A Wing and a Prayer

 This  week has been an exciting one for the Two Late Bloomers I blog about each month.

Charles & Frieda
Waiting for Takeoff

This past week has been an exciting one for the Two Late Bloomers I blog about each month. We flew into Philadelphia and traveled to the beautiful state of Delaware to experience a much anticipated event. Our hotel was in the quaint town of Lewes—close to the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean. This historical town was founded by the Dutch in the mid-1600s. “The First Town in the First State” is the motto of Lewes. Delaware became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution in 1787, making it the “First State.” 

The real reason for our visit took place in the town of Georgetown at ALOFT AeroArchitects. There we reached an exciting milestone in the history of our company.

A flight test on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft, with Charles’ Finlets attached passed with flying colors. A Federal Aviation Administration Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) has been issued and we are now free to sell his invention to commercial airlines. The engineering process began eight years ago and has involved a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and prayers.

737 Test Flight

Our thanks to our engineers—Rick Hooker, Bryan Jenkins, Andrew Wick, David Sharp and Larry Hill—who have endeavored tirelessly to make our dream a reality. We are also thankful for our investor group led by Propeller Investments. They have been both patient and faithful. And we appreciate the folks at ALOFT AeroArchitects who provided engineering and program management during the FAA STC effort.

It takes a great deal of faith and hard work to keep a dream alive. There is more work to be done, and we are grateful to all of you who have encouraged and prayed for us during this journey. 

Charles’ favorite verse has kept us inspired to keep on, keeping on.

Isaiah 40:31 English Standard Version (ESV)

^“ but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.”