Up In The Air with the Flying Mingling Brothers
By Jamie Hayes

August 28th, 2005, the day Katrina, the water buffalo stampeded through my hometown of New Orleans and devastated my life, I did catch one lucky break. My new book, Up In The Air with the Flying Mingling Brothers was sitting in a print shop in Bangkok, Thailand, safe from the flood. I'd been working on this project for over 7 years, and I consider this book the highlight of my career to date.

It is a fantastic 140-page epic adventure story full of hundreds of color illustrations, each representing weeks or months of work. Once again it stars two best friends, the Double Bubbas, only this time they get a blimp somehow and go on a most exciting adventure of their lives. It takes them from the middle of nowhere down to New Orleans, then on to San Francisco, where they participate in Blimpfest and compete against the Germans in the Big Race.

It is the " Greatest Adventure Story Ever Told ." Guaranteed.

Besides Jamie's artwork, there is an historical section/appendix with hundreds of vintage drawings and photographs of zeppelins and blimps from 1890 to 1940. Buy a copy of this book today. You'll be glad you did.

This book is also available as a signed and numbered limited edition.

A full-color, 34 X 14 fold-out poster of "The Big Race" is included as a bonus.

Price $44.95

 

A chapter from "Up In The Air with the Flying Mingling Brothers"

THE FLYMO

     Captain Simo was the coolest, most interesting guy the Flying Mingling Brothers had ever encountered. As the boys had already found out his clever contraptions were the greatest. The exercise bike was super fun, but the helmet the captain was tinkering with the next morning turned out to be Bubbas' favorite.
   "Mornin', Bubbas," Captain Simo said to the two sleepy heads.
   "Mornin', Captain," the boys replied, rubbing the sleep seeds from their eyes. They were curious what he was working on--a hat with a propeller on top!
   "I'm giving this Flymo a new Synthesized Booster Jet, a S.B.J." Captain Simo said, "and I should have this thing ready to go in a few minutes," and went back to work.
   The boys watched in amazement as the Captain's long, nimble fingers put together the tiny motor. When he finished screwing in the last screws he put the Flymo on his head and asked the boys to hold it steady while he fastened the thick, black leather straps to the big buckle on his belt.
He tightened the straps and double-checked the humungous propeller blades by giving them a spin. Captain Simo was a glorious sight to behold wearing a Flymo on his head. Without saying a word, he opened the exit door and leaped out into the clouds.
   Once again, the boys were shocked by what they saw. They looked out the door and there was their captain gently floating down, then suddenly the propeller started to spin. When the captain pointed his feet sideways he took off going sideways, and then he did the coolest thing. Captain Simo did a mid-air handstand, pointed his feet straight up in the air and came back up toward the blimp. He flew right past the Bubbas standing in the doorway admiring his free-flying acrobatics. A dangerous vantage point for them, Captain Simo thought, as he flew by. Moments later, he floated back down and spoke briefly with the two Bubbas standing in the doorway. He reminded them how high up they were and suggested they might close the door and watch from a window.
   The embarrassed Bubbas quickly shut their mouths and the door. They watched the rest of the show with their heads sticking out the window. Fifteen minutes later, a happy-looking captain reappeared through the door at the top of the airship. The boys were super hoping they might get a chance to try out the Flymo and had all their fingers and toes crossed. Just like last time, the captains first words were, "Who's first?" The boys couldn't have been happier or more excited. They didn't even have to wait there turn, because Captain Simo had two extra Flymos. When the boys saw that he had one in each hand they screamed, "HOORAY!" While he was showing them how to strap themselves in, he reminded them that the S.B.J (Synthesized Booster Jet) in Flymo lasts only 22 minutes. They'd have to be back on top of the airship for a recharge at that time.
   "Just point you toes in any direction, and that's the way you go," he said. "Flying a Flymo is as simple as that." He went on to say, "The S.B.J. is activated when you go sideways or up. Personally, I think that's when a Flymo is the most fun. You'll see."
   "Sounds easy and fun to us, so let's go FLYMO!" the Bubbas yell out.
   When Captain Simo opened the door for them to jump, they hesitated for just a moment. Then, they remembered that whenever they were in similar situations, it was best to pretend to be courageous. So, with no further adieu, they jumped from the blimp.
   WOW, and WOW again. To the Flying Mingling Brothers the Flymo was the single most bestest, most funnest, and greatest ride ever, in the whole wide world. Better by a million than the best roller coaster, and then some. The physical sensation of flying in a Flymo was like being covered in a thousand of tiny butterflies whose wings were flapping and tickling them all over their bodies. FUN simply didn't describe it. After a few ups and downs the boys were starting to feel a little woozey from flying through the sky, strapped to the Flymo. Their fly-time was nearly finished, so they flew back up one last time, and floated down, landing safely on top of the blimp. Captain Simo was already there, waiting to help them out of their helmets.
   "So how did you like the Flymos?"
   "WOW!!!!!!!!......." they said in unison, but saying even that was difficult, because as soon as they were unstrapped, they collapsed on the beautifully soft blimp top smiling the smile of all smiles. Captain Simp couldn't have been more delighted. Needless to say, the boys spent most of that day strapped to a Flymo, flymoing over, under, sideways, and up and down. Their favorite thing was flying sideways past the blimp. Captain Simo was impressed with the Bubbas flying talents. he was enjoying watching the two, and waving to them as the two Flymo aces flew by. The boys flew and flew, until they just couldn't do it anymore.
   When they got back downstairs they boys immediately devoured a delicious dinner of mini-hotdogs and gumbo. Afterward, over a cup of double espresso and the most delicious chocolate pudding the boys had ever tasted, Captain Simo told them the secret of why it smelled so good inside blimps.