When we attended the Ronald McDonald House benefit last October, we were looking for things to purchase that we would use and enjoy. My dad used to be a (private, not commercial) pilot, and we thought that David would enjoy a flying lesson. We bought it for him at the auction, and he invited my dad to accompany him.
My dad used to have to travel a lot for his work, covering a five-state sales territory, and he disliked the long drives and staying away from home. He always wanted to come home for dinner (and the night), and when the speed limits were lowered in the 1970s, he just couldn't stand it anymore; he learned to fly. He had a fear of flying, and he thought taking lessons would be a good way to overcome that fear, head-on. He was right; he LOVED being a pilot. He got both his VFR and IFR licenses, which enabled him to fly in clear or cloudy weather. It made his work much more fun, and eventually, his company purchased a single-engine airplane. He was able to take clients, friends and family up for rides, trips and even for dinner, to places that were too far to drive in a day, but close enough to fly...such as in the San Juan Islands, north of Seattle. It was fun for everyone.
Side note: one of my dad's favorite "tests" for my prospective boyfriends was to take them up in the plane and hand them the controls for a brief time. Mom and I would be in the back seat during these "exams," rolling our eyes & shaking our heads, while Dad tried to initiate the poor fellow, all the while having his own set of controls at the ready, in case he needed to take over. Fun for everyone? NOT!
David was born well after my father had retired from his business and sold the airplane, so he thought that Kappa would enjoy getting back up in the air. Kappa did, and he took a lot of photos.
They flew over the city of Seattle,
our house,
and Kappa and Grandma's house,
before landing. They even called Grandma, and told her to go outside so she could see them fly over, and she did. It was a wonderful experience for David and Kappa to share, and it benefited the Ronald McDonald House. Thanks to Galvin Flying for donating to the auction!
2 comments:
Wow - what a wonderful day! And beautiful weather too!
I can't help but laugh at how your Dad "tested" your suitors up in the plan.... very funny.... my Dad is a retired Col. in the military and would "grill" my suitors fairly thoroughly. (Do you remember "Meet the Parents"? Something akin to that...)
Those crazy Dads.... what would we do without them?! :-)
I'm sure David loved his flying lesson!
Too cool. that must've been so fun for both of them.
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