Private Pilot

I was inspired to start this blog by another blogger here, FH1100-Pilot.blogspot.com

As a child, back in the early 1970's, I remember going with my parents to park behind a shopping center near Dobbins Air Force base in Marietta, Georgia and watching the military jets and helicopters take-off and land. It was a thrill to see them lift off and blast overhead as they flew down the runway. Later, after moving to Rome, Georgia we sometimes went to Richard B. Russell Field and sat outside the FBO and watched the General Aviation aircraft take-off and land. Sometimes we parked on a country road near the end of one of the runways and got all excited every time one of the old Cessna's or Pipers came across the top of the car on their final approach to land. We didn't know the difference in all the old airplanes. They were all Cessna's and Pipers to us. Mom always talked about taking flight lessons as a child and I think she regretted never finishing her license. Those trips to watch the airplanes sparked an interest in me that never went away.

I began flying in 1995. I was twenty-nine years old and had been married for six years at the time. I was about to take a job with the Atlanta Police Department as a Police Officer. At the time I was a painting contractor. The new job would mean a regular income so I felt it was a good time to pursue my dream of flight. Like the good husband that I am, I asked for my wife's approval to go and spend the money to get my private pilots license. Not so much to my surprise ,she was absolutely against it. Her objections were primarily the cost, and secondarily, the risk. So, being the bad husband that I am, I did it anyway.

I went out to the Russell Field where I had watched the airplanes as a child and walked in to one of the two flight schools that were based on the field at the time. The owner/instructor at the school was more than happy to take me up on an introductory flight....free of charge. We walked out onto the ramp and the instructor, a British guy, briefly walked me around the airplane, an older Cessna 172, explaining the basics of flight and the parts of the airplane. I was surprised when we climbed in the airplane and he got in on the right side. I was in the pilots seat from day one. The instructor took off and we climbed up to about 3500 feet and after little instruction he gave me the controls....I was hooked.

Since I was still painting I was able to sneak money from contracts to get the money to fly. It wasn't right but I couldn't help it. At first I flew very infrequently, maybe once every six weeks or so. Not long after my first flight the flight school went under. Fortunately there was another one at the airport. I went to the other school, Waldo's Flying Service and met my new, second, instructor. Waldo was a very laid back guy and had a couple instructors always ready to take me up. I still flew very infrequently. After only a few flight hours, Waldo sold out to Bob who changed the name of the school to Rome Flying Service. With the change I got another new instructor. Jason was young and always ready to fly. I don't think he had been out of flight school long himself. He wanted to buy his own airplane and start out on his own eventually. Jason convinced me that I was never going to get my license if I didn't get serious about it and fly as frequently as possible. I thought that was what I was doing but evidently he thought I wasn't.

I took Jason's advice and began flying at least once a week but usually twice or more. It was very taxing on our financial situation and I didn't know how much longer I could hide it from my wife. When I had about eight hours with Jason he said he was ready to let me solo. I told my wife I wanted her to come to the airport that day at lunch because I wanted to show her something. She reminded me how we couldn't afford for me to fly but said she would indulge me and come out.

Michelle came out with Geoff, who was four years old ,and Shelby, less than a year old, in a stroller. I had already been up with Jason for about a half hour and landed to wait for Michelle to show up. When she did, we showed her the airplane. She wasn't impressed. She knew I was up to something but thought I was just trying to get her to like it so I could start flying. She has never been shy about voicing her opinion and repeated several times how we couldn't afford it. When I got in the airplane and took off I didn't see the look of surprise I wanted to see but a look of disappointment and anger at the same time. Geoff on the other hand was jumping up and down with excitement...At least one of them was happy for me.

When I got home that evening from work we talked/argued about what I had done. Michelle, not being one to waste money, asked what it had cost up to that point and what I thought it would cost to finish. I told her the cost up to then and grossly underestimated the cost to finish. I know what you are thinking but the underestimation was a mistake, a convenient one but a mistake nonetheless. Michelle floored me when she said "well you have to finish now. It would be a shame to throw all that money away for nothing."

So, over the years I kept training. Jason got his own airplane and I found that I was repeating things I had done in the flight school's airplane. He didn't think twice about letting me fly the flight school's airplanes but when it came to his he didn't let me solo. Rather than stay with Jason I went back to Rome Flight Service to yet another instructor and continued training. I ran out of money several times and had to take long breaks. It seemed I would never finish.

In 2002 after another career change, my employer canvassed for a co-pilot. I thought I couldn't fly commercially without an instrument rating and commercial rating but as it turned out, the federal government has a waiver for co-pilots. As long as the PIC (Pilot In Charge) has those ratings, a government employee can fly commercially as a copilot with just a private license and get paid to fly. We were living in New York in 2002 and I still hadn't finished my license. I needed less than eight hours, including some night flight, a couple cross country flights, and prep for my check-ride. I contacted the PIC and told him my situation and he encouraged me to go finish. He said as soon as I was finished and licensed he could get me in the program and I could start building more time on the job.

The logical choice was to go back to Georgia and finish where I started. I called Bob and explained my situation. Though he didn't believe I would ever finish my license, he and his instructors went out of their way to help me. I took two weeks off work and went back to Georgia. The first week there I did nothing but fly. I got priority for renting the aircraft and we flew until I couldn't take it anymore. The second week I took five days and studied for the written exam. After the written exam my flight instructor put me through preparation for my check ride and I flew to Chattanooga, Tennessee to wrap it all up. In 2002 I became an officially licensed pilot.