Twenty Years Ago:

Jackie Crawford smiled and poured her husband a beer and a glass of lemonade for her daughter. "Paul, Lena would like to ask you a favor."

Paul "PC" Crawford sipped the local IPA and smiled at his daughter. "What's up little L, what can your old man do for his favorite daughter?"

Lena rolled her eyes at the old joke. "I'm your only daughter dad!"

"Well, that means you are most definitely my favorite. So, what can I do for you?"

Lena looked away for a moment before answering. "Um, you know my friend Charlotte right?"

Paul nodded. "Yes, the quiet dark-haired girl who lives with her grandparents. Your mom says that she has been helping you with reading and math and that your grades are way up."

Lena smiled and nodded. "Yeah, Char is really good with math and reading and she explains stuff better than my teachers."

"Is that so? Well, keep at it young lady, your mom and I expect you to go to college. We never got the chance you know. Now what is it that you want to ask your old dad about?"

"So, you see dad, next week is take your daughter to work day for school and Charlotte, well you know..."

Paul looked away for a moment before answering. "Yes, I understand Lena. How about this? Why don't you and Charlotte come to the shop next week with me for your school project and I'll show you everything about plumbing. You know pipes, sinks, toilets and other stuff you probably never heard of. Then we'll go to my office and I'll show you about contracting and owning a small business and everything it takes to pay the bills. I won't talk about taxes 'cause that's too scary. After that, we'll go get a pizza or something. Does that sound good?"

Lena answered with a big hug. "Thanks, Dad. I'll call Char and let her know."

On that same cool, late fall evening, Charlotte rapped on the door of her grandfather's study. One wall of the converted bedroom was floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Carl had given his granddaughter permission to borrow any of the books as long as she promised to take care and make sure to return each one. The shelves contained Carl's collection of fiction, classics, history, science fiction, military history and a few tattered US Air Force tactics manuals. The wall above his old oak desk was covered with various pictures and patches and squadron plaques from his 30-year Air Force career. Most vets called this an I love me wall. Spread out on the desk, the old man was drawing on a colorful chart of some type. He looked up from his task and smiled at the pretty girl. "What's up, Ms. Jannsen?"

"Um, Lena called and her dad said that he would be happy to take us to his work next week for that school project. Is that okay?"

Carl nodded. "Of course it is. Mr. Crawford owns his own plumbing business if I recall. That's an excellent plan for your project. The country revolves around small business you know. Without plumbers and tradesmen and people who fix things, we'd all be in deep trouble."

Charlotte smiled and then pointed at the desk and asked. "What's that Gramps? It looks like a map."

"Very observant of you Charlotte it is a map, but for flying so it's called an aeronautical chart."

Charlotte stepped closer and studied the intricately printed chart. Carl then pointed. "See, here is Boise, and this blue line is the snake River and down here are Owyhee mountains."

Charlotte traced the features her grandfather had described. "Yeah, I see, but what are all of these lines and numbers?"

Carl then used his pencil as a pointer. "Charlotte, this is the Boise airport. See the runway diagram. The numbers around it tell the pilot things he..." Carl smiled at his granddaughter. "... or she needs to know like the elevation, the tower frequency, that's the radio we used to talk to the control tower. These other lines are Victor airways which are kind of like a road in the sky."

Charlotte smiled. "Looks like pilots need to know a lot of stuff, Gramps."

The old man nodded. "Indeed, they do Ms. Jannsen."

Charlotte then looked over at her grandfather's old leather pilot bag. "Are you going flying somewhere Gramps?"

Carl paused a moment before answering. "Well, yes, I am. I haven't been able to since..." He looked away for a moment. "...Well, since you arrived here. So, I thought tomorrow morning bright and early I'd go over to Nampa, that's where my, that is our airplane is hangared. I need to do a few landings to keep current and to blow the dust off of the wings as it were."

Charlotte looked into his eyes, which were the same shade of blue-gray as hers. "Can I go with you Gramps, it sounds like fun?"

Carl shrugged. "Well, I don't see why not. As long as your chores and homework all get done."

Charlotte held out the old paperback book she had come to return. "Gramps, I finished all of my homework for the weekend at school while the other kids were goofing off. That's why I was reading this, it's really fun. May I have the next one in the series please?"

Carl smiled and looked at the title of the book which was an old science fiction classic called The Stainless Steel Rat. It was a tongue-in-cheek tale of an interstellar crook turned secret agent and was one of his all-time favorites. He placed the well-read paperback book on the shelf and removed the next one in the series. "Here you are Charlotte. So, all of your homework for the whole weekend is done?"

"Yes sir, I'm going over to Lena's on Sunday after they get back from church to help her with her math, but all of my work is done, I promise."

Carl thought for a moment and then smiled broadly. "Well then young lady, it's a date. We'll take a scenic flight around the valley, do a few touch-and-go landings and then stop somewhere for a $100 cheeseburger."

The young girl gave her grandfather a puzzled look. "Hundred-dollar cheeseburger?"

Carl laughed. "It's an old pilot joke my love. Five dollars for the burger and $95 for the fuel to get there. Probably closer to $200 these days!"

The next day which was Saturday at 0730 hours Carl and Charlotte left the old North End bungalow in his 1964 Mustang convertible. On that cool morning, they left the top up.

Carl and Charlotte arrived at the Nampa airport just after 8:30 AM. He parked the Mustang on one side of the old galvanized steel hanger. "Charlotte, do you remember visiting the airport before? I think it was just after your fifth birthday."

Charlotte frowned for a moment. "Yeah, I remember seeing the plane, but we didn't go flying. I was so disappointed."

Carl laughed. "Yes, your mother took one look at our little plane and said no. Your father and I explained that it was safer than driving to the airport... Anyway, we compromised by letting you sit in the front seat with a promise that we would fly when you were a little older. So, here we are."

Charlotte was silent for a moment before reaching over to hold her grandfather's large hand. "It's okay Gramps, I am older now and I think I get to decide things like this for myself. But, I think mom and dad are looking down and looking out for us anyway, don't you?"

Carl looked away and brushed at the moisture in his eyes. Must be the pollen he thought. "Yes Charlotte somehow I do. Okay then, let's pull the aircraft out of her hanger and then I'll show you how to perform a proper preflight inspection."

"Her, Gramps?"

The old pilot laughed. "Yes my love, it's traditional to refer to planes and boats as she and pilots never mess with tradition."

"Or superstition?"

"Yes indeed, Charlotte."

Carl then unlocked the hangar doors and folded each to the side of the hanger and latched them open. "First lesson Charlotte, always secure the hangar doors, we would not want them banging into our pretty little airplane if a gust of wind kicks up."

Inside the hangar was a pristine yellow 1964 Piper Super Cub with blue stripes and matching N-Number 201QG. Carl removed the wooden chocks from the main wheels. He then picked up a T-shaped metal bar from a rack on the wall and held out the device. "Charlotte, this is the towbar. I'll hook it to the tail wheel and we'll pull the aircraft out. You can help me by making sure that I don't run the wingtips into the doors or anything else. Got it?"

Charlotte stepped back to keep both wings in view. "Yes sir!"

Carl pulled the small plane out of the hangar, chocked the wheels and closed the hangar doors. He then removed a well-worn checklist from a pocket behind the front seat and smiled at his granddaughter. In the morning light, her face and eyes reminded the old man of his son, her father. Carl reminisced a moment and then cleared his throat. "Okay, here is your next lesson Ms. Janssen. We always do a thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft before each flight even if someone else just flew her, got it?"

Charlotte smiled again. "Yes, sir!"

A few minutes later, Carl finished his preflight and opened the door to the front seat. "Okay Charlotte, put your foot here on the boarding step and get into the front cockpit."

The lean but athletic young girl got into the plane at sat down like she had done it before. Carl then adjusted the seat to its forward stops. "Well Charlotte, you are quite tall for your age but I think it will still be a little hard to see. Here try this."

Carl removed a seat cushion from the small baggage area in the rear of the plane. "Try this, my love, you can sit on this extra cushion. Can you see over the dash now?"

Charlotte shuffled around the seat a little and adjusted the cushion under her skinny backside and looked out the front windscreen. She gave her grandfather a broad smile. "Sure thing Gramps I can see great."

The old man smiled. "Excellent, Char, I don't think you'll be able to reach the rudder pedals until next year, but no worries. Okay then, put on this headset and I'll help you adjust it like we tried at home last night."

Charlotte deftly adjusted the ear cups and boom mic just like he had taught her. Carl helped her buckle her harness and lap belt and then he latched the front door and entered the rear cockpit. A couple of minutes later after he had strapped in, the old pilot turned on the master switch and intercom system. "Okay Charlotte, how do you hear?"

"Loud and clear sir."

Carl smiled before he responded. The girl had the litany down perfectly. "Loud and clear here. Okay Charlotte, I'm going to start the engine and then do a quick flight control check. Please remember to keep your hands and feet clear."

A moment later, the 360 cubic inch engine started on the third blade and then idled with a low steady rumble. Charlotte smiled broadly and tried to take everything in. She was fascinated as Carl quickly moved the control stick forward and aft and then left and right, and then in all four corners. She was amazed at the simultaneous movement of the rudder and ailerons. Carl then announced. "Okay Charlotte, I'm going to call ground control and get taxi clearance. Please remember to stay quiet when someone is talking on the radio okay."

Carl tuned the single 1970s vintage VHF radio to the automatic terminal information service. The robotic transmission started with: ... Calm, altimeter 30.21, runway 26 in use. Nampa information Delta. Temperature 18, wind calm. Altimeter 30...

Carl then switched the radio frequency and made his first transmission of the day. "Nampa ground, Piper Cub Two Zero One Quebec Golf with Delta. Taxi from the west hangers to runway 26."

With the same confident drawl used by almost every air traffic controller came the crisp response. "Cub Two Zero One Quebec Golf taxi to runway 26 via taxiway Alpha."

Carl responded in equally crisp and professional tones. "One Quebec Golf taxi to runway 26 via alpha."

The old man then said on the intercom. "Okay Charlotte, here we go."

Carl then taxied from the row of hangers to the main parallel taxiway and then the half-mile or so to the engine run-up area near the end of the runway. He performed an engine run-up, magneto check and a final flight control check and then said over the intercom. "Okay Charlotte, double check your seatbelt and shoulder harness and we'll slip the surly bonds. Are you ready?"

Charlotte confidently checked her lap belt and harness. "Yes sir."

Carl smiled broadly and keyed the mic. "Nampa Tower Cub Two Zero One Quebec Golf ready for takeoff, runway 26. VFR to the west 6000 and below."

The tower responded. "Cub One Quebec Golf cleared for takeoff. Traffic is a Skyhawk on downwind and a Twin Beech on a 5-mile straight in."

"One Quebec Golf cleared for takeoff."

Carl taxied from the end of runway parking area to the numbers did a quick scan for traffic and pushed the throttle to the stops. Within a moment, he raised the tail off the ground. At just less than 65 knots, the small aircraft became airborne. With wide eyes, Charlotte looked out of the windscreen and then the left and right side as they climbed in the cool Idaho morning air at just over 500 feet per minute. Less than five minutes after takeoff, Carl leveled off at 6000 feet MSL which is just about 2500 feet above the Boise Valley. After the tower cleared him to change frequency he made another radio call. "Big Sky Approach, Cub Two Zero One Quebec Golf, VFR at 6000 feet. 15 miles west of the Boise airport."

The controller responded crisply with "Cub Two Zero One Quebec Golf squawk 2103. Remain clear of Boise class C airspace."

After a couple of more radio calls, Carl said over the intercom to his granddaughter. "Okay Charlotte, we have been cleared to follow the river to the south and west of the airport."

"How did you do that Gramps?"

"Well, we just follow the rules. I told the approach controller who we were, where we were and what we want to do."

Carl then pointed out the right window. "See down there, that is the snake River and here..."

He gently banked the aircraft to the left. "Look down, that is the Boise River. We're going to follow that and then fly right over downtown Boise. After that will do a little air work over the desert to the south of the Snake River and then land at the little Emmett airport."

As all of this was going on Charlotte was amazed at the three-dimensional view of the world. Without hesitation, she asked. "Gramps, can I fly now? Just tell me what to do. I really want to fly the plane."

Without hesitation, the old fighter pilot who was smiling from ear to ear said. "Of course. That is why we are here. Okay Charlotte, put your hand on the control stick and just follow me along. Now, look out the windscreen to the left. Do you see the big mountain the one with the snow on the top?"

After a moment Charlotte pointed excitedly. "Yes!"

"Okay then, put your hand on the stick and let's just point our aircraft to that mountain, okay? Just follow along with me and don't worry about the throttle or the rudder or anything else I'll take care of that for today."

Charlotte moved the stick to the left, tentatively at first and then with more enthusiasm as the small plane responded to her every input. Over the next few minutes, she made the plane bank and turn, climb and dive and fly straight and level at her command. The young girl felt an empowerment like nothing she had ever imagined.

"Gramps, will you teach me to fly, so I can be a real pilot?"

Theold man smiled, probably for the first time in almost a year. "Yes, of course,my love. Some things are just be meant to be."