Laura looked intently at him, then she nodded. “That’s really kind of you. I’d love to.”
Kaz checked his watch and glanced out the window. The weather was still good. No time like the present. “Sunset’s a little after six these days. Got time for a flight right after work? Leave here, maybe, 4:30?”
“Today?” Laura said, but it didn’t take her long to decide. “Where do you and the Cessna live?”
He had just turned the plane around in the hangar entrance when he spotted a white VW convertible Bug slowing to cross the cattle gate. Wiping his hands on a rag, he watched as it shifted quickly up through all four gears on the straightaway, and then braked hard and turned smartly into his driveway. He waved at Laura to park to one side, pantomiming how the plane was going to roll out.
He smiled. Scientists do love Volkswagens!
As he watched her climb out of the car, Kaz saw that Laura had knocked off work early too, as she was now wearing bell-bottom jeans. He suddenly realized he was nervous, and that it had been a while since he’d felt that way.
“Found you!” she said. “I’ve never been out this way before.”
“Glad you did.” He glanced at his watch. “We have about an hour until sunset, so let’s get flying. No lights on the runway here,” he said, waving at the road, “so we need to land before it gets too dark.”
“It’s a taildragger,” Laura said, as they walked around the plane, which was resting on its tailwheel with the nose sticking up into the air. “I’ve only ever flown planes with nose wheels.”
“These have some advantages—the tailwheel acts like an anchor to keep you straight, especially landing on grass, and you don’t carry the extra weight of a big, heavy wheel up front. Though you need to use your feet more on the rudder pedals.”
They climbed in their respective side doors, and Kaz showed her where the release was to slide the seat forward. He was conscious of every movement of his hands as he helped her retrieve and attach the dangling shoulder strap, happy to be so close to her in the cockpit. He verbalized everything he was doing as he coasted down the driveway, started the engine, checked key instruments and lined up for takeoff.
He looked at her as she reached to touch the oil pressure and temperature instruments with her fingertip.
“Ready to go?”
She looked around the instrument panel methodically, finding and focusing on the airspeed, altitude and tachometer. “All set!”
Kaz nodded, then smoothly pushed the throttle all the way in and they began to roll. As the tires left the pavement, he glanced across at her. Her face was alive with delight, eyes darting around the instruments and outside as the ground fell away.
The early-evening air was smooth, and he turned towards MSC, leveled off and talked Laura through the basics of piloting the Cessna. Then he let go, saying, “You have control.”
She sat rigidly erect, focusing straight ahead. Kaz had her do some gentle turns, and her posture relaxed slightly. He pointed out the Space--craft Center, and then Seabrook and Kemah as they crossed the Galveston Bay shoreline.
“Want to do something fun and beautiful?”
She looked wide-eyed. “Sure.”
“I have the aircraft.” Kaz lowered the nose to pick up speed, and then smoothly pulled hard up and to the right until they were looking down the wing at the water, with airspeed slowed to bare flying speed. The plane’s nose gently followed the arc back down, and he reversed and did the same thing in the other direction. The contrast between the noisy rush of the dive and pull-up accentuated the ensuing grace and quiet as they floated over the top. He did one more turn to the right, Laura looking straight down out her side window at the dark waters of the bay.
She turned to him. “That’s wonderful! Like a falling leaf!”
He nodded. “It’s called a chandelle. Really reminds you that you’re flying.”
He leveled off and let go of the controls. “All yours again. Let’s reverse and head back.”
As she turned west, Kaz lowered the windscreen visors against the sun on the horizon. The basic aerobatics had made him extra-aware of his senses, as they always did, releasing a liberating feeling of three-dimensional freedom. He leaned to point at MSC with his chin, his shoulder touching hers in the small cockpit.
“Nobody down there got to experience that.”
She followed his gaze, and didn’t lean away. “We’re lucky. Thanks for asking me to go flying with you.”
“Hey, you’re the one flying!”