MILTON, DE - At 86 years old, John Chirtea still lives for the thrill of flight, soaring through the clouds in his plane, Buttercup, on any given sunny day.
But last November, Chirtea inadvertently flew into restricted airspace while President Joe Biden was visiting Rehoboth Beach.
Not long after, Chirtea penned a letter of apology and sent it off to The White House. Months later, he thought the situation was over — until an unexpected letter arrived from Washington.
"I didn’t expect to hear anything, and then lo and behold, the day before yesterday, I open my mail and there it is — your heart skips a beat when you see the White House on the letterhead," Chirtea said.
The letter, hand-signed by President Biden, said in part:
"Through trials and triumph, we will always be a nation where hope runs deep and optimism reigns. Folks like you remind me of that truth every day. Keep the faith."
Chirtea says he was honored to receive the letter of response. But, he hopes the situation is far from over and has a unique request for the President.
"Most of my friends said – you’ll never get a response, you’ll never get a response from The President. I did finally get a response now, but what I want is a visit! To have him come here and look at our beautiful little airport we have here, Eagle Crest Aiport!" Chirtea exclaimed.
Ever the pilot, Chirtea offered President Biden a sky-high experience if he does visit.
"I’d be glad to take him up in one of my airplanes, but I don’t think the Secret Service would be a fan of that," he joked.
While it remains to be seen if the President will make the trip to Milton, Chirtea will undoubtedly be in the hangar, ready to take flight.
