How many of us remember our childhood dreams? The things we once said we would do. Those were the times when everything was possible in our minds, I for once, remember that time when my dad drove me into the airport (he had full access to the airport at the time) and parked just about 100 meters from the runway so I could take a picture of the Concorde taking off. I was 11 and I had my new camera with me. I prepared to take the picture, I was so excited. The noise and the heat were very real and my senses were at 100%. As the Concord was holding at the end of the runway no more than 200 meters from our position, I was debating in my mind whether to take the pictures during the actual rotation of the plane or while moving so I would have time to cover my ears during take off. I guess I felt more committed to taking the picture to capture the roll so I braced for what would be a scary strong jet sound while taking off. The majestic Concorde punch to full thrust and my senses doubled, laser focus concentration and I was going thru my own mental checklist to take the picture at the right moment. What happened next threw me completely off, as the Concorde commenced moving purposedly through the runway, one of the front tires blew up. The pilot apparently felt it because almost immediately the concord dove its noise and it was obvious by the sound of the turbines and the speed that the majestic Concorde was aborting the take-off. My mind could not believe what was happening, I saw the tire blow up as the aircraft was approaching my position, and yet I did not take the picture, and now things were moving so fast, my mind was trying to make sense of the whole thing while the plane was coming to a full stop merely 100 meters or so from where we were standing. Moments later, emergency vehicles were rushing in the distance towards the plane, my dad told me we had to leave immediately, and we did.
The whole ordeal was fascinating to me, and for many years I was mesmerized by the notion that something so heavy could defy gravity successfully. I was hooked, I had to be part of it.
I had some experience flying a Cessna when I was 13 but mainly on the “hold the yoke for a little while” category. I also had at least 100 hours of MS Flight Simulator, along with that now many years later, having flown over 50,000 miles as a passenger in several commercial airliners, I have not lost my desire to pilot an airplane, to be part of what defies gravity.
In my twenties, while in the U.S. Army I was stationed with the 82nd Airborne Division where I had the privileges to jump out airplanes many times, this was a rush unlike anything I had experienced before, it was the closest thing to flying, but in reality it was falling down to earth, not much control and too little time to experience the freedom of being like a bird. Parachuting was in my bucket list and I fell in love with the fear and adrenaline rush, but I still had flying an airplane in the bucket list, so after decades from those experiences, one day I told myself, Ron remember, YOLO. Thus, here is my story…
One's journey to a Private Pilot License. 