MILTON - The future of flight is taking off on Delmarva, and inspiring the next generation before they even leave the ground.
At Georgetown’s annual Wings and Wheels air show, one of the biggest crowd-pleasers wasn’t a jet or a biplane, but a sleek, drone-like aircraft called the BlackFly, often described as the world’s first “flying car.”
The plane operates out of Milton, flown by 87-year-old pilot John Chirtea and his daughter, Heather Chirtea.
“Most people have never seen a flying car before,” Heather said. “When we land or take off, it’s the first time they’ve ever seen something that they can potentially take part in, or be part of.”
That one-of-a-kind sight at the event inspired a local craftsman and grandfather, who approached the Chirteas after watching the BlackFly take flight.
“He introduced himself and said, ‘I watched you fly. I’ve got a grandson a year and a half old, and I’m making a swing for him, and, I've fashioned it sorta after the BlackFly, would you guys be interested in working on that?” John recalled.
The result: a hand-built wooden mini BlackFly swing, or rocker, complete with prop-style details and plenty of imagination.
For John, the project brings back memories of his own childhood love for aviation.
“When I was a kid, I was building every little model airplane I could out of balsa wood,” he said. "I took my first lesson when I was 16 and got my license at 17. It’s all been uphill since then.”
From a wooden swing to the real thing, the BlackFly and its miniature counterpart are helping the next generation dream a little higher.
“For kids to be able to envision themselves in the pilot’s seat, this is absolutely the first generation of kids that will look up in the skies and say it could be me,” Heather said.