posted 05-28-2003 10:24 PM               

Dear Friends:

During a 13-hour drive from D.C. back to Georgia, fellow collector Gilbert Huey and I had several extensive conversations about the state of our hobby and possibilities for its future. Bill and Vickie O’Donnell, mutual friend Gary and I also had extensive conversations about this, and some of their input influenced this discussion.

This post is intended to relay concerns that arose during these discussions, and hopefully to begin a dialogue for all of us to consider as we contemplate the future of this hobby.

The issue: We space collectors comprise a finite group. There are between 400-500 active collectors involved in collectSPACE and the same number, many of whom are the same individuals, registered with a variety of online groups. It’s a fairly educated (and probably liberal) guesstimate that there may be approximately 1500 active collectors worldwide. Out of five billion people, we’re a pretty small population. Other than the exception of a small handful of younger collectors, the group largely appears to be confined to people aged from their thirties to their sixties. Given that we now live just 30-40 years after the main accomplishments of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo and most of the astronauts are still alive, this statistic is sobering.

We have all accumulated many items in an attempt to preserve the history of the early space program, however it seems evident that we, as a group, are aging with a minimum infusion of new blood. If this hobby is to last, and if the value of our collections is to endure and/or be enhanced, we must begin a concerted effort to expose this hobby to younger people: mainly those in their teens and twenties. Folks in this age group were born after the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo days, and far too many have very little knowledge of the accomplishments during this period in space history. If we don’t share this history and invigorate in them a passion for collecting signed items by astronauts from this period, I fear the hobby could be in serious danger of decline over the next ten years. I’m not speaking of flown items, as I believe these items will always hold intrinsic value, in that these items actually touched history. Signatures and other collectibles, on the other hand, are not direct artifacts, rather are indirect.

If no one remembers a Charlie Duke or a Wally Schirra in ten to twenty years, where will the hobby go? Will there be a value in collecting? The audience interested in signers of the Declaration of Independence, great former congressional leaders, and war heroes has declined significantly. It’s shrinking because so few remember their respective accomplishments. Presidents seem to be the exception, as these signatures seem to hold their values pretty well.

Take a look at Civil War leaders, for example. Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and U.S. Grant seem to be well remembered (and therefore remain in demand), yet signatures of other leaders such as P.G.T. Beauregard, Edwin Stanton, and Ambrose Burnside hold little value to the general public, though thirty years after their own accomplishments, many of these were revered and collected as well. These fellows remained popular heroes among the public for years after their accomplishments, but now, whether we like it or not, very few remember them or care about their accomplishments. Sure, these signatures are extremely valuable to those who have studied this historical period in great depth, but unfortunately, these figures largely have been forgotten by average Americans.

I fear, given enough time without a sustenance of interest generated and shared by us with younger generations, this may well happen with our heroes from the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo period.

It’s a safe bet that Neil Armstrong will always be in demand. He will forever be remembered by the world as the first man to step foot on the moon. Buzz Aldrin has also seemed to remain fairly popular. But what about the other ten moonwalkers? And the rest of the pioneers whose signatures we stand in line to procure for increasing amounts of dollars and effort?

It dawned on me that I could walk into any restaurant, gathering, and even college classroom in my hometown, and it’s very likely nobody would care a lick about the historical value of what I have collected. That scares me.

I’ll be the first to say I didn’t begin collecting signatures because of their values, however I have realized, several thousands of dollars later, that these things are indeed valuable - both personally and monetarily. My collection isn’t for sale, but I would like to hope that I haven’t spent thousands for signed items that no one will perceive as valuable later. Somewhere along the line, these signatures have accumulated a monetary value. I don’t know anyone who hopes that his or her collection will decrease in value. I’d like to hope mine will increase and maybe my heirs will at least find some degree of demand should they decide to part with my collection after I’m dead and gone.

If we collectors don’t actively seek new and younger collectors right now, this hobby will not have the staying power to sustain itself. As it stands right now, the only people who seemed to be attracted to our items seem to be our fellow collectors. Even if we did decide to sell, to whom would we sell this stuff? Each other? That’s what’s been going on for the past few years. Many pieces just change hands within the group, because a significant number of new and younger collectors simply haven’t been brought into the fold.

And I think we are the only folks who can do something about this, before enough time passes that our hard-fought and expensive purchases evaporate in value, simply due to the passing of time and loss in interest. Interest is decreasing, folks, and interest will continue to wane, rather than build. There is historical precedent: This has been evidenced in other areas of historical collecting and very well might happen in ours, should we stand by and do nothing to further the appeal of this hobby to younger generations.

A possible solution?

I propose that we form some sort of concerted effort to expose others - mainly younger people - to the hobby of collecting Mercury-Gemini-Apollo signed items. Then let's post our stories about recruiting these new collectors.

I pledge to find five young people within the next couple of months, explore their possible interest, share videos and stories, and personally give them signed items in an effort to help build this hobby. I realize this small act on my part won’t dramatically increase interest in the hobby overnight. But it might be a start...

Is there anyone out there who might like to join me in this pledge?

Sincerely,

posted 05-28-2003 11:49 PM               

I give lectures to junior high school kids, if for nothing else then to deflect the myth that we did not go to the moon.

I also think that this hobby as with other hobbies will wax and wane with events and anniversaries. Anniversaries such as the 30th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 1999 and the effect it had on the collecting community and prices paid at the Christie's auction. The same thing happened with Titanic memoribilia during the Titanic movie. The prices of artifacts flared and then quieted down. There will always be peaks and valley in space collecting.

I see at our local science museum the wonder children have at the various space artifacts that are on display. I also saw first hand the amount of people who go to the NASM day in and day out.

So I think space collecting will have it's cycles, but will continue to intrigue future generations. Especially if we head out into space toward new destinations.

posted 05-29-2003 12:00 AM               

Lets try our best.

posted 05-29-2003 12:35 AM               

This fall I will begin student teaching at a local high school here in the Detroit suburbs. Some assume that I would teach science, but I am a historian. I admire the accomplishments of Mercury-Gemini-Apollo from a historical standpoint, not a scientific standpoint. I will with out a doubt cover the walls of my classroom with photos of the Mercury 7, Apollo astronauts on the moon, and Apollo-Soyuz. Weather my students like it or not they will be exposed to my interest, and some of my collection. Hopefully when they see how excited I am about the subject they will begin to have an increased interest as well.

posted 05-29-2003 01:20 AM            

I've been sharing this hobby with the young ones for quite some time now, it's really quite rewarding. Models of the Apollo spacecraft fascinate them, and occasionally I loan some of my signed books to the young readers, who can make that special connection with the astronaut, to re-live the journeys.

They are aware enough to appreciate the accomplishments and significance of these events that took place years before they were born. They'll make some great bedtime stories decades from now.

A flown artifact that they can hold in their own hands is a special delight.

I was born in the year of Sputnik and I am fortunate to have had a family that was very interested in the space program, and even more blessed by the fact that my son is carrying on the tradition.

The Apollo books and flown artifacts in our collection, are made out to my son and signed by the men that made the journey. Some of his young friends are intrigued as well.

It just keeps moving on and on... It’s a great time to be living!

posted 05-29-2003 03:35 AM               

Volunteer, educate, participate. You'll get more out of it than you know.

posted 05-29-2003 10:26 AM            

Just under ten years later I had the privilege to author many technical and some 'generalised' articles on spaceflight covering Apollo and Skylab missions, unmanned probes to the Moon, planets and comets, Russian missions and European flights. In a number of cases, these were real time reports and articles. I met and interviewed astronauts and cosmonauts, programme directors, politicians and, for me personally the ones I really liked talking to, the engineers and 'workers'. Over the ensuing years I continued to write more for the web now.

In 1965, certainly in UK, very few people realised that NASA was going to fly men to the Moon and return safely to earth. Yes, they read about astronauts and cosmonauts but few realised that there was a real programme underway and even fewer of those believed men would walk on the Moon. So, I started to do talks, lectures and even organised and kick started exhibitions to publicise spaceflight - especially Apollo. In the early days, people still guffawed at the idea but, as the flights became successes, the interest was sparked! I did talks not just in schools but in pubs, farmers unions, rotary functions, engineering societies, rugby clubs - you name a location, I've probably done a talk for them. I did top UK venues like London's Caxton Hall and University, Edinburgh's Royal Observatory, Jodrell Bank but also turned up to do small groups - including a small astronomical society whose observatory (a hut) was in the middle of a cabbage field.

During the research of material for articles, a number of aerospace 'units' (NASA, contractors, Novosti) started giving me items to use in my articles and talks. At the time, I thought 'nothing' of it and, after use, they went back into a draw. Then the internet arrived at my house (for me in the early days it was Compuserve) and I came across a guy on the Compuserve space group - Ricky Lanclos - who was offering some space flown item for sale. I bought it. We corresponded and I found out that there were a number of people - at time mainly in USA - collecting flown items. There were a number of space philatelists (worldwide) doing covers and had been doing for many decades. I had not known about these folk for many years! It was then that I suddenly realised that some stuff I had been given earlier in support of stories was worth saving for historical reasons. (I did own a piece on Skylab and was approached by NASA since they did not have their own illustration.) So, I started to look after things a bit better from that point on! But, for we collectors, we are not only collecting history but, for many of us I would suggest, it gives us armchair astronauts some tangible 'feel' of space.

Spaceflight is always going to be a long uphill struggle - both to be supported politically and at the day-to-day "Homer Simpson" human level, i.e. 'what's in it for me, where's my money going?' And, of course, a huge technical challenge. It will take centuries to 'mature' since the 'space environment' is so alien to our normal terrestrial environment. It's taken us something like 4 million years to get to this date, so a few centuries to 'conquer' space is really 'fast track'. We collectors are fortunate to be alive during the "seed planting" era.

Over the last four or five decades, I have seen the 'support and interest' in spaceflight wax and wane. There were down years after Sputnik-1 and Explorer before Gagarin's flight reignited general public interest. Then the down years between Gemini and Apollo flights before the true excitement of Apollo. Then the big downer between Skylab and the Shuttle. For a brief period, the early shuttle flights were exciting then the 'normality' of it all was no longer news or interesting. Ordinary people could not quite grasp what this 'latest' set of experiments was actually providing them. Unfortunately 'bad news' makes the headlines and Challenger did just that. But, interest in space was kinda reawakened until,again, the normality of repetitive shuttle flights lost the public interest. MIR had some high moments but, generally, never made the weekly or daily headlines. The girder construction of the ISS is not the 'wonderful' wheel shaped space station that the public "anticipated". The scientific and technical jargon that has been bantered around for the ISS basically 'turns-off' the vast majority of folk. (The last few weeks of Don Pettit onboard stay were producing some of the 'best' ISS promotional material for a while - the seeds growing, the water drops and the lunar eclipse).

When the shuttle flies again and if the unmanned landings on Mars are a success, general public interest in space will be reawakened for a while. But that interest has to be sustained. When you give a talk, it has to be interesting. For certain groups, you will have to lay bare your heart on the subject of space. Speak prosaically, add enthusiasm in to it, talk about colonising the Moon and Mars, setting up new 'world orders' new concepts, new way of living... They love it - believe it not! It's out of their daily grind. Yes, it seems silly but it works. And, yes, the exploration and utilisation may not go that "fanciful way" - it will more than likely go the 'human way' - one step forward, two back. But carry that dream and carry it loud and wide - people want to hear it!

sic itur ad astra!

posted 05-29-2003 11:10 AM               

Some bright news for Rob.

posted 05-29-2003 03:40 PM               

I was blown away when I went to visit the Liberty Bell 7 display at the Museum of Science in Boston, MA.

On the way to the display area,I spotted a full size mock up of the interior of the LEM and was drawn to it like a magnet. When I arrived, there stood a young boy of about 10-12 years of age standing in front of the instrument panel with a puzzled look on his face. He turns to me and said...

posted 05-29-2003 04:33 PM            

But as the Education Programs Coordinator here at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, my everyday work does involve inspiring the next generation in their space flight interest - though our IMAX movies, planetarium shows, summer camps, our Challenger Center and through bringing in speakers such as Scott Carpenter, Tom Stafford, Bob Parker, Joe Allen and Jim Newman. The Challenger Centers, in particular, are designed to do nothing but inspire and motivate youth while educating them about space flight.

posted 05-30-2003 02:48 AM               

I can only echo the sentiments expressed as they strike an all too familiar chord with my experience who share similar passions for the program... we're seemingly all of similar ages.

posted 05-30-2003 02:34 PM               

Hopefully in time, my collection (small as it is at the moment) will pass on to him.

posted 05-30-2003 04:16 PM               

I think Rob that you have hit on an important tool to use in that there are so few who actively collect space. Perhaps what we have now will someday be amongst the worlds most valuable items. Financially, maybe, but from a historical standpoint, definitely. Remember, regardless of what humans do in space from now on, this era will always be the first.

I know I am preaching to the choir, but I think that the wonder of it all is the most important thing. I still get goosebumps when I look at pictures of men on the moon. On one occasion, some of us were talking to Charlie Duke, and he described the lunar landscape in relation to his pre-trip dream. I was just thinking, this is the real thing from the horses mouth, not a written account, not an interview, or a film. This was a real one on one description by a man who had been there. That is the true wonder.

posted 05-30-2003 04:43 PM               

I was at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry recently -- they have the Apollo 8 capsule, flown items from Lovell's private collection, from Borman's, they have a Mercury capsule, a training LEM, and a moon rock on display from Apollo 17, among other items. I took the kids (7 and 4) and we had a lot of fun, and then we went home and looked at the books, photos, flown items, etc., in my collection. Amazing to experience with them -- but the wonder in their eyes and the pure sense of excitement was amazing.

But what gives me the greatest encouragement are teachers like Mrs. Cheryl Pergher at Kolling Elementary School in our district here in St. John, Indiana. After reading Rob's post, I started checking some of our local school websites and noticed this page that recapped the student's week.

Since it will probably change next week, I will summarize: this first grade class spent the week studying the planets, visited the Challenger Center in Hammond, created and LAUNCHED!!! their own model space shuttles, and in the end they spent time imagining they could travel to the plants and the students wrote stories (mixing fact and fiction) about their travels. And this is first grade!!! Wonderful. A big bravo and kudos to Mrs. Pergher and ones like her.

You know that kind of teaching spirit for/from the hobby should be rewarded. The next major space gathering should hold a charity auction to raise funds to set up a small foundation that will give an annual cash award (say $1,000 or $2,000) a year to the teacher or teachers that do the best job promoting space literacy (both historic and current) in the classroom. Awards could be given annually. Plaques. Dinners. Astronaut speaches. THIS would ensure continued motivation in the classroom. Most of the teachers I know are starved for resources to make the classroom interesting -- what better than space, and what better than an annual award/stipend to purchase classroom materials?

posted 05-30-2003 05:04 PM               

That wonderful era is all but gone and now it certainly takes a lot more than a stamp and a polite letter to obtain astronaut autographs. How can a young person with limited funds be expected to pay, for example, $165 for one Dave Scott signature? How many astronaut autographs can a young person get for free? Not many. Of course, several pioneer astronauts' signing fees are quite reasonable, but after spending several hundred dollars on just a handful of astronaut autographs, the young collector must become frustrated & discouraged.

Like it or not, the space hobby has become a "money hobby" and those without much money, which includes most young enthusiasts, are quickly discouraged. They may continue to be interested in space, but cannot continue collecting astronaut autographs.

posted 05-30-2003 05:55 PM               

The main reason I took the job, (it sure wasn't money) was to share my excitement about space travel and astronomy with the children. After reading this thread, I certainly have hope that there is a future for our hobby. I know I feel it every time a kid steps up to the telescope, looks at Saturn and goes 'Wow'. And believe me, they do.

I pledge to do everything I can to keep that excitement alive but not just for the hobby. I want those kids to have that excitement again. To feel success, failure and success again and again until a goal is reached. To hope and dream again.

I think we will be ok. I really do.

posted 05-30-2003 08:32 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by colonelgumby:
I have just become Manager of the Highland Road Observatory in Baton Rouge.

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posted 05-31-2003 02:53 PM               

Guess I should try to get him to get a cS member, as grand master Sy Liebergot already joined here...

posted 05-31-2003 09:13 PM               

I sent out a few emails and within a week I had arranged phone interviews with Ed Mitchell, Dan Brandenstein, Dale Gardner and Kathy Thornton!

I didn't know it at the time, but this particular school focuses on underprivileged kids and those with special needs (autism, teen moms, learning differences, etc). The teacher was SO grateful. He shared with me the "looks on the faces" of his kids while they were interviewing people like moonwalker Ed Mitchell! I emailed each astronaut's NASA biography ahead of time so that the students could get their game plan together and prepare some good questions. Apparently, they did!

The teacher said it was a rare moment that leveled the playing field of life experience possibilities for these kids. For those few precious moments, the dreamers were connected with the do-ers! Some of the kids even called to thank me and it really moved me listening to the excitement in their voices.

All I did was send out a few courteous emails asking a few astronauts for 15 generous minutes of their time for a phone interview with some school kids. Was it worth my time? Absolutely. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. In fact, I'm going to recommend this very approach to my daughter's middle school science teacher.

This is just one way some of us can help get more young people involved with space.

posted 05-31-2003 10:00 PM               

I have to say, that this thread is most interesting in that it reflects a concern that I share deeply, with fellow collectors and is the first such thread that I have posted a reply to.

As the Aerospace Education Officer of a local Civil Air Patrol Unit (Auxiliary of the United States Air Force), I teach aerospace education to 35 cadets ranging in age from 12 to 18 years old (two are children of mine). We participate in various aerospace activities,visit air and space museums and have received excellence awards.

Sometimes, I think I bore the cadets with stories of my childhood experiences growing up with the space program, watching and studying all of the early flights with space pioneers making history. Stories of how I wanted to become an astronaut and how I began collecting space memorabilia at the age of 9 (1964).

So on occasion, I bring in an item from my collection. During one recent unit meeting, I passed around a flown water syringe casing from the Apollo 8 command module together with a photo of Jim Lovell and the casing during the mission. The cadets were fascinated and when I pass around autographed astronaut photos and books they are just as fascinated and ask for more. They even ask how to obtain such prized possessions.

Some of these cadets have dreams of their own, of applying to one of the military academies, receiving flight training and perhaps becoming astronauts. My son has such dreams and has become an avid space memorabilia collector. I take my kids to auctions and book signings. They have personally met many of our space pioneers and walked the grounds of Cape Canaveral more than once. It has become a family affair, a conversation at the dinner table.

posted 05-31-2003 10:14 PM               

Still, how can we help them to become collectors?

quote:

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Originally posted by RMH:
I am not so sure that enthusiasm for the space program equates to more collectors.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Bob M:
Like it or not, the space hobby has become a "money hobby" and those without much money, which includes most young enthusiasts, are quickly discouraged.

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My logic:

I figured if we could individually help some young people with a head start toward collecting (i.e., duplicates as gifts), they might then save up for their next astronaut, and the next, etc. Does this make sense?

I'm trying to find a way to build the body of younger collectors. It's good for all of us.

Remember the feeling of holding your first signature - a slice of history - in your hands? A few freebies from us to kids may just motivate them to join the fold and seek to build their own collections.

I guess the crux of the original question remains, "What can you and I do to pass on the actual hobby?"

Food for thought...

posted 05-31-2003 11:41 PM            

A baseball analogy, if you will permit me. One of the reasons I don't collect baseball cards (much as I love baseball) is my brothers and uncles kept telling me that I shouldn't bother to collect my favorite guys and I really should be interested in should care about Mickey Mantle or some of those guys from the sixties. I never care about Mickey Mantle -- and I still don't. I was far more interested in Nolan Ryan or Vida Blue or Jack Clark or Goose Gossage. My nephew couldn't give a rip about Candy Maldanado or Atlee Hammaker, but boy does he love Rich Aurilla -- and I don't try to tell him differently.

Should you get a Scott Carpenter book autographed to your favorite kid? Absolutely, but don't expect them to care for years down the road.

It's about creating enthusiasm for space, in itself, like creating enthusiasm in baseball -- for itself -- not baseball (or space) of your own view of the Golden Age.

Seems to me the place that's going to be exciting in the next few years isn't NASA, but the guys involved in the X Prize. Maybe it's unjust, but Burt Rutan is going to be the new, exciting, public face of space (side burns and all) not the Astronaut Class of 1998. My guess is that, given the likelihood of a success on the X-Prize, the pilots of those things -- as those astronauts make the circuit on Jay Leno and Scholastic Reader Weekly -- those guys are going to have some star power. Not on the order of John Glenn, back in his day, but certainly famous. Encourage the young people in your life to pursue their own, new heroes that arise naturally in their own lives -- and if your kids are excited by that, tell them to write those guys that interest them for an autograph.

It's then when they've got their own collection of their own people of their own time, that you should share your own memories of the space program. And that's the best kind of bond.

My grandfather remembered the double play combination of Tinkers to Evers to Chance -- when they played -- and the thing, now, is I still don't really care about those guys, but I sure treasure the time I spent talking to my grandfather about them -- and if I were to find a Tinker autograph today, I'd buy it. Not for myself, but to remember my connection to my grandfather.

posted 06-01-2003 12:04 AM               

Going with your baseball analogy, could it be that perhaps we are collecting the Babe Ruths and Mickey Mantles of space travel?

Personally, when I see these cards of these and other baseball greats in a case in a hobby store, I do look on with wonder, but won't part with the money required to actually purchase one. Sure they are extremely valuable dollar-wise, but there has become such a small market of people who are willing to buy them.

If this is the case with our space pioneers, it may be not-so-good news for the hoarders. In D.C., Gilbert and I saw a fellow in the Charlie Duke line who was getting dozens of moon globes signed by any and everybody. When Gilbert asked him if he was a dealer, he said, quite honestly, "No, I'm just hoarding."

Is a decline in interest for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo guys simply inevitable? Any thoughts on this?

Really interesting food for thought. Trying to provoke a meaningful discussion about the possibility of building interest in collecting the early astronauts was the reason for my original post.

posted 06-02-2003 10:44 AM               

I think one great way to get kids interested in the subject is to show them "From The Earth To The Moon". The miniseries was both historically very authentic and had amazing modern special effects.

It seems to me like a great tool to get them to relate with the space program.

Frederic Janik

posted 06-02-2003 01:55 PM               

My opinion is that the value of our collections will inevitably shrink in time, both downwards and inwards. By inwards I mean the value of the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo era items will be focused increasingly (almost exclusively) on the big firsts - Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Apollo 11 - and then in a league of his own value wise - Neil Armstrong.

I didn't believe this myself originally until a similar discussion previously on this same board drew forth an interesting parallel from Doc Hanson.

In the 20s and 30s collectors of early aviation memorabilia focussed on items relating to all the early fliers and early milestones. In an era when we all fly routinely we have lost this wonder; while we can appreciate it as an incredible moment in history it's not the same feeling as it must have been for people who had lived before flight and then saw it in their own lifetimes.

Hence as the years rolled by the number of people still impressed/interested by the first fliers dwindled. The relevance of each early milestone diminished until ultimately you are left with only one event that can still excite the population at large - the Wright Brothers' first flight.

Who other than a very small core of collectors would spend money now to own a piece of their second plane? Or their fifth?

Apollo 16 may seem big news to us, but one day it'll be the fifth trip to the moon, fifth of fifty (or fifty thousand). John Young and Charlie Duke are names that loom large to us - but what was the name of the guy who flew that fifth plane I mentioned earlier? I don't know and I don't think it wrong that I shouldn't.

So that's the value history will place on our collections. Couple to this the fact that the people most likely to collect the Mercury - Apollo era (people who were born pre-moon landings but young enough to be awed by it) are now at their optimum spending age - 40 to 50 year old males at their earning peak. As the size of this group diminishes where can prices go but down?

It's worth confronting these facts honestly before spending large sums of money on a hobby. If you're still willing to spend your hard-earned money - excellent! You're in love like the rest of us

So to address Rob's question - I don't think there is a realistic way of making the value of our hobby endure much past it's natural lifespan (80 years?) or to retain public interest in events peripheral to the ones that shook the world.

If value is important we can collect cleverly. Buy Armstrong low, wait for anniversaries of 1969, then sell high!

posted 06-02-2003 02:06 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by WAWalsh:
Kids should be allowed to pursue their own heroes, but not without direction.

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quote:

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To limit knowledge solely to some current hero eliminates an enthralling history that helps...

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posted 06-03-2003 09:48 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt T:
My opinion is that the value of our collections will inevitably shrink in time, both downwards and inwards.

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posted 06-03-2003 11:08 AM               

The aviation parallel is only that - a parallel. I could (and hope to be) proved wrong about it, otherwise it's going to be slim pickings in the retirement home.