The Waltons

The peace and beauty of the land

and sky around Walton's Mountain

was a source of constant comfort to all of us

during those difficult depression years.

Some of the changes that were going on in the world

did eventually reflect themselves on our mountain

like the increase in the number of airplanes

that spotted the sky.

In particular, I remember an airmail plane

that used our mountain as a landmark.

My mother especially liked to wait for the plane to go over

and sometimes watching

she'd get the look people have when they watch wild geese

winging their way south to warm sunny days.

Wish you two would hurry up, you've got starving men here.

- And starving ladies! - You're not a lady.

- What am I? - You're just a little girl.

Stay that way 'cause when you get to my age

it's nothing but work and worry.

I would prefer less philosophy and more food this p.m.

- Here. - Thanks.

You could help you know.

- It's not my turn. - So what?

- I'll help you anyway, then. - Gee, thanks.

You're welcome.

You kids got your money saved up for Mama's birthday present?

It's not much. 8 cents.

How about you, Jim-Bob?

It's upstairs. I'll count it later.

Alright.

- Your supper, sir. - Thank you, ma'am.

You're welcome.

It must be awful to be somebody's wife

and have to do this every day.

If you don't learn to be more pleasant

you won't have that problem to worry about.

Once you find your true love,

you'll be plenty willing to do for him

just like when your grandma found me.

I'm going to have a whole other life. Full of glamour.

- Bet you can't even spell it. - I heard that.

I hope we don't all starve to death

before we get to see that glamour of yours.

I understand men a lot better than Mary Ellen does.

You're a born slave, Erin.

Will you two stop picking on each other and let's eat?

I sure wish your mama would come in.

She's out looking at the airplane.

Good Lord, you'd think she never saw an airplane in her life.

Whenever there's anything in the sky, it's always interesting.

Last week and a half, you'd think that plane

was the only thing that mattered to her.

- John-Boy, do we have enough? - Enough what, honey?

Enough money for Mama's birthday present.

With Jim-Bob's savings included, if it turns out to be as much

as I suspect it is

we'll probably be able to buy some chocolate,

make her a good cake.

- And some candles. - You got that much, do you?

How many do we need?

I'm not sure how much your mama's

looking forward to this birthday.

Why don't we put on about 12?

This food will taste like it's 12 years old

if she don't come in here.

John-Boy, will you tell your mama the food's getting cold?

Yeah.

I slave away all day and there's nobody here to appreciate it.

Did you get Mama a present?

- I sure did. - What is it?

A surprise. It's something I made for her myself.

- It's late tonight. - Never been late before.

Always like clockwork.

Gotten to be a regular part of your day here.

Doesn't it seem marvelous to you,

to be waved at from an airplane?

Brings the sky down close to you, doesn't it?

There he is.

There he goes.

You think I'm being silly, John-Boy?

No, I don't.

Think she'll like it, Jason?

If she can figure out what it is.

Shut up, Ben. What about the color?

Don't worry. She'll love it.

Hey, quiet.

Sorry I'm late.

Maybe someday when I grow up I'll be another Amelia Earhart.

Maybe that's who I'll be when I grow up.

I've been too busy to think about such things.

Guess I have, too, Grandma.

Didn't he just go by?

John, listen. Something's wrong.

Where is he?

I don't know, but he's in trouble.

Sounds like he's circling back.

There he is. Right there.

See?

He's too low! He's going to land in the pasture road.

He's trying to land in the pasture.

Get the truck! Turn it around,

put the lights on the end of the pasture.

Come on!

Hold it! Right here.

Alright. Here, quick!

- Here. - Do it.

- Okay, go. - He's taking it apart.

Here you go. Got that one?

- Okay, come on. - You two go down to the end.

He's way down there now.

- Wait a minute. - Easy, easy.

You won't believe it.

That's the trickiest landing I've ever made.

You're lucky to be alive at all, young man. Here, easy.

Easy now. Easy, lad.

Broken oil line. Spattered oil all over the magneto.

And I got a gasoline leak.

Maybe things will look better in the morning.

Why don't you come up to the house?

That makes sense.

I sure appreciate your help. My name's Cooper, Todd Cooper.

John Walton.

I'll need to use your phone to call Atlanta

and tell them the mail's safe and I'm alive.

We don't have a phone, but we can get you to one.

Okay.

Someone here and I are already friends.

It's Mama. She waits for you every night.

I never expected you to fall out of the sky.

I never expected anyone quite so beautiful.

Would you kids like to give me a hand?

- Can't leave the mail unguarded. - Sure.

Here you go. That's one.

Ben, give me one!

- They're too heavy for you. - They are not!

Alright, you two.

This here is a Stearman, just like my model, isn't it?

Hey, champ. Take it easy.

That's US mail.

And when that engine started missing I had to come down

- and I remembered your pasture. - Just like Lindbergh.

That was a very impressive display of flying ability.

If I can't take off in the morning

I'll have to truck the pouches down to the train.

Where is the nearest train stop?

Rockfish. About 6 miles from here.

That was my last flight.

Would have liked to have gotten it through on time.

Changing jobs?

Going on to a more exciting kind of flying.

More exciting than flying the mail?

Barnstorming, air shows, racing, real kind of flying.

Hauling the mail, it's like driving a truck after a while.

You're giving up a steady job

for a flying circus in these times?

Probably pays more than chopping wood, Ma.

Course, there's days we can't fly.

They don't pay us for waiting for the weather to clear.

Flying in the sky like a bird.

I just can't imagine what that must be like.

Gets to be pretty exciting at first,

then after a while, back and forth

between Washington and Atlanta, gets kind of dull.

- Dull? - Sure.

Mr. Cooper, where do you call home?

It used to be Washington, D.C.

From now, it's gonna be the back seat of a plane.

I'm joining an air show in Florida next week.

Must be hard on your family

with you streaking through the sky all the time.

I'm a loner, Mrs. Walton. No family to speak of.

If I could trouble you

for a ride down to that telephone, Mr. Walton.

I have work to finish up.

John-Boy, take Mr. Cooper to Ike's.

Yeah, sure.

Could I go? We could talk about flying.

I've had enough flying for today, kid.

- Tomorrow. - Promise?

I promise. After I fix the plane, if there's time.

Doesn't sound like much of a promise to me.

Yes, indeed. It does seem that young man

has something else on his mind.

Well, that's no excuse for hurting a child's feelings.

Here's the money for Mama's birthday present.

Don't tell anyone.

- Not a word. - Don't lose it.

I promise.

Let's go!

You must get to see a lot of the country.

I do.

But flying's changing.

Five years ago, we had hardly any instruments.

Now there's even talk of putting radios in the mail planes.

Must be getting a lot safer though.

Safer, yeah.

But the fun's going out of flying fast. Rules.

You mean it's getting just like any other job.

Same thing everyday.

That and other things.