There’s no denying it’s been an uncharacteristically warm February. As the sun begins to break through clouds to signal the close of another winter, I felt an urge to hop in my car and just drive one Sunday afternoon. No plan. No destination. Just drive. Naturally, I slung my camera bag over my shoulder and dropped it in the passenger seat as I snuggled my way into my car. It was a crystal-clear afternoon with temperatures pushing the upper 40’s. As I backed out of my driveway, the sun brushed across my eyes, temporarily blinding me, so I quickly reached for my sunglasses. A little over an hour later, after my own personalized concert-for-one, I figured I should probably make my way back to Storm Lake because I saw the sun beginning it’s decent below the horizon. The drive was almost therapeutic. I wasn’t worrying about anything. I felt no pressure to get anywhere. I was simply existing and soaking in the present moment. As you might expect, I didn’t want that to end so I figured I would find a place by the lake and spot up to watch the sunset, maybe grab a picture or two. However, as the lake came into sight, I caught a glimpse of a small Cessna 172 flying ahead in the direction of the Storm Lake Municiple Airport. The thought crossed my mind, “I wonder if there’s any activity out at the airport?” Now, in the past I’ve had no luck, simply making a short drive to an empty airfield and turning back around. But this time was different. I quickly turned my car and headed to the airport. To my surprise, a pair of pilots had made pitstops. One a stop for gas, and the other wrapping up another day of flying. When I got out of my car with my camera in hand, I noticed the prettiest color of pink and purple painting the sky. Enjoy these pictures of what I stumbled across that afternoon featuring a pair of pilots becoming one with the sky and an innocent boy with a camera in hand fascinated with aviation.
