How one family is crafting kid-friendly AvGeek adventures at home
Most commercial aircraft are temporarily grounded, but in one Chicago household a 4-year-old’s flights of imagination are taking off daily from the family’s dining room table.Oliver Reid-Bleitner, a budding AvGeek, folds and glues elaborate, detailed paper airplanes as part of his stay-at-home routine, which began when Chicago schools and day care centers closed in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ground support comes from his parents, Dave Bleitner (co-engineer for Oliver’s airplane construction project) and Casey Reid (communications expert). Like many families, they are now both working from home and coming up with ways to entertain and educate their kids while maintaining their work lives.
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TPG asked what life was like when normal scheduling grinds to a halt, and rounded up some suggestions for other activities for kids -- all about airports, airplanes and going places when you can't go anywhere yet.
Casey, director of alumni and advancement communications at a Chicago-area university, says she is becoming an expert air traffic controller for Oliver and his 2-year-old sister Bryce, who adds a little "chaos" to the household hub. Since she has been working from home, Casey says it's not unusual for airplanes made of Mega Bloks to fly overhead while she works -- but Oliver says the congestion at home is not a match for O'Hare yet. "It's not a very busy airport," says Oliver of the irregular flight patterns he generates in the family living room. Even busy pilots like a little downtime, so he eagerly anticipates the quiet part of his day -- his aircraft-ing project with his dad, a hands-on guy who is co-founder of award-winning Off-Color Brewing in Chicago. Although operations are partially shut down because of the pandemic, he still makes beer -- and paper airplanes.
When Chicago’s stay-at-home orders were put in place to slow the spread of coronavirus, the Reid-Bleitner family rebooked its day-to-day itinerary.Dave and Oliver set out to the craft store in search of projects to see the kids through a month or more at home. According to Casey, about $200 later, they were equipped with Kinetic Sand, finger paints, an Easter Egg dyeing kit, tons of craft paper, Lego cars, a Crayola coloring board -- and a paper airplane model book, “Planes: A Complete History.”
“Planes,” which is available at Amazon, Target, Barnes and Noble, Michaels and at the AirMuseumGuide website, is a two-part book with 50 press-out models of historic and contemporary aircraft and a detachable history book with information about aircraft technology.Oliver, a transportation fanatic, is also fascinated by trains, cars and boats. But his pandemic passion is airplanes. His favorite plane – just like Brian Kelly, The Points Guy himself – is the Airbus A380.
Watch: Flight Review: New Singapore A380 Suite with The Points Guy
Oliver’s own toy collection includes aircraft models with the liveries of Southwest, Jet Blue, Delta and American, as well as Air Force One and a fighter jet. His most recent arrivals are the paper airplanes he crafts every afternoon with his dad. The planes take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to assemble, according to Dave. After reading about the history of the planes they make, each one is tied to a string to soar on the ceiling of Oliver's bedroom.
The latest addition to the collection is The Spirit of St. Louis.
In addition to the paper airplane project, Dave spends his time on other paperwork: applying for small-business loans under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act in anticipation of a post-pandemic reboot. Meanwhile, as the stay-at-home days stack up and the paper airplane models proliferate, Dave has relabeled the brewery's popular Zwicklebier-style lager “You Can’t Take Me Anywhere Nice” to just "You Can't Take Me Anywhere."
While your family is temporarily grounded, here are some TPG travel- and aviation-themed suggestions for your crew at home:
Books about planes, airports and places to go
- Rosie Revere Engineer
- Ultimate Book of Airplanes and Airports
- How Airports Work
- The Lonely Planet Kids Travel Book
- Richard Scarry's A Day at the Airport
Games and puzzles
Don't forget: You can also check out a virtual tour of the Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.!
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.