Comments on: The timeless appeal of flying . . . http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=546 Online perspective from the editors of "AOPA Pilot". Fri, 17 May 2013 05:39:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Marguerite Baier http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=546&cpage=1#comment-14177 Marguerite Baier Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:51:06 +0000 http://blog.aopa.org/blog/?p=546#comment-14177 Well, I just an hour ago passed my check ride and am officially now a private pilot certificate holder. I wish I would have read this letter about six months ago, because it describes the flying in a single engine small airplane to a T. After doing really well with my first of 3 instructors, I hit a bump in the road. He quit suddenly and I stressed over having a new person in the right seat. I was very close to solo, but of course the new CFI needed to see what I could do. Oh and by the way my husband and I were doing this together and he got to solo first (bummer). But alas, I regained my confidence, had some more setbacks (travel for work, flipping a quad and healing ribs, that job that pays for all of this, and of course the summer heat in Scottsdale AZ). So my instructor is leaving in July to be a bush pilot and his wife is real pregnant. Short story, the baby comes, my instructor leaves and it is August, but I did solo.

Next and final instructor, but the weather is monsoon season and the only good time to fly is at 6 in the morning, now it is more difficult to schedule his time. But we go through this one more time, knowlege test taken, and finally wrapping up. The problem is I started off so well, then I started reading more about accidents, stalling the plane, emergency landings, etc and my worrying gene kicked in. That is not good for steady maneuvers or good flying. But I always had good landings and taking off in my LSA was easy. Well after a good lecture from my instructor, who was chief at the school, I started acting like a pilot again. Feeling those bumps, enjoying and not fretting the stalls and steep turns, and greasing the landings. Actually really enjoying the view from 2 thousand feet up.

My husband also accomplished his check ride about 2 weeks earlier, but that is okay. We are now each others backup and get time to enjoy the flight as a pilot and passenger.

Ir is a shame this person was not able to continue. Even though I started this later in life, I hope to be flying for a while.

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