Granny Flies!

Date	Aircraft	Route of Flight	Time (hrs)	Total (hrs)
19 Jul 2015	N21481	SDC (Sodus, NY) - local flight	0.6	1438.5

It was a cold afternoon in early 1990 when I first met "Granny" outside of the University of Michigan - Flint theater building. It was a brief "meet the parents" moment during my freshman year of college. At the time, I had no idea that I was meeting my future mother-in-law. The Bear was still many years from being born; the moment that would define Granny's grannyhood.

In the many years I have known Granny, she has been trepidatious about flying. She would endure commercial flights when necessary, but had zero interest in "fun" flying. I learned this in 2000 when Granny remained behind while most of the family flew in a helicopter to the Taku Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. This was a few months before I started ground school. I suspect that Granny was somewhat terrified by the notion of my working toward a pilot certificate.

When I earned my certificate and bought Warrior 481, most of the family was interested in airplane rides. This included Kristy's father, sisters, and their significant others.

May 2, 2004: Pam, Me, and Warrior 481 at South Haven Regional Airport. Photo by Kristy.

July 31, 2005: Lisa, Nate, and Warrior 481 outside the Air Zoo

Granny has good-naturedly tolerated my aeronautical predilections over the years, but no one had any expectations that she would ever want to participate. Then, during a recent visit to New York, Granny surprised everybody by asking for a ride.

Photo by The Bear

I let this pass overnight, but the next day, Granny was still adamant that she wanted a ride in the Warrior with me. The sky was clear and the wind was right down runway 28, so we made a trip to the airport early in the morning on July 19.

Photo by The Bear

Photo by The Bear

Naturally, such a momentous occasion warranted an extra careful pre-flight inspection supervised by Brown Bear.

Photo by The Bear

For some reason, Brown Bear found himself the subject of some controversy between Granny and Kristy. Fortunately, the morning ended with Brown Bear's arms still attached.

Photo by The Bear

Finally, it was time. Granny confidently stepped up on the wing and seated herself in the Warrior. I suggested that getting in and out might be the most difficult parts of the flight.

Photo by Kristy

Photo by Kristy

Photo by Kristy

With the engine running and the door shut, it was time to go. Granny was still game, so I advanced the throttle and taxied to the departure end of runway 28.

Photo by The Bear

Intermission. For no particular reason, here's a selfie of The Bear.

Photo by Kristy

Climbing away from the runway, the air was smooth. It was a perfect morning for a first flight. We experienced some mild turbulence that ended above 2100 feet. At 2500 feet, we cruised along the shoreline while Granny snapped photos of apple orchards, Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario, and Chimney Bluffs with her iPad. If the flight made her anxious in any way, she did not show it.

Photo by Kristy

We returned to Sodus with a smooth landing.

Photo by Kristy

I usually invite first time riders to sign my logbook. Granny's comment: "AWESOME!" I could not ask for a better reaction or a better experience.

Photo by The Bear

That morning, I learned that Granny can still be full of surprises - even after all these years. I was ecstatic to share the experience with her and honored by the gift of her trust. Perhaps the positive shared experience will increase Granny's comfort level with the longer flights that Kristy, The Bear, and I make over longer distances. Regardless, I feel that the bond between us is stronger after our half hour over Upstate New York.