Kyle's Modern Montana Bride (The New Montana Brides Book 6) by Susan Leigh Carlton
Authors: Susan Leigh Carlton
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and get ready to go into town.”
“Need someone to wash your back?” he asked.
“Is there no satisfying you?” she asked.
“Not where you’re concerned.”
“Go play with your son,” she said.
chapter Twenty
Boring Holes In The Sky
The next morning…
Kyle took Zach on an aerial tour of the ranch first. He pointed out different landmarks. A part of the ranch bordered the Missouri River. He headed the plane down river and showed Zach the waterfalls. They flew over a portion of a herd, and Kyle added some flaps and slowed the plane. As he neared the herd, he waggled the wings, and a couple of the ranch hands on horses waved.
“Those were cowboys, weren’t they?”
“Yes they were.”
“Then those were Grandpa’s cattle.”
“Our cattle,” Kyle corrected. “You’re a Thompson. Someday, all of this will be yours. Look around, as far as you can see, this is our land.”
“Cool.”
Kyle pulled back on the yoke and climbed to 5,000 feet and leveled off. “Okay, we start your first lesson. See the little airplane in the middle of your panel? I want you to put your hands on the yoke. Don’t squeeze it. Look at my hands, see how relaxed they are?
Now, if you make a move, make it slow and easy. Move your hands a little to the left. Zach’s move was too abrupt and the wing dipped sharply. Kyle put one hand on his yoke and brought the 182 back level.
Okay. It’s your plane now. You’re flying it. Nice and easy, son. Nice and easy. Now pull it gently toward your chest a little. Look out the windscreen. See, we’re climbing. Now move it back until we’re level with the horizon. Easy does it. That’s good. Now just keep it level.
“Dad, are you moving the pedals?”
“Yes, I’m working the rudder. I’ll show you how they work another time. Now put us in a nice slow turn to the right, and let’s head back to the landing strip.”
Zach’s brow was furrowed with his concentration.
“See the hangar over there?” Kyle said. Look at the windsock on the roof. We always land heading into the wind. It gives us more control without adding power.
“I’ve got the plane,” Kyle said. “I’m going to fly down about a mile slowing down as I go and losing a little altitude. This is called the downwind leg, Then I’ll turn left on the base leg and then left again on final. The second left turn is going to line me up with the runway centerline. Now, we’re turning final, see the ground come up to meet us. I’ve got the throttle all the way back, so the engine is basically idling. Watch the yoke, see, I’m easing it back slowly. I’m going to hold it off as long as I can. When we run out of airspeed, we’ll touch down. Did you feel that? The wheels just contacted the runway. Now we’re going to add a smidgen of power and taxi to the hangar. We steer with the nose wheel when we’re on the ground. The rudder isn’t effective unless you have either wind or airspeed. They’re the same thing. Look down at the pedals. On the ground, they control the nose wheel and your direction.
“How did you like it?”
“I loved it. It was awesome,” Zach enthused.
“Remembering himself at that age, and his love of flying, Kyle smiled. Zach was truly his father’s son.
It was quiet in the house. Susannah and Catherine had not returned from town.
“Zack, in your room, there is a model of the plane we flew today. It is red, with a white stripe, Get it and we’ll continue your lesson.”
When Zach returned with the plane, Kyle showed him all of the control surfaces on the wings and tail. With the model in his hand, he demonstrated what the control surfaces did in response to the cockpit controls.
They were still at it when Susannah and Catherine returned. “Aunt Susannah, Dad let me fly the plane! We flew over some of our cattle, and some cowboys. It was awesome.”
“It seems I heard those same words from another little boy a long time ago,” Catherine said wistfully.
“He lived and
“Need someone to wash your back?” he asked.
“Is there no satisfying you?” she asked.
“Not where you’re concerned.”
“Go play with your son,” she said.
chapter Twenty
Boring Holes In The Sky
The next morning…
Kyle took Zach on an aerial tour of the ranch first. He pointed out different landmarks. A part of the ranch bordered the Missouri River. He headed the plane down river and showed Zach the waterfalls. They flew over a portion of a herd, and Kyle added some flaps and slowed the plane. As he neared the herd, he waggled the wings, and a couple of the ranch hands on horses waved.
“Those were cowboys, weren’t they?”
“Yes they were.”
“Then those were Grandpa’s cattle.”
“Our cattle,” Kyle corrected. “You’re a Thompson. Someday, all of this will be yours. Look around, as far as you can see, this is our land.”
“Cool.”
Kyle pulled back on the yoke and climbed to 5,000 feet and leveled off. “Okay, we start your first lesson. See the little airplane in the middle of your panel? I want you to put your hands on the yoke. Don’t squeeze it. Look at my hands, see how relaxed they are?
Now, if you make a move, make it slow and easy. Move your hands a little to the left. Zach’s move was too abrupt and the wing dipped sharply. Kyle put one hand on his yoke and brought the 182 back level.
Okay. It’s your plane now. You’re flying it. Nice and easy, son. Nice and easy. Now pull it gently toward your chest a little. Look out the windscreen. See, we’re climbing. Now move it back until we’re level with the horizon. Easy does it. That’s good. Now just keep it level.
“Dad, are you moving the pedals?”
“Yes, I’m working the rudder. I’ll show you how they work another time. Now put us in a nice slow turn to the right, and let’s head back to the landing strip.”
Zach’s brow was furrowed with his concentration.
“See the hangar over there?” Kyle said. Look at the windsock on the roof. We always land heading into the wind. It gives us more control without adding power.
“I’ve got the plane,” Kyle said. “I’m going to fly down about a mile slowing down as I go and losing a little altitude. This is called the downwind leg, Then I’ll turn left on the base leg and then left again on final. The second left turn is going to line me up with the runway centerline. Now, we’re turning final, see the ground come up to meet us. I’ve got the throttle all the way back, so the engine is basically idling. Watch the yoke, see, I’m easing it back slowly. I’m going to hold it off as long as I can. When we run out of airspeed, we’ll touch down. Did you feel that? The wheels just contacted the runway. Now we’re going to add a smidgen of power and taxi to the hangar. We steer with the nose wheel when we’re on the ground. The rudder isn’t effective unless you have either wind or airspeed. They’re the same thing. Look down at the pedals. On the ground, they control the nose wheel and your direction.
“How did you like it?”
“I loved it. It was awesome,” Zach enthused.
“Remembering himself at that age, and his love of flying, Kyle smiled. Zach was truly his father’s son.
It was quiet in the house. Susannah and Catherine had not returned from town.
“Zack, in your room, there is a model of the plane we flew today. It is red, with a white stripe, Get it and we’ll continue your lesson.”
When Zach returned with the plane, Kyle showed him all of the control surfaces on the wings and tail. With the model in his hand, he demonstrated what the control surfaces did in response to the cockpit controls.
They were still at it when Susannah and Catherine returned. “Aunt Susannah, Dad let me fly the plane! We flew over some of our cattle, and some cowboys. It was awesome.”
“It seems I heard those same words from another little boy a long time ago,” Catherine said wistfully.
“He lived and
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