One of the readers of Israel Rambles letters asked me if I ever flew above Israel in the way it was shown on one of these
youtubes, and I must say
yes, absolutely yes, and it was like that..
When I was still serving in the army we got what we called in Hebrew "a chupar" (ch like in Churchill), which is a slang word meaning reward for doing a good job, and the chupar was to go over the border in a small airplane. Unlike in the US, air traveling was for us young Israelis like an attainable far away dream, at list for me, so when I heard about it, I was, to say the least, exited!
And it was, exciting, I mean.. wow, it is hard to describe, but not unlike riding your bicycle for the first time or maybe walking for the first time, going from 2 dimensions world to a 3 dimensions world, a dream comes true.
We took off from the army based airport of Sdeh Dov near the beach of Tel Aviv. We were 4 people in the airplane, really small airplane with double controls, which means the person next to the pilot can take control as well. When you hear the roam of the engine under you for the first time, you really have no idea how this thing is going to be air borne, then you are air borne, flying right next to the large chimney ofRiding, Tel Aviv power station, right above the wavy blue sea underneath.
To cut long story short, we flew towards the boarder, above the dead sea and down to Eilat and back. On the way back it was only the pilot and me, so I asked him to do some aerobatic, which he did, I never asked again. He flew the airplane upside down, and he let me control the airplane too. Experiencing zero gravity was quite a new experience for my body, my young brain had a thrill though, that's for sure.
What was the most breath taking for me however was the view, and how little of our daily travails have any meaning when you are flying above it all, a lot of the daily tumult seems so far away and pity, really.
What is etched in my memory for ever is the mountain view flying towards Jerusalem. The large concentric boulders, the resiliency of the land and the aridity.
Then a year later I took gliding lessons in the north, but that is a whole other story, maybe for a different Ramble.
Hope you like this new format
Sincerely,
Boaz Pnini
Bridges 2 Israel
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