The Personal Log of Captain William (Bill) D. Crater:

Stardate 97583.2 - The holiday season spreads cheer across the globe, and even reaches 240,000 miles into the stars to touch New Huntsville. It warms my heart to walk into the Rec Dome and see 176 stockings hanging in the main area around a 3D printed fireplace. The crew has even started doing a nightly “Rocky Horror Picture Show” style version of “A Christmas Story” - honestly, it is the funniest thing I have seen in a long time. Imagine a bunch of astronauts and scientists getting up in front of the screen and reenacting the Rabbit PJs gift scene, it’s hilarious. I hope somebody is recording these…

Our last re-supply shipment from Earth included decorations galore. Unfortunately, real trees were out of the question. You should have seen the faces of the crew when they opened the crates; the strings of lights were not the only thing twinkling! New Huntsville was transformed into a Christmas wonderland overnight. A wave of greenery, flashing lights, and decorations spread throughout the halls and I think I even saw a fully decorated tree out near the Sea of Tranquility, working lights and all. Whoever took the time to do that should get a gold star, they even shredded some of the gold foil from the Apollo 11 landing site and used it as tinsel (have no fear, I cleared it with NASA before I gave the approval). Next to the tree are two lunar astronaut “snow angels”, which I am pretty sure is a first. 

So, in honor of the holiday season, Santa has some sweet goodies in this month’s Crate. A new frame for rippin’, some sweet props for racin’, a lipo bag for life savin’, some hardware for buildin’, and some stickers for taggin’. 

Let’s take a look at the contents of this month’s Crate:

• T-Motor YEMA 5” Frame True X 
• We know you have a need for speed, and this frame is the ticket to the podium! Created by an industry legend, T-Motor, the YEMA frame is a 5”, true-X configuration lap assassin. Built for speed, agility, and performance, the YEMA will be turning heads in 2020. The question is, will you be the pilot they are watching? 
• HQ Racing Prop R42 Orange Propeller
•  If #winning is your goal, then these are your props! The R42s are made specifically for racing (they are a mean freestyle prop as well). Pilots have asked for a stiffer and faster version of one of their most popular props and HQ has delivered. Lean, mean, and POPO compatible, these props are stellar!   
• FPVCrate LiPo Handbag
• Here in New Huntsville, fire safety is a matter of life or death….for the whole mission. These new bags are just the ticket for keeping us all safe. Made from fire-retardant materials, the LiPo Handbag is designed to choke out the fire and help keep your belongings (and YOU) safe. Remember, the best way to be safe is to LiPo bag your batteries and babysit the charger during charging - the life you save might be your own!
• FPVCrate Hardware Pack
• If you have been flying your QAV-R as hard as we have been here, then you might need some spare hardware. Let’s face it, we don’t always Loc-Tite our hardware the way we should and sometimes screws go missing. Sometimes your battery lead and capacitor get a little...mangled. Well, then this Pack is for you! A full set of the QAV-R hardware, some flight contoller stack spacers, a spare battery lead with an XT60 connector, a capacitor. It is always good to have spare hardware and this is a great start.  
• FPVCrate December Sticker Sheet
• Deck the Halls with tons of stickers, fa-la-la-la-la la-la la la. Keep that spirit going all year long with a re-supply of FPVCrate stickers. All new purchases, whether drone-related or not, require sticker bombing. It is a necessity!
• Discount Coupon Code
• Yet another chance to be Santa to someone special (or to Santa!). This is the gift that keeps giving - saving a little on your gear allows you to buy more!!! Who doesn’t like more?

So, this Christmas season, remember those far and near; they are always close in our hearts. Make a point of spreading that cheer to all those around you, friends and strangers alike. Remember to take that feeling and try to, as Scrooge said, “keep it all the year”. We will all be better for it. 

From New Huntsville to all of our fellow Humans below, Peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.  

This is Bill D. Crater, Merry Christmas.