Geek Habitat

Justin and I figured it was about time I joined him on a General Aviation (GA) flight again, in part because it really has been too long (months!) and because we wanted Sprout to log some GA flight hours in utero. Baby Einstein’s got nothing on Baby Earhart, after all! As Justin so eloquently put it, she is now his “youngest Young Eagle of all!”

Anyway, we figured she was ready since she’s become quite the “wiggle worm” inside my womb. I’m afraid NASA probably wouldn’t allow me on their “Vomit Comet” in my present condition, and even if they did, the aircraft would live up to its name. The next best thing, however, were some steep turns in a Cessna Skyhawk glass cockpit equipped (Garmin G1000) single engine aircraft, with Justin at the controls. We three — Justin, Sprout and I — all had a blast, and the weather couldn’t have been lovelier! I have missed flying with Justin, and as with our hiking and cycling, we’re enjoying these prenatal introductions. Someday, we will be able to embarass Sprout by reminiscing about all the things we did with her when she was still in Mommy’s belly.

While on approach back to KSAT (San Antonio International Airport), we mused about the proper attachment method for a child carseat in a single engine aircraft — front seat or back, facing backward or facing forward, etc.? Obviously, there will be many other firsts in our lives before we add “Baby’s First Flight” post-birth to Justin’s pilot logbook, but it pays to think ahead!

GPS ground track from Sprout’s “first flight” today:

See Flickr for map annotations.

Thank you, Justin, for a terrific flight and a superb landing (as always!) To reference Justin’s blog post of today’s events, I too sensed my perspective altered on this flight. How very amazing it was to see the Earth from above once again, knowing full well there’s a new life growing inside of me to whom all of these wonders are, as yet, unknown. We adults take so much for granted; it takes something momentous, like the impending birth of your own child, to make you take a deep breath and appreciate the beauty and meaning all around you.

In related news, Justin and I extend our congratulations to Joe and Julee on the birth of their bundle of joy, Jason Dodd, on October 24, 2006. Looking at their first photos gives us a beautiful glimpse into our lives come April 2007!