flew.

With the new 747-8 series, the Queen has been modernized, made more efficient, quieter and just a bit bigger. Most of the orders for the new model have been for freighters, and indeed today's first flight was of the freight version. Even as a work horse, she is still one of the most graceful machines ever. Like a big Duesenberg auto, the size does not hinder her graceful, elegant motions. IF anything, it makes her even more remarkable.

She is flying as I write, circling near her base of Everett, Washington, making history, continuing the lineage and still inspiring awe at her size, grace and power.

Coupl'a Things XXXI

1) Leave it to the BBC to have a thoughtful, non screaming, and well reasoned piece on why Americans seem to have a love affair with politicians who do not have their interests in mind.

Why do People Vote Against Their Own Interests?

It reminds me of a story by George Mc Govern who lost the US Senate seat from South Dakota in 1980. He was campaigning, so the story goes, outside a grocery store. A lady came up to him and said she was not going to vote for him any longer as he voted to "give our canal away". That of course was the Panama Canal which is in a sovereign country of course. He noted later that she paid for her food with food stamps, a program he rescued and expanded despite Republican attempts to stop it. He knew he was doomed.

So a stupid electorate, reared on 60 second, feel good sound bites, continues to run a great nation into the ground.

2) Speaking of politics, a person wrote in to the KC Star recently and proposed that since the politicians were now free to solicit corporate sponsorships, they should take a cue from sports figures (the writer used NASCAR drivers, one of the best examples) and wear their corporate sponsor logos on their jackets. Makes perfect sense to me.

3) Since I have dredged up the specter and sleeze of American politics, I think I will go drink now and try to forget that Sarah Palin is out there plotting something.

And maybe fantasize Obama grows some balls.

Welcome Home N700TS L-1011

It was a just few months and a couple hours late, but the last (or almost the last) airworthy Lockheed L-1011-100 has landed at Kansas City Downtown Charles B. Wheeler Airport on her last flight. So many airplanes' last flights are to the desert and then a slow rot to the scrap heap. But N700TS C/N 1066 was lucky. Originally to be refurbished and then flown as an airliner, the cost of keeping an elderly plane flying, especially with little technical support available, was too costly. The Airline History Museum was able to buy her for little and add her to the museum along with the current L1049 Super G Connie, a DC 3 and a Martin 404. Problems with the plane's ownership and registration kept her grounded in Roswell, NM almost permanently. But that was resolved and the FAA granted a ferry permit.

Hundreds of people gathered on both sides of the airport, first at around the original arrival time of 1:30 and then for the new one at 3:20.

Unfortunately for me, she landed from the north and thus I did not get to see her actually land. An advertised flyby was not performed either, probably for traffic or safety reasons. I did catch some shots of her roll out on landing. She was big for sure, dwarfing the private aircraft that inhabit the downtown airport. Soon she will be an attraction and education center for the museum. I am sure some more and better pics will be here: Airline History Museum

But meanwhile, here she is; thanks for your years of service and for a lucky break. You look better here than you would as a bunch of beer cans!

Roll out after landing


Finishing her roll out:


Turning to park:


Almost home:

Bloody Mary on a Stick

I have not shared a recipe in ages, so here is a simple one for those winter parties and Mardi Gras events:

Bloody Mary on a Stick

1-2 boxes grape tomatoes
1 stalk celery
2-3 cups ice cold Absolut Peppar vodka (or steep 3-4 hot red chili peppers in cheaper vodka for 1 week)

Assemble 1 tomato and slice of celery on a cocktail stick. Marinate in the cold vodka. Serve in a big bowl with the vodka. Provide a dish of sea salt in which to dip the hors d’oeuvre.

What was that phrase from a movie??? "What this country needs is more meat on a stick"?? Well, I think we need more cocktails on a stick!

Welcome Desmond

Welcome to Desmond! HM's new nephew. Proud parents are Daniel and Stephanie Clark of Lincoln, NE. Desmond is a native of La Cygne, KS and was adopted on Tuesday, arriving at his new home that PM.

First pics from home:




Getting settled in:



Desmond is a Yorkie-poo in case anyone wondered. HM has already given him the title of Viscount Desmond. As he gets older, HM is likely to bestow more Royal Titles on her first nephew!

Kansas City Symphony: Shaham Plays Barber and Prokofiev

The good size audience at the KC Symphony concert on Saturday got their money's worth with a full concert featuring works written in the 1920s and 1930's. Stravinsky's Pulcinella Suite opened, followed by the sumptous Barber Violin Concerto. The second half featured works from the Soviet era of Russia, Prokofiev's Violin Concerto # 2 and the Shostakovich Symphony # 1. Gil Shaham was soloist for the two concerti, Music Director Michael Stern was on the podium.

Shaham demonstrated his consummate art in these two showy yet just as often lyrical concerti. Shaham has technique a-plenty, but used to communicate not merely to demonstrate. The Barber's long, lyrical 2nd movement was particularly satisfying, both Stern and Shaham taking care to explore the differences between the more substantive 1st and 2nd movements while not making the short finale seem out of place. While some performances blow through this movement, Stern and Shaham slowed a bit from usual and milked the sharper dissonances and rhythmic complexities to form a satisfying conclusion.

The Prokofiev 2nd, while written about the same time as the Barber, is a bit of a different animal. Shaham and Stern carefully articulated the angles and curves of this restless concerto. Especially effective was the dreamily slow second movement, Shaham floated his firm tone gracefully and nostalgically over the simple "walking" accompaniment of the orchestra. Gone from both concerti were the orchestra's tentativeness and lack of ensemble that plagued the Pulcinella.

Yes, sadly, the opening Pulcinella was a disappointment. After a bumptious start, the ensemble never seemed to jell and the important Concertante string quintet lacked presence. I missed all the sharp, dry rhythms and wit of the piece; the whole thing seemed slack. The audience chuckled appreciatively at trombone Roger Oyster who stole the show with his (a bit too) raucous solo in the "Vivo' movement.

Totally successful was a powerful and taught performance of Shostakovich's Symphony # 1, one of the most impressive "#1's" in all music. Shostakovich abandoned the solidly classic style of this symphony with the propagandistic 2nd and 3rd and the wild, rambling 4th, but recalled his successful 1st in his masterpiece 5th Symphony of 1936. Stern realized the connection and did not play the 1st as a youthful, neo-classical romp but a solidly mature, darkly tinged masterpiece, full of gravitas yet emphasizing the mocking irony that marks the best of Shostakovich.

The concert marked the announcement of the upcoming season's fare. Some highlights:

Sibelius Violin Concerto with Hilary Hahn, Verdi Quattro Pezzi Sacri, Berlioz Harold in Italy, Martinu Symphony # 4 (yay!), Penderecki Viola Concerto with Roberto Diaz, Jonathan Biss in Brahms 1st Piano Concerto, Stephan Jackiw in Bruch's Scottish Fantasy and new works by Jonathan Leshnoff, Adam Schoenberg, Osvaldo Golijov and Avner Dorman.

Lincoln Was Correct

Poor Abraham Lincoln, he must be revolving in his grave. With the Supreme Court's right wingers giving corporations unlimited power to buy elections, those with out connections to big oil, insurance or banks will find it tough to compete with the slick ads plastered everywhere. Thus Lincoln's stirring words at Gettysburg now ring hollow. "Government of the people, by the people and for the people", has perished from at least this part of earth.

Also read what Lincoln (who was a Republican mind you, but nothing like those today) had to say about corporations:

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me, and causes me to tremble for the safety of our country. Corporations have been enthroned, an era of corruption will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people, until wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed."

Prophetic.