Say, Kids, Is that a Roller Coaster Down There?

Silverwood is an amusement park in Idaho with a couple of grand old wooden roller coasters.  Before that it was a small airport, and for a number of years it was both, which sets the stage for one of the best moments in Grant family aviation history.

When our kids were 8 and 10 we flew to Canada for a few weeks of sight-seeing in Banff and Jasper.  We left a day early, but didn’t tell the kids why. We cleared customs in Porthill International Airport, a grass strip next to a road-based customs station.  Then we headed directly to Silverwood.

I passed over the resort at about 2,000 feet, and said into the intercom, “Say, kids, is that a roller coaster down there?”

Kids: Yes!  Wow, a roller coaster!  Two of them!

Me: Maybe we should land and check them out?

Kids: What? We can’t land there……  Can we?

Me:  Yep, lets go in and land.

Kids:  Mom, is Dad kidding?  Can we land there?

We landed and pulled into the grass to park, only a few steps from the ticket window and entrance booths, and within a few minutes the kids were waiting in line at the large wooden roller coaster, waiting and watching with anticipation.

What a moment, and what a day.