Friday's Fantastic Flying Footage

Here is an outstanding spin video. Most videos are from inside the cockpit. This video, however, gives you both an outside and an inside view. They captured all the classic elements of the spin. In the first (outside view) you'll see the nose pitch up as the a/c bleeds off speed and enters a power on stall. When the a/c breaks, instead of dancing on the pedals to keep the wings level, the pilot gives it rudder with the break and places the a/c into a spin. Four rotations later the pilot gives it full opposite rudder until the wings are level. This places the a/c in a nose down attitude. Power on, back pressure on the yoke, and the a/c is recovered. According to the practical test standards the pilot only appears to make one mistake. He is supposed to exit the spin on the heading on which he entered it. The interior view adds one more element, the stall warning horn. This horn is mechanical and sounds when the air flowing over the wing is no longer producing lift, this gives the pilot about 2 seconds to get the wings level or the nose down or risk a stall and possibly a spin. Of course, in this case that's precisely what they want. Great video. Enjoy!

I'm Still Here

For those that have been checking almost daily to see if I've posted anything lately, I apologize. I've been very sick this week and trying to keep my teaching commitments despite this, so the blog has been on ignore for the last week or so. But a quick visit to the clinic, a shot, and a z-pack later, I'm finally starting to feel better. I've already got a flying video cued up for Friday. Expect something more substantial on Sunday when I get back to reflecting on the morning sermon and again on Monday as I post some insights from my lesson today in Matthew 23.

F4

As promised, here are some short field landings in the Alaskan bush. Notice the large tires that are designed for the tundra and rocks on which they're landing. By letting out a bit of air they can land on especially rocky sand bars.

Next week, spins!

Easily Amused

OK. I admit it. Few will probably appreciate this as much as I did. I'm currently reading Greek Grammar by HW Smyth. This is the standard grammar in use for classical Greek. Now some may be wondering why in the world anyone other than a student enrolled in classical Greek would be reading a grammar. My answer: For fun. I just enjoy it for some odd reason. And tonight I found a tangible example to share. I read the preface and then scanned the table of contents before coming to the first page proper. It was the alphabet. Now, after 5 semesters of koine, it was tempting to give this a cursory glance at best, but instead I decided to look carefully and see if there is any difference between koine and classical on this point. And here is what I learned (only those with at least an introductory knowledge of Greek will understand and appreciate this). You know those letters: epsilon, upsilon, omicron, and omega? Well, the letter names are actually descriptive! And having read this, I feel like a fool for not seeing it before! "Psilon" can be translated "simple" so the first two letters listed above are "simple e" and "simple u" (in contrast to the dipthongs that bear similar sounds). The next two should be obvious even to those that aren't students of Greek. Omicron is "small o" and Omega is "great o" or "strong o". Get it? Micron and Mega? If they taught us this in seminary, I missed it. And reading it tonight actually elicited a "wow!".

Well. That's it. Perhaps the one other person in the universe that might appreciate this will be providentially guided to this site. It's a good thing I'm already married. Posts like this could severely diminish my chances of finding a mate otherwise.

F4

There are plenty of videos on You Tube of short field landings and take-offs and all of them are fantastic. But this one just seemed to capture the idea in a very easy to understand way for the non-flyers out there. This is a short field take-off competition in Alaska. Bush flying in Alaska is in many ways the heart of intrastate commerce. And the importance of the ability to take off and land in short spaces cannot be overestimated. This video shows two excellent pilots (one taking off and one landing) in excellent aircraft for these maneuvers. Don't miss the guy right at the end of the clip saying, "I don't know..." He's not sure the landing will be short enough to win the competition! Next week I'll post a video of an Alaska bush pilot doing this on a sandbar out in the bush where it counts. Enjoy!

Sunday Response

Those that have completed a seminary degree often share in common this lament: It is difficult to listen to a sermon without critiquing it. This can include either positive or negative observations. They can range from "Christ wasn't preached" to "I would have used this word instead of that". But the nature of the comments really isn't the problem. The issue at hand is that in so doing, we remove ourselves from under the teaching of the elder we are critiquing. We make the message for others, but not for ourselves.

Now, don't get me wrong, we should evaluate the truthfulness of what we hear. We should not listen uncritically, believing anything that is said. But in a faithful church, with a faithful pastor, such scrutiny should not require our every energy in worship.

As hearers in worship on Sunday we are not passive during the sermon, but instead are called to make application to our lives and should, at the conclusion of worship, be encouraged, exhorted, repentant, overjoyed, full of hope, and renewed. I have never quite felt this way when my thoughts following worship were about what the pastor did well and what he could have done better. That's not the participation that should be mine in the preaching of the word.

To this end, I am endeavoring to make this Sunday Refrain a weekly element here on the blog. Each week I want to try and record not what was done well or poorly in the sermon, but how I need to apply it. What was my challenge walking out? Why was I repentant? Why was I renewed, full of hope, and overjoyed?

So, without further ado, here is this week's offering. I'll keep it brief (since this is already a long post!).

This morning Mark Davis preached at PCPC. Following the text of Acts 2:22-41 he explained a bit about preaching; what it is meant to accomplish; how it should be done (generally); but more importantly, the desired effect when it is attended by the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those listening.

I was most moved and challenged by a brief statement that came near the end of his sermon. Mark pleaded with the congregation to communicate their needs to the pastors. He reminded us that they are our shepherds and that they really want to minister to us in this way. I was humbled by the reminder that this is what we are to be as pastors. I love the imagery of the pastor as shepherd. In fact, it is my primary model and nearly sufficient in itself for keeping me focused in ministry. Despite this, I am still caught off guard occasionally by the insights it affords and the power of the imagery. Praying for our flock is (or should be) a much cherished part of our ministry as under-shepherds.

As members of the covenant community, placed by God under the care of these elders, we (the congregation) should avail ourselves of their ministry, allowing them to labor on our behalf, not in order to increase the value of our shares in the company (whatever that looks like in your context), but to stand with us in this life, encouraging us, lifting us up before the Father, and pointing us always to Christ and the grace that is ours in Him.

A New Endeavor

Inspired by my friend, Will Nielson, I have started another blog, Lingua Franca, over at WordPress just for translation work. I'll be working with Greek texts covering the classical period, the LXX, and the New Testament. I'm planning on beginning with my favorite stories from Herodotus (and if you think history or Herodotus are boring, I think you're in for a surprise).

Anyway, the site is up and running. I'm hoping to post my first translation work sometime in the coming week (time permitting).

Friday's Fantastic Flying Footage

What can I say? It's been a quiet week. This week's video is a long one...about 9 minutes. And other than a few crashes starting around the 7 minute mark (and the use of GnR's "November Rain"...one of the most irritating songs ever committed to digital audio tape), it is a collection of some really excellent footage. If you go to the youtube page each clip is explained. My favorite is the a/c getting catapulted off the carrier...you're in for a real surprise at the end of the deck, but don't look away...keep watching for the a/c. Amazing. Enjoy!

Friday's Fantastic Flying Footage

Welcome to F4. This will be a weekly Friday feature showing the best youtube video I have come across each week from the world of aviation. This first one is Bob Hoover, a giant in aviation. Pay careful attention. Enjoy!