There and Back Again….A Pilot’s Tale

Part 1- I had a dream when I was a child of flying. That dream led me in many different directions. One of course, was the children’s book, ‘THE DAY I LEARNED TO FLY’, which was published last year.

But flight is like a love affair with a mistress who, once she bites, she’s sorta like a snapping turtle,…doesn’t let go easily. I haven’t sat in the pilot’s seat for the last 24 years. Back then, I was flying the teenagers that were in my youth group at church. I made a small salary, and just couldn’t afford to rent airplanes any longer. It was also something that my wife, at the time, didn’t have a passion for, so being a good steward and husband meant I had to let it go.

It was a hard decision, but it was a ‘wise’ decision. (At least I keep telling myself that).

I started thinking about going back into the air… well, actually, I dreamed of it every year, but just couldn’t see my way back to it, due to life circumstances. For some, flight is just ‘something to do’ or ‘deal with’. For others, it’s a possession, and I am one of those that can’t just let it go.  

Part 2 – Around 20 years ago, the first time time I set foot on Roanoke Island, I fell under it’s spell. To some, it is just a collection of green trees, godzilla like mosquitoes, and shallow waters.

I found magic.

I’ve never been to the island where I didn’t fall under the wonderment of all the history that has taken place there. The land itself oozes with mystery and history. I can say wonderful things occur on the island and it’s a place that I hope to visit as much as possible. Elizabeth and I have taken marathon trips to the island where we drove down and back in a day. It’s about a 3 hour and 20 minute drive one way. Your route takes you down super slabs, to 2 lane black tops with water on both sides. You cross massive bridges from the Alligator River Bridge, to the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, but end up on the water lined, tree defined shallows that have always beckoned me.

I remember the first time I showed the island to Elizabeth, I wanted to fly her down one day and ask her to marry me on the water. This pilot’s tale is that very trip and it has a happy ending because, despite her better judgement, she said YES!

It’s a fact… with a full throttle, clear skies, and the will to do so, and there is not telling where you might end up. The road can take you to a place, but going by air is the dream.

We departed Henderson-Oxford airport later than we want, due to weather, but have a good flight down. We do some ‘scudd’ flying; staying below the layer of clouds as the mist rolls above us, and the green carpet of the North Carolina countryside rolls underneath us. We fly south west till we arrive over the Tarrboro-Edgecomb airport, then turn east and head for water.

The cloud layer stays low till we reached the mighty Albemarle Sound. The Sound is a large estuary located at the confluence of a group of rivers that include the Chowan and Roanoke. It is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a long barrier peninsula upon which the towns of Kitty Hawk and Nags Heads are located, at the eastern edge of the Sound. Roanoke Island is situated at the southeastern corner of the Albemarle Sound, where it connects to the Pamlico Sound. Our destination is Dare County Regional Airport, on Roanoke Island. This airport has been around since the 40’s. I have stood at that fence line, watching the planes, for many a year, wishing I could fly to this location.

We are 45 minutes out before the sky finally starts to open up and the clouds grow scattered and tall, but far enough apart that we could see the blue horizon beaming through. The water in the Sound is greenish/brown and  lined with numerous boat docks, like match sticks, jutting into it.

The initial part of the Sound is probably 5 miles across but as we get further east it widens. We pass over highway 94, which is marked by the first long bridge across the sound, just west of Edenton.  A few scattered clouds drop in the way, but it is easy to stay clear of them as we maneuver the plane. Elizabeth comments that she will never look at a cloud the same way. From the ground, they are silent sentinels in the sky that seem to float with innocence across the blue horizon. From the air, they are water vapor, and block visibility. They can get you lost real fast if you are not careful, and usually you ‘bump’ through them as air the temp is different.

However, another 30 minutes and we can see land’s end. The mighty Atlantic Ocean beckons us further. The sky and the ocean can be almost the exact same color, and when you look at the edge of the horizon, it can fool you. You can’t tell what is up or what is down! But looking below us, we follow the Alligator River Bridge, and beyond that, the Virginia Dare Memorial Bridge, that guides us to Roanoke Island. It is amazing how large a bridge can seem when driving across it and how small it is from 1000 feet.  

We punch in 122.8 on the radio and call up Dare County Airport to announce our arrival, and make sure we will be clear to land. They are slow, with Parachutes, sight seeing planes and a helicopter flying in the pattern. We get to navigate 9 kts of winds with gusts to 14kts for our landing. This should be fun.

We enter a down wind pattern for runway 5. This is a great approach because it brings you in across the water. It’s an amazing sense to be 500 feet over the water, at 80 mph per hour, full flaps, power back, coming into land at Dare County. The magic is all there and it was worth the wait.

We have a smooth touch down, due to luck, not pilot skill, and roll out to the parking area. We tie down, unpack, call the taxi, and off we go.

Elizabeth and I have a date… at the Downeast Rover. She is a 55-foot topsail schooner situated in the historic downtown harbor on Roanoke Island. More dreams… I’ve looked at this ship for years and wanted to go out on her. Now, we just landed on the island and are standing at the dock waiting. What Elizabeth doesn’t know, is that I have been working this plan for months. The Captain and First Mate are expecting me. They know that I plan on asking Elizabeth to marry me on the water. She knows nothing.

We embark and are given the bench seat at the stern of the ship. We can see over the bow and are just under the mainsail. We back out of our slip, and the captain, with 40 souls on board, heads out to deeper water off Jockey’s Ridge. It is an absolutely beautiful trip out and literally an unreal magic happens as the engine goes silent, the First Mate pulls the sails up, the ship heels to port, and we are riding the wind and waves. We spend an hour out and turn back toward shore.

The time is ripe. I tell Elizabeth that there are some problems we must solve in our relationship. I tell her, as best as I can, that my heart flows for her like the ocean and I can’t live my days without her. I ask her, while on one knee, if she would marry me.

It’s oddly quiet for a minute as she takes it in, and then she says yes. Then the lady sitting near us says yes and starts clapping, and then next couple starts clapping and soon folks all over the ship are standing, waving and giving good wishes to us! It was a strange semi-family event.

Dreams do come true –

Our departure from the Island continue the magic as we fly north over First Flight. We take the ride back to the airport, load up the plane and depart runway 23 over the water. We turn to the Wright Brother’s Memorial which is just north of Jockey’s Ridge, which is right off our track. We paid a ‘pilot’s homage’ as we flew around the monument. It is amazing how big the park is and it’s worth your time to visit, if you’ve never seen it. With our final circuit around the banks, we turn east at 2000 feet.

I think, one of the greatest gifts we have, are the adventures God allows us to take. What is the total sum of them? I am not sure, but this Pilot’s Tale ends with a landing at KHNZ (Henderson-Oxford) in hazy weather late in the day hand in hand with partner and co-pilot Elizabeth Love.

When I think back, as I put words to my my experiences, I want you to get the chance that I’ve had. Live life, take those chances and you will see your own horizons expand, and dreams come true. I am advocate of choosing to not live on the safe side but live… safe or not and take the adventures at hand. This one thing I know….

Dreams….

Do Come True…..

Safe Journeys