Still no helicopter. But we’re getting closer.

You may have surmised that I did not get my new helicopter before Christmas, as I had hoped. I was so bummed out about it that I didn’t write a word about it here. I had to cancel a potentially lucrative gig in Stanton on New Year’s Eve. I’ve also turned down about a dozen helicopter flights for hire in the past three weeks. And without a helicopter, I’m deprived of the simple pleasure of flying over the desert after a soaking rainstorm to see where the flood water is coming from and going.

I tried hard to get them to let me pick up the helicopter on this coming Thursday. But the factory said no. Friday would be the day. Friday afternoon, in fact.

Not what I wanted to hear. I have a gig lined up for Saturday. The weather forecast for Torrance, Palm Springs, and Wickenburg (well, Phoenix, anyway) calls for showers on Friday. So either I won’t be able to fly due to low visibility/ceilings or I’ll have to fly in the rain and risk stripping paint off my brand new rotor blades. Or I’ll miss that gig.

I wrote an e-mail to the new helicopter sales person at Robinson and basically begged her to let me have it on Thursday, when the forecast is so much better. No response. She’s probably deleted the message.

I’ll know more tomorrow. Maybe.