The morning sun bathes the runway horizon in warm gold, while Captain Lena performs her last check at the cockpit of her Boeing 737. Her hands glide over switches and displays, a choreography of precision and familiarity. A smile plays around your lips – not only because of the perfect weather report. Today, she not only transports 180 souls to the coast, but also a small, carefully packed package in the cargo hold. In it: the medication for a boy in Lena's destination city, urgently needed, ordered overnight.
"Good morning, dear passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are ready for a quiet flight in clear skies.“ Her voice in the speaker is calm and confident. She thinks of the countless faces behind her – the business traveler who wants to see his family again, the young student on her first big adventure, the grandmother hugging her grandson. And to the boy who is waiting for the cargo in the belly of the plane.
As the plane gently ascends into the blue sky, co-pilot Mika monitors the systems with watchful eyes. For outsiders, it may be just machines and procedures. For them it is a promise. A promise of security, of connection, of responsibility. Every check, every decision, every little course correction is made with this silent commitment: *To get them all safely where they need to go. All.*
Years ago, Lena recalls, when she was still piloting cargo flights across the Atlantic, it was about machine spare parts that kept a factory running, or about fresh fish for a restaurant remote from the continent. The cargo was anonymous, the responsibility was the same. Whether passengers or parcels – both are valuable cargoes, entrusted pieces of life and everyday life.
Somewhere above the cloud-covered mountains, air traffic control reports with a slight route change due to a weather cell. Lena and Mika nod to each other, work synchronously. No hassle, just focused professionalism. The path is rarely a perfect straight line, but the goal remains immovable.
When the landing gear lands on the runway hours later – a gentle, barely noticeable *whoosh* - it's more than just a good landing. It is a fulfilled promise. The passengers clap softly, a man sighs with relief. Lena smiles. While the doors are being opened and people are pouring in, the special package is already being sorted out at the bottom and taken on its way to the hospital.
Later, in the abandoned cabin, Lena looks out at the rolling luggage belt. She sees the reunited families, the hurried businessmen. She knows that in an hour a colleague will be sitting in her machine to deliver cargo to Oslo – electronics, documents, perhaps again vital medicine.
It's never just about flying. It's about the in-between. To build the bridge you need, day after day, flight after flight. For the people out there and for the packages that contain wishes, hopes and necessities. Their heaven is not a lonely place; it is full of meaning, a rail network of care at an altitude of 10,000 meters. And tomorrow she will do it again.
Lyrics
In skies of trust, I spread my wings,
Carry the world where winds and clouds align.
Through storms and calm, I soar and glide,
With every flight, I feel alive.
Clouds like blankets, soft and wide,
Protect me as I ride the skies.
Cargo and folks, they rest in peace,
Safe in my hands, no need to cease.
In skies of trust, I'm free to fly,
Through wind and weather, I stand tall and high.
Proud when trusted, I take them near,
In skies of trust, we're always clear.
In skies of trust, I'm free to fly,
Through wind and weather, I stand tall and high.
Proud when trusted, I take them near,
In skies of trust, we're always clear.
Above the clouds, I see the light,
Guiding me through, day and night.
With every flight, I gain more strength,
In skies of trust, I find my length.
In skies of trust, I'm free to roam,
Over mountains, seas, and home.
With every flight, I feel so alive,
In skies of trust, I can't deny.
In skies of trust, I'm free to fly,
Through wind and weather, I stand tall and high.
Proud when trusted, I take them near,
In skies of trust, we're always clear.
In skies of trust, I'm free to fly,
Through wind and weather, I stand tall and high.
Proud when trusted, I take them near,
In skies of trust, we're always clear.
Lyrics written Kai-Dominik Bertha (ELAG ERFURT)
Copyright by Radio PTR
Radio PTR Inc. Slowakei
Most SNP, 851 01 Bratislava
