I want to ride in an airplane. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time. In Chase City, the airport used to give rides to people which took them over the whole town for a small fee. Hopefully, they still do that. It would be awesome to chat with Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart, two amazing women who broke barriers and glass ceilings for women, African-Americans and anyone who has a dream they want to pursue.

I would ask Bessie Coleman how did it feel to realize that she would have to go to Europe to obtain training in flying. The school in France, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale issued her a pilot’s license. Imagine, she was the first black person in the world to achieve this honor. Thank God you don’t have to go overseas now to further your career training unless you choose. Asking Coleman about the Curtiss JN-4D airplane and brainstorming would be awesome. I’d tell Bessie that I admire the fact that she gave lectures to school children encouraging them to enter into the aviation field. Her desire to establish flight schools for African-Americans was admirable. Unfortunately, she never got the chance to see that goal realized.

Furthermore, I’d ask Amelia Earhart what it feels like to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic and the first person to fly across the Pacific from Honolulu (my favorite place) to Oakland, California. Moreover, curiosity would drive me to ask Earhart how long did it take her to purchase the planes she flew. Both women would have to tell me how they feel about more women becoming pilots. Will it be easier for the next generation?

Last but not least, I’d ask both Coleman and Earhart to put on an air show with aerobatic performances. To see the queens of the sky fly over the horizon would be amazing. Hopefully, I would join them.

Judy Moore, a tour guide with the Central High Museum can be reached at ju.mo39@ live.com.