The Freedom of the Sky
Airplanes have always been a focus in my life. I checked out a lot of books from the Bookmobile on aircraft history and construction back in the seventies. Life still stops every time a plane crosses overhead except for my desperate grasp as I pull up Flightradar 24/7 on my cell phone. It’s odd that I am not a pilot but every aspect of life needs players and fans. I guess I am a fan.
My dad told me that his brother, my Uncle Jack, liked airplanes as well. As a young person, Jack had heard about a barnstormer who was giving airplane rides in a nearby field. Jack raced to participate however found out that the pilot had left just before he arrived. Jack must have really wanted this experience as he was quite sad, I obviously wasn’t the first Nelson who showed an interest in airplanes.
My mom was a very good and kind person. She watched me and would help me with my interests and then scrapbook my inroads into each interest.
I was looking through such a scrapbook recently and found a bulletin she had saved from an aeronautical event I had attended. It was the 1976 dedication of the Thief River Falls Regional Airport.
My brother Steve is no longer with us. He made an impact on my life.
One of those memorable divots was taking me to that dedication of the airport almost five decades ago. It was there that I first flew in an airplane. I could have taken the flight in a Stearman bi-plane but opted for a small private airplane with the slide-open cockpit.
On display at this airshow and dedication was a B-25 Mitchell airplane. Seeing this plane was like meeting a celebrity. I had read about the firebombing of Tokyo during World War Two. The Jimmy Doolittle-led raid was the first retaliation after Pearl Harbor. This was the plane that protected the nation in which I would one day grow up. I admired this plane, you could say I almost loved it. Skilled pilots protected us using this magnificent plane.
The dedication and airshow was celebrating an airport begun in 1944, using sod runways. During the seventies, a hangar had been built for Arctic Cat, another for general aviation, both accompanied by paved runways and a new terminal. The dedication included a fly-in, drive-in breakfast, aerobatics, military flyover, crop-spraying demonstrations, sky-diving and a glider demonstration.
It was a wonderful experience. The information I shared was from the bulletin I received that day that my mom saved for me. I walked away with a Confederate Air Force book that detailed the military aircraft the organization had restored which was purchased for me by my brother. The experience gave me a charge that continued the rest of my life. I felt like anything was possible. This motivation was something I feel to this day. This motivation is essential for any young person’s successful future.
The 1976 dedication came at a time when the airport had changed greatly. I see changes happening not only at the airport but within our region that shine a spotlight on the importance of the regional airport. Mobility and timely delivery of people and cargo seem to gain importance every year. Flexibility of movement and high-speed internet help make rural areas viable for being more than just a nice place to live.
An interest in airplanes is really just an interest in freedom. An interest I shared with my Uncle and an interest that was kindled by my brother and preserved by my mom. It is the freedom of the sky and the freedom of thought and creativity. It was worth celebrating 47 years ago, it would be nice to do it again sometime soon.
