I was headed to the airport for a photo flight. The day was sunny. My first chance in weeks to get up and fly. But….. black menacing clouds and sudden wind gusts whipped up just as we were about to climb aboard. Checking radar we were right in the path of a line of thunderstorms. Almost instantly, there was torrential rain, thunder, lightening and hail. Mission aborted. But to end the day later at a beach, there was a magnificent sunset over Boston harbor.
In my book, “Sea & Sand from the Sky”, there is a quote from Apollo 14 Astronaut, Edgar Mitchell:
“We need to make the world safe for
creativity and intuition, for it is creativity
and intuition that will make the world
safe for us.”
To my delight I met Edgar Mitchell in Florida at his home/museum and was inspired by the paintings, photos and memorabilia of his life as an astronaut. I even happened to meet him 41 years to the day that he launched to the moon. On his walls were images of the Space Age dreams of America: the story in photos, drawings and paintings that it had become reality. Besides engineering, technology and hard work, it took vision, courage, and creativity.
And a touch of lightness. On his refrigerator was the sign “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Today it is easy to forget what goes into capturing an image. With the Pumpkin Patch Aerial in Cohasset, MA each October, there is a short window. When 3000 pumpkins are unloaded the design is formed with the help of many volunteers.There are usually 2 days to tweak it before selling starts….and just one half hour each day to photograph for best results. 11:30-12:00 noon. With the October angle of the sun, shadows begin to infringe on the pattern after that.
This year there were added challenges. The pumpkins arrived two days late. After design set-up, it was opening day, but unfavorable weather scratched a flight then. The next day we headed out of Plymouth from Pilgrim Aviation and soon discovered an oil pressure problem. We luckily could land in Marshfield… to discover there was indeed a sizable oil leak. No other pilot or plane was available to come for an hour or more. Meanwhile, at the patch the organizers were frantically trying to keep the design intact as pumpkins got sold. And looking up for me in the sky. My cell phone was back in my car, so we couldn’t communicate.
By chance, there was a student cancellation in Marshfield and the instructor was available to fly with me (I always fly with a co-pilot) and there was a plane – a low wing plane which I’ve resorted to before. Creative management comes in many forms. About to leave, the pilot mentions that he cannot fly me back to Plymouth where my car is. (an FAA ruling as it would require a charter license which he didn’t have). Now what? The pilot from Plymouth offered to come and pick me up in Marshfield and fly me back to PYM. Whew…. We did make it to the Patch before really strong shadows encroached on the pattern. This year’s patch is a Haunted House. This is the 11th year of this project: Phil Lehr as Designer and myself as Aerial Photographer. Proceeds from the sale of pumpkins goes to the Appalachia Service Project.