View From Above: The Crossing

Editor-in-chief Julie Boatman shares her initial thoughts following a ferry flight of a Daher TBM 940 from Tarbes, France, to Groton, Connecticut, with master ferry pilot Margrit Waltz.

Julie Boatman

Friday, November 19, 2021 at 05:08 PM ET

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Editor-in-chief Julie Boatman with master ferry pilot Margrit Waltz.

Key Takeaways:

Inspired by her mother's transformative 50th birthday challenges, the author initially scaled back her own milestone plans due to the pandemic and work commitments.
A unique opportunity emerged for her to join a master ferry pilot in flying a new TBM 940 turboprop from its factory in Tarbes, France, back to the U.S.
This transatlantic journey fulfilled a long-held dream for the author, allowing her to follow in the footsteps of aviation pioneers and mark her 50th year with a significant personal achievement.

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Last summer, I turned 50. When my mother met the same milestone 24 years ago, she marked it with big plans, focused on doing things she either always wanted to or never before dared to do.

She went to Italy for three weeks—with just me along—an embrace of the culture she’d studied for her master’s degree in art, as a single woman with her daughter as a companion, directing her own itinerary.