Axios Tampa Bay recently posted a cool story about the “Mooney Anomaly,” an effort between artist Matt Kress and pilot Liam Hawkins to conquer their fears, as well as inspire others to follow their dreams.
In the story by Selene San Felice, “How a St. Pete artist and pilot conquered their fears to intersect art and aviation,” she tells how the brightly painted Mooney helped Hawkins overcome his fear of flying, and Kress confront his fear of failing.
Kress worked a desk job for 15 years after graduating from art school for fear he’d never make a living as a painter. Then he moved to St. Pete and saw a path to success in the mural-covered town.
After participating in local shows and selling his work, he got his first mural contract in 2018 from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, his canvas wall art can be seen around the country.
Meanwhile Hawkins took at least a thousand flights over the same timeframe to conquer his fear of flying.
“Every bump, every noise, every look a flight attendant gave drove fear,” he told Axios Tampa Bay. “But the only thing worse than how I felt in a plane was the idea of failing.”
He earned his pilot certificate and bought the 1967 Mooney M20F that has become the “Anomaly.”
Read the full story here and if you’re going to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024 later this month you might see the Mooney Anomaly there.
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