A chance to give something back

Today I was blessed with a chance to take an 11 year old on his first
flight in a small plane. My wife and I met Matthew and his parents at a
church event this past summer. When Matthew found out I was a pilot, he
had lots of questions as he'd been reading about flying. He's one of
those really sharp kids that learns a lot on his own, asks intelligent
questions and seems to take in any and all information.

A week ago, my wife informs me that she has a pilot job for me. I'm
puzzled but not worried since, after all, this involves me flying. It
turns out she'd run into Matthew and his family and told them about me
buying the Arrow and that I'd be happy to take Matthew for a flight (she
knows me well). So, we made arrangements to go for a flight today. I
wasn't sure if his folks would come along so was prepared for a full
plane if necessary. Matthew and his Dad show up and it turns out Dad
has some errands to run so it's just me and a very excited 11 year old.

We go through a the preflight and I take my time explaining what I'm
doing. As I answer questions and explain things, I get this feeling
that Matthew is a total sponge just soaking everything in. It's also
obvious that he's done a lot of learning on his own as he knows about
things like knots vs. miles per hour and what some of the instruments
do. We must have spend 40 minutes before turning the key...both of us
having fun and we hadn't flown yet.

Soon enough, we're flying. First stop, circle Dad's office building.
Matthew starts to recognize things from the air and I can tell he's
having a great time. Next stop, Folsom lake. It turns out they live
near the lake so I circle a bit as Matthew tries to find his house. He
doesn't find it but that doesn't seem to matter. We fly around the lake
a bit and then head back to the airport. Along the way, we circle our
church.

Back into the pattern and a touch and go before reluctantly calling it
quits. An hour of flight time had gone by in what felt like 20 minutes.

After putting the plane back in the hangar and wiping off the bugs,
Matthew's Dad arrives and we chat for a bit. Matthew hands me a thank
you card and they need to be off to an appointment. I open the card and
have a wonderful hand written thank you note. The note is great and
I'll keep it forever. Even better was seeing the sparkle in Matthew's
eyes and the smile on his face. He had a blast (me too). What a
terrific opportunity we as pilots have when we can share our love for
flying in such a tangible way as taking someone for a flight. While
this was only my second chance to take a child for their first flight in
a GA aircraft, I sure hope I have opportunity to do this many more times
before my flying days are over. Whether it be Young Eagles, Angel
flight, or just taking along a friend or neighbor, I look forward to the
chance to give something back and hopefully spark kids (and adults for
that matter) interest in flying.

Two flights, an hour of hood time, three approaches, $75 worth of 100LL,
and one of the happiest kids on the planet...yep, it was a good day.

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On Sat, 22 Oct 2005 20:20:16 -0700, Jack Allison wrote:

Two flights, an hour of hood time, three approaches, $75 worth of 100LL,

Cost 75 dollars

and one of the happiest kids on the planet...

Priceless!!!!

Great post Jack! Hope you get to take him up again!

Allen

Jack Allison wrote:
Two flights, an hour of hood time, three approaches, $75 worth of 100LL,
and one of the happiest kids on the planet...yep, it was a good day.

Great story, Jack. Thanks for sharing.

Makes me recall a day this past summer when I was flying jumpers out in
Kutztown, PA. The airport is situated out in the corn fields and very
much blends into the local farmland community. On Sundays, several
Mennenite families come out to sit at some park benches near the grass
runway, dressed in traditional garb, of course, to watch us work. For
those that don't know, Mennenites are similar to the Amish in that they
lead a mostly agrarian lifetyle and run around with horse and buggy, but
they do embrace some modern technologies (including cars).

One Sunday morning we were on a weather hold and several families came
over to visit. It started with one wide-eyed kid asking how "high up in
the sky" I fly. Before I knew it, I wound up giving an hour-long
introduction to flying to about 20 kids of all ages (yes, including
parents!) using the jump airplane as a full-size model. The questions
were nonstop!

I don't have kids, but I imagine what I felt afterwords is similar to
what parents feel as they watch their kids grow and learn about the
world with unbounded curiosity. It's truly a great feeling to give back.

-Doug

--
--------------------
Doug Vetter, ATP/CFI

http://www.dvatp.com
--------------------

Today I was blessed with a chance to take an 11 year old on his first
flight in a small plane.

Doesn't that just say it all!

Thanks, Jack -- great story...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jack,

Thank you for sharing a terrific experience. Your post reminded me
of an unforgettable trip we made about this time last year. We flew
from New York to Northern Minnesota (with a stop in Michigan). The
'unspoken' purpose was to give a dying man one of his last wishes. My
sister-in-law's husband, Bill, had always been an aviation enthusiast.
Bill had been in very poor health with a lung capacity of about 20%
resulting from silicosis, a bout with TB and aggravated by years of
heavy smoking. Bill finally quit few years back when he was near death
with emphysema and pneumonia. By then, it was too late. In his
healthier days, Bill was an avid sportsman enjoying being outdoor all
day be it boating, fishing, riding his four-wheeler around his
300-acres property. In the last few years, he was confined in his home.
The only movements were to drag his oxygen tank from the bedroom to
the computer room to play few games (submarines, fishing and of course
flight simulations). Ever since we got our plane, Bill always
expressed his wish to get a ride. Knowing his days were numbered, we
made our trip up north hoping to fulfill his wish.

When we got there, his condition was even worse. He did not even
have enough strength to sit up for a computer game. However, he was
bound and determined to go for a ride. Loaded with morphine pills
which he had to take every few hours to relieve pain and to help with
the breathing, Bill dragged his oxygen tank and slowly made it to the
car. Sandy, Rick's sister helped him with the steps while Rick carried
the extra oxygen tank. We made it to airport and got Bill in the front
seat. We took off from Baudette's airport over the winding river
separating Canada and the US. Away we float about the fall landscape
with golden brown farmland and bright yellow tamarack woods. Bill's
health and spirit seemed to lift up with the plane. He became animated
and started to give Rick's directions. The worst passenger was Sandy
in the backseat with me. She clutched the hand strap tightly and lost
all the color on her face the moment the wheels were off the ground.
It seemed that she had a bad case of acrophobia and would not have
gotten in the plane if it weren't for Bill.

It wasn't long before we reached their property. Rick made several
big circles around the house for me to snap pictures. Bill wanted Rick
to fly over several special spots to check the beaver dams, the
repaired bridge (which was washed away in the flood which destroyed
their home few years ago. They had just moved back to a new house few
months before our visit) etc. He was in his glory surveying his
beautiful 'kingdom'. By then, Sandy had overcame her fear and started
to enjoy viewing their land with acres of trees ablaze in the sun
light.

We flew for about half an hour then headed back to Baudette airport.
Bill got enough strength left to pose by plane with Sandy for a
picture. His energy was pretty much sapped away by the time we got
back to the house 15 minutes later. Even with another morphine pill,
he could barely made the few steps of the staircase and were pretty
much in bed the rest of our visit.

The next day, we took a 'gaggle' of their grand children and friends
for plane rides, 3 at a times with Rick and I taking turns piloting.
We had given quite a few rides before to our nephews, nieces and some
friends' children. The big-city kids certainly enjoyed the rides but
the expressions of these frontier town kids were memorable. They
gasped and squealed with delight. One kid kept saying things like:"Oh
my gosh, this was the most incredible thing that I had ever done in my
life" "This is just so sweet" etc. Of course, we let the kid who sat in
the front seat manipulated the controls. One of them, a quiet and
sensitive boy devoted his concentration on the control until a flock of
birds flew by forming a perfect V silhouetting against the setting sun.
He asked to take a picture which turned out perfect.

We stayed there for 3 days giving half a dozen flights. There were
still two more kids who take the last ride but the weather turned bad
with forecasting snow. We left early the next morning after spending
almost an hour defrosting the plane. We had to divert quite a bit
south to avoid low ceiling and barely made it to Chicago area with
1500' ceiling. The trip solidified our plan to get instrument ratings
the next spring.

Shortly after our visit, Bill was readmitted to the hospital with
another bout of pneumonia. He managed to hang on for another year in
and out of the hospital. He passed away two weeks ago at the age of 56,
a year after his last plane ride. The ride we gave him was priceless.

Hai Longworth

"L" == Longworth writes:

L Shortly after our visit, Bill was readmitted to the hospital
L with another bout of pneumonia. He managed to hang on for
L another year in and out of the hospital. He passed away two
L weeks ago at the age of 56, a year after his last plane ride.
L The ride we gave him was priceless.

Great story, and this ending reminds me of a long-time neighbor and
friend. After more than 15 years living next to each other we both
moved away, but still kept in touch. I finally gave him an airplane
ride one Fall, over some territory he planned on hunting deer, and we
were trying to spot them. Never did see any deer, but we had a great
time slowing cruising over the area.

I never saw him again, as he died of a massive heart attack just a few
months later after Christmas.

THE CLOCK IS WOUND BUT ONCE

Author Unknown but with a nod to Darlene Virginia Quarles

In a hangar at the airport
Where a brooding pilot blinks,
Deeply graven is the message--
It is later than you think.

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour.

Now is the time you own;
The past's a golden link.
Go flying now, my brother--
It is later than you think.

Bob,
I am glad that you too had a chance to share your love of flying
with your friend. Thank you for the posting the poem, I particularly
like the last verse: "Now is the time you own; The past's a golden
link. Go flying now, my brother-It is later than you think".
The last few months have been a reflective time for us with the
pasing Bill and several friends including George Barone who was the
owner, chief instructor, AP and DE of Wurstboro airport where I
completed my primary training. Two other friends had recently
discovered some terminal illnesses. Life is just so ephemeral. We
just have to enjoy it one day at a time.

Hai

"Longworth" wrote in message
ups.com...
Jack,

Thank you for sharing a terrific experience. Your post reminded me
of an unforgettable trip we made about this time last year. We flew
from New York to Northern Minnesota (with a stop in Michigan). The
'unspoken' purpose was to give a dying man one of his last wishes. My
sister-in-law's husband, Bill, had always been an aviation enthusiast.
Bill had been in very poor health with a lung capacity of about 20%
[snip]
Hai Longworth


Hai,

Your stories are alway so interesting and well written! But this one brought tears to my eyes! Thanks!
--
John Clonts
Temple, Texas
N7NZ

John Clonts wrote:

Your stories are alway so interesting and well written! But this one brought tears to my eyes! Thanks!
Dang John...your eyes started leaking too? :-) Great story Hai, thanks
for sharing.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

Jack,
Thank you for your help in bringing back the sweet memories. Your
statement, " What a terrific opportunity we as pilots have when we can
share our love for flying in such a tangible way as taking someone for
a flight", is just so true. Bill kept talking about that flight weeks
afterward. All the kids that we took up in that trip had never been in
the air before. I sure hope that the flights sparked not only a love
for aviation but also some hope and dreams which will help to propel
them forward in the future. I am glad that we had a chance to give
something back in our trip to Minnesota and looking forward to many
more blessed giving opportunities.

Hai