On Sun, 09 Sep 2007 01:16:39 -0000, Richard Carpenter
wrote:

Hello everyone. I've been hanging out in the MS Flight Simulator group
for a while, enjoying my recently found interest in aviation such that
my means would allow. MSFS is a fine product, even though it doesn't
compare to the real thing, of course.

Yesterday for my 40th birthday my most excellent wife bought me flying
lessons and membership in the flying club at a local airport.

I look forward to hanging out with you folks and hopefully learning a
thing or 2(00...000).

To be sure to treat most excellent wife well. They cause many
break-ups between the pilot and his craft. My first was not
enthusiastic about flying. If we were going somewhere that was Ok,
but to fly around and visit the aviation community as I enjoyed, she
wasn't into it. After a Commercial rating, the next step was likely
our ending. She was never comfortable in the IFR enviroment. The last
ride was from Burwell, Nebraska to Denver. We had to either travel 3
hours around a squal line of thunderstorms or trust ATC who offered to
steer us through them. The cells were separated. I though the ride
was fantastic, passing through them and landing IFR at Stapleton
airport where we kept the Mooney. My wife was not impressed.

When we separated and was into the divorce mode, she once told me that
"her lawyer said" that there were 3 parts of the marriage; the house,
the airplane and the bills. She then related that I would get all the
bills, she gets the house and her lawyer gets the airplane. We owned
a 1967 Mooney S-21 at the time.

Well, that didn't happen quite that way. She lost her sanity and I
had to go after custody of the kids. I decided to give up flying
since the kids needed at least one parent who would be with them
through their growing up years. I raised both girls to age 16. The
oldest tried living with her once and that didn't last. The youngest
tried at 16 and managed to stay with her until she moved on as an
adult.

In 1977, I had accumulated just over 4000 hours of flight time. In
those years, I had published a number of "I learned about flying from
this" articles in every flying magazine but Flying Magazine. I miss
it, but the economy drove people in my income bracket away as it has
from Boating.

I wish you well and don't forget her. She's important but I know you
know all this.
Regards.....