Once upon a time, there was a pilot named Jim who flew all kinds of planes. One day, he thought it would be fun to race all his friends who flew different things like a jet engine, propeller plane, blimp, helicopter, cargo plane and even a glider! They all met at the airport and decided to race to the other side of the world, but there was one catch... they had to fly in a hot-air balloon!

So, off they went, flying through the clouds and over mountains. The jet engine zoomed ahead, but then its engine started to sputter. The propeller plane got caught in turbulence and started to spin. The blimp floated lazily behind. The helicopter hovered nervously. The cargo plane dropped its load and started to descend. The glider glided gracefully, but it wasn't going very fast.

As for Jim in the hot-air balloon, he was having the time of his life! He sipped on lemonade, read a book and even took a nap. When he finally reached the finish line, he was surprised to find that he had won the race! All his friends cheered and congratulated him on his victory. From that day on, Jim was known as the champion hot-air balloon racer!

Reflections

1. What kind of planes and aircraft were racing in the story?
2. Who won the race in the end?
3. Why was Jim able to win the race even though he was flying a hot-air balloon?
4. How did the other racers react when they found out who won?
5. What do you think would happen if they had another race?