My flight instructor is a seasoned veteran of 73 years of age, who keeps trying to retire but keeps getting pulled back into the cockpit to train more aspiring pilots. When I spoke with the director of flight operations at my local airport, he said he had the perfect instructor for a "guy like me." (Does that mean old?)
This instructor had taught numerous state troopers to fly, so another law enforcement related guy should be no problem right? Well, there was just one problem and that was Carl was recovering from minor surgery and couldn't start flying again until Dec.08. I was fine with that and for the past month I have been nervously watching the calendar anticipating my first lesson.
Why am I nervous? Well, a couple good reasons. First, I am deathly afraid of heights. I have flown commercial many times but the two times I have been in a small plane were a completely different experience...not unpleasant, just different. Lots of bumps.
Secondly, I tend to get motion sickness fairly easy. I recently purchased a bulk supply of 1 gallon Ziplock bags to stock my flight bag...I think a gallon should be enough right? I have been promised that even if I get airsick, it usually passes after a few lessons when the body adapts to the new sensations. I'm thinking I should eat light before my first few lessons. It might not be fun to yack at 4,000 ft. and I'm not looking forward to being known as "the old guy that puked in the Piper".
Let's go flying!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
A Word About Costs...
Is flying expensive? I would answer yes...and no. Yes, flight training is time consuming and everything associated with airplanes is expensive. Flight time costs about $2/minute plus $35-40/hr for an instructor. With an average training period of 50-60 hrs of flight time, plus instruction, plus ground school, you can easily see how $5000-$8000 could easily be expended in pursuit of this dream. In comparison, what will $5000-$8000 buy you?
A downpayment on a golf membership or approximatly 50-60 rounds of golf at a quality course (yuck!)
Lawyers fees (more expensive than flight time) if you find yourself in legal difficulty (divorce, IRS, or arrest).
A modest used car.
A downpayment on a very nice car.
5-7 months of groceries at our house.
5-7 mortgage payments at our house.
Two sets of braces. (Ouch...paid for one set already)
So, yes I know that this SEEMS like a lot of money but when you figure that for the price of a pretty average used car, you can join the ranks of Charles Lindbergh, Billy Bishop, Chuck Yaeger, and the Red Baron...it seems pretty cheap, don't you think?
Let's go flying!
A downpayment on a golf membership or approximatly 50-60 rounds of golf at a quality course (yuck!)
Lawyers fees (more expensive than flight time) if you find yourself in legal difficulty (divorce, IRS, or arrest).
A modest used car.
A downpayment on a very nice car.
5-7 months of groceries at our house.
5-7 mortgage payments at our house.
Two sets of braces. (Ouch...paid for one set already)
So, yes I know that this SEEMS like a lot of money but when you figure that for the price of a pretty average used car, you can join the ranks of Charles Lindbergh, Billy Bishop, Chuck Yaeger, and the Red Baron...it seems pretty cheap, don't you think?
Let's go flying!
That Four-letter Word
I'd love to _________(insert dream here), but I'm too BUSY. I have noticed over the past years, as my life has gotten more and more busy, that this particular word is the first excuse used by just about everyone to justify why they simply can't do something.
After becoming particularly sensitive to this dreadful word, I recognize it quickly and am amazed at the vast variety of people who claim to be "too busy."
I have a philosophy that everyone from the President of the United States, to the bum on the street is busy. We are all busy doing something, only we can determine what our "busy-ness" entails.
I am busy raising a large family, working a full-time job, building a part-time homebased business, going to school with a full-time course load of studies, playing hockey when I can, and now I want to fulfill a lifelong dream to learn to fly. But...I'm too busy right?
Absolutely NO! But, I am too busy to watch TV, too busy to play golf or watch NASCAR, or football, too busy to watch movies, too busy to read garbage magazines or pointless books....but, I'm never too busy to engage in real life activities with kids, or with my wife, or to learn a new, life-enriching skill (like flying). As we get older, it is new challenges and experience outside of our comfort zones that enrich our lives! God has created each one of us for a specific purpose to advance His kingdom. By narrowing your focus and getting stuck, you limit the opportunities for God to use you.
As an example, I recently took a few days off to take a trip to the Dominican Republic where I learned how truly blessed I am and how fantastically wealthy North Americans are, in comparison to the 80% of the world who are poor. I lived in the midst of a sugarcane field in a shantytown of Haitian immigrants. I met some amazingly joyful people who love Christ and have nothing materially. The richness of their faith and their trust in the goodness of God changed me and convicted me of my selfishness and materialism. I suddenly understood how incredibly blessed we are in North America and the responsibility I have to make every day count. For the vast majority of the world, this dream of learning to fly could never come true. We are so blessed! Perhaps God is preparing me to one day use my in-born interest in aviation to further His kingdom, somewhere like the Dominican Republic. This (pilot's licence) will be one more tool that I will offer to God to be used in His service.
So, when people tell me that they are "too busy", I'm often tempted to ask..."Too busy doing what?" If most of us would simply kill our multiple TVs, we would have an abundance of time for the really enriching things in life.
So I commit to avoid the use of this four-letter word, and instead I choose to be thankful for health and the endless opportunites that allow us to live a life the rest of the world only dreams of.
Of course, I haven't even started flying yet, but, based on my history, if the Lord continues to bless me with good health, I have every reason to believe I will be able to do this and live this dream.
Happy Thanksgiving Day.
After becoming particularly sensitive to this dreadful word, I recognize it quickly and am amazed at the vast variety of people who claim to be "too busy."
I have a philosophy that everyone from the President of the United States, to the bum on the street is busy. We are all busy doing something, only we can determine what our "busy-ness" entails.
I am busy raising a large family, working a full-time job, building a part-time homebased business, going to school with a full-time course load of studies, playing hockey when I can, and now I want to fulfill a lifelong dream to learn to fly. But...I'm too busy right?
Absolutely NO! But, I am too busy to watch TV, too busy to play golf or watch NASCAR, or football, too busy to watch movies, too busy to read garbage magazines or pointless books....but, I'm never too busy to engage in real life activities with kids, or with my wife, or to learn a new, life-enriching skill (like flying). As we get older, it is new challenges and experience outside of our comfort zones that enrich our lives! God has created each one of us for a specific purpose to advance His kingdom. By narrowing your focus and getting stuck, you limit the opportunities for God to use you.
As an example, I recently took a few days off to take a trip to the Dominican Republic where I learned how truly blessed I am and how fantastically wealthy North Americans are, in comparison to the 80% of the world who are poor. I lived in the midst of a sugarcane field in a shantytown of Haitian immigrants. I met some amazingly joyful people who love Christ and have nothing materially. The richness of their faith and their trust in the goodness of God changed me and convicted me of my selfishness and materialism. I suddenly understood how incredibly blessed we are in North America and the responsibility I have to make every day count. For the vast majority of the world, this dream of learning to fly could never come true. We are so blessed! Perhaps God is preparing me to one day use my in-born interest in aviation to further His kingdom, somewhere like the Dominican Republic. This (pilot's licence) will be one more tool that I will offer to God to be used in His service.
So, when people tell me that they are "too busy", I'm often tempted to ask..."Too busy doing what?" If most of us would simply kill our multiple TVs, we would have an abundance of time for the really enriching things in life.
So I commit to avoid the use of this four-letter word, and instead I choose to be thankful for health and the endless opportunites that allow us to live a life the rest of the world only dreams of.
Of course, I haven't even started flying yet, but, based on my history, if the Lord continues to bless me with good health, I have every reason to believe I will be able to do this and live this dream.
Happy Thanksgiving Day.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Crazy Dreams...
Those who study dreams (Oneirologists) tell us that dreams of flight are extremely common in humans. They report that these dreams seem to recur often in all cultures and seem to be prompted by the simple fact that they are fun...the human body longs to break free of gravity and fly.
My particular journey into actual flight began many years ago. As long as I can remember, I have looked longingly at small airplanes as they have flown overhead and dreamed that one day I would be a pilot. I should also admit that I am dreadfully afraid of heights. For 43 years now, flying has simply been a dream.
I started working on my BA via online distance learning about 7 years ago and have slogged through some simply brutal courses that have contributed very, very, little to expanding my horizons. It's not that anything was wrong with these courses of study...it just really is uninspiring stuff, especially when you are middle-aged (yes...I admit it)and realize how useless some (not all) of this information is.
This past September I suddenly realized that I only had one required course left for my degree and yet I still had 12 credit hours of electives I was required to complete. I picked up the course catalogue and was completely depressed...until I stumbled into the aviation section.
Ever so slowly, a plan began to take shape in my mind. Could it really work? Could I use my last 12 hours of required electives to obtain the training necessary for a private pilot's licence?
A quick email to the Dean of the Aviation Program and some begging found me registered for Introduction to Aviation, Airline Operations, and Ground School I for the Fall Semester. As we are now at the end of this semester, I can say that I am completely in love...with aviation and for the first time in my life I'm enjoying mathematics!
Liberty University has an amazing staff of instructors for a program that is only a couple of years old. They offer specializations in Commercial, Military, Missions or ATP (mechanical side of aviation). Since I'm an older guy simply seeking my private pilot's licence, I have been welcomed into the program to take those classes that I need. My fellow students are budding military aviators, corporate/commercial pilots, or missionary aviators. They are an exceptional group of young people and have been most helpful.
I have completed Ground School 1 and will take Ground School 2 next semester, leading to the all-important FAA written exam. I have obtained my FAA Class 2 medical despite the fact I'm about 20 (okay...30)pounds overweight. This medical also serves as my Student Pilot Licence and is valid for 2 years. I'm on my way!
This is definitely a crazy dream. I have seven children (five still at home), that range in age from 2-22. I have two grandchildren and a wife who, although she often questions my sanity, blesses me with support for just about every crazy scheme I have ever suggested. So, how on earth is this ever going to work?
This blog is simply a way to document my journey and, pass or fail, I want to have a record of this adventure. I also fully expect to see how God will eventually use this in-born desire to further His plan through my life.
You are most welcome to follow along and see how this crazy dream works out. I honestly don't know what is in store but I am more excited than a kid on Christmas morning to have the opportunity to explore this dream. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Let's go fly!
My particular journey into actual flight began many years ago. As long as I can remember, I have looked longingly at small airplanes as they have flown overhead and dreamed that one day I would be a pilot. I should also admit that I am dreadfully afraid of heights. For 43 years now, flying has simply been a dream.
I started working on my BA via online distance learning about 7 years ago and have slogged through some simply brutal courses that have contributed very, very, little to expanding my horizons. It's not that anything was wrong with these courses of study...it just really is uninspiring stuff, especially when you are middle-aged (yes...I admit it)and realize how useless some (not all) of this information is.
This past September I suddenly realized that I only had one required course left for my degree and yet I still had 12 credit hours of electives I was required to complete. I picked up the course catalogue and was completely depressed...until I stumbled into the aviation section.
Ever so slowly, a plan began to take shape in my mind. Could it really work? Could I use my last 12 hours of required electives to obtain the training necessary for a private pilot's licence?
A quick email to the Dean of the Aviation Program and some begging found me registered for Introduction to Aviation, Airline Operations, and Ground School I for the Fall Semester. As we are now at the end of this semester, I can say that I am completely in love...with aviation and for the first time in my life I'm enjoying mathematics!
Liberty University has an amazing staff of instructors for a program that is only a couple of years old. They offer specializations in Commercial, Military, Missions or ATP (mechanical side of aviation). Since I'm an older guy simply seeking my private pilot's licence, I have been welcomed into the program to take those classes that I need. My fellow students are budding military aviators, corporate/commercial pilots, or missionary aviators. They are an exceptional group of young people and have been most helpful.
I have completed Ground School 1 and will take Ground School 2 next semester, leading to the all-important FAA written exam. I have obtained my FAA Class 2 medical despite the fact I'm about 20 (okay...30)pounds overweight. This medical also serves as my Student Pilot Licence and is valid for 2 years. I'm on my way!
This is definitely a crazy dream. I have seven children (five still at home), that range in age from 2-22. I have two grandchildren and a wife who, although she often questions my sanity, blesses me with support for just about every crazy scheme I have ever suggested. So, how on earth is this ever going to work?
This blog is simply a way to document my journey and, pass or fail, I want to have a record of this adventure. I also fully expect to see how God will eventually use this in-born desire to further His plan through my life.
You are most welcome to follow along and see how this crazy dream works out. I honestly don't know what is in store but I am more excited than a kid on Christmas morning to have the opportunity to explore this dream. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome. Let's go fly!
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