I gaze overhead into the blue and white swirls of ethereal mist.
I long to be there.
Dreaming; wishing; trying to find a way.
I abandon my responsibilities.
Now my magic carpet is at the runway’s end.
I advance the throttle and point the airplane’s nose skyward.
I am free.
Armand Vilches is an aviation enthusiast and flight instructor who has been flying since he was a teen. Unfortunately, his day job tends to get in the way of being at the controls of an airplane.
Barry didn’t need to make the announcement about turbulence
or flick the seatbelt light on early
or shake the column hard enough to make the wings flex
or force the wheels to thump on touchdown,
but he’d worked hard for his qualifications
and felt he deserved a round of applause.
Mark Farley writes novels, flash fiction and the occasional poem. See more at mumbletoes.blogspot.com.
The pilot gooses the throttles, slipping the airplane onto the catapult shuttle. Settling deeper into the seat, he salutes the catapult officer and grabs the canopy handle.
Now, wait for it…
Wham! Sphincters tighten.
Two seconds later, he’s airborne at 150 knots.
If this was Disneyland, it’s an “E” ride!
Jim Purdy is a retired engineering manager who lives in Oregon and spends his day with his faithful dog who never gives him disparagement. She wags her tail as he reads her whatever he has just written.