The Third Dimension

Our Fascination and Fear.

- Martha King

It was a whole new world to us. From the air, John and I saw the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and what was to become our new hometown in California — all on our first cross-country after we got our licenses. We were hooked. From that time on, our lives were different. Our love affair with flying only became more intense over time.

What makes flying so special? There are so many things. It provides such spectacular views. It allows personal travel at great speeds unimpeded by the limitations of roads. It is deeply rewarding, because it engages you so completely and uses so many aptitudes. But at the core, it is the mastery of the third dimension that changes everything.

Humankind has forever yearned to fly. Only in the comparatively minuscule time since the Montgolfier brothers took to the air in their hot-air balloons has it been possible. Since then, every landmark achievement in aviation has taken on great importance and been exuberantly celebrated by the world.

Flying has amplified importance on a personal basis too. Every pilot will forever remember his or her first solo flight and each new rating. Mention to acquaintances that you fly, and they’ll recall it every time they see you.

The heightened importance that flying takes on has its obvious good side, but it also has a bad side. For example, accidents that go unnoticed when they occur in land vehicles make national news if they occur in aircraft.

Also, there is a generalized fear of anything that inhabits the third dimension. There is a ban against flying anything in the Capitol area, no matter how small. When Doug Hughes landed on the west lawn of the Capitol building in his gyrocopter, which could barely carry him and maybe another 50 pounds, it made national news and got him a prison sentence. In contrast, there is no ban on driving to the Capitol in a rental truck with a 10,000-pound payload.