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The joy of teaching! \u00a0I’m so thankful to be able to teach, to know enough about anything that someone would want me to teach them about it!!!! \u00a0I hope and pray that through the years I have provided someone one magical moment, \u00a0they will remember forever!<\/p>\n
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I had a teacher, and instructor, and a mentor that provided me just such an experience. \u00a0John Kemmeries was my ultra light flex wing instructor. \u00a0He was one of the most capable pilots I’ve ever known. \u00a0Crippled from the waist down, the result of a parachute folding on him from a hundred feet up, crushing his legs. \u00a0That didn’t stop John, as soon as he recovered “enough” he was back in the air. John could fly a trike like no one I’ve ever seen! \u00a0John taught me to fly, and how to fly safely, but he gave me much more, he provided me “the expereince”. \u00a0It was a sunrise flight over Lake Pleasant just north of Phoenix, Arizona. \u00a0John was teaching me how to handle a plane in the air, working on my turns and approaches to the airport, and landings. \u00a0A thin layer of puffy clouds was lying in flat blanket only a thousand or so feet off the ground. \u00a0I could see the crystal clear blue sky through some of the big opening in the clouds.<\/p>\n
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My intercom cracked with John’s self assured voice, “have you ever flown above the clouds?” \u00a0I answered, “Every time I fly commercially!” \u00a0He laughed and said, “you didn’t answer my question, I said have YOU ever flown above the clouds?” \u00a0I responded, “No Sir” \u00a0He instructed me to pick a big opening and throttle up, and climb up through the opening to above the clouds. \u00a0As I started up between the clouds it was like no experience I had ever had, I was actually in between clouds, clouds I felt I could reach out and touch, but then the greatest moment of all happened! \u00a0As I broke above the clouds the early morning sun light shot through the misty clouds and hit me right in the face! \u00a0It was simply the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. I’ve used the expression breathtaking before, but this was the most breath taking thing I had ever seen, \u00a0or would ever see since!<\/p>\n
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John Kemmeries gave me that gift, a moment, a moment always and forever frozen in time. \u00a0I will never forget that moment, and I will never forget John Kemmeries. \u00a0I believe John knew exactly what he was doing. \u00a0I hope someone out there among the over 7,000 students I’ve had at workshops and events \u00a0has had just one moment so impactful. \u00a0All the travel, early rising and staying out late, would be worth it, if I could give that gift to just one other person!!!!!<\/p>\n
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So I’m thankful to be a teacher, and to even have the chance of doing for someone what John did for me.<\/p>\n
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Thanks John.<\/p>\n
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Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving,<\/p>\n
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the pilgrim<\/p>\n
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What is a trike? \u00a0This is a trike, a three wheel cart with engine, suspended below a beefed up 14 meter hang gliding wing!<\/p>\n
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