Dorothy Ellis took the ride of her life Tuesday evening, courtesy of Glen Herschberger.
The 92-year-old took a flight aboard Herschberger’s powered parachute.
Herschberger gave Ellis a 20-minute ride aboard his little flyer, capping what had become a lifelong dream for Ellis.
“She’d always lived near the airport and would watch those as they flew overhead,” daughter-in-law Heather Ellis explained. “She very much wanted to fly in one.”
Heather Ellis and a handful of others were on hand to watch as Dorothy was helped aboard Herschberger’s passenger seat.
Once fired up, Herschberger seamlessly took the powered parachute skyward, making several close passes of his takeoff spot from the Allen County Airport. Doing so allowed family and friends to snap photos.
From there, Herschberger guided his aircraft past Ellis’ farm just north of the airport, where they spotted several deer in her backyard.
“The deer didn’t know which way to run,” Herschberger said afterward. “They’d dart about one way, then another.”
As dusk neared and the temperature dipped, Herschberger and Ellis returned to the airport.
While chilled, Ellis sported a huge grin, flashing a thumbs up to the spectators.
“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “I really enjoyed getting to see my house.”
THE TRIP came about through the help of Susan Hawk, who knows Ellis through her position at the Allen County Hospital’s hospice program.
Hawk recently heard about Ellis’ dream to fly in a powered parachute and gave Herschberger a call.
“A main emphasis for us is quality of life,” Hawk said. Enjoyable activities, such as Tuesday’s flight, can do wonders for a person’s mental state.
Herschberger readily agreed to the flight, taking advantage of Tuesday’s windless conditions and clear skies.
