Today was a great day- clear skies, not a cloud to be seen, and calm. The temperature was in the high 30's, so no convective turbulence was in the area. You couldn't ask for a more perfect day to go flying. Margie and I had the plane scheduled for about 1.5 hours so there wasn't a bunch of rushing about- or pressure to be back on the ground by a certain time. After a quick- but thorough- preflight inspection to ensure that our motorized pegasus was fit to fly, we took off from runway 30 at Spanish Fork, Utah. We made a climbing left turn to the southwest, passed through a slight hazy inversion level, and climbed into a clear robin's egg blue sky.
Once we leveled off at 8,500 feet we joined Victor 21- an air highway in the sky- for some navigation practice. We got snow two days ago, so all of the north-facing mountain slopes were an opalescent white. Above us were airliners passing overhead flying towards Salt Lake; below were a few planes from Utah Valley University where student pilots were practicing flight maneuvers readying themselves for upcoming checkrides- but, at our altitude not another aircraft in sight.
Ahhh...and what sights to behold from our perch in the sky: the reflection of the mountains on the surface of Utah Lake, Mt. Timpanogos and Mt. Nebo rising as twins in protective majesty to the east and south, the Salt Lake Vally with its many temples clearly to be seen towards the north, and the desert stretching off to the west. There were many farms to be seen beginning their hibernation for the cold months ahead, their clustered irrigaition circles looking like dart boards on the valley floor. At one point we passed a flock of Canadian Geese headed south for warmer climes at our altitude; they kept a respectful distance since they could hear us coming and veered off to one side.
On days like these, one feeels a sense of euphoria and gratitude while at the controls of an aircraft. Euphoria to be above the ground in another sphere where one is free of the usual constraints found while terrestrially bound. Gratitude for the world that we live on- seeing God's creation from above reveals His handiwork in detail. When flying, I feel a kinship to the pilot-poet John Gillespie Magee who penned "High Flight" while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force during the early days of WW II.
High Flight
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of—wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark nor even eagle flew—
And, while with silent lifting mind I’ve trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God
