Episode 7 is out! The first episode of 2015 and the first episode of 1928…
The title, Soaring Lows, comes from the first scene where Helen, Joe, Mei Xing and Shaw stand on the beach and watch an airplane on its way to history– by way of Hawaii.
Aviation in the 1920s is comparable to our efforts to colonize Mars. Or civilian space travel. Plausible, but nonetheless amazing. Staggering in its ambition and vision. It went beyond vision, people had dreamed of flight since ancient times. This was real! It was happening!
It was a case of amazing engineering in aircraft development, but also the spirit and endurance of the men and women setting all those records. The physical stamina it took to achieve some of those long distance records is beyond my comprehension. Me, who needs to walk around on a flight longer than 2 hours to make sure I don’t have swelling in my ankles. Me, who longs for the first class upgrade.
Charles Lindburgh’s fame has had staying power, but there were A LOT of records set by other pilots and planes around Lindbergh’s era.
The flight from Oakland to Hawaii was one. It did happen in 1928 though I moved it from April to January. (The perils of history in fiction. I wince a little when I do this.)
The airport in Oakland was rushed to completion to accommodate this effort because it was the only airport with a runway long enough to accommodate the plane. Hawaii was a distant and exotic land- not a state.
It was a fun scene to write with our four main characters standing on the beach, witnessing history. History they were living. We’re in Helen’s point of view for that scene, but each one of them had to have experienced the day in a beautiful and unique way.
So that is the Soaring part of the title. The Lows are later in the episode and reference several elements. Lows referring to choices characters make and emotions they experience. Lows reflected in the reality of the times and the realities of life.
I also wanted to a capture in the title that phenomenon we can experience in real life of the highest of times, and the lowest. You’re up, you’re down, you’re up… what a ride life offers us.
Hope you enjoy this next installment in the story. If you are reading The Roaring Redwoods, an honest review is appreciated. Reviews act like some sort of magical fairy dust for the algorithms.