Flying Life: The Spirit of the Pioneer
Pushing the limits even farther
Crossing the Mississippi River was once an arduous task. To the settlers of the mid-1800s, the mighty river loomed as an almost insurmountable obstacle between the civilized world and the uncharted territory of the West. Traversing the banks required settlers to unload and dismantle their wagons, then float across with their livestock, before assembling the wagons once again. It was a process that took days.
I think about those early settlers now, as I look back on my last trip to Oshkosh for the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture celebration. My husband and I flew our Cessna 172 from our home airport of Olive Branch, Mississippi, to Oshkosh in just under five hours. We followed the path of the Mississippi River northward, crossing over at several different points, before our route took us off to the east.
Looking down at those ancient waters, I wonder what the early settlers would think if they could see me, crossing over the river with an ease that I take for granted. Would they think it unimaginable that humans also would be able to fly across oceans, and even into space to put a man on the moon?
Such developments would be inconceivable to those still stuck in the surly bonds, knowing only the realities of their time. And yet, the same spirit that drove those early settlers westward would also reside in the hearts of those who would push the limits of the world as they knew it and boldly travel into the air, where no man had traveled before. That pioneer spirit is what continues to drive aviation today. And nowhere is it more alive and well than EAA AirVenture.
If there is one thing we know for sure, it is that change is inevitable. The whole place feels a little bit like Disney World to me, with its atmosphere of turning fantasy into reality. In addition to the exhibits displaying aircraft of old, there is an entire building devoted to new innovations. One of my favorites was the drone cage, which displayed everything from tiny $30 drones that fit in the palm of your hand to much larger models boasting 60-minute flight capabilities. I remember being skeptical at the time, wondering if drones would ever have the staying power to find their place among manned aircraft. Now, almost two years later, I just received my temporary drone pilot certificate, and my husband is considering doing the same. As a residential roofing contractor, he is starting to see the practical applications for drones, realizing that he could complete his roof inspections from the ground via drone-mounted camera, instead of having to risk his neck to inspect for roof damage. I’m all in favor of that prospect.
We also saw a presentation on alternatively powered aircraft given by the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation. Its vision for the future included unmanned “sky taxis” that would take off and land on football-field-size airparks on the roofs of big city buildings—serving as the train stations of the future, if you will. I thought the idea was incredible, but probably a long way from coming to fruition. As it turns out, my perspective was proven to be shortsighted again. Dubai has announced that it will roll out electrically powered drone taxis as soon as this summer.
Another display that felt like science fiction was the Transition, a street-legal flying car being developed by Terrafugia. The Transition has foldable wings that make it possible to drive on the road and take off from your nearest airport. Terrafugia reports that the Transition prototype has now logged more than 100 successful test flight hours. Back to the Future, anyone?
Just like those early pioneers could not have imagined the way aviation would change their world, it is hard for most of us to picture a future in which drones deliver packages, taxis travel by air, and we can drive our flying car out of the garage for a flight to grandma’s house. But if there is one thing we know for sure, it is that change is inevitable.
I wonder what I will see this year on my trip to Oshkosh. My husband hopes for a flying motor home that he could pilot to the highest mountain peak to camp in places only the birds have seen. I would like to have a personal aircraft that is affordable enough to still let me pay my house note, but fast enough to turn a trip to Europe into an easy weekend getaway. If AirVenture has taught me anything, it’s that ideas like these don’t have to be fantastical notions. As a pilot, I cannot help but feel a little bit of pride for being associated with a group of people who continue to push the bounds of what we imagine is possible.
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