Sometimes, all it takes is one airplane ride to inspire a lifelong passion for aviation. For young Riley McDonald, that unforgettable experience came at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York, where a flight aboard a vintage military aircraft helped turn a childhood dream into something much more. Now, Riley’s experience has become the inspiration for The Little Aviatrix, a new children’s book written and illustrated by the McDonald family, celebrating the wonder of flight and the importance of encouraging young aviators.
The McDonald family’s connection to the National Warplane Museum began several years ago when Thomas and Esther McDonald brought their two young daughters, Riley and Rori, to visit. What began as a family outing quickly blossomed into a shared love of aviation and the museum’s historic aircraft. Both Thomas and Esther are skydivers, and their enthusiasm for aviation has clearly rubbed off on their daughters. Riley has already expressed a strong desire to become a pilot, while her younger sister Rori is showing a similar interest in following in her family’s footsteps.
The inspiration for The Little Aviatrix came when Riley experienced her first airplane ride with National Warplane Museum pilot Don Nicholls aboard the museum’s Piper L-21 Grasshopper. The flight left a lasting impression on the young aviation enthusiast, providing a memory that her family would eventually transform into a beautifully illustrated children’s story. Through colorful, hand-drawn illustrations and a heartfelt narrative, The Little Aviatrix follows a young girl with an enormous love for aviation as she waits, wonders, dreams, and finally experiences the magic of flight. Based on Riley’s real-life adventure, the book captures the excitement and anticipation familiar to anyone who remembers their first airplane ride.
For the McDonald family, however, the book represents something even more meaningful: the friendships, memories, and experiences they have enjoyed together at the museum. “As a family, we have had many amazing trips to the NWM. The idea to put together a book followed an exceptionally magical day, one that hardly felt real,” the family shared. “Each page references an aviation-related experience or memory Riley has had, which made the process of creating this book so much fun.”
In a generous gesture of appreciation, the McDonald family has donated a limited batch of The Little Aviatrix to the National Warplane Museum, with proceeds from sales benefiting the museum’s ongoing preservation and educational efforts. Over the years, the family has become a familiar and welcome presence at the museum, developing friendships with volunteers and pilots while continuing to explore the aircraft that make the museum special. From the Piper Grasshopper to the museum’s Fairchild PT-26 Cornell and North American AT-6 Texan, Riley and Rori have had opportunities to discover aviation history firsthand.
(Image credit: Esther McDonald)
The book also reflects one of the museum’s most important missions: introducing younger generations to aviation and inspiring them to pursue their own dreams. For children like Riley and Rori, historic aircraft are more than artifacts from another era. They represent possibilities, adventures, and perhaps even future careers in the cockpit. “Our hope is that families will read the book, be able to relate to Riley’s passion, and to help support our favorite place on earth!” the McDonald family added.
The Little Aviatrix is available for $10 through the National Warplane Museum’s gift shop, both in person in Geneseo and online. Each purchase helps support the museum while sharing a simple but powerful message with young readers: no dream is too big, and sometimes the journey toward becoming a pilot begins with a single unforgettable flight. Purchase The Little Aviatrix from the National Warplane Museum Gift Shop HERE.
