Plane Conversations

I can’t remember what it was like the first time I flew, but I was fortunate enough to get a taste of that incredible feeling when I watched three very special girls take their first flight ever. 

Alexis (8), Sidney (9) and Skylar (10) come from a East Tennessee, an area hard hit by the recession.  But from the beaming smiles on their faces, you wouldn’t know it.  The three little girls from Huntingdon were excited to be spending their first vacation with their Great Uncle Mike, and he wanted the girls to experience many firsts; firsts which may kids their ages from more affluent areas of the country have experienced by now.  Mike took the girls to the mall for the first time, made a pizza from scratch, and went boating, all of which they had never done.  But he had the brilliant idea that a first flight in an airplane would help him clinch the title of The Greatest Great-Uncle Ever!  If the girls’ expressions were anything to go by, he was on to something.

I met the girls at the FBO, and they were quiet and shy at first, but I’m sure that was because of the nerves. I took them out onto the ramp and showed them some of our larger turbo-prop Jetstreams.  Their eyes grew wide with each cool new thing I showed them; the large propellers, the plush interior of the airplane, and the cockpit with a million knobs and buttons.  I could hear the trepidation in their voices as they asked me questions, and then see the excitement in their faces and as we inched closer to the little Diamond DA40, which would be their plane for the next hour.

After some photos of Great Uncle Mike and the girls beside the airplane, Paul Lamb (the Owner of Wings of Eagles), and Chris  Carnett (the flight instructor who was taking the girls on the flight) met with the girls and made sure that they were buckled in nicely, and had their headsets on correctly. 

Then, Chris closed the canopy, fired up the engine, and then off they went!    

Excitement and nerves are an uncomfortable feeling for some.  But others just love it.  I guess that’s why there are adrenalin junkies out there, and then those who wish to only do the things they are comfortable with.  I was really proud of Alexis, Sidney and Skylar.  They stepped out of their comfort zone.  They tried something new.  They got to fly! 

If there is one thing I hope they took away from this experience, it is a sense of accomplishment and fearlessness.  I hope they continue to find the inspiration to keep exploring new things throughout their life.  

Kudos to Great Uncle Mike!

The letters below were written by the girls after the flight:

Click on pen to