Flying over Illinois

We totally lucked out and got to go flying while we were in Illinois! It was such a treat, and really fun to experience with Noah. 

Keith Unzicker is a pilot for Caterpillar, attends Tim and Sue's church, and has his own small airplane and grass airstrip at his farm.

We drove out to his farm and he generously took Ben, Noah and me (Levi was NOT interested) up for a ride.

Keith completely restored this plane, it was brand new back in the 1950s, but he's got it in tip-top shape.

Grandma, Grandpa and Levi watched us climb in.

The plane was pretty tight, just a four-seater, which was just fine for us on a chilly morning.

Levi had fun playing with Keith's kids and exploring on the farm during our ride.

We flew over a John Deere dealership and Noah thought it looked like his toys at home (grain bins and all!).

We continued on and eventually flew over Washington, IL. The town was in the path of a tornado a couple weeks ago and seeing the damage was like a punch in the gut.

Fields scattered with debris, farms leveled, houses gone, lives totally upended.

Ben took over the controls for a bit - then handed them back over. :-)

I'm quite sure I was the most nervous person in the plane. Noah took it all in and was all smiles!

After we landed and it was time to push the plane back into the shed, Levi hopped in and enjoyed a ride that was just his speed. 

Thanks Keith - and Tim and Sue for making the connections for us.