The Aviatrix

It has been a while since I have written for this blog. I left our trip to Airventure continuing to feel inspired to learn to fly. However, work, life, weather, and those pesky landings that one must get right before soloing thwarted my best efforts in this endeavor through the end of 2014. I was feeling extremely discouraged, thinking I would never become a pilot – a feeling with which I was becoming all too familiar.

Towards the end of the year, my husband suggested trying an accelerated training program. We started researching them and were referred to Tailwheels Etc., a school at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), aka the Sun ‘n Fun airport. After much careful consideration and studying for the written exam, I found myself and two huge suitcases boarding a plane for Tampa on January 9th. Little did I know that this was the beginning of a life-changing journey, a long journey comprised of multiple smaller journeys in which I myself would fly a plane for many hours and finally fly myself to the completion of my private pilot’s license.

Yes, you read that right: I am officially a private pilot. I passed my checkride on Saturday April 4th 2015. I am no longer The Wannabe Aviatrix, but now simply an Aviatrix.

The highlights and most salient moments:

1) My superb CFI, a young man in his 20s whose chronological age belied his instructing wisdom: He laid out the concepts of learning to fly on the ground and in the air in a clear, precise, patient manner. He was also a great motivator: When setbacks came, he faced my challenges with me and helped me to turn things around. He went above and beyond to make sure I learned as much as possible but also made sure I was having fun, taking every opportunity to remind me of the wonders of flight. And he had to do this for three separate timeblocks with me, in January, February, and March/April, because I ended up having to leave Lakeland and return a few times. During our January time together, he confidently sent me on my first solo. During our long weekend training in February, he helped me polish up my skills and build more required time. Finally, during our week together at the end of March into April, he helped me get to the finish line of my checkride. Blood, sweat, and tears went into this accomplishment (mostly tears and sweat), and he handled all the crying and sweating with the utmost professionalism, something that men twice his age don’t always do. The two of us were often teased around the school because I could not say enough about how fabulous he was; while most of the instructors seemed to be training young guys with more agile minds and bodies and less of a tendency to be embarrassingly effusive about their instructors, he was paired with this comparatively older lady. I think he got the better deal, but I’m sure I was not his usual student.

2) The school itself: Walking into Tailwheels Etc. on January 9th, I was terrified. I had no idea what to expect. I felt like I was joining the army (which I later learned was an apt metaphor, as the grueling training was akin to boot camp). As I walked through the door, before I could introduce myself, two people at the front desk already greeted me by name. They invited me to sit down and chatted with me as I filled out my paperwork. This initial lovely combination of professionalism and warmth epitomized the spirit of this school and what I experienced for my entire time there. In addition to working primarily and intensively with my aforementioned CFI, I had the opportunity to do stage checks and some ground school with some of Tailwheels’ other fantastic CFIs, as well as to do my high performance endorsement with one of the school’s owners who is also a mechanic and an excellent CFI. Essentially, there was always someone ready to fly, teach, listen, and support.

3) My first solo: I waited and worried and trained and waited and worried and trained and faltered and waited and worried and trained and succeeded for almost three years of cumulative flight school until finally taking off for my my first solo flight around the LAL traffic pattern on the morning of January 19th. It was just like everyone said it would be: nerve-wracking, exhilarating, scary, freeing and just pretty unbelievable. As I taxied from the Tailwheels ramp to runway 5 for takeoff, I exclaimed aloud to myself, “I’m in a plane alone!” I counted aloud each of my three (very nice) landings and had tears in my eyes taxiing back to take photos in front of the plane. It was truly one of the best days of my life.

4) My last solo cross-country before my checkride: The day before my last solo cross-country before my checkride, I thought I had completed the required solo cross-country time. However, I was 0.2 hours short of the 5 hour solo cross-country requirement. I was devastated, as I wanted to move on to the final stages of my training. As other pilots know, in order to acquire those 0.2 hours, I could not simply fly for 12 minutes, but rather had to do an entirely additional cross-country (a trip of a minimum of 50 miles to another airport and a landing there). The flight itself wasn’t the highlight, but finally finishing that time requirement sure was!

5) The Stearman: Not much needs to be said about this storied biplane, so I will just provide the facts: Tailwheels has a gorgeous one. I was offered a ride in it on a day when I was feeling particularly dejected, frustrated, and anxious and absolutely sick of flying. I went kicking and screaming. I had the time of my life on that flight and can’t wait to go up again.

6) The people: I am back on the island of Manhattan as I write this, previously my favorite place on the globe, and I am missing many of the individuals I had the privilege of meeting in Lakeland. So many of the people I met at the school, including owners, CFIs, the office manager, support staff, and fellow students continually had time for me and encouraged me unwaveringly, even in the face of my tears and insistence that I would never get my PPL. I learned so much, including but not limited to different ways to think about flying, that time away from my CFI every once in a while could be a good thing, how not to take myself too seriously, that we fly because it’s fun, and overall that I could in fact become a pilot.

7) The moment the checkride was officially over: I inferred that I had passed when the examiner and I taxiied off the runway after landing back at the airport where the ride started without his having mentioned needing to discontinue the exam, but he wasn't saying anything. Once he finally confirmed that I had passed, I burst into tears of joy, relief, and disbelief. I even asked, "Are you sure?" It was surreal, as was receiving my Temporary Airman's Certificate - my official private pilot's license. Realizing that all of my very hard work had paid off and that I had finally achieved my goal was an indescribable feeling - "euphoria," "ecstasy," and "rapture" just do not do it justice.

8) My biggest cheerleader: Last, but certainly not least, my husband imbued this experience with his constant support and unwavering belief that I could accomplish my dream of obtaining my PPL, a dream that he first inspired that fateful day almost three years ago that he turned to me in a plane he was flying and asked if I might want to learn to fly one myself. As many times as I told him I would never be a pilot, he told me I could and I would and he would not let me give up. He was there the entire time in spirit and he made a special effort to be there in body the week I finished and I will never have the words to thank him for helping me to stop being the Wannabe and become simply the Aviatrix.