All The Pretty Lights

Flying at 13,000 Feet Is A Thrilling Feeling. Even an 8 Year Old Can Do It.

The first time they went up together Lori was scared. She was only six years old at the time and had never been so high up off the ground. She started to freak out a little when they took off but her father calmed her down, getting her to look up at the clouds instead of down at the ground. After an hour she was chirping away about how cool the clouds looked way up here. After two years, flying with her father had become her favorite thing to do on Saturday mornings. She even asked him when she could learn to fly herself. Today was that day, her present for turning eight, and for being the apple of her father’s eye.

After they had done their walk around and climbed into the Piper Cherokee, her father gave her a pair of wings so she felt like a real aviator. Flying is the most wonderful thing you can learn, he told her. No matter how bad things are down on the ground it’s always a great day at 13,000 feet.

Lori watched as her father primed the engine and turned the ignition key, enjoying watching the propeller whirl to life in front of them. They went over the checklist together and strapped themselves in. This is throttle here, he said. That’s how you give it gas to make it go. When they had taxied to the runway he showed her their flight route. They would fly down the coast and land for lunch, then she would get to fly them back home in the afternoon. Her father checked with the control tower for clearance and showed her how to enrich the fuel mixture. They saluted each other like captains of the air and he pushed up the throttle.

They took off fast, quickly climbing to 8,000 feet. He rolled the plane to the left and showed Lori how to use the ailerons and where to look on the instrument panel to check the bank. He pointed to each of the brightly colored indicator lights that checked heading, airspeed, altitude, and attitude, then gave Lori the map. If you want to, maybe we can… Lori was waiting for him to finish but he didn’t. Instead, he quickly flipped a switch on the instrument panel, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes. When his hands dropped down by his sides Lori knew something was wrong.

Lori gently shook her father but he didn’t move. The first thing he had ever showed her was how to call for help if they ever got into trouble. Lori got on the radio. November Niner-eight-six Papa Zulu. Mayday! Mayday!, she yelled. Somebody help. My dad’s sick. She kept repeating that until somebody answered. Control tower, Niner-eight-six Papa Zulu. What is your Mayday? Lori kept her cool and explained that her father had passed out. There was a brief silence.

What’s your name?, the man on the radio said. Lori told him. Do you know how to fly the plane, Lori?, the man asked. A little, she said. My dad was teaching me. There was another pause. The man was talking to someone. He finally came back on. Is your dad breathing? Lori checked and saw that he was. OK, Lori, the man said. We need to get him to a hospital soon as possible. My name is Ed. You just do what I tell you and we’ll have your father down in no time, Roger that? Lori nodded but quickly remembered she was on a radio. Roger that sir, she said.

Ed asked her if the auto-pilot was on. Lori looked at the indicator lights on the instrument panel but didn’t know which one it was. There were so many. Ed told her to look over by the window for a flip switch. Lori remembered her father had flipped a switch over there before he passed out. She found it. It said Auto-Pilot and was flipped up. Yes sir, she said. The auto pilot is on. She waited.

Now listen carefully Lori, Ed said. I want you to reach over there and switch off the auto-pilot when I say. Then you’re going to have to turn around and get back to the airport. I’ll help you land. Think you can do that? Lori was scared but she had to save her dad. Yes sir, she said. Good, Ed said. Ready? Lori held the wheel in her right hand, unbuckled her seatbelt and leaned across her father until she was touching the switch. OK, she said. I’m ready.

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