BOULDER, Co. – As real estate agent Matt Kolb recently toured several properties he wore a helmet. It wasn't a hard-hat fit for a construction site but a bicycle helmet.  Kolb sells homes from the back of a two-wheeler.

"Boulder is in the top-five bicycle-friendly cities in the world," said Kolb. "On a bike, you can get anywhere in town in 20 minutes or less."

Jack Chesnutt / NBC News

Real estate agents Matt Kolb and Scott Sweeney of "Pedal to Properties" ride bikes to check out a property in Boulder, Co.

Real estate firm Pedal to Properties has teamed up with a non-profit called Community Cycles, which supplies low-cost bikes and maintenance to local businesses as a way to encourage emission-free transportation. 

'Outdoor deficit disorder'
Community Cycles, which was founded by a handful of Boulder bike-riders two years ago, has become a driving force in getting people out of cars and onto bikes. "We started out with a plan to distribute bikes," said Rich Points, Community Cycles' executive director. "But now we want to address larger issues."

For Points, getting out of the office and onto a bike "combats 'outdoor deficit disorder.' You are more involved in the changes in the environment. You are more involved with your own community."  Even with the onset of winter, Points is not willing to give up the bicycling. He just shifts over to studded bike tires on snowy days.

Community Cycles also features a program called "earn-a-bike" – aimed at the homeless or jobless – where participants who attend 15 hours of instruction on bicycle mechanics receive a like-new rebuilt bike. They also refurbish donated bikes and unclaimed bikes from the Boulder Police Department and give them away to children who need them.

But the program that financially sustains Community Cycles is the growing number of partnerships with local businesses to provide mechanical upkeep for their bike fleets.

Even scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is based in Boulder, are taking advantage of the two-wheeled transport. Community Cycles supplied the center with a fleet of 20 custom-painted bikes, including many with hurricane-related nicknames like "Rita," "Hugo" or "Andrew."

 "Perfect names for a bunch of atmospheric scientists," chuckled Kimberly Kosmenkos, the center's manager of sustainability programs. 

"The program has grown over the last few years," said Kosmenkos. "And we couldn't do this at all without Community Cycles to keep the fleet running."

Once a week, a mechanic from Community Cycles pedals over to the office, towing a small trailer loaded with tools and a workbench to keep the fleet running. Some of the bikes are checked out for weeks at a time by visiting scientists – others are simply left in the rack so that anyone can jump on for a quick errand or trip to lunch.

Jack Chesnutt / NBC News

Community Cycles bike technician Peter Allen works on the fleet of bikes at the Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Co.

'Creating a culture of cycling'
For Points, Community Cycles' executive director, riding a bike is about more than saving on gas costs. "When I ride, I nod and wave to other bikers. That's not something you do from inside a car," he said. "Our old motto was, 'Your bicycling community at work,' but now it's, 'Creating a culture of cycling.' And we mean that. We no longer just distribute bikes, we want to change a culture."

 Kosmenkos agreed. "If the bikes were not available, people wouldn't get away from their cars so much," she said. "People who have office jobs can spend 90 percent of their time indoors. The free bikes encourage exercise and improve health."

Even though gasoline has slipped from over $3 a gallon to below $1.80 in most parts of the country, the use of bikes for basic transportation is growing.

In October, Congress passed the Bicycle Commuters Act as part of the bailout plan. Beginning in January, it will give companies a tax credit of up to $20 each month per cycling employee – a few greenbacks to encourage a greener way to get around town.

For real estate agent Kolb, the tax rebate is less important than what their participation says about his firm.

"People hear about us in connection with cycling and think, 'Hey, these guys think outside the box.' And they like the way we bring them into the community. It has definitely closed some sales for us."

Early on the morning of Dec. 8, 1941, nine Japanese fighter planes swooped down on Malalag Bay in the Philippines and strafed and sunk two U.S. Navy seaplanes at the very outset of World War II.

All of the Americans escaped unharmed except Ensign Robert G. Tills, 23, of Manitowoc, Wis., who was cut down by machine gun bullets.

Courtesy Tills family

Ensign Robert G. Tills seen in his Navy Whites before he was gunned down by Japanese fighter planes on Dec. 8, 1941.

"Ensign Robert Tills died in the fusillade of bullets from the Japanese strafers, the first American naval officer killed in the defense of the Philippines," the Naval Historical Center wrote.

Tills' sister Jean was 11 years old at the time.

"Our minister heard over the radio that he was among the missing and called us," she said recently. "Then somebody came to the house a couple of weeks later and said he was killed."

But Tills' body was not recovered. Memories were all that Jean and her parents and sister had of their beloved Bob.

"Airplanes and flying, that was his passion," Jean Aplin, now 78, remembers. "He wanted to do that from the time he was little. I was just very proud of him and idolized him. He was my hero."

Tills, whom the Navy named a destroyer escort after in 1943, was one of 78,000 Americans still missing from World War II.

"I always thought the Filipinos had probably found him and buried him somewhere over there," Jean said.

She had pretty much given up hope of ever learning what had become of her brother when the Navy notified her this past summer that his remains had been recovered from aircraft wreckage in Malalag Bay and identified through his dental records.

"Oh, I'm very happy about it," she said, "because I'm the only one left, and I've just always wondered, and I'm glad he's finally coming home."

But the story doesn't end there.

"We found the girl he was going to marry, his fiancée, and she is still alive and in good health," Jean said.

Jean, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., found Vicki Quandt Lee through the Internet, living in Hendersonville, N.C.

"She married somebody named Robert E. Lee, and she just couldn't call him Bob, so she always called him Lee," Jean said.

Now 89 and widowed, Vicki hopes to join Jean on March 23 when Bob Tills is finally laid to rest with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

MIAMI – "Here's some metal. Here's some rivets. Construct a plane."

That's how 16-year-old Deshorn King remembers hearing the initial instructions he and 59 other Miami-area teenagers received on Day 1 of their summer vacation. The students applied and were accepted to participate in an aviation program for teens provided by Experience Aviation.

VIDEO: Pilot's promise - If teens build it, he'll fly it

Mission: Build an airplane.

Time allotted: 10 weeks.

Experience required: None.

Of course, all aspects of the plane construction were supervised, but the learning curve was steep.

"Electronics, avionics, basically the whole nine yards within one week," said King.

Novices in the world of aviation were soon talking about rivets, horizontal stabilizers, fuel tanks, engines. They were wearing safety glasses while handling drills, paints and rivet guns. As days turned into weeks, dreams became reality.

Their mentor was 24-year old Barrington Irving, who made history in 2007 by becoming the youngest person ever, as well as the first black pilot, to fly solo around the world in his plane called "Inspiration." He founded Experience Aviation to inspire young people to identify and pursue their dreams, as he has done.

VIDEO: Pilot's promise: students build it, he'll fly it

"You challenge these students and they can do it. These kids want to be challenged," said Irving.

And they rose to the challenge and built a plane called Inspiration II.

"I'm very proud. I never thought we'd get the opportunity to do something like this," said 18-year-old Rayshwan Jones, who spent her summer working on fuel tanks and wings.

The morning of the first flight was windy. After some concern over whether it was too windy to do the test flight of Inspiration II, clearance was given. Irving and safety pilot Juan Vega closed the top and started the engine of the student-made plane.

They taxied out, and when the plane finally lifted off, cheers from adoring students filled the airfield.

Dressed in flight suits – girls in red and boys in blue – they marveled at what they'd created.

Stephanie Himango/ NBC News

Sixty students participated in the program to build Inspiration II, and dressed in personal flight suits on the day of mentor Barrington Irving's test-flight on Oct. 15, 2008 in Opa Locka, FL.

"It's unbelievable. I can't believe we just did that," King said, overwhelmed with pride for himself and his fellow students. "Just look at everybody and just smile and say congratulations! You accomplished something in life, something big!"

For about 10 minutes, heads were turned skyward, trying to follow the path of the small white plane against blue skies and billowy clouds. Once the plane touched down and eventually taxied slowly toward the crowd, Irving emerged wearing an expression of elation and relief.

"It was a great ride," he said breathlessly as he stood up on the wing. "Flew smooth – a little bit windy and turbulent and stuff – it flew real well."

The plane was surrounded by students. "I'm very proud of the kids. You guys are the best, man, I love you!"

To which they replied with chants: "Let's go, Barrington, let's go! Let's go, Barrington, let's go!"

Stephanie Himango / NBC News

Pilot Barrington Irving poses for a photograph with two of his Experience Aviation students. Oct. 15. Opa Locka, FL

They cheered for him like a hero, but it's clear Irving sees heroes in them. "I did the easy part of flying it, and you know what, they did the challenging part of applying themselves and focusing to do something as challenging as building an aircraft in 10 weeks," said Irving.

A sense of satisfaction was evident on the face of every teenager present.

"It was very fulfilling," said 18-year-old Sakina Simpson. "You can go home and say mom, look what I have done."

For more information and a complete photo gallery of the plane, visit the Experience Aviation web site.