Story, Week 3: The Boy Pilot

The Boy Pilot

Dylan, a boy of 15 argues with his father in the living room of their farm house. Dylan's father, Joe, has been a crop dusting pilot for over 20 years, and has taken his son flying many times. However, he has never let Dylan pilot the plane alone.

"But, Dad! I've flown with you lots of times!" Dylan pleaded. "I'm ready to take her up myself!"
Dylan's voice was rising in pitch, and his face getting redder with frustration.
"I know you think you're ready," said Dylan's father, Joe, "but you just don't have enough experience. You can take the plane out solo when I say you're ready. That's final."
"Fine!" screamed Dylan.
Dylan stomped angrily to his room, and slammed the door behind him. He was furious that his father would not let him take the plane, but he was determined to fly solo, one way or another. There in his room he devised a plan to steal the plane for a few hours the following morning. Dylan thought if his father saw him fly alone without incident, that he would admit he was wrong, and allow Dylan to fly solo whenever he wanted.

Dylan woke early the next morning, well before his father and the sun. He poked his head out of his room to make sure the coast was clear. He tiptoed through the house, being sure to escape through the back door, aware that the front door was accustomed to creaking loudly when opened. He gently closed the door behind him, and made his way to the makeshift hangar, converted from what was once a big red barn.

Dylan swung the barn door open, revealing a yellow two-seat plane. He ran through the routine pre-flight checklist, being as thorough as possible. Joe's words echoed in the back of Dylan's mind, only fueling his determination to prove his father wrong. He knew he would have to move quickly, for his father would surely wake upon hearing the engine roar to life. It was time.

Dylan flipped switches, and the ignition fired up. He worked rapidly, throttling and steering to line up on the runway. The only thing between Dylan and the sky was a quarter-mile strip of freshly cut grass. He took a deep breath and began accelerating for takeoff. The smile on his face grew exponentially as the plane gained speed. He pulled slowly on the yoke, and suddenly, the plane lifted gracefully from the ground without incident. Dylan let out a yelp of joy, and looked over his shoulder to see his father stumbling out of the house just in time to catch takeoff.

Dylan had filled the plane with enough fuel to stay airborne for about an hour, and he had every intention of staying in the air as long as he could. He climbed higher and higher, and he could see the amber light creeping in on the eastern horizon as the sun worked it's way into the skyline. As he looked westward, he saw a dark wall of clouds revealing themselves as the light grew brighter. He thought nothing of it, for he was overcome with excitement.

He flew around for another half hour, dipping and diving, when suddenly, the plane began bouncing through heavy turbulence. The clouds he had ignored in his gleeful state had engulfed the plane, completely impeding his vision. He began to panic, and he struggled to keep composure. He flipped switches and wrestled with the yoke, but it was no use. The plane was trapped in a violent storm. Dylan thought it best to try to head back home. He couldn't see the ground below him, so he directed the plan downward into a nosedive. As he could start to see the ground, the plane was struck by lightning, causing all of the controls to go dead, and sending the plane into a tailspin. Dylan fought to gain control, but it was useless. The altimeter dial spun incessantly, and the yoke remained immovable. All he could do was watch helplessly as the ground sped nearer and nearer.

Suddenly, the plane collided with the ground in a fiery explosion not far from the farm house. Joe yelled wildly as he sprinted to the wreckage. He dove in and pulled Dylan's lifeless body from the flames, and tried to revive his son. His efforts proved to be in vain, and all he could do was weep.
The End.

Photo of Air Tractor by Jenni Jones, found on Wikimedia.

Author's Note: Based on the story Phaethon and the Sun, my story follows Dylan, the son of a seasoned pilot, as he begs his father to fly the plane, and, ultimately, flies into a storm and crashes to his death. Dylan fails to take his Father's advice seriously, just like Phaethon ignored his father's warnings. Dylan's plane is struck by lightning, just as Jupiter strikes Phaethon.

Bibliography: This story is based on the stories Phaethon and the Sun and Phaethon's Ride, and is part of Ovid's Metamorphoses, as translated by Tony Kline, found here.