to end his indoor season here. from corse178's blog
ONE THOUSAND FEET ABOVE CROMWELL, Conn. Alex Ovechkin Jersey . -- On a picture-perfect Thursday morning, were flying high above TPC River Highlands, site of this weeks Travelers Championship, when my reporters intuition kicks in.Terry Dillard, pilot for the Snoopy 1 Airship -- better known as one of only 22 blimps in the world -- is coolly navigating through the Connecticut sky while discussing how he and the other members of the 15-person crew work year-round, as he spends six-hour shifts hovering over golf courses to produce the camera angles nobody else can get, when I blurt out my next in a long line of questions.So, um, wheres the bathroom in this thing?Were seated in whats referred to as the gondola, the small cockpit structure which sits underneath $80,000 of helium. Dillard is sitting in the pilots station, which is in the front left of the enclosed space, just like the drivers seat of a car.Using foot pedals to determine the speed, which maxes out at about 25 mph, and wheels on each side of his seat which resemble those of a wheelchair in order to steer, he offers a hearty laugh at the question. Surely there are moments when life piloting the blimp can become stressful. This isnt one of them.On a scale of 1-10, he says, today is an 11 as far as it being a perfect day to fly.Dillard, 61, has been piloting blimps for 26 years. Sporting a shaved head and salt-and-pepper Fu Manchu, he has the physical characteristics of a dude you dont want to mess with, but is perpetually affable and not often at a loss for words.There are a few, though, that he refuses to use.In our industry, we dont blow up; we inflate, he explains. We also dont use the D word; we dont deflate.The Snoopy 1 Airship stays inflated while the crew travels from tournament to tournament, Dillard through the air and others on the ground, never more than 30 miles away from each other.It might not be the quickest way to get around, but its absolutely the most scenic.Ive seen every inch of the United States of America, Dillard likes to say, at 25 mph.Hes also seen some of the best -- and worst -- golf shots at professional events from 1,000 feet above the fairways and greens.During the broadcast window, there is a cameraman seated behind Dillard, who controls the exact aerial video shown on your TV, but just like a player and caddie, one cant do his job without the other.The similarities dont end there.The worst type of weather for flying a blimp is heavy wind and thunderstorms, which arent exactly golfers favorites. And the relationship is symbiotic; while the pilot and cameraman use whats happening below them to help tell the story to viewers, the players will look above to assist with their jobs.The players use us, says Dillard. They look at the blimp to see which way the wind is blowing. If its a tailwind, theyll club down; if its a headwind, theyll club up. Theyll say, Look at the blimp and trust your club.Dillard insists that he can identify players from his catbird seat. I look down on the early first round of the Travelers Championship and think I spot Vijay Singh -- or maybe thats Ernie Els. Spotting pros must be a learned trait from up here.Theres more to this gig than just flying around and checking out players. A director in the production truck will ask Dillard to find a specific shot. He must maneuver the blimp into the best position for his cameraman to catch the flight of the ball, while keeping his shadow out of the shot.He admits hes biased, but contends that an event without any camera angles from a blimp loses something in the translation to television.When youre watching a tournament and you dont have a blimp there, its pretty dang boring, he says. There are just some shots you cant see from the ground.We take another quick spin above TPC River Highlands, then Dillard starts the scenic route back, over the Connecticut River and past downtown Hartford. He has to get to work soon, maneuvering Snoopy 1 through the sky on this 11 day on a scale of 1-10.Youll know his work when you see it. When a player hits a towering approach over some tall trees to tap-in birdie range or mishits a drive so offline that it cant be trailed from ground level, that will be Dillard, positioning the blimp into a place where he and the cameraman can best help tell the story.Its a pretty sweet ride up there. If you ever get the chance, enjoy the scenic view in any direction and dont be afraid to put your hand out the window and feel the summer air against it.Oh, and theres one other thing: After Dillard laughed to my question about the bathroom, he finally offered an answer.All Ill say is that you probably dont want to touch the empty Gatorade bottle behind the pilots station. Jonas Siegenthaler Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. John Carlson Jersey . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. http://www.thecapitalshockeystore.com/Capitals-Dale-Hunter-Adidas-Jersey/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second.Long-jump world champion Greg Rutherford has pulled out of the World Indoor Championships as he continues his recovery from a chest infection and minor hamstring problem. The Olympic gold medalist will not travel to Portland for the Championships, which take place between March 17-20, with the Rio Olympics this summer his main focus for the year.It is the latest blow to Rutherfords Rio preparations after he was forced to miss last months British Indoor Championships and Glasgow Grand Prix. He had started the year in encouraging form after jumping 8.26m in Albuquerque to lie second in the world rankings. Rutherford will not travel to the World Indoor Championships British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: Greg is really disappointed not to be able to compete in Portland, but his body reacted harder than expected to this weeks training.Defending the Olympic title is obviously Gregs main focus for 2016, so he has sensibly decided not to take any risks and to end his indoor season here. T.J. Oshie Jersey. his will allow him the opportunity to concentrate on being in the best shape possible going into the outdoor season and ultimately Rio. Lewis: Athletics is dying Carl Lewis says the standard of competition in the event is at an all-time low GB team for World Indoor Championships in Portland, March 17-20:Men60m - James Dasaolu, Andrew Robertson1500m - Charlie Grice, Chris OHare3,000m - Lee Emanuel, Tom Farrell60m hurdles - Lawrence ClarkeHigh jump - Chris Baker, Robbie GrabarzLong jump - Dan Bramble, Women60m - Dina Asher-Smith, Asha Philip800m - Lynsey Sharp, Adelle Tracey3,000m - Josephine Moultrie, Steph Twell60m hurdles - Tiffany Porter, Serita SolomonHigh jump - Isobel PooleyLong jump - Shara Proctor, Lorraine UgenPentathlon - Morgan Lake Also See: Lewis: Athletics is dying Russian response irks Radcliffe Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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