"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
Scary (impossible?) though it may seem, that little baby that I held
in my arms moments after birth (hell, I cut his umbilical cord!) is
scheduled to take his first flight lesson tomorrow afternoon...

It seems like just yesterday I was changing his diaper, or teaching
him to tie his shoes. And it was just a few days ago that I was
helping him drive a nail for the first time, and showing him how to
throw a baseball.

It's remarkable how quickly the years have flown by. He's really a
young man now, stronger, faster, and smarter than either of his
parents. And with 1500+ hours in the air in GA aircraft, he's
probably more comfortable there than any student in history.

After much searching, we've found the perfect flight instructor for
Joe -- a semi-retired pilot of classic aircraft, with many thousands
of hours doing tail-wheel mountain flying. He's one of the nicest
gentlemen we've ever met, and, along with his wife, has become a close
friend after a year of hanging out on "Movie Nights".

Still, despite all this...I'm terrified. Letting -- no, encouraging
-- my boy to launch himself into the wild blue yonder is weighing
heavily on my soul, and -- as much as I desperately want him to know
the freedom of flight -- this is really scary.

I don't think anyone will be doing much sleeping tonight...

What are you going to do the first time he says, hey Dad, can I borrow the
plane?