Rocky Mountain High

You can go back to your childhood for one day. What day and age do you choose?

When I was 10 years old my Dad got his pilot's license and I was his very first passenger. From that point on...I was obsessed with airplanes and flying. I spent every available moment at the airport with my Dad and we went to many air shows.

The summer of 1981, we attended the Weld County Air Show in my hometown of Greeley Colorado and my Dad bought two raffle tickets for a chance to ride in the Coors Lear Jet. We waited around in the sweltering July heat, waiting for the crotchety old men running the show to start calling out the winners. I sat against the wall of the terminal in the shade and I held my orange ticket in my sweaty palm, occasionally opening my hand and stealing a peak at my numbers. They called the first five set of numbers and I felt dejected. There was only one seat left and I just knew it wasn't going to be me.

As they began calling the numbers for the that last seat and I noticed that mine were matching up, I began to get excited! Oh my goodness! Dad! Those are my numbers! I won! I ran up to show them my ticket and they escorted me to a waiting area. My Dad had to sign some forms relieving Coors of all liability should something happen during the flight and then they let me inside.

The jet was like a long tube with tan leather seats. I took the last empty captain's chair and sat nervously waiting for something to happen. I was the only kid and the adults were chatting amongst themselves. Finally, one of them talked to me and asked me if I wanted a beer from the built in cooler. I was so nervous that I didn't even respond....I just thought he was stupid for asking me that.

Soon they closed the door and the jet began to move! I stared out the window and was shocked at how quickly the runway was disappearing as we left the ground and blasted into the sky. I had only been in my Dad's little Cessna 152....this was amazing!

The ride lasted about 20 minutes, heading west to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and back. In my head, I was singing my favorite John Denver song while shaking like a leaf from the exhilaration and the freakin air conditioning....and I felt like the coolest/luckiest/happiest girl in the world!

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