Apologies if it's an oft-asked question, but what does flying do for
you folks?

As I sit here, fat, dumb, semi-conscious, and overly full (*burp*) of turkey
and mashed potatoes, your question seems quite, um....
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

*HUH??* Oh, right, your question...what does flying do for me? :-)

Where to begin? I spent the first 35 years of my life on the ground,
looking up. It never even dawned on me, despite attending air shows for
years, that I could ever fly myself. It was just not something anyone in my
family had ever done, and -- when I thought about it at all -- I regarded
piloting as something only the super-rich and "Right Stuff-coordinated could
do...

It was only when I was fortunate enough to go to work for a Private Pilot
(in my last stint in the corporate world) that it started to look possible.
Even then, he literally had to drive me to the airport and lead me around by
the ear, before I would sign up for lessons. In this field, like no other,
it really does take a mentor to help you get off square one.

But from that point on, I was hooked. Every nickel over and above survival
went toward flying. Everything I purchased was measured in "flight-time
equivalent", as in "well, I can either buy this cordless drill, or I can fly
for an hour." (Flying almost always won the argument.) Every minute aloft
was precious, because I was paying for my lessons from a finite savings
account. As it dwindled, the pressure was on to "finish up". This was
made all the more urgent when my mentor -- whose plane I was renting -- was
forced out of the company. I literally passed my checkride the last week
he owned the plane!

But the pressure and effort were all worth it. I had always had it easy in
school, all the way through college. Nothing was ever too difficult, and
most subjects came easily to me. Then, at the age of 35, I found myself
"back in school", working harder than I'd ever worked before! I took to the
flying easily -- after all, I'd been flying "flight sims" since the very
first version -- but the ground work, navigation and FARs were a real chore
for me. Everything I learned, I learned the hard way, studying before or
after working an 8-hour day, and between raising a young family.

As a result, unlike some of the folks here who minimize the Private, I'm
prouder of my pilot's certificate than I am of my college degree! For the
first time in my life, I was forced to really WORK for something, and it
felt good.

Because of this, today every flight is a miracle to me. Even after 9 years,
two planes, and 800+ hours, I sometimes still pinch myself when I'm
effortlessly zipping along at 6500 feet, going over 165 mph, unable to
believe that it is really ME sitting up here! :-) And I revel in sharing
my joy of flight with others -- usually my family, but oftentimes a "newbie"
or two who just might be standing on the sidelines, waiting to get into the
game, too.

Everything about flight fascinates me. The take-off roll is always such a
rush! The feeling of six big cylinders, churning the air into a fury,
pushing me back into my seat never gets old -- and when "Atlas" (our '74
Piper Pathfinder) starts to get light on his feet, the feeling of joy is
almost religious in intensity. Pulling it off to about 10 feet AGL,
letting the speed build to over 100 knots, and then pulling back into a 1500
fpm climb is just golden -- there's nothing else like it!

In fact, that's really the only downside of flying, in my opinion -- it
makes everything else boring!

And, of course, in the last 16 months I've REALLY gone off the deep end with
flying, buying an airport motel and re-making it into an aviation theme,
luxury suites fly-in hotel. Now not only does my mental health depend on
flying, but my pocket-book does, too! Many people say that's nuts -- but I
say I'm the luckiest guy around.

I've got a plaque on the wall in the lobby that says it well: "Flying is
Life"...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Ross Younger" wrote in message
...
It has been three months since I passed my Skills Test, and I logged just
over five hours between then and the end of October. After a combination
of bad luck, bad weather and stress intervened, I got back in the air
today for the first time in a month. This was technically a competence
check with an instructor, to satisfy the club's insurers; we did a few
circuits, finishing to an eye-poppingly beautiful red half-set sun.

While writing up my journal just now, I was suddenly reminded of what I
like about flying. It's the sheer joy of just being up there, looking
down and admiring the world without having an immediately tangible
connection to it. This seemed to be the case for my first passenger, too
(my girlfriend, of course - and she loved it). There's also the technical
pleasure which comes from pulling off a greaser :-). I suppose shooting
an instrument approach and breaking cloud just above decision height to
see the runway right where you expect it counts too, though it'll be a
little while before I take much instrument training, I think.


Blue skies,


Ross

--
Ross Younger (if N fails, try N+1)