Community of Wings

Polly Gessell’s glass etching is truly remarkable. She transforms an ordinary medium into a breathtaking work of art, rich with depth and movement. I still remember the first time I saw this piece on display at what is now the Skyview 5 training facility on the American Airlines Robert L. Crandall Campus. I stood there for hours, captivated, trying to unravel the mystery of how she achieved such precision and fluidity. All I knew was that if I had attempted it, I would have shattered the glass instantly. Her ability to breathe life into something so fragile is nothing short of extraordinary. 

 

Up in the Air

I’m not sure if we were racing or not, but as we made our approach to CLT, I couldn’t resist waving to the passengers in the other plane. The vast expanse of land and sky stretched out below us, a humbling reminder of how small we all seemed in our tiny aircraft against the grandeur of the world around us.

 

Mountains Majesty

These majestic mountains, their summits gently brushed by clouds, were captured during a trip to Los Angeles. I can only assume that it is Mount San Antonio, aka Mount Baldy belonging to the San Gabriel Mountains. What makes this photo truly special to me is the striking separation of land and sky, with the clouds nestled perfectly in between. I still remember the overwhelming sense of awe I felt when I first glimpsed this breathtaking view from my window.

Wild Blue Yonder

Small against the vast expanse of the deep blue sky, Japan Airlines Flight 11 ascends from DFW Airport, bound for Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The sleek Airbus A350-1000 appears almost minuscule as it soars over the Robert L. Crandall Campus in Fort Worth. It never ceases to amaze me that we have the power to send people thousands of miles across the sky to distant destinations.

It reminds me of this moment from Cabin Pressure: 

Arthur: I'm just so excited about the trip!

Carolyn: Arthur, you've been on hundreds of trips. Hasn't the novelty worn off a little?

Arthur: No, never! It's just always exciting, that amazing moment when twelve tons of metal leaves the earth ... and no one knows why!

Carolyn: Yes, we do... There are four forces at work on the plane and as long as two of them are bigger than the other two, the plane flies.

Arthur: Mum, I don't mind that no one knows.

Among the Clouds

Though much of my life revolves around aviation and I have spent many hours in the passenger seat of an aircraft.   Flying still manages to mesmerize me; I absolutely know that I must look like a newbie anytime I fly with my face plastered to the window and my phone out taking snap after snap.    There is something magical about flying through the clouds.   No matter how they look from the ground, they take on a different depth and gravitas when they are just outside the window.   

 

Light

In your darkest days there can be beauty and light, you just have to search for it.

Unexplainable

At the cusp of nothing… there is something.

Things often happen in a way that is never expected, after all how can you expect the unexpected?  At the end of something that was never supposed to end, something begins. It’s hard to explain and it is even harder to live.   

From Above

Looking down, it all seems small and insignificant.

Who are we to claim all of this?

We just borrow it….

We need to respect it.

Before it is taken back from us.

Flying High

When I was little, I always dreamed of flying… much like Peter Pan.   I never imagined the real thrill of being in a plane miles above the Earth, looking down at the clouds below you.   It is a very surreal experience, and I never get tired of being in a plane, and looking out at the wonder below me.

This photo was taken somewhere between DFW (Dallas, TX) and ORF (Norfolk, VA); the sun was just rising, and the colors from the light hitting the cloud layer was mesmerizing.   Somehow, it just isn’t the same when viewed from the ground.

The Mississippi

Anytime you fly out of Jackson, Mississippi (JAN) on American Eagle Airlines, you go to Dallas, Texas (DFW). In order to do this you fly over one of the greatest, if not the greatest river in North America… the Mississippi River. I remember seeing it when flying to DFW the first time, I was a little crest fallen… I expected something a little grander. And then I realised that you see the Mississippi River, and you do not see many other rivers from that height, so that gave me a clue to its size. Now I look forward to seeing it when I fly, almost like saying hello to an old friend.

Lucky

When I was a child the world was so big and untouchable, and now as I grow older I have done more than I ever imagined I ever would… I have become someone that I never dreamed I would have become. I am overcoming the obstacles that have stood in my way most of my life, and I see that you can really touch the world. And I have just begun.

I am so very lucky to have such a diverse group of friends that help me grow and achieve my full potential. I could never be who I am without these people, and I know that. I am also very lucky to have a love in my life that compares to none, and I know that we will continue to grow and our relationship will conquer all that comes our way.

I never imagined as a child the things that I would have the chance to do, or the people that would touch my life, or allow me to touch theirs. I never imagined... and now I realize as every day passes how lucky I really am, to be me.


(About the Photos: Ice over Canada, the United Kingdom from the air.)