The scribbling of a Sunday afternoon....

Watching Howard Hughes happened while my remote worked overtime .

The condition on a late Sunday morning is much like meditation - when your body is completely relaxed , the mind remains in state of active alertness . Like a ninja .. still like lake water but ever conscious of impending danger. Similar is the situation when you've been lying motionless on couch for time untold and the remote in tandem with your mind moves from one channel to other .....Ever alert to the first signs of boredom and spryly moving to next .. this is when u also take deep breaths ..yaaaawwnnnnn!

Following a such a breath of life .. ,,I stumbled upon Howard Hughes's story on the history channel . Howard used to design and construct planes . Also an ace pilot he was known to test flight his own designs when not making movies and planning industrial expansion.

Nov 1, 19 something( post world war II) entire country watched the largest water plane get ready for maiden run in the California waters. H4, as it was called ,was clearly a herculean effort . Critics believed that the plane of this size can never take off . It was three times the size of largest aircraft known to be commissioned for the US air force .

It took five years of non stop work from Howard’s team. While the aircraft was in its last stage of assembly, Howard was test piloting another lighter aircraft. A technical snag in the flight caused Howard to stay in air longer than expected. It is said that he continued with the flight to understand more of the problem ensuing a crash landing in one of the house. This is the third time he tricked death.

H4 project came in middle of whirlwind of government charges against Howard on many contracts he executed for the air force. Howard defended it with all his force .The trauma lasted 6 months.

Back to H4, the plane was finally ready... and amidst all criticism and pressure Howard took H4 into the ocean. The plane was to be run on taxi with 100 reporters on board and an inspector from the aviation ministry.

Howard was categorically told NOT to fly as certain hydraulics remained to be tested. Howard pushed on all engines and pushed the aircraft near take off velocity. While the world waited in anticipation if the H4 could fly, the inspector’s cold eyes would record incident in log and cause h4 to be grounded for ever. Howard also knew it could risk the lives of all on board.

He pushed it further, H4 was airborne and the country erupted in joy as the live commentator broadcasted the scene sitting in the cabin.

It was the only flight H4 ever made. ….But Howard proved every single disbeliever wrong !

History does not get made on couches.... but blogs do . ..he he !!
Rahul