Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/32804
live Coast through the clouds with a high-flying pilotLive in the Moment with Janet Plumb In the early morning, just before the sun begins to rise, Janet Plumb settles into the cockpit of her plane, fires up the engine and points the nose of her aircraft down a grassy runway. Shooting into the sky, Plumb soars to a height of 8,000 feet before she takes a moment to peer at the ground below and soak in a perspective few others have a chance to see. A part-time assistant acupuncturist and mother of three, Plumb has had a life-long infatuation with the skies. But she didn’t embark on her high-flying hobby until age 55. And despite the hours of practice and studying required to receive a single-en- gine pilot’s license, Plumb was undeterred. Now 59, she heads to the skies about once a week, preferring to soar above Dane County or as far as northern Wisconsin and Michigan. The scenery from the pilot’s seat of her Cessna 712S—a gift from her husband of 38 years, Tom—has been worth all the hard work. “Every time I go up there’s a new view, a new scene. I always appreciate the beauty of it,” Plumb says. “Everything looks very pristine from the air.” And her perspective stays aloft even after her feet are back on the ground. “It’s a feeling of such accomplishment to know you can handle [an airplane].” –Kailey Bender “ ” It’s a feeling of such accomplishment to know you can handle [an airplane].” May 2011 bravamagazine.com 11 Photo by Marcia Hansen