Scene, camera pans:
The sky dominates the eye
endless blue, qauzy wisps of clouds strewn high and thin.
The only structure interrupting the vastness
is the glassy black control tower,
cumbrous in this flat landscape.
The tarmac is matte black and dotted with tiny planes
Toy-like, they are long-winged, and snub-nosed.
Flashes of summer sun glinting off their propellers
give the scene a brief feel of the beach.
Action: the camera zooms in on a green striped plane, barely wide enough to seat two,
Long-limbed, summer blond,
the flight instructor slams the passenger door, nods briefly
and strolls away to wait in the flight office.
{FIRST SOLO flashes on screen.}
A close-up of the pilot reveals a gawky 16 year old girl
holding a slip of paper labeled “Cessna 150 Checklist” in trembling fingers.
Squinting, she adjusts switches, turns knobs, peruses the instrument panel.
She chants,”Mixture rich, carburetor heat cold, radios off, master switch on, open throttle, clear prop!”
and the engine roars suddenly to life,
shattering the quiet and sending a cawing crow soaring.
Closeup camera: the plane is vibrating, idling on the huge painted 6 at the end of the runway, prop spinning,
Inside the cockpit, the pilot sits erect, tense, almost holding her breath.
We hear “Two-six whisky, cleared for takeoff”
Then the film goes silent.
Point-of-view camera inside the cockpit, as though seated in the passenger seat
Baby blue sky,
yellow sun,
Cotton clouds.
Yellow sun,
Blue sky
Forgotten clouds
Color and light dance together
then fly apart.
A whirling twirling
kaleidoscope of movement.
Green below
Blue above
And in between,
a winged, breathing thing
Flight
Fade-out to white.
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