Yellow Pages
There’re perks to being a tulip ambassador — entry into swanky events and meeting dignitaries, including Gov. Chris Gregoire.
For one tulip ambassador, fifth-grader Christian Lathrom, even meeting the state’s top executive couldn’t compare to his experience in the air Monday afternoon.
Christian flew over the tulip and daffodil fields of Skagit Valley and for several minutes, the 10-year-old steered the plane.
His fellow ambassador, fourth-grader Veronica Pratt, also soared over the fields.
She and her mother rode in a helicopter, piloted by Port of Skagit County Commissioner Kevin Ware. Ware gave them a close-up look at fields of purple, pink, red and yellow tulips. The view was so near, they could distinguish between the rows of blossoms.
The ambassadors took to the air Monday as part of EAA’s Young Eagles program, aimed at introducing children to flying. Members of EAA, which stands for Experimental Aircraft Association, has flown 1.3 million children and teens, aged 8 to 17, since 1992, according to the Young Eagles’ Web site.
Local EAA members and the Skagit Airport Support Association will offer free rides to children this Saturday at the Skagit 2009 Tulip Festival Fly-in and Air Show.
Before he took to the air, Christian said the best part about his role as an ambassador was meeting the governor.
Pilot David Mischke and his orange Cessna 172 quickly changed Christian’s assessment.
Mischke buckled Christian into the front seat and helped him don a headset with a microphone and earphones. Before Mischke started the Cessna’s engine, Christian said in a hushed voice: “I’ve never done this before.”
Christian said that the only planes he had ridden in were large passenger jets for family vacations.
Once in the air above Skagit Regional Airport, Mischke pointed out the PACCAR testing center. The pilot then turned east, flying past daffodil fields and toward Mount Vernon and Madison Elementary School, where Christian attends classes, and then to Mount Vernon High School.
The pilot also flew far enough east to offer views of Clear Lake and then south for a view of Big Lake before he headed west again toward the tulip fields.
“It was really cool,” said Christian after his flight. “I was just really amazed.”
In the helicopter, Veronica flew over her home in Conway, a friend’s house, the Conway School where she attends classes and, of course, over Tulip Town and “purple, pink, red, yellow” tulip fields.
“It was really amazing,” said Veronica after the flight. “I thought it was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen.”
Veronica has ridden in a helicopter before, but since she was 2 years old at the time, she doesn’t remember.
In the Cessna, once the plane reached an altitude of about 1,000 feet and Mischke determined it was safe, the pilot let Christian take control and steer.
“The best part was when I was flying,” Christian said.
Christian said that Mischke directed him to turn the plane and the boy moved a steering wheel-like device the number of degrees that the pilot specified.
“On my last turn, … controlling the plane, he said I was doing a perfect turn,” Christian said.
n Marta Murvosh can be reached at 360-416-2149 or mmurvosh@skagitpublish ing.com.
