Author: Steve Cavers

Over at Rêveries d’Avatarian, veteran Second Lifer Caliburn Susanto reviews my Terra Aeronatics tower in his post, “Return Flight“. Although he’s incorrect in assuming that the tower marks a return to creating aircraft for Second Life, his photos are beautiful. As well, his observations about the former Abbotts Aerodrome are spot-on: while it may be a landmark, its spirit is long gone from it.

Why is the tower there? When I sold Abbotts Aerodrome, I retained 4096 square meters of Abbotts for myself, as a place where I could drop in and build or play whenever I wanted. I eventually felt that I needed a place to display my work. What better format than an art deco style tower? So I launched into its design and construction with gusto.

It was a short-lived effort. Now, several months later, the tower is still empty and the runways unused. Eventually I might display a couple of my creations using the meager number of prims left in my parcel allotment, or maybe add a slideshow of my favourite Second Life moments. Until then, however, it’s just a tower.

Unlike the new owners of the airport next door, who for some reason don’t want visitors to rez planes or use the airport as it was intended, my two small runways are open to anyone. I hope it will remain useful to pilots who still trek across the map.

So thank you, Caliburn, for the write-up. Those are wonderful pictures. But Terra Aeronautics will not be returning to production any time soon.

Link: “Return Flight” by Caliburn Susanto (Rêveries d’Avatarian)

Abbotts Aerodrome update: The airport has changed hands again, and now it’s empty and waiting for new content. Although I don’t own it or contribute content anymore, it’s a build that I put several years into. Please support the new owner in making it a busy attraction again!

My parcel in the northwest corner of Abbotts (beside the Aerodrome) looks like a mish-mash of spare parts, but give it a week and it will look like a sleek, retro-futurist tower. Aviation fans will be able to fly aircraft from its runway and launch pads. Free, of course!

Stay tuned!

Eight years ago, I logged in as Cubey Terra for the first time. It was my second time around. My first account, Tillman Terra, lasted only a few days before I deleted it out of fear that I was spending too much time in Second Life.

In the past, I’ve engaged in retrospectives:

• 2005
• 2008
• 2010

And a little flight of fiction:

• The Oldbie

This time I’m going to just say that, although I recently sold Abbotts Aerodrome, I’m not dead and gone yet. I’ll be here playing with aircraft, gadgets, and crap in SL until Linden Lab turns out the lights.

Thanks for all the memories, Second Lifers. Now let’s go make more.

Abbotts Aerodrome closes on September 1, 2011.

Update (Aug 11, 2011): Although Abbotts Aerodrome is closing and I’m moving on, a buyer has stepped up who will repurpose the Abbotts build  (the tower, runway, etc.) as a new facility. See the relevant comment here.

Standing at the edge of the runway in Abbotts, I can hear the waves shushing against the supports underneath. A short ways away in the trees, a bird whistles a song that is suddenly overwhelmed by the roar of a 737 taking off. In the distance, a steady beat of helicopter blades rides the cool morning air. These are the sounds of Abbotts Aerodrome. I made this.

About seven and a half years ago, Apotheus Silverman and I closed our short-lived Zoe Airfield and bought up the majority of parcels in a new southern region called Abbotts.

We built a floating airport with an art deco theme, called it Abbotts Aerodrome, and welcomed pilots and aircraft makers.

In subsequent years, we expanded, I tore it down, rebuilt, tore it down again, and finally realized the structure that you see today — literally from a dream.

We held small aircraft building contests, huge exhibitions, and design competitions. We fought off attacks from sandbox griefers and two-bit newbies with cage guns. We’ve had Aerodrome members join our ranks, and others who faded away and left.

All of it was great fun. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. It’s the end for Abbotts Aerodrome, Second Life’s second oldest airport.

On September 1, 2011, we are closing the doors and grounding the aircraft for the last time. The lights will turn out and the aerodrome will go silent.

On that day, I’ll retreat to a corner of Abbotts to build a little cabin, where I’ll take up fishing and learn to make primfish sushi.