One airshow. One missing dog. One boy who figures out how to find him.
When Jake arrives at the airshow, the first thing he notices isn’t the jets — it’s Ace, a golden retriever in aviation goggles and a yellow safety vest who works the flight line as the airshow’s official mascot. Ace retrieves anything that hits the ground: programs, hats, water bottles. He’s fast, focused, and very good at his job.
Then a runaway RC plane bolts across the field, and Ace bolts after it.
Suddenly Jake is facing a problem bigger than he expected. The airfield is enormous. Aircraft are moving on the runway and taxiway, which means nobody can search on foot. And Ace — somewhere out beyond the hangars, past the tall grass, near the tree line — isn’t coming back on his own.
Jake has an idea. A real one. And the Air Boss is listening.
What follows is a two-aircraft aerial search — a Cessna 182 and a helicopter working in coordinated zones, guided by real radio protocols — with Jake in the right seat, eyes on the ground, searching for one flash of yellow in the green below.
Airport Adventures: Looking for Ace is a chapter book for readers ages 6–9 that takes aviation seriously. The story is grounded in real aircraft, actual airport operations, and the kind of teamwork that keeps a busy airfield running safely. Every technical detail — from the difference between a taxiway and a runway, to why the helicopter and the fixed-wing flew at different altitudes during the search — is accurate and explained through the story itself.
Written by a pilot with military and civilian flight experience, and perfect for any child who has ever looked up at the sky and wondered how it all works.
Inside every copy:
A full Aviation Vocabulary glossary — runway, taxiway, Air Boss, marshalling area, and moreTypes of Aircraft — prop planes, helicopters, jets, and the Cessna 182 that Jake flies inAce’s Job — working dogs, handlers, hearing protection, and why golden retrievers are naturalsA “Did you spot all of these?” re-read prompt to send kids back through the storyJake and Ace will be back. Airport Adventures: Looking for Ace is Book 1 in the Airport Adventures series.
