ONE

The air feels soft and still. It is a beautiful spring morning as John walks the runway to check the runway lights. While he is there, he also checks for groundhogs by looking for new burrows along the grassy areas surrounding the runways. John is seventeen years old, tall and thin, with light blond hair. He is the Operations Manager at the Jefferson Airport in Maryland, and lives in a small room in the back of the main hangar.

The main hangar is the home of many planes. There are three training planes used by the Flight School at Jefferson Airport, for teaching student pilots. The training planes are the Cessna 172, the Cessna 150, and The Champion. There are also two twin-engine planes which are used in the Charter Operations business at the airport. These charter planes are the Beech King Air and the Beech Baron. The charter planes are rented with pilot and crew to the public. Two more planes are in the back of the hangar. They are the Piper Cub, a retired training plane, and a Comanche 400. The Piper Cub is a wonderful shade of bright yellow. All the planes are kept in top condition. That is part of John’s job. The other hangars in the airport are rented to owners of private planes.

John’s job consists of checking the runway lights, replacing the bulbs that have burned out during the night, and inspecting for any damage that might have occurred during the night. Jefferson Airport likes to advertise that it never sleeps, and is open twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven days a week, which is why the beacon and runway lights are always left on. Pilots are very grateful to find an airport open late at night where they can land and refuel. Because of the good service, Jefferson Airport has become a favorite place to visit.