Greeting Loyal Airmen.  The above card is our official holiday greeting wish to all of you and your loved ones for this wonderful time of the year.  Just as the Air Chief was wracking his brain with what kind of image to use, along comes our buddy, artist Rob Davis, who makes this terrific holiday image using the great detective, Sherlock Holmes and his loyal friend, Dr.Watson.  It couldn't be more appropriate, as our book SHERLOCK HOLMES – CONSULTING DETECTIVE, released this past summer, has gone on to become the most successful Airship 27 Productions title we have a ever done. To this day it remains a best seller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble on-line. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, simply go to either of these sites, or better yet click on to our Airship logo to the left of this column at shop at our on-line store where you can get the book at a sale price.

The Baker Street detective is poised to make a huge comeback when the new movie SHERLOCK HOLMES debuts on Christmas Day, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson.  The Air Chief is really anxious to see this film, as the trailers look like wall to wall fun and adventure. And trust me, we at Airship 27 Productions know when our readers want more of a good thing. Because of the overwhelming success of our Sherlock Holmes book, we immediately set about putting together a Volume Two which will be released in Jan.2010, thus becoming the first Airship 27 title of the new year.

And if bringing back a classic British based hero brought us success once, imagine what bringing back a second would do?  Or so we thought when British writer Ian Watson offered us a brand new Robin Hood novel entitled The King of Sherwood Forest.  We are currently editing this book and are extremely excited to have it on our roster, as it is a brilliant retelling of this classic adventure hero.  Ian has not only written a swashbuckling tale of action, but he's grounded it against an historically accurate time which makes it that much more entertaining.  This will be our second book of 2010 and be out in Feb. A good couple of months before Universal releases their new blockbuster Robin Hood movie starring Russell Crowe and directed by Ridley Scott, with Kate Blanchette as Maid Marion. From what we've heard, this is going to be another rousing good movie.  Clearly lots of great reading and cinema ahead for all our Loyal Airmen.

This past week, Valerie started cleaning up drawers that haven't been emptied in nearly twenty-six years of our living here.  There is a plan to sell this place come next summer and move Hanger 27 to someplace out west. More or that as things develop. But for now let's leave it at she was starting to pack things in boxes.  Amongst these were hundreds of old photographs including some of the Air Chief during his tour of duty over in Vietnam between 1967-68.

                
                              Specialist 5th Class Ron Fortier

Looking at these brought back to Ye Old Air Chief tons of memories.  Recently someone sent me a poem about the men and women of our Armed Services who will not be home for the holidays this year, as they are serving our country in foreign lands, protecting all of us and our freedoms.  Seeing this photo reminded me of what it was like to be away from home at this time of year, and the pride we took in serving our country.  So please, during the hectic days ahead, if you should end up waiting in some long check out line, take a silent moment to pray for these men and women, ask God to bless them and keep them safe.  We all owe them so much.

Finally, due in large part to that photo above, earlier this evening, we logged on to the social network Facebook and punched in the name of a fellow who had been our closest pal while serving in Vietnam.  Lo and behold, not twenty minutes later we had a reply, and there he was, after all these years still the same fun guy we remembered. So now we've got a whole lot of catching up to do.  Sometimes Santa gives you an early present.

Take care, Loyal Airmen.  Enjoy these days as time to share with all your loved one. Till next week,
Ron – Over & Out.