This Date in Aviation History: Last Flight Out

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
12/26/2016 at 12:33 • Filed to: planelopnik, planelopnik history

After nearly two years of This Date in Aviation History posts, I will be closing the book on this series. Saturday, December 31, will be the final post.

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It’s been a long flight, with many thousands of words written about two topics that are near and dear to my heart: history and aviation. What began back in February of 2015 with a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! about the first flight of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft has burgeoned into something significantly more comprehensive. But with that growth has come an exponential increase in the workload to keep it going. As much as I have enjoyed, and still enjoy, writing about and sharing milestones in aviation history, I have made the difficult decision to end this wonderful journey. Writing on a deadline two days a week is arduous (bless you, Kijna devs, for the gift of scheduled posts), and January through March promise to be very busy months for me, with some major performances and an audition to prepare for. I simply won’t have the time to dedicate to the continuation of this project.

For all the aviation fans out there, don’t despair. My posts won’t disappear entirely. I hope to focus my efforts on once-weekly articles about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , aircraft also-rans, important people you may never have heard of, historical events, current trends in the aviation industry, or whatever floats my boat. Throughout my research for TDIAH, I have amassed a long list of things I’d like to write about, and I hope you will enjoy reading about those topics as much as I will enjoy writing about them.

I would like to extend a very warm thanks to all who have read my work, and those who have contributed in the comments. I have thoroughly enjoyed our conversations, and I have learned as much from you as I have from doing my research. The whole Oppo community has benefitted from your knowledge and expertise about aviation and history, and your comments have been a fantastic addition to my work. Thank you.

I wish you and your families health and prosperity in the New Year, and may you all have fair skies and a following wind.

And, as always, thanks for reading. Until next time, the runway is closed.

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If you have enjoyed these Aviation History posts, please let me know in the comments. And, if you missed any of the past articles, you can find them all at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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DISCUSSION (41)

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 12:37

Bummer. But can’t say I don’t understand how real life can suck all the fun out of living sometimes.

Thanks for all your posts!

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 12:49

Thanks for all of your posts! I look forward to more obscure aircraft posts, time permitting.

The one thing I geek out more on than cars is aviation, and I’ve always found your posts interesting.

Great Connie shot by the way!

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 12:50

I didn’t comment often, and sometimes forgot to star, but almost always read and enjoyed TDAH, thanks for it and I look forward to your future posts!

Chariotoflove > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 13:06

Thanks for regularly putting up interesting stuff about a cool topic. Instead of being sorry your regular Aviation History posts are ending, I’m gonna be happy for you that your career is accelerating. Congrats and good luck with your audition!

f86sabre > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 13:16

Good stuff all around. I know you did it because you had a passion and want to flex some creative muscle. I hope you were able to scratch that itch.

ttyymmnn > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
12/26/2016 at 14:18

Thanks for reading!

ttyymmnn > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
12/26/2016 at 14:20

You’re very welcome. Yes, life does have a way of getting in the way of living.

ttyymmnn > Chariotoflove
12/26/2016 at 14:20

Career is definitely accelerating, and it’s going to be exciting.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW
12/26/2016 at 14:21

You’re very welcome. I like to think of Oppo as a place for cars, trucks and things that go, to quote Richard Scarry. It’s nice to help keep Oppo off topic. Thanks for reading.

ttyymmnn > f86sabre
12/26/2016 at 14:22

I think I scratched that itch bloody! It will be nice to break out a bit and remove myself from the strictures of the calendar. Best wishes to you and your family.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 14:26

While I must admit that I didn’t always take the time to fully read your posts, I did always go through them, so I want to thank you for the high levels of the content, and for getting me interested in the world of aviation. Also thanks for learning me a lot of new stuff!

ttyymmnn > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer
12/26/2016 at 14:28

I would be surprised if everybody read every word I wrote. I hoped that there would be enough variety that folks would find that interested them and focus on that. I always hoped that folks would learn some things along the way (I know that I certainly did). Once a teacher, always a teacher, I suppose. Thanks for reading.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 14:28

Thanks for taking the time to put these posts together and sharing, I always enjoyed them. My employer also thanks you, as he’ll theoretically be getting about 30 minutes of productivity back each week. Theoretically...

Good luck with the upcoming performances and audition as well. I enjoyed cheering you on with the rest of Oppo during the symphony audition earlier this year.

ttyymmnn > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
12/26/2016 at 14:32

Thanks so much. I also look forwarding to getting back some productive time at the things that really need my attention. I’ll be auditioning for the 2nd trumpet spot in the Austin Opera orchestra. I’ve been playing as an extra with them for years, and it would be nice to get the gig officially. We shall see.

Spaceball-Two > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 14:49

I loved these series. Can’t wait for the new iteration.

slipperysallylikespenguins > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 14:52

As much I will miss your current posts, I am quite looking forward to your more focused content. Particularly the obscure aircraft. Cheers!

Viggen > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 14:54

Nooo! Don’t end it! Thanks for all the great posts. Hope you’ve got more aviation stuff lined up for the future.

ttyymmnn > Viggen
12/26/2016 at 15:12

Thanks. I’d love to keep going, but I just can’t. Thanks for reading.

ttyymmnn > slipperysallylikespenguins
12/26/2016 at 15:13

Thanks!

ttyymmnn > Spaceball-Two
12/26/2016 at 15:13

Thanks. I’m looking forward to it, too. Thanks for reading.

DasWauto > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 15:18

Thanks for all the interesting, informative and well written posts. While I didn’t always have time to read them through, I thoroughly enjoyed your work.

I know the hassle that keeping up such a series is and can only commend you for keeping it up for so long. I look forward to reading whatever you choose to write about in the future.

Cheers, good luck in your musical pursuits and happy new year to you and your family.

ttyymmnn > DasWauto
12/26/2016 at 15:22

Thanks for the kind words, Das, and thanks for your shares to OppositeBlog. Best wishes in the New Year.

sunnydaysam > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 15:47

Thanks for all the erudite posts ttyymmnn. I read every one and even an old avnut/history nut like me learned something from every one. I hope we are lucky enough to hear from you again. clear skies and tailwinds amigo.

ttyymmnn > sunnydaysam
12/26/2016 at 18:44

Thanks, Sam. I appreciate that.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 20:03

Thanks for all the hard work sir, always interesting and informative posts! Sad to see them go, but I completely understand and look forward to your sporadic ones in the future! :)

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 20:03

Thanks for all the hard work sir, always interesting and informative posts! Sad to see them go, but I completely understand and look forward to your sporadic ones in the future! :)

ttyymmnn > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
12/26/2016 at 20:55

Thank you! And thanks for reading.

TheRealBicycleBuck > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 20:59

Aw, dang, yet another fantastic series interrupted by real life. I’m sorry to see it go. I wonder how many of the calendar days you missed. Maybe we could crowd-source the missing days!

The Compromiser > ttyymmnn
12/26/2016 at 21:38

First lanesplitter, now this? I am mentally flipping chairs and tables.

ttyymmnn > The Compromiser
12/26/2016 at 21:51

Sorry. I’d keep it going if I could.

ttyymmnn > TheRealBicycleBuck
12/26/2016 at 21:58

I never missed a day. Once I came around to February 2016, I started recycling material, though I expanded the original pieces and added new stuff. In fact, if you went to the Planelopnik History tag and dug back through the years, you could see how it morphed from a single line of text to a paragraph, and then longer and longer paragraphs as the format solidified into what it is today. I could just keep reposting the old articles, but that would get boring, especially since many people have already seen them twice as it is. One of these days, I’m going to pull the articles from here and put them on my own website. But that will take more time than I have.....

John Norris (AngryDrifter) > ttyymmnn
12/27/2016 at 21:23

I’m sure I read most of them. I really enjoyed them and appreciate you putting them together. I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors.

... January through March promise to be very busy months for me, with some major performances and an audition to prepare for ...

All of us need an occasional adjustment of our priorities.

McMike > The Compromiser
12/30/2016 at 12:53

Wait, are they pulling the plug on Lanesplitter, or are we mouring the death of it after Sean left?

AfromanGTO > ttyymmnn
12/30/2016 at 13:38

Thank you for writing all of these! I have enjoyed them!

The Compromiser > McMike
12/30/2016 at 13:46

The body is present, but the spirit has left it.

(Yes).

ttyymmnn > AfromanGTO
12/30/2016 at 14:17

Thanks. And thanks for reading!

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
12/31/2016 at 13:14

A fun project might be to put this into print. Plenty of DIY ways to do that these days.

What are you auditioning for?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn
12/31/2016 at 13:14

(I won’t be missing Landsplitter.)

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo
12/31/2016 at 13:17

At the very least, I’d like to get this onto my own blog. I’m hoping that ending the series, at least for now, will give me the time to figure out how to do that.

Trying for 2nd trumpet in the opera. They have two contracted positions, and I’ve been playing de facto third for a few years. The guy who used to play 2nd was also the 3rd in the symphony, and it was his chair that I won in the fall.

AnalogMan > ttyymmnn
12/31/2016 at 15:23

Thank you, so much, for all the time and effort you put into Planelopnik. I can imagine how much work it was! Yours was one of my very favorite blogs - I never missed a single post. Your writing was both entertaining and educational, and just plain riveting. I looked forward to all the new posts, and will miss them dearly. Good luck in all your future endeavors!

ttyymmnn > AnalogMan
12/31/2016 at 15:38

Thank you very much for those kind words. I really appreciate it. I’m going to miss doing it, and who knows, it may return when I get more time. But I think you’ll enjoy what I have in the pipeline.

Thanks again.