MIDLAND For Kellan Zindel and his family, going up into the air and viewing the Christmas lights from above around the Tall City has become a tradition each December.
They’re one of the many people who booked a spot in the High Sky Wing’s Christmas Lights Night Flights this year.
“It’s a really unique experience, especially in Midland,” Zindel said whose family lives in Midland. “We love the pilots here. We love getting in the old planes. It’s just a great experience to see the beauty of Midland from the sky.”
For nine years now, the High Sky Wing has offered a unique way for people to view the holiday decorations from above as families ride in the cabin of a Beech C-45 airplane and enjoy a 30-minute flight.
Flights take off (and land back) from the CAF at Midland International Air and Space Port.
For Kellan and the rest of his family (which includes his wife Becky and two sons, Sawyer, 9, and Findley, 6) this December was their second consecutive year of riding in the Christmas Lights Night Flights.
“My favorite thing about it is the joy and excitement that I see in my children’s eyes when they go up in the plane,” Becky said.
For 10 total nights this month, passengers have been able to fly in the Beech C-45 (also known as the “Spirit of West Texas”) and enjoy the Christmas light splendor in the area.
The flights are still being offered, taking place from 6-9:30 p.m. each night on Dec. 16, 17, 18, 20 and 21.
The plane seats five people. Cabin seats are $75 per person and $145 for the co-pilot seat.
Customers also have the choice of purchasing all five seats on the aircraft for $395.
For members of the CAF, it’s a fun tradition that they enjoy doing each holiday season.
Joe Gamertsfelder is one of the numerous pilots that flies the plane during the night flights at the High Sky Wing, which is a part of the Commemorative Air Force.
He’s been flying for the CAF for four years now and has been a professional pilot since 2000.
“First of all, it’s beautiful up there,” Gamertsfelder said when describing the flights. “When the sun goes down, the wind generally dies down and it’s just a really pleasant flight. The thing I like the most about it is when we have young children who might be flying for the first time or their first time doing Christmas flights and that’s fun to be a part of.”
The Christmas flights have been a unique way for the High Sky Wing to stay involved with the community and it also offers a chance to educate people about vintage airplanes.
“That’s what we’re here for,” Gamertsfelder said. “We’re here to educate and inspire the next generation and to show them some of the machines that not too many generations ago were cutting edge technology. Now we consider it mold but it wasn’t too long ago when it was a pretty slick machine out there. I enjoy doing that. This airplane was built in 1952…. It’s old but it’s not terribly old. Every year, they’re inspected thoroughly so I don’t have a problem with them. They’re safe. They’re just a little bit older.”
For Gamertsfelder, his favorite part of flying is the freedom.
“Once you leave the ground, you can go anywhere you want,” Gamertsfelder said. “There’s also the fact that you have to come back to the ground which is an added challenge but I enjoy it.”
He talked more about everyone’s reactions on each flight, especially from the children.
“The thing is, we’ll take off and there’s not too many lights around Midland but then we climb up and level off and turn and they’ll see the lights for the first time,” Gamertsfelder said. “And they’ll go ‘Wow! This is great!’ They’re pretty much enthralled for the whole flight. They always talk about how much fun it was when they get off. I’ve never had one say they didn’t like it or at least they didn’t tell us if they didn’t like it.”
The flight path goes around grasslands and some of downtown Midland but Gamertsfelder says it changes up a little bit on each flight.
“We kind of change it up, depending on where the lights are,” he said. “Also, it depends on the wind. We circle around the grasslands but downtown Midland is very pretty so we spend some time around there. We don’t go around Midland Air Park because that’s another airport but we’ll fly over the high school and I might circle over someone’s house, depending on where it is.”
For the Zindels, last year was their first time taking part in the Christmas Lights Night Flights and their children loved it so much, they had to come back this year.
“It was good to see how many people actually are so involved in Christmas,” Kellan said. “Some people write things on the top of their roof. The kids really love it. It’s more for them but it’s still fun for adults. It’s a really fun experience.”
However, it’s not just children that enjoy the flights as plenty of adults have also had fun being up in the air.
Caiden Reece, who is in the process of getting his pilot’s license, got to ride in the co-pilot’s seat during the night flight on Wednesday night.
“It was awesome,” Reece said. “It was very fun. Getting to fly in one of those (planes) was pretty cool.”
Reece, who lives in Midland, said he’s flown a Cessna 172 but noticed the difference in flying in an older aircraft.
“It was very different from the Cessna 172 that I’m used to flying,” Reece said. “There’s a lot more bells and whistles to that plane because it’s a multiengine and it’s a lot older. But it’s really awesome.”
The High Sky Wing began this year’s Christmas Lights Night Flights last week but had to cancel two of those nights because of foggy conditions.
While the flights are still being offered, Gamertsfelder warned that reservations fill up quickly.
“We’re pretty booked up though there might be some spots available,” Gamertsfelder said. “But it’s still a very big deal. We have some repeat customers.”
Children must be five years or older to fly.
To book a flight, email [email protected] or call 432-254-6282.
For more information about the Christmas Lights Night Flights or the CAF, go to tinyurl.com/56hd4njr.
