March 18 –

Friday, March 18 — In at 9:20 after another rocky night. I think the only way to avoid napping after dinner at 8 or 9, awakening at midnight or 1 or 2, not getting back to sleep about 4 or 5 and then coming in about 9, all of which demoralizes me, is to arrive at AKM by 5:30 AM (Horizon opens the building at 5) work at AKM until 7 or 8, go home, eat, go right to BED (not the recliner in my bedroom) and whenever the heck I awaken, commit to STAY UP until going in to AKM at 5:30. With luck, I’ll try this tonight. Moved pictures taken a year ago, renaming many for final distribution from date-taken priority to aircraft name priority, a slow process. Printed SIX articles from American Aviation Historical Society to proofread. Acknowleged receipt; will read and red-mark (for future reference) Saturday at “employer” and send feedback Sunday. Saw another UH-72 Lakota pared some distance from lobby. Took two pictures and left it at that. Don’t know where it was from. Though I saw the pilot on my way out the door, we didn’t chat. Lunch about 2:30 was the terminal Subway “foot-long of the month” tuna. It was good with a vending machine Mountain Dew for caffeine and bubbles. Found a new man — Clint — working the terminal gift shop and a small book by Tom Emery about Illinos World War I Sopwith Camel pilot Howard Knotts. The supervisor there GAVE the book to AKM. NICE WOMAN! STARTED Lincoln Flyer #8, March 2016 and made significant but not MAJOR progress. Enjoyed the preliminary. Upstairs for some more tweaking in Research and Process Rooms. Painted a first red Arctic coat o the B-36 — HOORAY, continued with the Ju-287 and Boeing 314 in office and C-123 in Process. Worked in Books & Misc Room until 8:20. MAJOR SUCCESS in better arranging books in logical order. HOORAY. Finally returned to office and went right home at 8:45. Day rating: A.

Today’s picture is of an American Eagle Embraer  145 taxiing to  takeoff on Runway 31 in 2011. I was standing on the observation deck of the control tower at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport by special arrangement with the tower director. The abandoned Pillsbury flour factory is in the background, closer than it really was with perspective distorted by the telephoto lens I was using.  Many readers won’t even recognize our hometown airport in this unusual view. I hope to return to the observation deck this spring when the crops are beginning to break through the soil and show the first touches of green. Stay tuned.