(Continued from Part I)

Five and a half hours later, I arrived in Kansas, tired but elated. A handful of deaf pilots were on hand at the airport to welcome me. I felt right at home.

Throughout the week, we flew to different locations, including Amelia Earhart’s birthplace. On most of those flights, one or two passengers was usually on board to share in the cost of flying the airplane. Although Kansas is well known for its thunderstorms during the summer, we were mercifully spared and got to do almost everything that was on the schedule.

Everyone had a great time and the week flew by all too quickly. Soon it was time to go separate ways and return home.

Fortunately, I would be getting a little tailwind on the day of departure and because of that, I decided I had enough time to make a stop in Illinois to visit with a fellow pilot before continuing the rest of the way.

After flying for about two hours, my friend greeted me at the Illinois airport. We spent the afternoon catching up and ate a delicious lunch at his house. At one point, I glanced at the clock and realized it was getting late. It was almost 5 pm. I still had another 3 hours of flying before arriving at my home airport and I wanted to get there before sunset. At that time, I was not yet comfortable flying at night. I was still a relatively new pilot and was not ready to stretch my comfort zone.

My friend quickly took me back to the airport and dropped me off. After refueling and getting a weather update, I was back in the air, climbing to 7,500 feet, heading east. I dodged low-level clouds here and there and motored on for two and a half hours, enjoying the scenery below me.

Based on the GPS, I could see that I was not going to make my home airport before sunset. I began making preparations to land somewhere for the night. Looking through my list of alternate airports, I picked one that was only 45 minutes away from my final destination. I keyed in the airport identification (KOEB) into the GPS and punched the “Direct To” button.

Thirty minutes later, I saw the green and white rotating beacon of that airport. The sun was just about to dip below the horizon, plunging the entire area into darkness. I knew I made a good choice to land there.

Circling above the airport to check the position of the windsock (to determine the direction of the wind), I made an uneventful landing on the appropriate runway. After landing, I taxied over to the terminal building, looking for a place to park for the night. My intention was to go into the airport lounge to sleep on the couch and then fly the rest of the way home the next morning.

But the problem was I couldn’t decide whether to stay put or continue my flight. I was having an argument with myself over this. After all, I reasoned, it’s only another 45 minutes to my home airport and I have to make a night flight sometime – why not tonight? The weather was gorgeous with clear, calm skies.

It was very tempting but something told me not to push it. Reluctantly, I picked a spot by the terminal building and shut down. I would later find out it was not the best place to park.

Stepping out of the airplane, I noticed it was eerily still in the cool, damp air. Not a single soul was around. It was a weird feeling being by myself at such an unfamiliar place.

Most small airports have a combination lock on their buildings to prevent unauthorized people from entering after-hours. Only pilots had access to the combination because they knew where to look for it (the airport facility directory). That way they could stop in for a vending-machine snack or catch a quick nap before continuing on with their flights.

As I approached the building, I was shocked to see it did not have a combination lock. I could have sworn the airport facility directory mentioned this place had one. Upon closer inspection, I could see the door was bolted from inside! Perhaps I was mistaken.

A million thoughts ran through my head, “How am I going to get in?” “Where am I going to sleep tonight?”

My first reaction was to check the front entrance to see if it had a combination lock.

No such luck.

Taking a deep breath, I surveyed the area. The gravel parking lot was illuminated by the moonlight yet completely devoid. The road that ran alongside the airport was pitch black, overshadowed by towering pine trees on both sides. There was nothing for miles around. I was the only breathing soul there.

I decided to try one more time to get in the building and made my way to the back door again. Aggressively rattling the doorknob, twisting and pulling, it would not budge. Peering inside, I could see the faint outline of a couch. How I wanted to get in there!

Slowly turning around, I stared at the small airplane.

It was going to be a long night.

To be continued-

Profoundly deaf since birth, Stephen Hopson is a former award-winning stockbroker turned motivational speaker, author and pilot. He works with organizations that are ready to explore and overcome adversity because no one is immune from it – adversity does not discriminate. His professional speaking services, Obstacle Illusions, include fun and passionate presentations, especially the story of how his fifth grade teacher forever changed his young life with THAT’S RIGHT STEPHEN!

You can view his website at sjhopson.com www.sjhopson.com

Stephen also maintains a blog called “Adversity University” at adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/ adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/

If you are curious as to how well Stephen speaks, listen to this audio post: adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/2006/05/introducing-myself-to-people-who-hire.html adversityuniversity.blogspot.com/2006/05/introducing-myself-to-people-who-hire.html

Everyone dreams of jetting off to an exotic country for their yearly vacation, but many folks don’t know exactly what they really want.

If you are planning a vacation, you should take some time to think about what you really want out of the trip. Do you want to just lay on the beach? Visit ancient ruins? Explore new cultures? Maybe you want an adventure that entails backpacking and seeing a new country. No matter what you want, there’s a place you can get it, you just have to fit the need to the country.

Everyone needs a vacation to get away from it all, recharge your emotional and physical batteries and come back refreshed, but if you don’t have satisfying vacation you might miss the mark. Many people simply plan a vacation based on what their friends or family did or a trip they see a discount package for in the paper but if you really want a dream vacation that leaves you re-energized and revitalized, then you need to figure out exactly what you want to do. Once you have that down, you can pick a location that is best suited for your desired activities.

Here’s 4 top vacation destinations that offer different adventures and activities. Maybe your dream vacation will be found in what these countries offer?
1. The Caribbean. This archipelago of islands nearly 2000 square miles across is a favorite vacation destination of sun worshipers and beach-goers. Famous for it’s beauty and nature, most of the islands are plateaus and eruptions of underlying mountain systems. The beaches are gorgeous with deep blue water and crushed coral, white and pink sand. If you want to lounge around on the beach and relax in an atmosphere of beauty than this is your destination.

2. Thailand. Also known as Siam, this Asian country whose neighbors are Cambodia, Burma, Laos, and Malaysia is a destination for those that love the exotic and a good bargain. What appears to be an untamed jungle of exotic trees, bamboo and vines is also a place of many modern conveniences and five star hotels. For shoppers this is a great place to find gemstone jewelry and other goods and a fraction of what you would pay in the US. For those that want a bit of adventure and to experience other cultures, take a trip around Thailand where you can still see buffalos used in farming and elephants at work lifting timbers.

3. China. China is fast becoming a popular vacation destination and is boasts the fastest growing economy in the world. Many parts of this, the second largest country on the planet, are still unexplored by outsiders, but the eastern portion is happy to accommodate tourists with first class hotels, restaurants and amenities. If you want an exotic vacation within an interesting and beautiful culture, then book your flight to China.

4. Italy. This boot shaped country in Europe is bounded by France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. If it’s old architecture and history you are after then you won’t be disappointed if you make your travel plans for Italy. A main attraction is St. Peter’s Square where the Pope resides, but there are many other interesting places to visit in this beautiful and unique country.

Lee Dobbins writes for Airfare1st.com Airfare1st.com where you can find more articles on air travel and airfare1st.com/finding-the-best-price-airfare.html finding the best airfare.

Self catering cottages were seen in the 80’s and early 90’s as a cheap holiday, especially as cheap holiday packages did not really exist. Over the last decade this has certainly changed. As more and more people got involved in time share, this made people aware of how pleasant it is to stay in a self catering property while on holiday.

Self catering is ideal for families especially with young children as there is no timetable to keep to, and you can eat when the kids want to eat and not when the hotel restaurant is open.

With cheap mortgages and people wanting to have more control of their investment many more self catering properties have become available on the market. Many of these new properties are aiming at the more luxury market.

If you are looking for a holiday cottage, here are a few helpful tips:

Try and book direct with the property owners, if you go through an agent you will tend to pay more as the owner can pay in excess of 30% commission to the agent. Cottages with high standards, good views tend to get booked up early, so try and plan as far ahead as possible to get the best properties.

Make sure there is no hidden costs, most good property owners will include, fuel, electricity, towels and linen in their rates. Many properties will also have their own private ground which is great if you have children or looking to take a pet with you. Most places will charge a little more for pets due to the extra cleaning involved.

Self catering can be a real interesting way to see Scotland. Sometimes on holiday you want to curl up in front of a fire and read a book, other times you want to got out for a meal, with a holiday property you can to either.

Mark runs several selfcatering-scotland.net selfcatering-scotland.net

You have been looking forward to this holiday all year. Perhaps it is a first-time getaway with your new romance, a family holiday filled with excitement, or an unbeatable clubbing vacation with your best friends. No matter what makes your holiday memorable, you will certainly want to capture and store the details for years to come.

Traditional mementoes of a holiday tend to include photo albums, slide shows, and maybe a sea shell collection. These items can bring back plenty of fond memories for you, but what about the people you share them with?

Isn’t there a more exciting and entertaining way to showcase your holiday adventure?

Holiday Documentary

A holiday documentary is much more than a home movie, it’s a holiday production. By combining your vacation memories with this popular film format you will have an entertaining keepsake that your friends and families will love to see for years to come.

What You Will Need

The most important item that you need to make a holiday documentary is a personal camcorder. Any camcorder will suffice, even if you have to borrow one from a friend. Of course, there are also several reasonably priced professional-quality models on the market, should you chose to invest in a new one.

If you are using a digital camcorder, be sure to purchase a memory card. Most digital camcorders will record approximately 30 minutes of action; by expanding this time with a memory card you will be able to capture your day’s activities with fewer downloads to your computer.

On the other hand, if you chose to record with a camcorder that uses tapes, be sure that you have plenty of extras on hand. Remember, you will be able to edit the content once you are home, so don’t be afraid to shoot several hours of action.

In order to create the final product, you will also require a way to edit your film, The best option is a simple computer editing program that will allow to splice different scenes, and maybe even add voice-overs, text, and other special effects.

Planning the Documentary

One of the primary differences between a documentary and a home-video, is that a documentary follows a rough story line or premise. This means that your first step towards planning the documentary is to decide on a story angle. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Baby’s Eye View. A family with a new member could create a documentary of their holiday from the perspective of the baby.
• 101 Ways to Eat. This documentary could centre on the holiday’s food and include everything from purchasing food in a market to discussing cuisine with a famous local chef.
• The Best Looking Man. Girls going away on a clubbing weekend may create a documentary in search of the holiday’s best looking man.

After selecting your topic, you should also create a brief outline of the information that you would like to cover. Of course, documentaries are very spontaneous and should be scripted, but it is still a good idea to have a direction in mind. For example, on a girls’ weekend some important shots to include would be getting ready for a night out on the town, dish sessions over breakfast, and any exciting adventures that arise.

Filming

When you are filming live action, resist the urge to narrate excessively – everyone has seen the home video that includes a running monologue describing every event and item on the screen. Instead, keep your statements to a minimum and narrate only when it is necessary. This will ensure that the noises of the action itself are not lost behind your voice. Plus, it you are using a digital camera and a basic editing program, you will be able to add a voice-over narration later on.

Selecting what to film should be easy, as long as you have prepared with enough memory or film. Basically – film everything that you think to and edit later. You never know what funny or outrageous event you’ll inadvertently capture.

However, it is also important to keep in mind that you don’t have to capture every bit of the holiday on film – remember: you are there to experience it too! If something exciting or eventful does occur without the camera, you can always create a video diary moment where you explain the event on screen.

Creating the Final Product

Editing the final cut of your documentary is a fun activity that you will be able to enjoy after you have returned home from your holiday. First, think about the theme for the documentary and look at your initial outline. Next, reflect on the events that actually took place and select those that you would like to include in the film.

Remember, you have likely captured hours of film, but not all of it needs to be included in the final documentary. Include only those events that feed into your overall theme.

Now that you have a rough guideline for the flow of the documentary, use your editing program to select the scenes that you would like to include. Here are some other great additions that will help create a professional looking product:

• Title shot.
• Sound track (consider your favourite song, local music from the holiday destination , or significant tunes that fit each scene’s mood)
• Cast list (you can put this either at the start or the finish, if your editing software allows it, consider including a photo beside each of the names)
• Scene Titles (if your documentary is a series of separate events, consider identifying them with subtitles)

Screening Your Documentary

Now that you have created your masterpiece, it’s time to show it to the world. Next time that you have friends or family over, pop some popcorn and dim the lights to create a theatre atmosphere. Your guests are sure to love this innovative twist on the holiday scrapbook!

At thomascook-direct.co.uk/ thomascook-direct.co.uk/, you’ll find information on everything you need to plan your next holiday in the sun. Thomas Cook offers the latest and most up-to-date information regarding all of your travel needs. Thomas Cook is interested in making your vacation a memorable one.