Float Plane

"Quick! Look!" Mama exclaimed. I put down my book and rushed to where she was standing. We were in a harbor next to Virgin Gorda. Out the window, a float plane had just landed. A float plane is an airplane that can land on water. Normally, they are not that big. I only saw the slowing down of the plane on the water, not the landing itself. I was disappointed.

I want to have a private plane when I am old enough to get a license. I like heights and flying a small plane sounds fun. Anyways, the float plane started driving on the water. It was a long way away and I had to squint to see it. In the distance, it started turning toward us. I wondered what it was doing. Porter and I rushed on deck with Mama and the camera close behind. We scrambled up onto the doghouse and scanned the water, looking for the float plane.

I wish it had landed near us but at least it was coming toward us. The plane was driving steadily toward Sila. My heart gave a leap."They're coming closer" I said excitedly. As I said, I like flying and planes. As it got nearer, I noticed the float plane was heading toward a ferry dock just to the side of us. Then it turned toward Sila. It was now 50 meters from us. It was turning back toward the place it landed when it picked up speed. Then it slowed down and parked at a floating pontoon I had not noticed before.

With binoculars, I saw nobody famous step out of the float plane. I went down below and started reading again. "Hey Rabbit," Mama called. "Go see if it is staying there for the night or if it is going to take off." I went back on deck and this time. People were untying the float plane and it started circling on the water. Porter came rushing on deck as the plane was picking up speed. "Man, it must be really burning fuel" I said. It started skimming the water and then whoosh, it left the surface. It was really far away. I took one last look at the float plane, now a dot in the sky. A great memory came to pass, one that I would not forget. The drawing is of a photograph of the float plane driving on the water. – Jack Rabbit