Dan readily volunteered to help. On Sunday, October 1, Dan and Gene took off in Dan's airplane, a Piper Cherokee model 180. Before takeoff, they walked around the aircraft while Dan explained the various components. Dan then flew them for 1 hour and 20 minutes on an aerial tour of the area, first up Big Stone Lake and over to Abby of the Hills. They then checked out the wind towers and headed to Ortonville, circling the town of Ortonville and Fairway View Senior Communities a handful of times before flying over some nearby farms at 1,000 feet above ground. Gene took many pictures during the flight and received a phone call from a friend in Arizona who could not believe Gene was in the air. When asked afterward how he would describe his flight, Gene simply replied, "FANTASTIC!"
Thank you to those who made Gene's birthday wish a reality. Thank you to Christian Reimche, of Reimche Airspray at the Milbank Airport, for donating the fuel for Gene's flight. And thank you to pilot Dan Loehrer for donating his time, plane, and expertise to this endeavor. Dan has been flying for over 25 years. If you are interested in a discovery flight or just want to check out the fall colors, give Dan a call!