Have you ever come upon an experience that felt like it had the ground work laid out for you before you were even born? And then over time evolved and grew and finally found a way to enter your life? Dani and I had had just that experience this past weekend.
Decades ago Capt. Edwin Allen owned a four seater Comanche plane. He used it to buzz around the cornfields and take his children out to breakfast in a different part of the state each Sunday morning. Eventually he sold his plane and it traveled the country with different owners, even making it up to the last frontier, Alaska. Which is where Capt. Allen had resided years earlier before it was even a state. But the Comanche missed meeting him there by a few decades. By the time the plane come into the ownership of its current pilot, Mike S., it had lost its original red and white paint job and gained a patriotic white coat with blue and red stripes. Mike decided that like most things and people, this plane wanted to be in paradise. He commissioned a another professional pilot fly the plane from California to Hilo, Hawaii. He made the 13 hour flight alone (the three other seats had been removed and shipped to make room for auxiliary fuel tanks). So there, across the Pacific, on the east coast of the Big Island, making charter air tours and flying auxiliary for the Coast Guard, lived Pilot Mike and the Comanche.
A few years ago, Capt. Allen found his old plane and new owner through the federal aviation registry. He wrote Mike a letter describing his adventures and his connection with the aircraft that went beyond mere ownership and sat satisfied reconnecting with a piece of his past and knowing it was still making people happy.
And then Capt. Allen learned that his grandson (me) was moving to the Big Island of Hawaii. Grandpa was beyond excited to give me the story and pictures and contact information for his old fly machine. I took the papers and went on my way to Hawaii and like with the majority of other aspects of my life, procrastinated to get a hold of Pilot Mike. I was also nervous to call up a stranger and try to get through that first few minutes of trying to explain how he should care about talking with me- "Um, you have plane... I have Grandpa... And ummm... " and the like.
A few weeks ago I was able to muster up the effort and call him. And of course, it wasn't nearly as awkward as I was making it out to be and Mike was very nice. He said that he remembered my Grandpa's letter. He said that he had been contacted by other former owners of the plane, proving that this machine makes a connection not easily faded away. Mike told me that if Dani and I were going to be over on his side of the Island to give a few days notice and we could come take a look at the plane and maybe even go up in it. This was more than we expected.
This past weekend it worked out perfectly. A friend is moving off island and we went to Hilo to send her off right with a hat and sunglass party and the next day we were able to meet up with Pilot Mike and the Comanche.
We drove the back roads to the old Hilo airport and were met by Mike to walk out onto the runways after passing through security (a gate). We walked by WW II era crop bi-planes and after passing a few rusty t-hangars, we saw her. Sitting shiny in her home, not looking a day over 10 even though turning 50 this year. We walked around the plane while Mike explained everything thats been upgraded on her and just what makes her such a sought after plane. Of course this aviation jargon was completely lost on our ears but we still understood. It is a beautiful aircraft. We took pictures, asked rookie questions and just waited for him to ask it. And then he did, "So you guys want to go up for a quick buzz?"
First we had to be outfitted with awesome flight/flotation jackets and given the slightly terrifying 'If we have to land on water' speech. Mike took us up 1000 feet above the coast of the Big Island and for about 30 minutes we marveled at coral structures, lush jungle farm lands and waves crashing against lava pouring into the ocean. And feeling really cool the entire time because we got to talk through those awesome headsets. Mike explained the reason for the more air turbulence over the land and we tried to pretend we weren't getting woozy as we prepared for landing. I always wondered what landing was like in those little planes. If you have a great pilot like Mike, they're like buttah.
We helped Mike put the plane back in its hangar and completely wore out the phrase 'Thank you so much'. I told him how much it meant to do this and how thrilled it will make Capt. Allen. Mike told me how touching he found my grandfather's letter.
Capt. Edwin Allen has led and continues to lead an amazing, even legendary life. Dani and I left this experience wondering what we have done in our lives that has set the wheels in motion for the possibilities of amazing experiences for our future family and friends.
Go out and live.
