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My Greatest Accomplishment and Ten Hobbies
Here are my favorite hobbies, listed in order of how successful I feel with each one. I still enjoy them all to this day, and they help...
Robert Hopkins
a few seconds ago4 min read


FISH, Inc. and hard times for our residents
James City County, Williamsburg, and Yorktown residents have kept our local food pantry exceptionally busy lately—sadly, a sign of tough times. For 50 years, we've stepped up to help, averaging 45-70 household visits daily this last two months (an increase). A vehicle recently crashed into the front of the building ( read more ), complicating order processing even further. My Role in the Operations The custom software and hardware systems I installed and developed have proven
Robert Hopkins
2 days ago1 min read


A new year has begun!
Ring in the new year with fresh inspiration! 2025 brought more highs than lows for me, and I hope it did the same for you. Better sleep transformed my days, boosting patience I rarely felt amid constant fatigue. Sleep's Creative Boost Restful nights since 2024 have reshaped my outlook, fueling patience for art and music pursuits. No longer drained, deeper focus emerges for watercolor strokes and guitar solos. Grateful energy now flows into abstract expressionism and original
Robert Hopkins
Jan 11 min read


Why I Walked Away from Airpark Life and Found Peace at Home
The aviation bug bit me hard - visions of taxiing my own plane from a backyard hangar to a private runway, Sport Pilot Certificate in hand, living the ultimate fly-in lifestyle. But after months of research, house hunting in Maple, NC, and endless stress, I pulled the plug. This post shares the raw journey, the wake-up call, and my pivot to a stress-free life of home renovation, flight sims, music, art, and meaningful work at FISH, Inc.. If you're chasing big dreams but feeli
Robert Hopkins
Dec 22, 20253 min read


Oh. My. God...
Where have you been hiding all these years? Under the basement stairs? Up in the attic rafters? Or just chilling on a tree branch? Well, guess what? I’ve found you! Until you’ve been shredding guitar as long as I have, you just can’t believe “the sound” actually exists. End of story. So, I was watching this video of a dude reviewing his new Line 6 Helix Stadium XL, and man, it sounded killer. But you know how YouTube messes with audio, so I was still on the fence. He was usin
Robert Hopkins
Dec 8, 20251 min read


Could this new development replace VR?
I'm reading on Phys.org for all of the latest goodies, and this post came up. It talks about how they have the capability to create a new display type that displays objects in 3D. No idea how its done, but if this were to happen this could change airplane and car simulators forever. No more headsets would be so cool! Plus, with stereo vision being enabled it would allow us to natural see dimensions and distances much easier than in 2D. I sure hope it someday comes to this! H
Robert Hopkins
Dec 4, 20251 min read


Its time for a road trip...
Googling around yesterday morning in my pajamas, I somehow fell down a rabbit hole on a new topic: airpark home subdivisions next to airports. Discovering Maple, NC With a little help from AI, I located one of the closest airparks to where I live now. I found a few others in Virginia, but I have no interest in being in the central or northern parts of the state; as beautiful as they are, they would not give me anything I do not already have here—mainly trees. Maple, North Car
Robert Hopkins
Nov 30, 20252 min read


Shark Aero versus TL-Ultralight Stream
I am carefully considering which aircraft will best suit me and my experience as a new pilot. Currently, I am drawn to both models, as they are quite similar and each offers comparable advantages. It’s great to have such strong options to choose from! AI is telling me that the TL-Ultralight Stream is an easier plane to fly than the Shark is so I need to keep this in mind. I really love the way the plane looks in the picture below! I think those are the exact colors that I wan
Robert Hopkins
Nov 6, 20253 min read


Finally! My First "Excellent" Sleep Score in four Years!
Last night, something incredible happened: My Garmin watch officially rated my sleep as "EXCELLENT"! Since I started logging my sleep...
Robert Hopkins
Oct 3, 20251 min read


VFR Kneeboard PDF
Since I am starting training for my SPC/SPL, I figured it was time I got my shit together! This morning I went online and asked AI what...
Robert Hopkins
Sep 28, 20251 min read


Sleep Issues and the timing of Carbohydrate Intake.
I’ve discovered that eating any kind of carbohydrates after 3:00 p.m. disrupts my sleep cycle. I’m not sure how I stumbled upon this...
Robert Hopkins
Sep 26, 20253 min read


My next trip will be a real doozy!
*Update: The deal of getting the SW-51 (from the previous blog post) fell through. There were just to many negatives in getting that...
Robert Hopkins
Sep 18, 20255 min read


I am 99% sure about this... ScaleWings SW-51
The picture says it all. A brand new ScaleWings SW-51! Of all the images of real P-51's I have seen, I like the blue color the best. I...
Robert Hopkins
Sep 6, 20252 min read


A Dire Straits Classic in “The West Wing”
When "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits plays during the climactic moments of Season 2, Episode 22 (“Two Cathedrals”) of The West Wing ,...
Robert Hopkins
Aug 6, 20252 min read


I've got a fever, and the only cure is more cowbell!
Bruce Dickinson, i.e.: Christopher Walken are the men! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then... Go to YouTube and search for...
Robert Hopkins
Jul 19, 20252 min read


Genelec Studio Monitors and a Focusrite Clarett+ 4Pre Interface
Making the Switch: Why I'm Reimagining My Studio Setup Ever look at your gear collection and think: What is all this stuff, anyway? 😎...
Robert Hopkins
Jul 16, 20252 min read


Creating IFR Flight Plans using Perplexity and Little NAV Maps
How to efficiently create any IFR flight plan, using Little NAV Maps and exporting the results to X-Plane or MSFS. Perplexity.AI (copy...
Robert Hopkins
Jun 28, 20253 min read


Line 6 Helix Stadium XL - FTW!
I’m here checking out the Quad Cortex amp and effects floor pedal, which seems to be the go-to for professionals these days… Then, I...
Robert Hopkins
Jun 20, 20252 min read


We went live with Version 2.0 yesterday (plus a video)!
Last month was a real challenge for me. Spending the entire month training all the volunteers at work really took its toll. Staying...
Robert Hopkins
Jun 2, 20251 min read


Back to work I go!
Next week is looking busy as I kick off two new development projects. First up is a straightforward enhancement: to support FISH’s grant...
Robert Hopkins
May 17, 20252 min read
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