Flight lessons

Abstract

In the afternoon light of a small rural airport, an airline captain and aviation enthusiast relates the wonders and intricacies of modern jet aviation to an unexpected audience. Set in a large open-air hangar, the story takes place among several great aircraft from aviation history. An experienced professional with many years of experience, the pilot's confident and normally reserved disposition quickly gives way to a display of youthful exuberance. As each part of the engine is described, he becomes more lost in a world of admiration and amazement for such items as "combustionators" and "turbinators." The captain's growing enthusiasm for the subject matter is evident in both his dialog and his impassioned gestures. When the captain finally concludes his description of the highly technical device, his audience is revealed to the viewer in a humorous twist, which leaves the enigmatic pilot at a loss for words.