Aero raced along the neighborhood sidewalk, waving his cardboard airplane. His paper pilot cap flapped in the wind.
WHOOSH! A gust flipped the cap into a leafy tree. Aero pointed up. “I will fly!”
At flight school, Aero climbed into the training plane. He copied the instructor’s turn, and the plane bumped, wobbled, and honked.
The plane lurched sideways. Aero held the controls, corrected the wobble, and tried the turn again while Mum cheered, “Keep going!”
Aero studied the map and checked every button. The first takeoff practice rolled too slowly, so he returned to the starting line.
On the second try, the loose map smacked Aero’s nose. He giggled, tucked it away, and started again.
On the third try, Aero pushed the controls forward. The training plane lifted above the runway.
POP! A bundle of balloons burst from a nearby truck. Aero steadied the wings as red, yellow, and turquoise balloons bobbed around the plane.
The balloons drifted away. Aero climbed higher, leaving the runway, the truck, and the school far below.
High above town, Aero circled and waved down to Mum. The engine hummed as white clouds glowed beside the plane.