For Lake Highlands native Kyle Goldstein, flying is in his blood.

His grandfather, a flight instructor during World War II, died in a plane accident. His mother, Billie, was a Delta flight attendant for 10 years.

This is why his Air Force- and Pentagon-approved flyovers in Famersville’s annual Audie Murphy Day celebrations are that much more special for Goldstein and his family.

As he circles the cemetery in which his grandfather is buried, he waggles the wings of the T-38 C Talon in salute to his so-called copilot – whom he never met.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “It’s tough because I wish I would have had that granddad to talk to.”

As Billie Goldstein sits with her mother at the cemetery to watch her son’s tribute to veterans, she says, her pride in her son is overwhelming.

“I’m always thinking of my father and how proud he would be,” she said.

The military wasn’t in Kyle Goldstein’s plans. In fact, he aimed to follow his father’s footsteps as a doctor. But his fate found him in college at a University of Texas flying club, and on a whim, he joined Air Force ROTC.

In 2003, Goldstein was among the first to cross the no-fly zone in Operation Iraqi Freedom, escorting a B-1 bomber two days before the war started.

So far, Goldstein has participated in five Audie Murphy Day flyovers. And this weekend, he’ll soar above the University of Texas football stadium before the Veterans Recognition Day game against University of Central Florida.

Like his grandfather, Goldstein is a flight instructor in San Antonio, so flying is a part of his everyday life. But the excitement of flyovers never gets old.

“You hear how cool it was for some of these young kids,” he said. “When I’m on the ground and I see a flyover, I get excited. I imagine it’s fun for them, too.”

Ultimately, though, the most rewarding part of his role in community celebrations, he said, is realizing just how much the military is appreciated.
“It’s nice to go out and know that you’re appreciated for what you did,” he said.

Saerom Yoo is the editor of Allen neighborsgo and can be reached at 469-330-5685 or via e-mail at syoo@neighborsgo.com. Got a story, photo or video you'd like to share? Post them directly on neighborsgo.com. Got a story idea? Send it to me directly. For more about how neighborsgo.com works with our neighborsgo print editions, please visit neighborsgo.com/help.