DAVID G. HENRY www.teXess.com™

In 1978, when Priscilla and I were shopping for the few things that we could afford for our first married Christmas, we came across a record album of Christmas music played on Victorian era music boxes.  The album cost us $1 at a discount store.  The sound I heard on this album was like nothing that I had heard before.  We and our family have listened to recordings from this album during every holiday season since 1978.  

Immediately after first hearing the magical sound of these amazing machines in 1978, life goals quickly came to include (some day) owning such a box.  Just this past year, I located a man in Chicago who restores antique music boxes, and quickly acquired the one pictured to the left.  This is a Regina brand, 15.5" disc box, manufactured in 1892.

Below is a link to hear an mp3 recording of some Christmas music played on our music box.  I will post more numbers later.

A BETTER (I THINK) FLIGHT INFORMATION SHEET FOR PILOTS

This is a flight log form which I developed for lack of anything comparable on the market (I searched).  This form has evolved over more than a decade of experience in using it.  You will not use every blank for every flight, but after a few uses, will be very comfortable with the "flow" of information into the system.  Its ease of use, and the help that it will provide you comes from its organization - the ATIS sections track exactly how ATIS is broadcast, the Clearance section likewise follows exactly how you will receive your clearance, and so on. 

Because you are only filling in the variables (the fixed components are already there), it literally gives you extra time to hear and accurately take down your vital information.  You may not quite so much need this form for flying in/out of a Lubbock, Texas or the like (though I use it for every flight), but you will really see its utility at fast-paced places with fast-talking controllers, such as at Midway (Chicago) or any of the New York City airports.   The "Mission" and "Date" fields are useful for tax purposes, and all the information types needed to transpose to your log book (left at home for safekeeping) are there as well.

Print a stack of these (front and back), hold them with a short profile clip aluminum clipboard (available at any office supply store), and you will have a good-looking, professional-grade system to note every piece of information for every phase of every flight - departure ATIS to engines shut-down. 

While this is a copyrighted form, if you are a friend of mine, consider yourself licensed to reproduce this for your personal use.  All other rights are reserved.

Fly well!