Take Off...
I love the sound of small planes taking off. It goes all the way back to the late 1950’s when we moved across town from the Renton Highlands to the Earlington neighborhood.
Our bedrooms were upstairs and it got pretty hot up there in the summer so we’d have all the windows open as wide as they’d go. I remember early mornings lying in bed. It was finally cool and quiet and just before dawn the birds would start chirping to welcome the day.
Then off in the distance I’d hear one of those small planes startup at Renton Airport. A few minutes later it would taxi out to the runway then (wait for it) gun it for take off. When the wind was from the south the flight path would take them right over downtown and past our place.
The Doppler Effect was so cool as they climbed to altitude. The sound would echo off Earlington Hill then a really long fade would follow as they flew off into the distance. In my half sleep I’d imagine flying and would listen until it finally vanished somewhere south down the Green River Valley.
I’m on my way home from Seattle this beautiful sunny spring day and stopped at one of my favorite little parks, the Will Rogers Wiley Post Memorial Seaplane Base. It’s in the northwest corner of the airport just off Rainier Avenue on the shores of Lake Washington.
The breeze is from the north today so I’m fortunate, they’ll be taking off almost over my head and flying over the lake.
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