High Fly’n Ryan
Daddy – do Bears Fly?
I Believe that you can do Anything that you put your Mind to, Ryan.
You used to Fly, Didn’t you, Daddy?
Yes, Ryan. I took Flying Lessons a Long Time Ago.
And Last Year, I Flew in a Friend’s Plane – a Royal New Zealand Air Force Fighter Trainer!
May I take Flying Lessons too, Daddy?
Well – you can Start by getting to Know some Basic Information about How Planes Fly, Ryan.
Let’s go to the Library and Ask about Airplanes…
Just like we Researched about Fossils, Daddy?
Yes, Ryan. Exactly like that.
You learned a lot and then you had a Thrilling Adventure Using Information we Learned from Books.
We can go Tomorrow Morning – it’s a Saturday and my Day-Off.
Now Please Get Ready for Bed, Ryan.
We can go to the Fruitville Branch of our Library, Ryan.
I know that there is a Flying Club nearby that Flys Remote Control Airplanes.
They fly Small Models of Full-Size Airplanes.
We can Visit them after we do our Research – but we have to Go Early in the Morning.
That is when the Air is Calmest during the Day.
Hard-Blowing Winds make small Model Airplanes Difficult to Control.
So – you will have to Wake Up Very Early Tomorrow, O.K.?
O.K. Daddy. I’ll be Ready to Go.
I’m Excited about Seeing the Airplanes – I Really Am!
Good Night, Ryan. Sweet Dreams!
Dear God––
Sometimes… I Feel Weighed Down – like a Stone…
… or Stuck on the Ground – like a Slug…
So, God ––
One Day, I want to be Up in the Clouds…
… Up High in the Sky…
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Wake Up, Ryan!
I laid-out your Flying Clothes on Mommy and Daddy’s Bed…
Hurry and Get Dressed –! We have to Go –! Quickly, Now!
Here we are at the Fruitville Branch of our Sarasota County Library, Ryan!
Cool! Here in the Reference Section, they have a Display about Flying!
Ryan –– you Forgot your Shoes!!! Good thing you are a Bear and can walk Bear-Footed!
Look at all the Flying Books, Daddy!
It’s Springtime and the Weather is Beautiful; I’ll bet that Other Kids are also Interested in Flying.
Look! This Youngster is also Searching for Books about Flying!
People have Always Dreamed about Flying, Ryan.
They Looked Up and Saw the Birds – and they Dreamed of Making Wings
with Bird Feathers and Attaching them to their Arms to Fly –
but this Did Not Work.
Then they Tried Making Wings of Different Materials and in Different Styles ––
Sometimes, this Did Work. But, Usually, they could only ‘Glide’ (Fall Forward Gently like a Leaf)
for a very Short Time and a very Short Distance. This was Not the Answer that they were Searching For.
Insects Fly. Birds Fly. Bats Fly. Even some Fish Fly (by Gliding).
Some Birds can even Stay Still – Flying in One Spot – this is called ‘Hovering’ – Humming Birds do this.
Eventually – after Hundreds of Years and Many, Many Attempts –
People Finally Learned how to Make a Machine that would Stay Up In the Air and Carry People.
This Was Very Exciting!
But, Sometimes, when People were First Discovering ‘How’ to Fly, there were Accidents.
Planes Crashed into the Ground and the Pilots were Hurt – or even Killed.
But, People were So Excited to be able to Fly Like the Birds, that they Accepted this Danger to their Lives. They Kept On Designing and Making Better and Better Planes… because they Loved to Fly
So Much – and they Believed that Flying would Bring Good to Peoples’ Lives. And it Has.
We even Use Airplanes to Explore Parts of the Earth
that are Very Difficult to Get to by Land or by Sea.
Why don’t you and I Go Now to Explore that Radio Control Airplane Field that is Near Here?
We may see some Very Nice Airplanes there!
Look, Daddy! A Map! And here’s Florida!
Yep! And we Live on the Left Side of the State just Below that Little Bump
that Sticks Out in Front of your Left Foot.
Let’s Drive to the Remote Control Plane Flying Club, Daddy!
There’s the Airfield, Daddy – way down there.
It looks like we’ve Arrived Here Early and Not Too Many People are Here.
Wow, Daddy –! What a Great Place to Visit!
Look Up There, Ryan! Look!
Oh! Wow, Daddy –! That Plane is Beautiful Up in the Air –!!!
It’s Landing, Ryan! Let’s Go Over and See It!
This is Fun! Let’s Go See More Airplanes, Daddy!
Hello, Sir. My name is Ryan. May I come over to Look at your Airplane?
Sure, Ryan. I’m Don. Come Right Over.
What a Beautiful Plane, Sir!
Thank you, Ryan. My Plane is a 1/3 Scale Model of a German Fighter Airplane.
It is a Fokker D-7 built in 1918… a Long-long Time Ago!
May I Please Look At your Fokker Airplane – and Sit in it – and Pretend to be a Pilot?
Sure, Ryan. Please Enjoy Yourself. I already Flew her this Morning and I am Not Going to Fly
Again Today, but Why don’t you Do a Flight-Check and Let me Know
if my Plane will be Ready to Fly Next Time?
Oh –– Thank you, Sir! My Daddy Used to Fly… and he Taught me How-To do a Pre-Flight Inspection.
That’s what I will Do Now.
First, I’ll Inspect Underneath the Fuselage ––
Everything Seems O.K. Here. No Rips or Tears in the Airplane Fabric.
Wheels Seem Fine –– Good Air Pressure!
The Struts Look Good –– No Cracked or Bent Struts.
Let’s Check Elevator Deflection…
Elevators Seem Good.
Now, to Inspect for Rudder Damage…
Rudder is O.K.
Prop Check –– No Nicks or Scratches Visible…
All Exterior Flight Control Systems Look Fine, Sir!
Thank you, Ryan.
I’ll Jump in and Do an Internal Inspection, Sir!
O.K. Great!
Guns and Ammo Look Fine.
Gauges are Working.
Controls are Set.
All Clear Around the Plane!
All Clear to the Front!
This Puppy is Ready-To-Go!!!
Hey, Ryan–! Let’s Play *Pretend*––!
Look, Ryan! An Enemy Plane at 12 O’Clock High!! (*pretend*)
I See It, Daddy!
Careful–! It’s Crossing to your Port Side!
I’ve Got It in my Sights, Daddy…!
Ackk-ackk… Aaackk-aaackk…
Ackk-ackk… Aaack-aaack… Ackk…
I Think you Hit It, Ryan!
I Got It, Daddy! I Shot that Enemy Plane Down!!! (*pretend*)
Wow, Daddy! That Surely was Exciting!!!
It was Really Neat to Pretend to Fly a Fokker D-7 Combat Fighter Plane!
Maybe Next Time we come here, Don will Actually Let Me Fly in his Plane?!!!
I Sure Hope So!!!!
What a great story Ryan! We loved the photos. We hope you get up in a real plane some day, and maybe you’ll meet the Red Baron!
Awesome! Looks like you had a great time. You’re lucky your dad helps you to learn such fun things.
Wow! That is a great post!
Thanks, Hammie, Buttons, Jerry and Ben!
It was Fun to Pretend to Fly! I’m Still Waiting to Actually Go Up Into the Air in a Small Plane.
I have Flown in a Passenger Jet with Daddy when we went to Visit my Mommy when she still Lived in Virginia.
https://www.ryanlifeofryan.com/2009/07/my-first-airplane-ride.html
I hope that All my Friends may Ride in the Sky one Day!!!!