Beware that awning springs don't injure you
A mechanic doing some work for me here used to be an authorized installer for Zip Dee awnings. He told me that an awning spring can kill you if you go to dissasemble it carelessly. That is good information to have that I didn't know. I had my awning let itself out from a severe cross wind not too long ago and I was lucky that it did'nt get totally ruined but instead I was able to extend it and watch as it rolled the flapping canvas back up just like it was supposed to. I was shocked that it didn't tear itself off the bus. I can easily see where I may have needed to remove it under different / less lucky circumstances and might have found this out the hard way.
Be warned.
Landing the space shuttle is no big deal
Jeff,
I once knew a little girl who was brought up in the poor neighborhood and she kept looking skyward. Her mother hardly had enough to make it week to week. They lived in my area where I had a store and the little girl frequented my store along with her little friends.
The true story goes that she would see the gliders flying above and wondered how they stayed aloft. Some day I'll fly up there she would say.
Where am I going? If a space shuttle is so easy to land if you know what you are doing, then why do they sometimes revert to landing in California, New Mexico, or Texas? Because they require exacting elements on hand to land such s flying machine. We all know this !
Working at a local pizza parlor, this little girl took glider lessons and then flying lessons and went on to a local community college. What an amazing gal and then she went on to receive many more aeronautical degrees thru scholarships and hard work.
The little girl will agree with me about the difficulty in landing the space shuttle because she did it numerous times. This little girls' name is Eileen Collins. One of the most magnificent women I know.
Lew