My Journey to Becoming a Private Pilot
Since I was a young boy I have always been fascinated by flight. That being said I never thought that I would become a private pilot. It never occurred to me that this is an achievable dream, that all though expensive, can be fairly easily achieved. In 1997 a simple question from my cousin changed everything.
“If I were to schedule a discovery flight at the airport down the road, would you be interested in finding out about learning how to fly?” ABSOLUTELY! He scheduled the flight with a local club from the airport. We both got to fly and were obviously hooked. Once we found out that we could rent the planes, join the flying club, and take lessons and pay as we went, well I for one knew that flying airplanes was in my future. Our first instructor, and our discovery flight pilot, encourage us to come to the next club meeting and join to start our adventure.
I took my first lesson on March 21, 1998. According to my logbook the lesson covered preflight and taxi instruction. This began my adventure and realization that all though fun and fulfilling flight training is a challenging and daunting task. Learning about requirements and written test standards can be a lot to absorb, however the reward at the end is well worth the time and effort. In July of that year I took my first solo flight. I remember the instructor hopping out of the plane and I was on my own. The first time pulling back on that yoke and lifting off the ground, without the security blanket of an instructor next to you, is something that I will never forget. When lifting off the ground to do a pattern around the airport I vividly remember, “wow, I have to land this by myself!”
After hours and hours of studying I took my written test. I was nervous, but confident that I had studied well enough. It was a huge relief to see the passing score. It was also about that time when I learned my flight instructor was moving away. I ended up finding a wonderful new flight instructor that I am happy to say I am friends with to this day. I had many starts and stops to my flight instruction. Finally in November of 1999, I buckled down, got my training in, and my flight test finished and passed. I was a private pilot!!!
I flew until 2003, then as with most people of that age, bought a house and started a family. It would be 16 years before getting in a plane and flying again. And, as with the first time, it started with a question. This time from my daughter, as I would talk about my flying days all the time, “Dad, when are you going to stop talking about it, and go do it?” WOW! And thus began the adventure of the Flying Musician.
