During our last Young Eagles flights in May, Puff II and I were going up and down all morning. No sooner had I landed and helped the Young Eagle youth out of the plane than there were two more to take up. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing this, but I needed a breather; it had been a long morning with lots of kids to fly with only two aircraft.
As I was in the hangar looking for some breakfast from our EAA Chapter 1240 pancake breakfast, I was told we had run out of food. Ok, I’ll get something for lunch when I get home. My present girth indicated I had not missed too many meals, so it was not a big deal.
There were just two kids left to fly and I thought the other pilot of N12339 would be able to take them, but he was running late for another commitment, so back on the flight line I went with two more in tow. It turned out to be the best flight of the morning.
Seventh grader Tucker sat up front with his younger sister Anniston in the back. Soon we were rolling down Runway One and climbing out in the ever-warming morning air. Thermals were building and it was a bit bumpy but at 2,800 feet it smoothed out. I asked where they lived and we set a course to their house in Avon Park. What happened next was the best part of the flight.
Both Tucker and Anniston were chatting with each other on the intercom, looking out the windows and commenting on things they recognized from the air. These kids were into it. I asked Tucker what grade he was in, and after finding out, I said when he got to high school, he could enroll in our High School Aviation Academy. He said that was his plan.
He then asked me some questions: “How long have you been flying? What got you interested in flying, and what do you enjoy most about it?” These were some pointed and thoughtful questions from a 7th grader. It took me back to my neighbor Wes who was in high school like me, and a pilot. Wes took me up for my first flight in a small plane. I explained to Tucker how cool that first flight was. I then told him about when I worked in the National Park Service and worked with helicopters and caught the flying bug in a big way. But the most meaningful question he asked was “What did you like most about flying?”
I told him that flying was “Aero-therapy” for me. I shared that when I’m up in the air, I can leave all the other stuff on the ground and just concentrate on flying and enjoying it. It is my happy place. Since this was the last Young Eagle flight of the morning and there were no others waiting, I took some extra time flying with my two special passengers.
There was no doubt the flying that morning was a bit more stressful than normal as it was such a beautiful, clear and calm morning. Sebring Airport seemed to be an airplane magnet. There were aircraft coming in from all directions, some slow, some fast, all trying to get safely sequenced in the landing pattern, and in addition to all the incoming traffic, we had flying lessons going on with multiple touch and go landings in the middle of it all. It was nothing that couldn’t be handled, but it required concentration and patience. After three continuous hours of it, this last flight was a nice break, and as most the transient incoming breakfast crowd had taken off and were headed home, the pattern was quiet again.
The take-away for me from the last morning flight was Tucker helping me think about why I fly and what I can do with it for others. There is no question flying is fun and it is an “extra” in my life, but more importantly is understanding why I fly. I enjoy sharing flying with others and I do that when and as often as I can. When there is a young person in there with me with wide eyes and smiles, it is pure magic. It restores my soul. Thanks Tucker!
Our students will begin school next Wednesday, and we will leave our summer routines and get back to the school days routine. We have full enrollment in our Highlands Aviation and Aerospace and Engineering Program. On August 11th, EAA Chapter 1240 will resume the monthly Chapter meetings at 6:00 PM, and we will have our monthly pancake breakfast and Young Eagle flights are resuming on Saturday August 13. So, buckle up, here we go, and be on the lookout for the school buses!
