When Miss Hunter is called away unexpectedly, a substitute teacher with ways of her own takes over.

One of Olivia's new pleasures is watching the regular passage overhead of the airplane carrying mail between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. When engine trouble causes the pilot to land in the Walton's meadow, the family puts the pilot up while repairs are being made. Meanwhile the family is busy with plans for Olivia's upcoming birthday, which is causing her to question whether she has really achieved anything during her life.