We arrived at the airport in the relative cool of the late June weekday morning.
One of the hangars was open, its tenant a Cessna 140, was being circled by its pilot touching and observing the ship with purpose before pulling it out to fly.
The pilot’s ponytail moved in the light wind as she finished her preflight and got into the airplane.
We heard the engine startup as we worked on our project.
The pilot was getting their three takeoffs and landings in before taking kids for airplane rides as part of their summer school program.
Seeing her get away for some moments airborne alone is something she doesn’t get often enough as a mom to young kids.
A necessary guilty pleasure if there ever was one.
Summer days bring what feels like a different energy to moments. The winter and even some of spring and fall are spent wishing for better conditions; warmer, longer days and the slower pace.
The pilot’s young daughter is often at the airport with her parents, preschool-aged and very talkative. At picnics, she has said how much she loves being at the airport and flying with her mom.
Inspiring dreams for the next generation is part of the magic of summer.
As a kid of fourteen, the restorer rode his bike to the airport we are now based at to watch, listen a, and learn about how airplanes work. The time taken by the mechanics working to mentor while supervising the then-novice mechanic, allowed him to learn in the real world.
Times may have changed , but kindness and encouragement towards the goals of others is timeless. Nurturing the dreams and goals of others is a virtue that transcends generations, much like the magic of a summer day at the airport.
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