Now that I am
the pilot (that phrase still sounds quite odd to me) I have been getting out
here and there to celebrate my achievement. But also comes the reality of flying
versus daily obligations. There is a
battle between flying and daily chores and obligations. This includes the need to finish other goals
including starting my insurance and retirement planning business. But since achieving my pilot’s license I have
been completely enjoying my new freedom and over the last two weeks I really
got a chance to completely feel what this really meant to me.
April 29, 2015:
Two hours after receiving my private pilot’s license I took a flight with Chris
and Lance who are pilots at my old airport. They just happen to be up flying in
the area when I sent Chris a text message so they came over to Cuyahoga County
Airport I took them up for half an hour ride. My landing was long and hot, but
I was thinking more of the Cessna following me and did not transition soon
enough to slow down for a landing that was inside of my standards.
May 2, 2015: We
had planned for her to be my first ride however due to work that did not
happen. But a few days later I woke up and it was a beautiful morning so I sent
a text message to Kerry and we move from Cuyahoga County to Carrollton County
Airport for lunch and back. I had to do one go-around because I was high on
final. The food was great, it was a
little bumpy on the way down and much bumpier on the way back home. I also got a chance to use the Garman Pilot
on my Asus tablet. Now I see why pilots love their tablets. Kerry needs to get yo more and finish her
license also.
May 3, 2015: On
a whim I called up my friend Tammi and she agreed to go up also. She had a lot
of reluctance however she was quite excited to do so which sent a lot of mixed
feelings. I flew from Cuyahoga County Airport to pick her up at Lost Nations
Airport, and we flew up the Lake Erie shoreline to Ashtabula. Not only did she not let me turn back as
planned, she had me take a longer outbound, so I decided to do a touch and go
at the Ashtabula airport, flew her back to Lost Nations Airport, and flew back
to my home base. I should have gotten
some money from her for that additional 30 minutes in the air.
May 4, 2015: The next day, also on a whim I called my friend Tammi again, but she was
getting her hair done and could not go. But she told me I should take her mom
up for a flight and I agreed. Within 10 minutes she had contacted her mother,
Bonnie, and everything was planned. I flew over to Lost Nations Airport again
to pick up Bonnie, and we flew up the Erie shoreline, and then over
Painesville, and back to the airport to drop her off. She absolutely loved it,
and somehow in the future I think she will hijack me to Florida.
May 8, 2015: I
decided to go for a quick flight in the late afternoon, even though they were
predicting scattered showers. From my departure time nothing was on the weather
radar so I decided to fly down to Geauga County Airport, and then over to Portage
County Airport, and then back home. About 10 minutes after takeoff from my home
base, something really struck me. A calmness came over me and for the first
time as the pilot, I completely felt that everything had finally fallen into
place. I felt completely at ease, I confidently knew where I was going, I felt
that I could completely enjoy the situation of being up in the plane and truly
felt as if I had met my goal. The
landing at Geauga County was uneventful except for the drops of rain on the
windshield when I was on downwind. After I took off the skies did not look very
appealing and I also noticed on my telephone the cells of weather between
Geauga County and my home base. For the first time I used Flight Watch and I
found it quite helpful. I decided to not fly to Portage County and flew
straight home and all was well.
