GETTING THE JOB DONE

It was a VERY LONG WINTER or at least it seemed like it. I'm not really complaining mind you since Minnesota and Wisconsin seemed to get a lot more snow than we did. I'm just not used to long winters after having lived in New Mexico for 9 years.

Anyway Spring seems to be here finally. It is still too early to plant this far north but at least we are getting warmer weather. I turned on our sprinkler system a few days ago.

There was a large dirt pile & weed patch behind our garage we wanted to do something with. We are not gardeners at this point in life but the weeds were an eyesore. So I borrowed a rototiller from a friend. Now I had to learn how to use it properly. I used them before but years ago. I knew they could be sort of hard to manhandle so I gave it some thought. It was then I remembered something from 40 years ago. Man, it still bothers me that I am old enough to say I remember something from that long ago. I also remember 50 years ago but talking like that just makes me depressed.

It began with a Cessna 150 and flying lessons. In college I had what was called a j-term which was the month of January when rather outside the realm of normal classes were offered. One j-term was about Bug-Eyed Monsters and consisted of studying science-fiction writing. Well another j-term had me taking flying lessons. The class consisted of classroom instruction plus behind-the-wheel training in a Cessna 150. So we studied navigation, radio work, flight controls and all the other things necessary to know about flying.

The day finally arrived when each of us got to ride with a pilot and observe what went on when flying.

Now this is what I saw. A lot of gauges, peddles used for taking off and landing, the throttle controls and the steering columns. So far so good. The pilot lined up on the runway, reaching, I believe 80 miles an hour or was is kilometers an hour and then pulled back on the steering column and up we went. Wow! I was actually in the air. After buzzing around for about 30 minutes we lined up on the runway, slowed our speed from 120 to about 80 and then landed. It was exhilarating. 

My pilot/instructor then talked about when I would have my turn and the problem I presented. The solution to "my problem" was ingenious and gave me the answer for my rototilling problem.

You see, the controls on the Cessna were laid out so that the pilot steered with the left hand while working the throttle with the right hand. I do not have fingers on my left hand so I cannot grip a steering column. Now what? Here is where ingenuity comes in.

My instructor first had me put on the jersey glove on my left hand. Then he proceeded to tape the glove to my hand and to the steering column. It worked. So all through my 10 hours of flight time I was taped to the plane. I never did solo. My instructor thought the FAA would have a problem with a student pilot flying around the countryside while taped in. Besides flying is expensive and I was just taking a j-term so that was the extent of my flight training.

I remembered this incident when I was ready to rototill. I got out my duct tape, found a winter glove and taped myself to the rototiller. It was slick and it worked. Boy am I good or what?

Maybe I should have someone print me a new hand on a 3D Printer. What would that be like after all these years? Intriguing idea.