SELINSGROVE — Wesley Kuczawa fit right in with his aviator sunglasses.
Sitting in the backseat of a 1946 North American AT6 plane — a red and white two-seater World War II-era trainer — Wesley put on the headset and gave a thumbs up to his family standing nearby as he began to roll toward the runway.
With a fascination of flying and a desire to be a pilot, the 15-year-old Lewisburg resident was given the ride as a 16th birthday present by his parents. They won the ride during a silent action earlier this year, held by the Lewisburg Sunrise Rotary Club. The winning bid was around $400.
The plane is owned by Mifflinburg resident Paul John, co-owner of the airport, who spent the hour before flight waxing and getting it ready.
“I was not expecting (the present),” Wesley said at the Penn Valley Airport on Saturday before taking off, “I never thought my mom would be OK with it.”
His mom, Donna Kuczawa, admitted she was a bit nervous but was thrilled for her son. And it was obvious by the photo shoot next to and inside the plane before the flight and the cheers made as he was preparing.
“I’m nervous of course but it’s what he wants to do and it was a good gift for him,” she said. “He wants to do flips and rolls, but I told him to just tell me about it when he gets back.”
Wesley has been a fan of planes and flying his whole life. He builds model planes, watches them on TV and in movies and is interested in how they work and how they have evolved from then to now.
The only other planes he has ever been in was a Piper Cub and a Boeing 747.
“We would watch a lot of World War II documentaries which piqued his interest when he was young,” said his dad, Rick Kuczawa. “We continue to watch them on the History and Discovery channels.”
While taking off, Wesley’s parents and sister, Sarah, 20, cheered him on, along with his grandparents, Jim and Darcie Gruber ,of Ashland.
“He’s going to talk about this for weeks,” Sarah Kuczawa joked, smiling and taking photos of her brother flying away.
The family stood outside the hangar and watched the plane grow smaller as it flew into the distance.
After the ride, Wesley couldn’t stress enough how the day was the best birthday present he’s ever received.
“(John) was so generous and it turned from being a one-hour ride into a seven-hour ride for the entire family,” Wesley said. “It was so cool. My dad, sister and I got to ride in the plane, then everyone got to fly in the helicopter.”
During his flight, he got to fly over his home and around the Valley. John even did barrel rolls and a loop for Wesley.
John also gave Wesley a book on the plane and signed it for him.
He mentioned several times how the day was one of the biggest highlights of his life.
“It was the best time and best present ever,” Wesley said. “Everybody had a great time, it was a good family day.”
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Teen takes flight in World War II trainer
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