Flight ✈️

and the joy of having your door pop open in the middle of it

Dec 18, 2024

As some of y’all might know, I’m a student pilot. Not sure if I can even honestly call myself that anymore, because it’s been a little over a full year since I took my last flight lesson…..but hopefully soon I’ll be flying again :)

For those of you who don’t know, I was working towards my student pilot certificate from the FAA—a milestone that would allow me to be the pilot in command (PIC) of an aircraft under certain conditions. While there are limitations with this cert (like requiring a private pilot on board until I’m 18 and eligible for my own private pilot certificate), it’s still a huge step toward flying solo and fully exploring the skies.

Flying is the most amazing hobby in the world (albeit an expensive one too). But seriously, I encourage anyone who can, to try and get even just an intro flight or something. It’s incredible.

(Shameless plug, if you’re interested you can get a free intro flight at https://www.eaa.org/eaa/youth/free-ye-flights)

This is how I took my first flight ^^ it’s an amazing program. That flight got me hooked, and then I finally started flight lessons not too long after.

You’ll have to trust me when I say, there’s absolutely nothing, (and when I say “nothing”, I mean nothing) like waking up at zero dark thirty on a winter morning, driving to the airport, grabbing all your gear and walking out right on the flight line to a Cessna.

I love it all—even the parts most pilots hate. Like the preflight. I have yet to meet a pilot who enjoys preflighting an aircraft…except me. I love walking around, checking everything, fiddling with things in the engine I’m probably not supposed to be touching, banging my head on the flaps I JUST dropped (Every. Single. Time. 😶) and promptly forgot that I had dropped—and then not even caring because of how perfect everything is.

Then, of course, once everything is loaded, everyone’s packed away, weight & balance is calculated, and you’ve had a quick snack, you hop in the plane.

(This is the good part)

Engine’s on, gear are checked, radios are working. You taxi out (if you’re me, barely missing the other planes parked on the ramp with your wingtips) and enjoy the fairly quiet, peaceful ride down to the run-up spot. Ah, the glories of an active noise-suppressing headset 😌😮‍💨.

You do a quick run-up: Engines are looking good, oil pressure is great, and the runway is clear. Anyone else in the plane not in the left seat is normally asking questions at the rate of six thousand a minute, and somewhere, a long ways off, someone is getting uppity with a pair of ATC controllers over the radio.

Perfect :)

You taxi out to the start of the runway, and as always, there’s a small pause at the start of the white lines while you do the courtesy of letting everyone know what your intentions are. Columbia traffic, three niner five five fox, departing six left, exiting the pattern, Columbia traffic.

You scan the skies one last time. Nothing. Just….93 million miles away, the first rays of the sun are peeking up over the horizon and starting to come in. The runway is steaming, the air is chilly, your door just accidentally popped open because of that ridiculous broken latch, and the engine is straining at the ropes.

Close the door. Check oil pressure one last time. Everything’s great. Time to roll.

The throttle is pushed in, just a little bit, then all the way. You hold her back for a second, then release the brakes. The little aircraft jumps like a horse and leaps forward.

Before you know it, the plane is three-quarters of the way down the runway. You’re committed now, just passed the point of no return. This runway is only 5000 feet, meaning you’ve used up about 1500 feet in a very short amount of time.

Airspeed’s alive. Gauges are good. Passenger has ceased talking, which is a good sign.

First, you hit 40 mph, then 45, then 50. The needle is slowly creeping upwards. 55……60….the aircraft noses upward, but you gently force her back down. 65…..70…..75!

By now, she’s fighting you hard to get in the air. You rotate steadily, keeping an eye on all the gauges. (Rotate = pilot speak for pulling back on the yoke and taking off).

She noses up harder and harder as the speedometer blows past 100 mph and the wings finally catch air. The wheels leave the ground, and you’re airborne.

Columbia traffic, five five fox departing the pattern straight out from six left, Columbia traffic.

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
- John H. Secondari [Famously (and falsely) attributed to Leonardo da Vinci]

While da Vinci might not have said that quote, Secondari, (who really said it) was onto something. Aviation is a bug. Once you get bitten by it, there’s no going back :)

And like I said, it’s the most incredible hobby in the world. Flying is amazing. You can go anywhere and do anything, anytime you want to.

For the rest of the world, the sky is the limit. For pilots, the sky is our home 💪✈️

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