This week I went to Lillesand, Norway and had the chance to meet a few guys that introduced me to their hobby, mini-plane flying.
The wind and temperature conditions were perfect (as they informed me) so we went out to a little airfield that is actually dedicated to these mini planes!
The guys, all Norwegian locals told me they have been flying these planes together for over 17 years. The group of them in total has about 50 mini-plane enthusiasts though they added that about 30 are really active. This I learned meant they fly their mini-planes over 10 +/- times a year, sun or snow.
During their time at the controls, these guys have discussed life events ranging from births to deaths in their families and everything inbetween. To them this is more than just a hobby, but an opportunity to meet and share life events - all around taking turns on the flying field.
I watched in awe at both the ability of these small planes to reach incredible heights and speed, while wondering if I would get a turn. Nope, no offer. After paying greater attention I found out why, as this hobby included great skill with their massive control pads containing up to 12 switches and dials that controlled everything from the landing equipment to little lights on the wings!
I was kindly reminded by this experience that hobbys are more than just fun - but also uniting and create communities that truly treat one another like family.
Though my hands never got to make a plane fly - I was humbled by the lesson I learned by watching them in their craft.
Josh :)
