![]() not referenced by name, deserve all the rec- ognition I can bestow upon them. Scores of people, from politicians to earthmoving equipment drivers, contributed in convert- ing Bird's Nest Airport into Austin Executive Airport. The number of contributors is stag- gering and, as a heartfelt tribute to these folks, I have listed their names in the back of the book. If I've forgotten anyone, please let me know and I promise to add his or her name before the next printing. you have a direction and an ever-present feel- ing in the pit of your stomach that you've lost your compass. Each step of the way is into the uncharted abyss of the unknown. Each step requires learning new skills and an ach- ing determination to lift your head and move forward even in the face of limitless opposi- dozens of fellow pilots and jumpers and bal- loonists whose enthusiasm and eagerness to share their stories made my next step that much easier. Some of the stories included are humorous, three parts hangar flying, and way-back-when tales impersonating legend. Others are teary-eyed and emotional. Some are meant to educate, and still others are in- tended to record the events and actions as ac- curately as possible. builder or a teenager looking for adventure, will leaf through these pages and come away with that tingly spontaneous feeling I got while watching Brian Terwilliger's One Six Right, that each of us is part of a larger story, that off-the-map beauty surrounds us, and that whether we recognize it or not, our own small world is a place of infinite possibility. |