A Love Story

I have a box filled with goodies from when I was in kindergarten. The paper has the smell of “antique” which is somewhat disconcerting. To think that anything I created smells antique makes me realize just how far away I am from my earliest memories. One stack of papers has paintings I made of airplanes. It reminds me that my earliest goal was to someday be a pilot.

When I was 19, that dream came true. I worked hard for a year, spent my paycheck on flying lessons and ground school, and could not believe it when my instructor got out of the airplane and trusted me to fly the airplane myself. Later on, when I met all the FAA requirements, someone trusted me enough to award me my license, allowing me to take passengers.

Then life happened. I flew a couple more years. The cost and commitment was too much for me to maintain. I was in college and had no money. Soon, my license expired. But I always wondered if I would ever be able to get back into the air someday and renew my license.

I’m in my mid forties and my planned midlife crisis is hitting me hard. Couple that with having a very difficult year at work and I was going home each evening absolutely spent. I busied myself doing things for others but never really did anything for myself. Then, the opportunity to fly again presented itself so I jumped at it.

On Friday, July 30 at 7:00 PM, Captain Kevin, my extraordinary flight instructor, signed me off again as a private pilot. It’s been 25 years since I last took to the air. Captain Kevin got me back up to speed in just 10 hours. I kept hearing that it would all quickly come back. But I can’t remember my wife’s cell phone number, let alone a skill I haven’t used in 25 years. How was I going to do that?

It was long, tough, nerve-wracking and exhausting but on Friday night, Captain Kevin took me up into the pattern and we shot 5 more touch and go landings. He even gave me an engine failure on one of them. Then, he said it was time. I could feel myself getting choked-up (another sign of my age). I didn’t want to go by myself so I took my friend, Les, the man who got me back into the air, and up we went. I was now the PIC (Pilot In Command).

After a quick run around the pattern, I landed and taxied back to the hanger where Captain Kevin pinned me with Mickey Mouse wings. I cannot tell you how elated I was to have re-accomplished this achievement. Surrounded by my flying buddies, we went from the hanger to Third Street Aleworks to celebrate. We told flying stories and did a lot of smiling.

Thanks to Captain Kevin for the most difficult but excellent flight training anyone could have. He used to train the pilots for Japan Airlines so he really knows his stuff. Thanks to Captain Erik in Forest Lake, Minnesota. He let me fly his Cessna 150, the plane I first trained in. Those simple flights renewed my confidence at a time in my training when I really needed it. It reminded me of when I was 18, first taking to the skies. It helped to bring back something I feared I had lost. Captain Erik has no idea how much those flights meant to me, especially landing in that wicked crosswind in Duluth on the shore of Lake Superior.

Thanks to Les, the guy who said, “I want you to be my partner in this airplane I bought.” Even though I faced some challenges due to past medical issues, he kept pushing me to investigate and do what needed to be done. He was a bulldog and would not let up. And, thanks to my wife. She’s put up with my little dream for a very long time. She’s scared to death of little planes and is building up the courage to actually fly with me again. But without her encouragement, Friday night would not have happened.

I look forward to going on flying dates with my bride of 24 years. The ability to fly over the California mountains in one quarter of the driving time puts us in easy range of Lake Tahoe, Mount Shasta, Monterey Bay, etc. In just a couple of hours we can be someplace amazing without dealing with the insane traffic. And now that we’re empty nesters, getting to date my wife again is something I’m really looking forward to. I know how blessed I am to be able to do this.

When you look at that plane in the sky and the engine stops, understand that it’s probably Captain Kevin with another frightened student. About 500 feet above the ground the plane will restart and they will fly off. And inside, a confident Captain Kevin will know he’s doing what’s best for his student. And that student will, in turn, be getting an incredible gift.