Our balmy days provided an opportunity to visit the two local airports and watch the planes from the safety of the car. At the Lake Elmo Airport, light craft were coming and going every few minutes.

I suppose most of the flights were individuals seeking sun and blue sky, and a chance to forget the pandemic raging on the ground.

Three miles to the south, at the radio control airfield, a lone pilot was fueling up a jet engine powered model aircraft. I didn’t realize such engines existed, and watched in awe as the jet did barrel rolls, stalls, and corkscrew maneuvers at speeds up to 80 miles an hour.

When I was a kid a model airplane was made of balsam wood with a propeller powered by a big rubber band. Times do change.

Lee Miller is a Stillwater resident who lives on Long Lake, and is a regular contributor to The Gazette.

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