Dreams were brought to reality Wednesday, Sept. 24, when several residents of Orchard Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community in Clearlake took to the sky for an experience of a lifetime. Solo Flight School instructors and owners Gary Trippeer and Nancy Brier catered to the residents as they watched their dreams come true on a beautiful afternoon above Lake County.
The opportunity came about when residents at Orchard Park were asked: If money, health and time were not factors, what would you like to do with the rest of your life? Mary Steeves, 85, Manuel Borba, 84 and Raymond Hawkins, 92 each answered that it was their lifelong dream to fly.
“This is absolutely the most wonderful thing and we have more dreams to fulfill,” said Jane McKnight, Orchard Park community relations coordinator.
Philanthropist Jan Parkinson added, “Orchard Park wants to make this an ongoing program. One lady wanted to be a lawyer, so she is going to spend a day in one of the judge”s chambers and another wanted to be a doctor, so she is going to spend the day with a doctor.”
Steeves” daughter Donna Sage watched with excitement as her mother took to flight in a Mooney 201J. “My mother will never ever be the same again after this experience,” Sage said. “Never in my life had I heard anything about her dream to fly. It was very much a surprise to me. She was so giddy the day they announced it at the lunch. It was just like she turned into a teenager. She was so excited she couldn”t stop laughing.”
Sage was correct in her assumption about her mother as Steeves was incredibly struck by the experience. Her flight had taken her on a journey to Novato where she was met by KTVU television cameras. Her flight experience was to be featured on Channel 2 News last night.
“I”m just in awe,” Steeves kept repeating when she returned to Lampson Field. “You”re talking to someone who is in awe of their experience. I”m still in awe of how things work and how he could do everything while I just sat there.”
Steeves continued, “I”ve been in a plane one other time but this was a much different experience. Maybe I was just so in awe of all the things I was looking at.”
Steeves” tour guide and pilot was Damon Trimble, who said he has been flying since he was about 7-years-old. Trimble, who had received his pilot”s license before he received his driver”s license, said the experience was great. “I”m a flight instructor so I really enjoy taking people up for the first time,” he said. “Mary got to see a part of California that you never get to see from the ground.”
Hawkins and Borba enjoyed separate flights from Lakeport to Clearlake with Chief Flight Instructor Vern Childers. Childers reportedly made passes over Orchard Park where residents were able to wave at their fortunate neighbors flying in the Piper Archer 180 airplane above them.
Hawkins” wife Pearl Hawkins, 88, joined him for his aerial tour of Lake County. “That was interesting. It had been a long time since I”d been up,” Mr. Borba said. “I used to fly out of Greenville, Ohio and the last (small) plane I was in was cloth covered.”
Mrs. Hawkins realized the beauty of the county on the flight. “It was wonderful. You don”t realize how beautiful Lake County is,” she said. “To see all the grape orchards and stuff like that was really something.”
Bobra was accompanied on his flight by his son Mike Borba, who had a chance to see father at the controls of the plane. Manuel Borba said that he had rode with pilots during WWII but had never had the chance to fly a plane. Wednesday his dream came true.
“This has been great and we”ve seen a lot of response from the community,” said Brier. “I think this is lighting a lot of people”s fire to go do something for the elderly in the community.”
Solo Flight School offers instruction and discovery flights specifically designed for adults and for children. The school also offers “The Stearman Ride.” The Stearman is a fully-restored 1941 Stearman Biplane in which people can experience the thrill of open cockpit flying.
For more information about Solo Flight School call U-CAN-FLY or visit the Web site at www.707ucanfly.com. For more information about Orchard Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community, call 995-1900.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com or call her at 994-6444, ext. 11.
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