Courage: Dare to Dream

Anniversary of Flight, A Chance to Dream 

published in the Davis County (Utah) Clipper, 16 December 2003 

By Janine Simons 

A few years ago, I heard about one of those ridiculous consumer labels. 

Placed on a child's Batman costume, the warning read: “Caution! Cape does not enable user to fly.” At first glance, this might look like yet another sign of a paranoid and litigation-happy society. But on the other hand, it just might reflect a need to symbolically spread our wings and soar. 

In 1903, two twenty-something Americans, Orville and Wilbur Wright, flew into history. Through a series of four short flights that day (the longest lasting just under a minute and traveling 800 feet), the stage was set for every act of flight undertaken since. 

In 1991, the Experimental Aircraft Association set out to provide “meaningful flight experiences” to one million youth. The target date was December 17th, 2003 the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight. 

Earlier this year, my three sons became “three in a million” as they took part in this appropriately named Young Eagles program. * Sitting in the front seat of an acroduster biplane, the first of three soared into the wild blue Yonder with veteran pilot Glenn Olsen at the helm. Although these three had flown commercially before, watching them take off this time was a whole new experience. I thought about their goals, their ambitions, their desires to have a “meaningful life experience.” 

After the boys had each had a turn, Glenn turned to me and asked if I wanted to go up in the plane. I hadn't planned on this opportunity, but was not about to turn it down. As he helped me buckle up, he asked if I wanted to try a few loops while up in the air. “Are you kidding?” I asked incredulously. No, he wasn't, he assured me. I located the airsick bags – the “Flying Aces” at Lagoon Amusement Park gives me the queasies - and off we went. 

Soaring above Davis County that beautiful Saturday morning, I was giddy with excitement. Somewhere over the Great Salt Lake, Glenn told me to hold on to the handlebars at the top of the control panel. I knew what was coming, and I knew it would be over far too quickly. With my eye on the horizon, I saw my entire world turn upside down. 

Before heading back to the airport, Glenn took one more loop to give this Middle-Aged Eagle the thrill of a lifetime. 

Since that flight several months ago, I've thought a lot about flying and taking chances and trying new things. My thoughts have drifted from a daring neighbor who went skydiving on her 40th birthday, to those friends who are too afraid to pick up a paintbrush or a pen or a violin bow to realize their own creative ambitions. 

So ask yourself: what desires have you let fall to the wayside because you think you are too old, too out of shape, too busy, or too … whatever? This holiday season, why not let your own spirits soar, and give yourself a gift? Take a few moments and peer into the recesses of your own heart. Don't hold back - just dream. Then consider what it would take to make those dreams come true. 

World War One flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker once said, “Aviation is proof, that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.” 

At the top of my Christmas tree, just below the angel, hangs a miniature replica of the Wright Brothers’ 1903 flyer. This ornament serves a greater purpose than just a reminder of an earlier family trip to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Every December, as I unwrap this momento, I think about flying and I think about dreams. What does tomorrow's anniversary of flight say to you? What's out there waiting in your own personal “Wild Blue Yonder?” Be brave and take that leap of faith to dream.   

*For updates about the Young Eagles’ program of the Experimental Aircraft Association, visit https://www.eaa.org/eaa/youth/free-ye-flights.