What do a World War I SPAD XIII fighter plane and a solar wind powered Mars Mission spacecraft have in common? Two pilots from the same family five generations apart: One man's love of flying, begun in the skies above France in 1918, started to unravel a thread that eventually led to a trip through the heavens to another world. Such delicate threads run through the lives of many people. Decisions made or unmade cause these threads to continue to unwind or to be cut. The results can alter the future for all of us. Growing up is hard work Ask anybody. For thirteen-year-old Charlie Richards it seems particularly difficult. Problems with his younger sister, school bullies, and his first crush plague him. With no father, and a mother who keeps him at a distance emotionally, Charlie feels lost and alone. Only his grandfather, a World War I fighter pilot and postwar barnstormer, provides him with any comfort. A pivotal encounter with a golden eagle, what Charlie and his grandfather call a "WINDRIDER," offers a solution for all his problems. He must learn to fly. With his grandfather's help, the boundless reaches of the sky become Charlie's salvation - and his family's."