Monday, January 26, 2009:
"I flip the ignition switch and 250 pounds of engines, turbines and gasoline roar hello. In terms of horsepower, I was carrying a small sports car on my back. I’d like to say that I grin confidently and give the cameras a wink, like some young Chuck Yeager or Evel Knievel, but the smile leaves my face. Instead, I gun the throttle. It is time to fly."