June 21, 2018 http://www.GeneralAviationNews.com — facebook.com/ganews 23By CALEB MUNDT
When I took my first flight lesson over
four years ago, I remember feeling a won-
der at the miracle of flight. There is noth-
ing quite like the feeling of an airplane
finally reaching rotation speed and break-
ing contact with the ground.
Over time, though, it can be easy for
such experiences to become common-
place as we gain experience.
I recently had an experience that caused
me to consider how I regard flying, bring-
ing back the marvel of flight once again.
An elementary school teacher by trade,
my job has provided me with some pretty
unique opportunities.
A few months ago, I learned that my
school traditionally does an end-of-the-
year celebration, which is a sort of car-
nival/field day conglomeration. A part of
this event is a raffle of items that teachers
can donate. Some offer special lunches,
hairdos for a week, and other similar do-
nations.
Some of my colleagues found out that I
am a pilot and asked if I would offer a sce-
nic flight around town to be raffled off. I,
of course, was excited to do this and said
yes immediately.
At the event, one of our fourth graders
won the raffle and we agreed to meet at
the local airport the next weekend.
The day of the flight finally came, and
the fourth grader, Bella, and her family
met me at the West Bend Municipal Air-
port (KETB) in West Bend, Wisconsin.
I had rented the 1980 Cessna 172 and
flown it in from Madison. Her entire fam-
ily and our school principal were waiting
on the ramp when I taxied in.
She and I were equally excited for the
flight. As we did a walk-around preflight,
I explained what we were looking for and
how the flight controls worked.
With the preflight completed, she and I
and her dad got situated in the plane, and
completed the startup. We taxied out to
the active runway, where we completed
our run-up, and then departed.
As soon as we lifted off, I looked over
and saw a huge smile on her face. I don’t
think she stopped smiling for the entirety
of our flight.
As we settled in at a cruise altitude, I
asked if she would like to fly for a few
minutes. She nodded enthusiastically, and
after a quick review of flight controls, she
took control and flew us out towards Lake
Michigan, staying north of the Milwaukee
Class C airspace.
She flew with a natural touch, not over-
controlling, but smoothly applying in-
puts, feeling out how much pressure was
needed to induce a change in course or
attitude.
I enjoyed watching the look of excite-
ment on her face as she felt the airplane
responding to her movements. We circled
around and then returned to the airport,
where I picked up my second set of pas-
sengers, a 5-year-old and her sister and
grandpa.
The kids and dad of a teacher friend, I
had offered them a flight as well while I
was in the area, knowing that the 5-year-
old was secure in her desire to be a pilot
when she grew up. She shouted in excite-
ment as we lifted off, and was thrilled
when we were able to pick out her house
on the ground.
I was struck with several thoughts as I
watched these kids fly. They were experi-
encing flight as it was meant to be expe-
rienced. There was an excitement — and
even a wonder — that I could see on each
face as we gently banked the airplane
back and forth, choosing a course around
town.
I think all pilots have had this feeling
of wonder and joy at one time or another
when they first started flying. It was a
thrill — or, at the very least, an adrena-
line rush — the first time the wheels left
the ground, and the first time I landed the
plane by myself.
But is it possible that with experience
can come complacency? We get used to
the thrill of flying, and lose ourselves in
the technical things that we are trying to
improve, or following our flight plan, or
any number of other items on any given
flight.
These are all important things, and we
should certainly focus on improving our-
selves as pilots on every flight. However,
if we don’t take time to marvel at themiracle of flight, we are missing the point.
I’ve been flying for several years now,
and I like to think that I have made it a
point to be motivated to improve myself
as a pilot, but it took an 11-year-old and
a 5-year-old who were flying for the very
first time to remind me of why I began fly-
ing in the first place.
That’s a reminder that I think we can
all use.
A final thought occurred to me as I flew
the airplane back to its home base after
our afternoon of flight: I wonder if Orville
Wright had the same look on his face dur-
ing that very first powered flight that my
young copilots did during our flight? I’d
like to think so.Through the eyes of a child
Caleb preflights the airplane before
the raffle flight.Fourth-grader Bella takes the con-
trols during her flight.Grandpa and Robin on their flight
with Caleb and Anna.At 5 years old, Anna already knows
she wants to be a pilot one day.The view from the back seat.Photos courtesy Caleb Mundt