On Wings of the Morning Read Online Free PDF

didn’t offer him any.
    “Well, if you want to become a pilot, an airport is a good place to do it.”
    “I plan to. Maybe Mr. Wilson will give me a job when the airport is open.”
    The head carpenter laughed. “Don’t expect to be paid if he does, kid. Wilson is one of the cheapest guys around. I’m surprised he’s paying you to pick up nails and carry lumber.”
    I don’t care what he’s like, Otto thought. I’m just glad there’s going to be an airport. He jumped to his feet and started carrying lumber again.
    The sun lowered in the sky as Otto carried planks back and forth. One carpenter cut the planks to length and handed them up to the three carpenters on ladders. They nailed the wood into place as siding that went up the wall studs. By late afternoon, they had one side of the wall completely covered. The men on the ladders climbed down.
    Wilson’s car appeared down the road. He parked and climbed out of the car. Otto watched from a little distance as Wilson conferred with the head carpenter. Wilson came over to him. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a nickel and a dime.
    “Here you go, kid. Green here says you worked hard. Can you come back tomorrow?”
    Otto nodded enthusiastically. “Yessir! I’ll be here right after morning chores!” He mounted his bike and rode off back down the road.

     
Chapter 4
Pioneer Lake Airport—September, 1934
    Otto was glad for once that his family ran a dairy farm. The cows had to be tended every day, but at least he didn’t have to help with the harvest that was going on in late September on crop farms. And school didn’t start until the harvest was in.
    With morning and afternoon chores done quickly, Otto was able to spend a lot of time at the airport. His construction job had changed into what Wilson called a “gofer” job. Otto didn’t know what that meant the first time Wilson used the word, but he explained. “It means you ‘go fer’ things that we need. Get it, kid?”
    Otto nodded. As he rode his bike up to the small airport, he remembered the first time he saw an airplane land there. It was a couple of months after he had started working with the carpenters. They finished their work and Green told him that they wouldn’t be coming back. They had another job in town.
    The day before they finished, a tractor appeared coming down the road, pulling a roller. The driver ran up and down what was to be the landing area, doing a final flattening of the grass and compacting the soil. When he finished, he drove off.
    In about an hour, a small silver plane appeared, low on the horizon. It overflew the new hangar and office, circled once, and set down after a long smooth glide to the ground. It taxied up to the hangar and the pilot cut the engine off. Wilson pulled himself out of the small cockpit. He came over to Otto and the carpenters. He handed Green an envelope which held some bills and shook his hand. Green and the others climbed into a truck and drove off. Wilson turned to Otto.
    “How’d you like that landing, kid? Here—” He handed Otto the single. “Can you come to work tomorrow?”
    Otto gulped. “Thank you, Mr. Wilson. I sure can. Same time?”
    “You got it, kid. Now help me push my plane into the hangar.”
    Otto got on one side of the airplane and Wilson on the other. They each pushed on a wing. Otto was surprised at how easily the plane moved. They moved it into the hangar. Wilson moved around, attaching some lines to various points on the aircraft. Otto followed suit, and soon all the lines were attached.
    “Well, that does it,” said Wilson, dusting his hands off. “‘Bout time for you to go tend to cows, isn’t it, kid?” He handed Otto an envelope.
    “Yessir. Thank you, sir.” Otto hesitated. “Do you suppose I might have a ride in your airplane, Mr. Wilson? She’s a beaut!”
    Wilson studied him. “Well, you’ve been a big help here and worked hard. We’ll see what we can do. Now scram! See you tomorrow! We have a