First Class to Paris, France!

Paris is as beautiful as they say it is. But too bad nobody tells you how overrated it can be. Am I the only one who was slightly disappointed? This was my first time ever, first class experience to Europe. I'm sorry to say that I have been forever ruined and scarred by it. I never want to travel internationally in coach again. Once you go first class, it’s hard to go back. So save yourself future heartache, book the coach seat (always book the coach seat). Granted, I look extremely unimpressed in the photo- we hadn’t even taken off yet I had no idea what was coming.

Once we took off, we immediately were being pampered. Smoked salmon as an appetizer? Heck yes! Roosted beef tips with a baked potato? Heavenly! And I'm sorry, did you just ask me what dessert I wanted? You mean to tell me you have ice-cream with all the fixings? And now that I'm done, my seat will literally lay all the way back, I can watch all movies/ shows I want, this super comfy blanket and pillow are all mine, and you will even bring me as much alcohol as I want (not that I indulged - drinking when traveling to your destination is a big no-no in my book! It will only make your time less enjoyable when you’re already jetlagged)? I'm sorry, where am I again? Because I could have sworn I was 35,000FT in the sky...

Okay, okay, I'm done! First class travel is definitely worth it if you can afford it. But let’s be honest, how many of us can really fly first class, let alone fly it more than once (internationally). So let's move on!

Charles De Gaulle Airport was completely foreign to me; this was my first trip to a foreign country without the parental figures. I was traveling all on my own (well, with my love), and I was in Europe! Sure I'd been to Europe before, but it was when I was younger and with my parents. The funny thing about traveling as an adult is that you literally have no idea what you are doing. When we walked out off the plane we had no idea where to go at first (yes, we followed the signs but still ended up taking longer than it should have to get to the train). We struggled to get directions from the airport customer service representatives. We stupidly forgot to download maps to our phones. And when we finally got to the train, it took all we had in us to not fall asleep on it (pickpockets are a real problem).

When we finally were in the city, the very first time we walked out of the terminal and saw the buildings around us I forgot how tired I was. The buildings were beautiful, the road was beautiful, the sun was warm against my face and it was almost perfect. Everyone always talks about how gorgeous Paris is, but they lack to tell you that it kind of stinks (literally), and it’s also sort of dirty… Garbage isn’t picked up on the streets and sidewalks I guess (see it’s the little things that we take for granted here in America). Regardless, I was bubbling over with excitement. We dropped our bags off at the hotel (too early to check in) and began to explore the city with no map and no real sense of direction.

Thankfully, understanding the train is super easy! We hopped on and went straight to the one monument you can’t NOT see when in Pairs- the Eiffel Tower!

Getting to it was a bit difficult. Parts of the train stations were under construction so we couldn’t directly travel to it (downside of going at the end of summer)? We also had no idea how the bus systems worked (and were told to avoid them). So we did the next best thing, took the train as far as it would take us, and then walked the rest of the way! Going from point A to point B is something everyone gets to do. But, walking around the city and finding your own way is an experience all on its own. We saw parts of Paris we might not have seen if the train had taken us directly to the Tower. So what if we had to walk over a mile? Yes, we were exhausted, but we were in Paris!

I will tell you that the Eifel Tower IS as beautiful as everyone makes it out to be. It was swarming with people (and pickpocketers) and was one of the most beautiful structures I'd ever seen!

The only thing that ruined my experience was almost getting pickpocketed! Sure, we were told to be careful (and we were), they told us that pickpocketing was bad over there (and it is). What we didn’t know though, was what was meant by the term "pickpocketers". This term does not simply mean someone trying to pick your pocket; they actually have clever ways of getting your money. One guy kept trying to show us some sting trick, and he wanted to see my finger (yeah right... nice try). If I was to let him show me this trick, he would then proceed to ask for money since he "entertained us". Some people fall for it. As tourists, we usually accept the best when traveling. Our guards are let down, we begin to relax, we enjoy ourselves and want to socialize with the locals. Unfortunately, they sometimes just want to scam us.

I'm sad to say that we almost got pickpocketed ourselves. Well, not my love, but ME. I almost fell for it (and I thought I never would). I don't remember much, some lady came up really nice and happy, then began to talk about how disabilities are a huge problem over there and that they need a certain amount of signatures to pass some type of law or something. I told her my signature wouldn’t help, since I wasn’t a citizen, but she insisted it would. Thinking no harm would come (and with my bag firmly on my lap, unable to be picked) I figured 'why not'. But, just as I was about to sign it (not with my real name), some old guy emptying the trash in the park began to yell at the 3 of us in French. He then pointed to me and with a heavy accent said "NO" then pointed to her and said "Pick pocket!” Not thinking twice about it, I practically through the clipboard back at the lady. She smiled warmly and tried to say he was wrong, but the old guy would not let this go. He came over to us and kept talking, I turned back around and the lady was gone. For weeks I couldn’t for the life of me understand how I was to be pickpocketed.

Until, I did some research back at home. Apparently, by signing that form I was somehow expected to make a donation to said "law" aka, miss pickpocketers own pocket. So what did we learn?

RULE #1: Don't sign anything, don’t accept anything, don’t ask for anything!

We had lunch, got stuck in the middle of some war reenactment and then went back to our hotel to take a nap. We set our alarm for 1 hour, but slept through it and for an additional 3-4 hours! By the time we awoke half of the city was already closing (Don’t visit Paris on the weekend!).

RULE #2: No matter how jet lagged you are DO NOT take a nap!

Taking the nap screwed our sleep schedule over for the rest of our short trip. We still made the best of it though.The next day was spent walking through the Louvre. Yes, you really should anticipate spending at least a day in there. And yes, it is as beautiful as everyone says it is. All of that history! The grounds themselves! It’s extraordinary, and was my favorite part of the trip. I felt my breath being taken away more times than I remember, some of what I saw even made me tear up. It was beautiful. It was all so beautiful.

I think the wonderful part about visiting here is that it’s expected of you to take breaks and truly enjoy the place! Some people were rushing around taking as many photos as they could. But, what’s the point of that? What kind of experience are you really getting? If you are short on time, see what you've always wanted to see. Please, don’t rush trying to absorb as much as you can. You will regret not enjoying the simplicity of the moment.

(Just look at how beautiful!!)

(Yes, we did see the Mona Lisa, much smaller than you'd expect right?!)

To top this day off we even stumbled into the Notre Dame during mass. Well, not really stumbled, we decided to stop by on our way back to the hotel (waited in line for about an hour), and when we walked in we were promptly ushered to the side as the service began.

What I had witnessed earlier was extraordinary. What I had witnessed then and there was a different type of beauty. I snapped a short video clip, but not wanting to be utterly disrespectful I ended the video and put my phone away. But even so, I had to document it. Hate me if you will. But, there was just something otherworldly about being there while mass was going. I can’t explain it. You’ll have to take my word on it, and I encourage you to one day visit during mass.

RULE #3: Even though you are a tourist it does not give you the right to be disrespectful!

Until next month, happy travels!

EM

Back to the beginning of our first adventure, FLORIDA!

I think it’s safe to say that Connor and I have caught the travel bug. This is actually saying something since we are both students of aviation and have always had a passion for travel. Our appetite for traveling has amplified. It’s like the thrill of finally mastering a skill. Take swimming for instance, when you are learning you really are swimming, but it’s not until you finally can do it all on your own that you get really excited about it. After that, you don’t want to leave the pool. All you can think about is going back out to swim again and then taking it to the next level, like swimming in an actual lake. That is what traveling has become to Connor and I. We have mastered the art of traveling. We know exactly when to leave for the airport, when the lines at TSA will be bad, what snacks are best to take on a flight, how much we really need to pack, what items to keep on our smaller luggage that we put under the seat in front of us, what to wear on the flight that will also be comfortable and look good once we get to our destination. We have finally mastered traveling.

So, when Connor asked me around 7pm Friday night if I wanted to catch a redeye to Florida, with less than 15 min to pack, I knew the answer was yes before I even spoke it. The thing with Florida is that it’s “our” place. It was where we began our original adventure. Together we left Washington State to move down there for schooling. We had no one down there, we were all alone, it could have broken us, but instead it brought us together. It’s where I really truly fell in love with Connor. This also means we have friends down there. In actuality, Florida is an easy trip to us. We have friends who picked us up and let us spend the weekend with them. Lounging on the beach the whole time? No wonder I wasn’t prepared to head back home for another 40 hour work week.

Yeah, have I mentioned that I work 40 hours a week? I leave around 8am, and don’t get home till around 7pm, Monday- Friday. Connor works 3am-3pm Tuesday-Thursday. If we can travel like this, so can you. Is it easy? Not always. Am I exhausted when I come home? Yes, especially when we leave Friday evenings and don’t get back home till Sunday evenings. Do I dread coming back to work? You have no idea, it’s incredibly depressing. It’s traveling that keeps me going though. I wake up on Mondays and count down how many days I have left until I can hop on another plane to another faraway place.

Until next month, happy travels!

EM

A Weekend in Washington DC

Back in high school they had this awesome deal for students if they wanted to go to Washington DC for the summer- at the time I had little interest to go. Yet, the moment it was too late to sign up, I regretted it and promised myself I would one day travel there. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that 5 months into my journey I’d find a way to fly out to the DC area. While everyone I loved and knew was celebrating the 4th of July with awesome food, great drinks, and killer fireworks, we were just taking off on a redeye to DC.

As we took off, we were welcomed into the sky with a vast display of color. One moment we were submerged in color, the next we were watching the colors fade beneath us. Back in the sky. It seems I spend more of my time up there than I do in my own home these days. Then again, I was made for the sky. If you’ve read my aviation journey then you would understand.. But alas we are talking about my travel adventures not my flight ones! I just want to say one thing, redeye flights suck. Really badly. You’re super tired, but trying to sleep sitting upright is extremely uncomfortable. Not to mention the flight attendants don’t seem to be effected by the time and seem to talk the entire flight to each other (I don’t know how you guys do it- but could you pass some of that energy to me?). Once it’s finally time for landing you take a quick look at yourself, stiff neck, smeared makeup, bags under those blood shot eyes, and hair a frantic mess. This new looks gives hung over me a run for her money..

Fortunately, there’s nothing like natural sunlight and a new place to send a burst of energy through your tired bones! Before I get into the meat and bones of this post, I cannot rant and rave enough about how awesome the Holiday Inn in DC is! Seriously, they let us check in at 8am -no extra charge- and the manager was super nice to us our entire stay. The price was also affordable. If you don’t know where you want to stay I recommend hitting them up. They have a shuttle to and from the airport- free of charge- and they also shuttle you to the metro. Once you get to the metro station, DC is literally in the palm of your hand. Where do you want to go? Doesn’t matter, I bet the metro can take you there for a small fee.

We saw quite a lot, yet at the same time we didn’t see enough as we would have liked. We managed to see Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the World War II Memorial, went to Lafayette Park, the Washington Monument, the White House and the National Air and Space Museum. The sad part? We missed seeing a lot. It’s true, you cannot see all of DC in one trip- so fear not, I will be visiting again soon!

If I was only aloud to give 1 reason why Washington D.C. is a worthy place to visit, besides the abundance of activities, I would recommend it simply for the ease of traveling between monuments. They have an awesome capital bike share program. At first it seems confusing, but that’s only because it’s such a simple idea. I’ll try and break it down for you. They have bikes everywhere that you can essentially rent, or use. You pay $8 per bike using a card (they need some way to charge you if you never return the bike), with this $8 you become a ‘member’. Your first 30 minutes are free on that bike (go over 30 min and you pay more), but here’s the cool part. Its 30 min on EACH bike. So, if you don’t want to pay an extra fee you just ride to whatever monument you want to see, and there almost always is another bike location where you can drop off your bike. So, drop off your bike, see the monument, come back get another bike, and the time restarts (another 30 min to get to another bike location) without you having to pay again. So long as you keep switching bikes within the 30 minutes, you don’t get changed anything more. It’s pretty great. And seeing as how I hadn’t been on a bike in years, it’s was exhilarating! But, if you have a helmet at home, you probably should bring one with you on your trip! On another note, I did not see any bikes for kids.

So far, DC has been my favorite place we've traveled by air (Cannon Beach was by car). Well, actually, it ties with Vegas. Hands down, I know I will be back, I have so much more to see. Thinking about going to DC? Trying to figure out how your day will go? Any questions? Feel free to message me!

Until next month, happy travels.

EM

Cannon Beach for the Mom's Birthday

Oh, Cannon Beach, I love you so! If you live in the Pacific Northwest and have never been to Cannon Beach, well, shame on you! Seriously though, it’s the cutest little town on the coast. It’s where Connor and I spent our first Valentines together. And Haystack Rock is killer awesome in person. But onto the trip itself, we decided to celebrate my mom’s birthday here this year. It’s the only time she forces herself to go on vacation (on her birthday). Needless to say, this trip was less about us really ‘traveling’ and more about my mother. I was so busy watching my little sister I didn’t really get to enjoy myself too much. Though, we did take her to Seaside and went to an arcade, then spoiled her with ice cream and salt water taffy (for the record, the salt water taffy here DOES NOT taste as good as San Francisco..). Anyway…

Until next month, happy travels!

EM

VEGAS!

I went to Vegas, holler! Oh wait, this is my third time being here... Hmmm.. This will be the best blog post ever from me. You ready for this?

So Vegas went something like this, we got off the plane. A day or two passed. We got back on the plane. And everything in the middle is zapped from my memory. I’m actually not kidding.. And no I wasn’t drunk the entire time.. I’m pretty sure we went to see one of Connors best friends who lives in Vegas. He stayed at the hotel with us. Connor won money on the grandfather slot machine. And I got free drinks. Yup. That about sums up what I remember.

Until next month…? Happy Travels!

EM

Hop to Minneapolis Hop Back to Seattle

So... Did you know that I lived in Florida for a bit while attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University? If not, you do now. But, I bet you didn’t know that Florida has Chik-Fil-A (CFA) and Washington doesn’t (though we’re supposed to be getting it soon). Anyway, loooong story short. Connor and I have been craving some killer chicken burgers for a while. So, we decided to fly to Mini for lunch (since they have CFA in the airport) and then fly back. So, yup. That’s what we did. Even had the same crew..

And before you ask, CFA at the airport does NOT taste the same. But, it did kill the cravings!

Until next month (for real), happy travels!

EM

A Day Spent in San Francisco!

So, I guess we decided yesterday we were going to hop on a flight down to SanFran since I've never been. A 5am wakeup call on my day off seems like a small price to pay for spending the day in Cali. It’s like asking a kid to go to sleep early on Christmas Eve, obviously they don’t want to, but if it means opening presents sooner they sure as hell will! Also, hello… It’s a DAY trip to CALI! Who does that?! I do now apparently!

Skipping to the awesome part, we got FIRST CLASS! Say what? That’s right. First class. My first ever first class experience. It was pretty great. Free breakfast that was actually HEALTHY.

It shouldn’t be surprising to note that the city was socked in. Thankfully, by the time we landed and got into the city it was basically gone and clear, though a little chilly. San Fransico sort of reminded me of a more fluffy Seattle, if that makes sense? Not a bad fluffy, just fluffy. Like how some pillows are feather fluffy and others are just cotton fluffy… ya know?

Well, the day went great. We landed about 8am, took the BART into the city and had one hell of a date! We shopped along Pier 39, stumbled onto a farmers market, ate at a restaurant overlooking the water, and bought tons of salt water taffy to bring back home. I’m not sure how long we roamed the city, but before I knew it we were rushing back to the airport and running to get to our gate on time (no first class this time, darn!).

#frizzyhairdontcare

Until next month, happy travels!

EM

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! Or, the Start of Our Year of Traveling!

Our first adventure of many to come; Puerto Vallarta. Not my first choice, but the man behind the scenes (aka Connor) insisted on taking me for my birthday.

Unfortunately, this wonderful book has been the highlight of this trip. Okay, maybe the trip didn’t completely suck. The fruit and the orange juice were pretty damn good.

Let’s skip the beginning of our arrival and jump right into walking into the hotel. Yeah, that’s a pretty good place to start. Okay, so we walk into the HOTEL NAME. To say it was full of spring breakers is an understatement. It wasn’t just full, but crammed, like trying to squeeze 12 colored pencils into a case that can only hold 10. It’s just uncomfortable and it doesn’t look good. After about 30 minutes of waiting patiently to reach the desk, we get up there only to be told our room wasn’t ready yet and that it would take 20 minutes or so. Magically, within 5 minutes our room was ready. No complaints here though, we were excited to put our bags into the room and head to the pool!

Except, when we got to the room it was a complete mess. It looked like all they did was change the sheets…. Well when in Mexico I guess? We decided to embrace it, holding onto the moment with white finger tips. We were here to have a good time, and by golly (yes I did just say that), we were going to enjoy ourselves! Right after we got some food though.

The plan was simple: Food, pool, ocean.

We made sure to pay extra for all inclusive wrist bands so that we could eat and drink as much to our hearts content. Unfortunately, the main restaurant was closed for the weekend due to the spring breakers. The other two cafes were closed for the evening and all that was open was the buffet by the pool. Fine by us! Yet, the food was cold. And there were flys and all sorts of winged bugs on the food because nothing was covered. My stomach grumbled. My mouth watered. I forced down a comple bites of potato, but when a fly buzzed away from beneath my food, I couldnt stomach any more. I packed some granola bars; those would be dinner.

By this point, I was getting agitated. I needed a drink. I asked the bartender to make me something fruity (we are in mexico right?). He gave me waterd down vodka and pineapple juice. Or maybe it was just water and pineapple juice because I couldnt taste the alcohol.

Happy Birthday to me! By this point, it was pretty evident our stay wasn’t about to be as wonderful as originally discussed. We decided to forgo the pool and take a nap instead.

Upon waking up (an hour later) the entire hotel was pretty much abandoned. Not a soul in sight.. well there was one drunk guy… We walked to the beach. It was beautiful. The water was cold. But peaceful, nonetheless. We decided then and there not to spend another night in that hotel. We canceled the next 2 nights, and booked ourselves on the next flight home in the morning. When we got back to the hotel, Connor went out to find us dinner since the ‘resort’ only had the buffet open. The extra money we paid for all inclusive was laughable.Thankfully, the food that Connor brought back was mouthwatering delicious. The best Mexican food I had ever had. It was something local, from a hole in the wall. But it was perfect in such an imperfect moment.

The next morning we both agreed to get out of that crappy hotel and see what else Puerto Vallarta had to offer. We walked around the water, went to a mini farmers market like place. The second day was much better. It made me want to reconsider staying.

And the orange juice, fresh squeezed orange juice, the best I’ve ever had- scratch that the best we’ve ever had.

Will we come back to this hotel? Never. Will we go with an all-inclusive package again? Not until we see what the restaurants/food and drinks they offer look like. Will we come back to Puerto Vallarta? Maybe...

Would I recommend it to you? Depends on what you’re looking for in your vacation.

Until next month, happy travels!

EM

Last of my Training at Regalair

Paine Field
Cessna 152
April 7, 2013 1.2 |April 24, 2013 1.7
May 2, 2013 1.2|May 10,2013 .9
June 8, 2013 1.9


All good things must come to an end. So, this blog post will wrap up my lessons at my flight school Regalair. I’ll always hold that place close to my heart. To this day I still remember my first time walking in there with my father and brother- I remember the weather being too bad to fly- but we still received a tour of the school. I remember my second time being there and thinking about how small the plane was and being terrified upon takeoff. We soared over the Puget Sound and I was in awe, I knew this was where I was meant to be. But, throughout my lessons there I struggled and struggled. I felt like a horrible flight student and not being able to compare my training to anyone else’s I thought I wasn’t getting anywhere. Yet, no matter how I walked away from my lessons, I kept returning. I never gave up because it wasn’t my pride I cared about, it was the wonderful feeling of moving through the air, that feeling you get right as you begin to rotate on takeoff. I kept going for my love of flight. In my two and a half years at Regalair I only wracked up 44.5 hours. About 20 hours a year, looking back I understand why I had so much frustration with my training. It is completely true what they say- you need to fly consistently, otherwise instead of simply walking up a hill or two its like walking up one mountain after another. I’m not saying it cant be done- I’m just saying its difficult to do.

So how did my training at Regalair end? Quite nice actually. I finally got my area solo in! I was absolutely terrified and my heart was pounding the whole way. I played it safe, went to the same practice area my CFI and I had gone to repeativley. I had my Ipad with Foreflight being my GPS so I knew where I was at all time, though looking back I hardly even used it. I stuck around long enough to do a stall or two and some steep turns. After that I immediately headed back, called up tower and asked for a full stop. I had some oddly rough turbulence as I entered the downwind, but other than that nothing interesting happened. I was a little high on landing, but I made it work.Once I taxied back and tied the plane up I felt as though a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I had left the pattern on my own, and had little to no issues. I began to feel more confident in my ability to safely fly the aircraft and not let it fly me.

The rest of my time at Regal consisted of a mock cross-country flight during bad weather, a night flight that was at first disorientating and two relatively normal flights. Before I left for Florida I made sure to complete my written- which I passed on my first go. And I spent the rest of the money in my flight account on a new knee board, some books for my future training and a bunch of little item needed for flight training.

This is my goodbye to the wonderful staff there. All of them contributed to my wonderful experience there and I look forward to returning there this winter with my license and renting an aircraft to fly for myself! If anyone in the Seattle area happens to read this- I highly recommend this flight school.

Safe flying!

Total amount invested thus far: $9247.15
Total hours: 44.5

Something Gained Something Lost

Paine Field
Cessna 152
January 24, 2012 1.2 hours
February 13, 2012 0.7 hours
March 7, 2012 1.1 hours
March 28, 2012 1.1 hours

(Moses Lake, Washington)
The last two months have gone by in the blink of an eye. Can you believe its April already?! A lot has happened since then. Perhaps the most important of which has been that I have officially finished my two year degree. I have from now until the end of August to relax and enjoy my break. I usually don’t take summers off from classes, so it’s been a good two years since I’ve had more than a few weeks off. As of right now, the countdown has begun for leaving for Embry-Riddle. It’s been decided that I will be traveling down there by car. From Seattle Washington to Daytona Beach Florida, such a long drive! Why must I drive? Well, I’ll be living down there, most likely in an apartment. Therefore, I’ll be taking all my things with me, I’ll really be leaving home- for a long time. Sure, I’ll be visiting for Christmas and such, but it won’t ever be home to me as it is right now.


(Spokane, Washington: OCS Prep) You can’t always expect everything in life to happen as planned though. I wasn’t able to sign my contract with the Marines because I still hadn’t made weight. It wont be gaining fat that will help me hold the weight (with all the running I do) so it’ll have to be muscles that I gain. I guess that’s disappointing, but overall I think it’s the right thing because honestly OCS Prep kicked my ass. I realized then and there that I wasn’t strong enough; it made me realize why they wanted me to weigh more. I’ll need that extra weight for all the training I’ll be put though. This doesn’t mean that I give up, I still plan to “try out” so to speak. After I complete my 4-year degree I’ll shoot for it again. Once again aiming for something out of my reach. Will I ever be able to call myself a Marine? Or will I forever see nothing more than a candidate in the mirror? I suppose only time will tell. And when it comes down to it, do I have to be a Marine? No. I could settle for another branch. What’s most important to me is having a flying career in the military. I guess it doesn’t matter what branch. Though if I had my choice, if I could gain the weight, if I could get strong enough, and if I could make it through the training, then I’d want to be a Marine.

I also finally got in my second supervised solo, so I’m happy to say I’m officially able to move on with my training! In fact this last time we went up I finally got worn out- which to me means I received a damn good lesson. We did a lot of hood time, and even some VOR. I had tried to understand VOR’s before, but couldn’t quite get it to click. Once I sat down in the plane and actually practiced it- it made much more sense. VOR’s aren’t that bad, they’re even kind of fun.

Total amount invested thus far: $7953.50

If Only the Weather Could Apologize

Paine Field
Cessna 152
November 9, 2012: 1.2 hours 4 landings

November 11, 2012: 1.1 hours 5 landings
December 14,2012: 1.5 hours 8 landings
January 3, 2012^: 1.1 hours 11 landings

(My beautiful city)

If only the weather could apologize, then maybe I wouldn't dislike it as much as I do now! I just want to do my second supervised solo so I can move on with my training, is that so much to ask for? Well, in the Pacific Northwest, I guess it is (who am I kidding, I love our weather).

Being in college (nonflight) and taking flight lessons along with trying to become a Marine Office is time consuming. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t find the time to continuously keep my blog updated. So I supposed you’ll forever get everything in chunks. Whoever is out there reading these things anyways.

My flight training, the one thing in my life that constantly is like a game of tug of war. One minute I’m flying, the next I’m not, the next I am, and once again I am not. I did start my training back up. When I got back to it Novermber 9^th, my instructor said as I had expected- time to get me back up to solo. So that’s exactly what we’ve been working on. 

November 11^th there were some crosswinds, which for some reason I prefer when it comes to landings, so long as its light. I’m not sure why but I feel like I do better with some crosswind in there. Maybe I’ve just been lucky. 

I had another flight on December 14 (4 lessons were canceled in a row before this due to bad weather- I had one ground lessons in there about soft and short field landings) where I did a pretty amazing emergency simulated landing. I mean, after about 7 months of not flying and not reading up on it, I’d like to think I rocked it. 

And finally, my lesson on the 3rd. Stuck strictly to the pattern as it was way too damn early and I had been spacey. The landings weren't too bad, off center line a couple of times for over correction of the slight crosswind we had. But other than that, pretty good. At one point I did a go-around and messed the procedures up for that. At 30 something hours I’m still making idiot mistakes. When we landed though, my instructor said I was finally ready for my supervised second solo! Unfortunately, the weather has been grounding me.

Total amount invested thus far: $7116.66

Total hours: 33.5;Total landings: 145

Time Doesn’t Stand Still For Anyone

Another year has come and gone and I can’t help but look back on 2012 and everything I have accomplished. I’ve worked hard and finally, some of that hard work is beginning to pay off. In 3 months  I’ll have my Associates degree. I just have to make it through this last quarter! I can’t tell you how much I’ve gone through to get this degree. Then, I’ll be off to ERAU to finish my 4-year where I recently (about 3 months ago) got accepted into. I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it previously or not-  but my major is going to be in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (I haven’t figured out a minor just yet).

Needless to say, 2013 is looking quite promising. Bring it, new year!

Moving onto what’s been going on with me and my Officer candidacy.  I’m feeling extremely unprepared with OCS prep coming up this weekend. I’m in a race against time and I feel I’ll never win. There's this little voice in the back of my mind that keeps telling me I could easily just run away from this. Stick to my cozy little life. Maybe go be a normal pilot for the airlines or something. But for some crazy reason, which I can’t explain no matter how many times I try- I want to go through this. I want to see if I have what it takes. I want to go through hell and back, just to know I can handle it, or maybe know that I cannot, and even if I couldn't I wouldn't be ashamed. The reason being, I tried. Would you be able to say the same? Not many Americans even think about going into the military, and even fewer consider the Marine Corps. So, do I have what it takes? How should I know. If you were in my situation doing what I was doing, would you be able to answer that question?

Won't you Catch up Already?

Turns out after not flying in months, you're pretty rusty! That's a given, though. So obviously, after being absent from flying in so long I've had to do some catching up, getting myself back up to where I was before. I did the usual, went out, did some maneuvers, came back and stayed in the pattern, just getting my feet a little wet. At first I was second guessing myself, but after a little while I felt it slowly coming back. I deposited $3500 into my account there so that I wouldn't spend that money. So from here on out, I'll just have that added to my "total spent" since I'll be using it all for my training anyways.

I've had four lessons in a row canceled on me. The weather in the pacific northwest is always crappy this time of year. I did do a ground lesson though and performance landings and take offs. Next: read up on VORs (which I haven't even began).

On a side note, I'm having some difficulties with my candidacy for the marines. The doctors told me my eyes were worse than what I was a year ago, way worse. I decided to get a second opinion. Worried this might effect my eligibility I contacted the captain. He told me, we're waiting to hear back, but that things look good and I shouldn't worry about it. I have OCS prep soon. Not going to lie, I'm terrified. I'm working double hard during my workouts, trying to get as strong as I can, as fast as I can. The only problem is- with these new workouts it's taking me two days instead of one to recover. It's also cutting into my run time.  I could go run, but what if I injure myself? I'm stuck in this constant, need to run, should run, but worried about injury mindset. How far is too far to push myself?

Meanwhile, I've just started studying for my written. I wanted to do it during my Christmas break. But I was under the assumption Id be using this flight time for cross country, not getting back up to solo. Irritating, but necessary since I've taken so much time off. Not flying for those months really set me back. I'm not about to let that stop me though!

Fall Flying

After a few months of practically no flying (well me at the controls anyways) I’m happy to report that I’ll be back at it until I get my license this time,  assuming the weather plays nice.  I’ve decided the ‘perfect’ time to get my license will never occur. I’ll always be busier than I’d like, so I might as well hit the ground running. At least if I start back up now, I can hopefully start my cross country before my winter break at the college. I’m shooting for taking my written then as I’ll be able to eat, breathe, and sleep aviation for two-three whole weeks. It all depends on the weather though, so I guess we’ll see.  Fingers crossed for a few months of decent weather (or at least on the days I fly). As for an update on how the Marine situation is going, my run time isn’t improving as fast as I’d like,  I’m still waiting to hear back on all my medical exams, and I’ve got a COIN class and TDG (tactical decision games) discussion on the 17^th. Should be a great learning experience.

 Until next time, keep the blue side up.

Some Encouragement

Wow. Has it been awhile! It's been some time since I've written on here, I'll admit I've just been being lazy and avoid anything remotely school related. Yes- that means taking time out of my day to write, even to simply blog. Not for any reason besides wanting to enjoy my vacation as much as I can. Some good that did me though, I ended up being swamped with Marine things. So how did my PFT (or rather partial PFT) go? It actually wasn't too bad, I was the only girl, but despite that I was able to hold my own just fine. I recently got done with another PFT (this time run included and I wasn't the only girl!). I'm happy to report that I maxed out on both the flex arm hang and got 99 sit ups- just 1 away! Talk about embarrassing. I got a black shirt though. My brother was quite upset, as he had been wanting the black but ended up getting the blue shirt. I'm not exactly sure how it works, I guess if you don't max out you get a blue shirt and if you do they give you the black (of course, they don't have girl sizes so I need to have it fitted). As for the run, well that didn't go quite as well as I had hoped. Early on I ended up getting this massive side stitch, refusing to completely stop, I slowed down and dug my hand into my side trying to push the pain out. Eventually it either went numb, or just faded away. Regardless, I'm sure I was a sight for sore eyes. My 3-mile run time was 28:39. Horrible. I know I can do better. I'm chalking it up to my injury. I actually didn't feel ready to run, seeing as how I've been gradually re-increasing my mileage (I had to stop running for a complete month). After the PFT I could feel my muscles tightening. The old injury was sore the next day and though that leg was completely stiff, I felt no pain when I walked. A good sign. I think I may actually be fully healed this time! The captain told all of us that one way to improve our time is to just get out there and run 30 minutes every other day, later do some intervals. That Friday though, he told me to only do 20 minutes. I'm underweight, and need to gain weight so I don't get disqualified. They basically talked to me for over 30 minutes on my eating habits. I just have a high metabolism. And I eat healthy. It's not my fault. But 10 pounds I need to gain, so 10 pounds I will gain. The good news though, was that the captain did say he was confident I'd get selected and that I wouldn't be there with him talking to me like that if he wasn't  That made me feel better. I've been worried about it. I mean, I can't even push the tiny 152 back into her spot, how in the world am I going to be able to get through training?

"You're one tiny girl. But you're tough."

The challenge has officially been accepted. The only thing that will stop me is something that will be out of my control. Other than that, I refuse to back down. I've watched this process slowly consume me. Each day I want it more, I work harder, I push myself further. Each day I realize this feels right, this is where I need to be. And for every person who tells me I can't do it, or bashes on this process just gives me the encouragement and motivation to prove them wrong. Because there is nothing I enjoy more than proving people wrong.

Almost Back to Normal

Things have finally slowed down for me. Chemistry is over, so no more 13 hours days at the college, though I still have my other classes. I talked to my recruiter about my injury, he told me we'd just leave the run out and do everything else. I didn't know you could do that, so next Wednesday at noon I'll be down there, hopefully scoring well. In other news, I should be back flying within the next two weeks and will hopefully be flying consistently like I was previously. I have enough time now, so there's no reason why I can't. Lately, I feel like my life's been in overdrive and now that I have the time to rest I don't know what to do with myself. It's an odd feeling, wishing that things could slow down so you can rest and when they finally do and you're rested up, you're bored out of your mind. I think I'll try and pick up more hours at work until fall classes start up. But for now, I've got a speech to write up and some workouts to do. Fingers crossed that when I write here again, I'll be talking about how great I did on my partial PFT.

Life is Rough and Thank You's Aren't Enough

July 13, 2012
Pain Field
Cessna 152
0.9 hours 6 landings



I’ve been so busy lately I’ve been neglecting my flying to the max. At first it was studying for finals; my GPA is very important to me, so I saw it as a “I’ve got plenty of time to get my flight training done, but I need to study now to do well on the final.” Once finals were over, I scheduled a lesson, though the weather showed it was VFR conditions when I left my house, by the time I got there it was apparent the field would be going IFR. I was bummed I’d have to reschedule but it wasn’t a complete waste of a drive. I ended up sitting down and discussing where I felt I’d be going with my CFI, to get his input on it since he’s been around more people who are doing what I am than I have. I thought who better to ask? Worried at first about the decision I’d made, he confirmed the information I had been given and it put me at ease. I will admit, I’m still terrified by what I’m doing, but it’s exhilarating at the same time.

I finally made the decision. I’m currently in the application process of going into the Marines to fight to become commissioned (officer) and then fight for a pilot slot. I have my first PFT August 8th, I just found out yesterday. I hurt my ankle a few weeks back so as you can imagine I’m freaking out. I need to have my 3 mile run no more than 25 minutes. I’m not so worried about the flex arm hang, it’s purely mental, and as for the crunches, I’ve got that down pretty well. My ankle and my run is what I’m most worried about. I also leave for MEPS sometime next month, and if all goes well and I get accepted, I leave for Platoon Leaders Class next May. I may not get accepted though, and that worries me. Everything about this process is pure competition. And though I’m a competitive person, I haven’t been preparing myself for this like I’m sure many others have.

As if that wasn’t stressful enough, I’m still full time at my college. Yes, even throughout summer. In fact, twice a week I’m at that damn school for 13 hours! I’ll break it down for you; 08:00-09:30 yoga, 10:00-01:30 chemistry 02:00-05:00 chemistry lab, 05:30-09:00 Speech class. The other 2 days I’m there for 6 hours. I have Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off from classes, but I work. From 04:00am-12:30pm all three days. And on Saturdays I volunteer with the team, from 02:00pm-04:30pm.

Needless to say; I’m exhausted, stressed, drained and frazzled.

I’m nonstop almost every day of the week. I always have something that HAS to be done, and with all the homework I’ve got I’m only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I made sure to tell my CFI I probably won’t be flying again this month, I simply have too much going on. I don’t think I could juggle anything more even if I tried. There is no way I could be flying right now, my mind is in overdrive, I’m stressed out and worried about everything.

So, to get back to my flight lessons and training. My lesson this day was to just ease me back into it as I hadn’t flown in weeks. We practiced a Short Field take-off; I was instantly smiling allowing the airplane to wash my stress away. Then he had me take us out of the pattern, just for a little bit so I could remember what it felt like to be up there again-how I missed it so. After that we stayed in the pattern where I worked on my landings. Though my CFI said it was like riding a bike, it most certainly was not! Not the landings anyways. I think some of my worst landings were that day! Though Ryan said he expected worse for me not flying in so long. Not sure if that was a compliment or not. I’ll just blame it on the crosswinds though, yep, that was it. After getting a feel for what it was like landing again and once I stopped second guessing everything I was doing my landings began to improve and I’m happy to report towards the end I finally just kissed the runway. When we landed I felt like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders; I had turned my back on my flight training, it had not turned its back on me. Even more so then than ever, I knew that the path I had decided to walk on would be worth it. I felt at such peace with myself, nothing could bring me down that day. I can’t explain, though I have tried. When I’m flying I shut everything down but the then and there, nothing on the ground matters when you’re up above and nothing can hold you down.

My flight school reminded me of what I loved so much as a kid. And though none of them probably think about it, they’re the reasons dreams come true. Both my ground school instructor and CFI have on at least one occasion brought up where they wished they had gotten their degree in something else so that they could be working at Boeing, or be making more money. But don’t they realize they’re a part of something more? I know they aren’t getting paid much for what they’re doing but both of them have shaped me in ways no other teacher has. I don’t think I could ever thank either of them enough. In fact, where ever it is I go in life, it will be because of them. And if my dream comes true, I will forever be in their debt. I probably will cry when I leave my flight school for PLC and then off to Florida. How could I not? Everything I’m doing now is because of them. They didn’t see it, but when I first walked in there my dreams were fading, I was giving up on what made me me and I had accepted I’d never get to fly, I’d never get close to space. Life after high school came down rough on me, I had to take two quarters off from college to help raise my mom’s child, I had to get a part time job at some hole in the wall. I was essentially, dying inside, turning into a zombie like everyone else around me. That flight school pulled me up from drowning. Made me kick my butt into gear and tell the rest of the world to leave me alone. I’d be doing what I wanted, and what I needed to do. Without my flight school, I’d probably be a drop out right now, working full time, trying to keep my head above water. I will admit I’m trying to keep my hed above water right now as it is, but for completely different reasons. This time, I’m fighting for everything I’ve ever wanted and I’m not about to back down.

So here I am. Happy. Alive. And blindly chasing after this crazy dream.

Thank you is not enough and words cannot describe what my training has meant to me.
Thank you Regal Air, thank you Justin and thank you Ryan.
You guys gave me what I needed to fight for what I've always wanted.
I look forward to finishing my training.


Total cost invested thus far: $6124

First Stage Check.... Disaster Much?

May 16, 2012
Cessna 152
Paine Field
1.0 hours 3 landings




First stage check, took me off guard, I didn’t know that after each stage of flight training one would have to demonstrate their skill (or lack of) to a chief flight instructor. So after I soloed, and my CFI mentioned it to me I was a bit panicked. That being said, I was also excited to be flying with someone new, to meet another pilot, and a female one nonetheless.

I wouldn’t say I completely bombed the stage check, but I definitely did not do as well as I’d have hoped. In fact, it was definitely on the top 3 worst flights of mine. At first, I was completely confident in my ability to do whatever was needed. I preflighted no problem, called up ground/tower/checklisted it up, and took off with no hesitation. She took me off guard by asking a simple enough question I knew the answer too, “How far do you need to be away from the clouds?” Yet, for some reason I spaced. Completely. My heart started to race, and I noticed I was losing altitude; I pulled back slightly and remembered we were still in our airspace so 152 applied; 1,000, 500, 2,000. I knew it was 500 below, but was it 2000 or 1000 horizontal? So I took a guess, and of course, I was wrong. Instantly, my confidence level started to drop.

I was asked to do slow flight. The winds were strong making me nervous, but I tried to focus. Getting into slow flight was always an issue for me, but once I was in it no problem. Here, is where I completely take the blame for what happened. Normally, Ryan will sit there patiently, either waiting for me to get into slow flight, or give tips. Before I was even comfortable enough in my set up, I was asked to turn to the left. I wasn’t ready, and I should have done what a pilot would have done, and said I wasn’t quite set up for it just yet. Instead, I did what a student pilot would have done, I nodded and obeyed. I kick myself for that decision, thinking back its still painful. When she wanted me to turn to the right, I was still turning left, not fully set up rudder wise, and when she asked me to turn, I did, and before I even was able to process what was happening, she was grabbing for the controls. I had stalled. I was more shook up by her being so frantic at reaching for the controls than the plane actually stalling. Throughout my whole training, Ryan has never jumped at the controls like that. He is so chill and relax about everything, which is why hes a great instructor for me because I learn best with relaxed people. These are training planes, and from what I’ve been told if you let go they basically straighten themselves up. I wish she would have let me get us out of the stall instead of jumping right in. I know how to get out of stalls. But, from her perspective I would have jumped in to. After all, I’m just a student pilot with a few hours so I don’t blame her. After that however, any confidence I had was completely wiped out, I was shook up and the whole beginning had been a disaster. I was happy, excited and nervous all the way until then. After that, I was hopeless and cold; I just wanted to go back. Who was I kidding; I wasn’t ready to be in control of an aircraft on my own. Not yet anyways. What was the point in continuing the stage check? Really, I couldn’t mess up any more than I already had. I self-doubted myself up there like it was no one’s business. And it was heartbreaking.

After, the controls were passed back to me, she proceeded to explain about the strong winds (which I already knew) and then asked if I knew what had happened, to which, now instead of answering confidently, I answered with a question at the end. Describing the planes left turning tendency, and the rudder not being fully applied, turning the ailerons one way, the plane going another, losing lift... right? She nodded, and basically repeated what I said but more in detail. Then she pulled out the power and said my engine had quit. I remember instead of enthusiastically answering I mumbled out the procedures, wanting to get it over with. For some reason, I said 67 knots instead of the 60 for glide path. Idiot move, since 67 is my Vy. I was just so hung up on what had happened that my mind wasn’t in the right place. Not to mention I noticed her hand nice and snug next to the yoke, like she was prepared for me to mess up again. All I could think about was, that I had become that student pilot they were afraid to fly with. Awesome. After that she had me do some stalls. The one thing that I breezed through effortlessly. But again, feeling unsure, I said aloud each step before I performed it, in my attempt at not messing up again, and hopefully putting her at ease.

The radios were busy, and the controller got confused a couple of times about what planes were where, which in turn confused me. He first told me to enter on base and then proceeded to say enter on downwind. His confusion made me instantly realize how I take ATC for granted, thinking they’ve got it all under control. I did my 3 landings, having to tell tower where I was twice, because they at one point said there was 3 planes in the pattern, when I only counted 2 (as with the chief flight instructor), and another point he had me confused for another plane. As if a confused controller was what I needed.

I don’t know why, but she told me to not turn crosswind at 500ft from the TPA like I was used to, she told me to wait a bit longer, and in turn it threw me off. Instead of being at the TPA when I turned downwind, I was at it half way through crosswind. I ended up continually climbing and I was too high once I hit downwind. Trying to compensate for that, along with dealing with a confused air traffic controller, and not having the traffic in site/ trying to find the plane on final so I could turn base had me all sorts of messed up. It was a miracle I managed to land the damn plane. Minus my airspeed being off, my CFI always gets on me about that, and I even knew to watch it before I was in flight. Airspeed always gets me.


Even though it has nothing to do with this post, I love this photo.
When we got to her office, she started with saying “overall good flight”. Ha! Yeah right! I don’t think I could have been more of a disaster if I even tried. I knew it was the whole, say something nice before you break them down kinda of thing. So, I smiled and asked her on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being the worst, how bad did I do compared to the other students, honestly. Not for my pride, but because I wanted to know if being this horrible was normal. And she sat down, leaned back and thought a second before answer, “I’d give you about a 6 or 7, we do it on a scale of 1 to 5 here, and I gave you a 3.” I was surprised. If I was in her shoes, I would have given myself a 4 on both scales (theirs 5 is the worst). But, I managed to make it right in the middle, not good, not bad, just neutral. Hearing that, made me feel much better, and relax slightly. It meant that she had to have flown with someone worse than me. And so long as I wasn’t the absolute worst, I could get up and try again. Though the overall stage check wasn’t bad (what I had to demonstrate) I definitely was glad it was over, and thankful to be flying with my CFI next time. And even if the chief flight instructor made me more nervous than ever before, and though I really am not looking forward to flying with her again(because of how much I sucked), she’s actually a really nice person and did keep me at ease towards the end. For instance, when I had landed and taxied back to our spot, I mentioned to her how I wasn’t strong enough to push the plane back into its spot. To which she told me, that it doesn’t really matter. All I have to do is sit there and act pitiful till some macho man somewhere appears out of nowhere to come help me. It worked for her every time she said. The thought made me laugh.

I was a complete utter disaster that flight, but I left in good spirits because the chief flight instructor was such a nice person. It really does make all the difference who is at these flight schools.

(I’ve been SO busy this quarter I’ve hardly had time to write this up. And even worse, its been 3 weeks since I last got to fly. But, study for finals I must! I’m in no rush for my private pilot’s license, I am however trying to knock out my AA before spring of next year. I won’t be flying this week or next… but two weeks from now I will be. And I’ve actually contacted a few loan places, so fingers crossed I get a loan and can fly almost every day of August.)

Total cost invested thus far: $5950

To Stretch my Wings and Solo!

May 10, 2012
Pain Field
Cessna 152
.8 hours (.4 PIC) 6 landings

Taken by my CFI

I came, I saw, I conquered. Today, I stretched my wings for the first time and I flew like never before. May 10th around 08:30/08:45am, I soloed, the day the sky welcomed me.

I was prepared this time, I knew I had to solo and I wasn’t about to put it off again. The whole night before, and the drive there I was more nervous than I’ve ever been for anything in my life. I kept picturing each lesson, everything I had learned, the good, the bad, all of it. I knew I was more than ready, but I couldn't stop the doubts from creeping into my mind. I arrived at the flight school 15 minutes early and sat there allowing myself to feel nervous, frightened, and anxious. I was feeling sick to my stomach, like I wanted to puke. But I just sat there, because I told myself I’d feel whatever it was that I needed to now, and as soon as I got out of the car I’d push those nerves down. I knew what I was doing, these feelings were just stemming from the change that was about to happen. There was no going back now, I knew that. Flying had become a part of me, and so I got out of the car. As I was walking towards the flight school one of the Boeing planes were taking off, I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her climb higher and higher, so effortlessly and so gracefully, the sound of the engine further calming me. It was almost as if she was telling me to stop being so lame and enjoy myself because today was my day.

As soon as I walked in I was told I’d be flying a different 152 since the Hobbs stopped working the night before on the plane I usually fly. So, during preflight, I took my time, though it was still a Cessna 152 it was one of the planes I had only flown once. I hardly knew her. I ran my fingertips along the edges, looking for cracks, dents, missing screws, anything out of the norm. But, she seemed fine and ready to fly. I squirmed my way into the cockpit, and welcomed the familiar scent. Though, it was still a little chilly outside, inside was nice and warm and I couldn’t help thinking how comfortable I was nestled there as I glanced over all the familiar gauges. I wasn’t really nervous, but I wasn’t exactly my normal self. I knew I was probably going to solo, but I also knew that there was no room to be frightened or nervous in the sky. I knew I had to be in control.

I did my first three landings with my CFI. My first landing on downwind, we were listening to another Boeing plane taxiing on the runway opposite ours, my CFI mentioned how people at his school would be freaking out if they heard that over the radio. I smiled, my home airport. I loved it so much. Here I am in my little Cessna, flying alongside the big boys. It didn’t even phase me, then again it shouldn’t since I’ve been flying here from day one. The controlled airspace was home to me, comfortable and welcoming and the Boeing planes kept it interesting and fun.

As I turned onto final, I saw I was a little low and needed to make some adjustments. And this is exactly how I knew I was ready to solo. You see, I knew I was coming in lower than I needed to be. I tried to add power, but that wasn’t getting the job done. As I approached, I put my final 30 degree flaps down, usually I have to hold the yoke steady so that when I put the flaps in I don’t let it bump me up. However, I allowed the plane to bounce herself up a little bit because I knew it would get me back on my glidepath. What made me realize I was ready was that (and I may be wrong here) but I’m pretty sure my CFI didn’t know I did that on purpose. Because he said right when I landed, “you see you were coming in a little low, but once you put that 30 in it bounced you right up.” He sounded like he thought I had just forgotten to keep her steady. Either that or he was so confident in my ability that he didn’t seem phased at all. Either way, that was how I knew I was ready to solo, because I knew how to get the plane to do what I needed her to do. I was in control. For my second landing, I was coming in a little low again, and by my third one, I made sure to be right on the glidepath when I turned final, and I was. In fact, my third landing was pretty good and apparently it was good enough for my instructor too because he asked me if I was ready to do this. And I sighed and nodded, he called up tower, told them we were getting off at G4 and that we would be doing a solo. My heart jumped at the words. I was really going to be doing this.

He hopped out of the plane, grabbed my logbook and started talking about how the plane was going to act like a sports car up there. A lot of what he was saying was going in one ear and out the other. I tried to listen, I honestly did, but my thoughts were racing. It took every bone in my body to not yell at him to get his ass back in the plane. But before I knew it, he was telling me I’d do fine, wishing me good luck and closing the door. Then, all of a sudden, I was alone. It was quite, but still oddly comforting. The funny thing about this was that I was nervous all the way up until he closed the door. As soon as that door was closed, my nervousness went away. Completely gone. I hadn’t even realized I had grabbed the checklist, it was already in my hands and I was going over it, being extra careful not to miss anything. I called up ground and then I was off to do the before takeoff checklist. It was second nature to me, a breeze, no issue once so ever. I called up tower, got my clearance for closed traffic and began to taxi onto the runway. I remember taking a deep breath, and mumbling to the near empty cockpit “here goes nothing,” before I put in full power, and began to takeoff. I will say that I was not disappointed in the fact that it really did feel like a sports car. I soared into the sky faster than I ever have, and before I knew it I was 500ft from TPA and it was time to turn crosswind. I hardly had time to take into account what was happening. Yet, as soon as I realized I was in the air alone I was smiling from ear to ear, I was actually doing this! I turned downwind, responded to tower and sat there glancing at the empty seat next to me. I was soloing! I was up there all by myself; I was actually flying an airplane alone! The sky had never looked so beautiful as it did right then and there. It stretched on for miles, the sun radiating down on the Puget Sound making it shine as if beneath its surface lay thousands of diamonds. Even though, I had flown here dozens of times it was as if I was seeing the true beauty of everything for the first time. It was amazing, and though I wanted to fly out into the world right then and there, I brought myself back down to reality. As I turned from base to final, I was on the glidepath, I took another deep breath, focusing, as I came in I landed a little hard, but I shook it off. Flaps up, carb heat in, and before I even finished glancing to make sure my flaps were going up, she was already trying to lift herself off the runway. I laughed, and remember thinking, ‘fine by me, if you want to fly then lets fly’. I noticed I was a little more aggressive in how I was flying. Not aggressive in a bad manor, it’s just that when I’m with my instructor Ryan I’m always trying to be careful for some reason, almost like I’m scared to do the wrong thing. Let’s take the rudders for example, I usually use them lightly, always have, don’t ask me why. But, when I was soloing I was using those rudders like it was no one’s business. I knew what their response would be, I knew how to use them, for some reason I just felt more at ease knowing someone wasn’t watching my every move. Don’t get me wrong, my CFI is awesome and I’m thankful he’s been so patient with me, but knowing he wasn’t there was a relief in a way. Anyways, before I knew it I was going in for my second landing and I flared a little too soon which caused me to eat up more runway than needed, but when I landed it was beautiful, I had landed close to if not on the centerline, and I came down nice and gently, probably one of my best. As I took off again, I felt so light and free and was even laughing to myself. If I had thought that my first lesson was my no going back point, I was majorly wrong. I promised myself right then and there that I would never go more than 2 months without flying. I will do whatever it takes to keep flying, no matter the cost. I really don’t understand how people can solo and then just quit. How can that satisfy anyone? If anything soloing has given me a thirst for more.


Taken by my CFI

As I was climbing on upwind I panicked for a second, forgetting how many landings I had done. I was enjoying myself too much, but I quickly relaxed when I realized that this was my 3rd not my 4th. Tower cleared me for my touch and go, I responded back telling them that this would be a full stop making sure to say my callsign afterwards. I didn’t hear anything back which made me nervous. Radios have always been a weakness of mine. Though I love being in controlled airspace more than not, I never know how to handle what to say and the way to say it. Regardless, he had told me the runway was clear for me. I did my final landing, I was coming in high, but I really didn’t want to do a go around, so I made her settle herself. I didn’t want to just leave without letting the tower know, and since he never got back to me I did the only thing I could think of, I called them up and told them that 4td was getting off at G4. That time he did get back to me, I sighed and took the exit cleaned her up before calling up ground and taxiing back to my flight school.

By the time, I unbuckled myself my CFI was already next to the plane with a smile on his face and talking to me about something but I couldn’t hear him since he was on the other side of the plane and I was still inside. He seemed more excited at that time than I was, but I don’t think the magnitude of what I had done had hit me yet. Actually I know it didn’t. Sure I was happy, and excited I felt free and on top of the world, but it just seemed like no big deal then, in fact I didn’t understand why I had freaked out so much before. My hands were steady my whole solo, the taxiing to the flight school and all the way up until I was getting ready to push the plane back into her spot. But then, it was like my body was finally relaxing enough to allow the trembling to seep through and suddenly my hands were shaking.

This was the first time I attempted to push the airplane into her spot by myself. And let me tell you, I could not for the life of me get the thing to move more than a few inches. I’m just not strong enough. I told Ryan that everyone’s going to laugh at me watching me try and push these planes. At first he just watched me, saying it was good practice, but after a few minutes of me hardly moving her he jumped in and helped. So, I’ll need to make sure whatever plane I fly I can just pull right on in… otherwise I’ll be out there for an hour getting the thing in its spot.

Once we were in the flight school, it slowly started to hit me. It took every effort to not smile my ear to ear cheesy smile. I had soloed, and I didn’t damage the plane or kill myself. I piloted an airplane all by myself, no assistance once so ever. I actually did it. And that’s all I could think about. That I had actually soloed. Ryan congratulated me, and told me how I was to set an appointment up for one of the stage exams (which I have for this Wednesday assuming the chief flight instructor isn’t busy then).

As I got in my car, I allowed my feelings to rush through me. I called my father first, who asked me what I wanted as a congratulation gift. My response? Flight time please? I texted my friends my photos, as well as the photos my CFI had taken from the ground. The congratulations came pouring in. I felt like I was being welcomed into the aviation world. Not everyone makes it to their solo, but I did. And not everyone finishes and gets their license, but I will.

Unfortunately, I had college at 10am, so I had to rush to make it to class in time. But, I didn’t let that put a stop to my mood. I will tell you this though, it was torture having to sit through 2 hours of chemistry learning about orbitals while being all bright eyed and bushy tailed having just experienced one of the greatest things in my life. Every other student around me was either half asleep of had their eyes glazed over. No one should ever be that happy in chemistry. But, if only they knew what was going through my mind. If only they knew what I had just done.


The world lay in the palm of my hands, if only for a day.



Total cost invested thus far: $5756

He Who Hesitates is Lost

April 26, 2012
Paine- Arlington- Paine
Cessna 152
1.3 hours 6 landings




I hesitated.

Today, I could have held a piece of the world in my hands. After weeks of complaining about this and that, in the end I have no one to blame but myself now. Though, there is no excuse, I'll start from the beginning. Today, I was the world’s biggest idiot. The whole morning Paine was IFR. I had my POH/ presolo exams, so regardless I knew I'd be meeting up with my CFI to go over them. I actually had gone in early to use the flight schools resources. I'm not excited for my cross country flight planning, I can tell you that. It was torturous trying to figure out if we'd make our imaginary trip from Pain to Astoria without having to refuel. It’s not that it was particularly difficult... it’s just that I kept rushing ahead of myself. Aren’t there computer that can do this for us? Anyway, as we were going over my exams when the weather turned in my favor. I was surprised to find out that we would go flying after all. I hadn’t really expected it. The winds were at 10 knots at Paine so Ryan had me fly us to Arlington. On our way there I checked the weather, the winds were calm, visibility fine, ceiling good. The calm winds should have tipped me off, but I wasn't thinking about it. I was more focused on the rain we were about to enter, and the visibility.

Turned out to be some showers, and we easily passed through them on our way to the airport. Going in for landing, I was rusty to say the least. I was slow to pull out the power the first time around. The second, I felt too far from the runway and on final I was coming in too slow, not building enough air speed. The third landing, I believe I did a go around because I was too low and still far from the runway. Somewhere, I overshot final. I kept forgetting to make my radio calls. I remember thinking for the first time ever how much I missed Paine. I don't like uncontrolled airports, is that weird? Obviously, you have to watch for traffic regardless, but to have to continuously make the radio calls is just a bother. I think its even more odd that I realized I actually enjoy talking to ATC now. I'm still not awesome when I talk to them, but I'd rather talk to someone then not. Uncontrolled airports are just too much work. Anyways. My patterns were sloppy, I even mentioned to Ryan that, I just wasn’t on my game, though my landings weren't too bad. Eventually, my patterns got better, I remembered to make my radio calls, and I quickly fell back into my usual comfortable routine.

As I made one of my final landings for the day and was getting ready to put my flaps up Ryan told me to slow down and take the next exit off the runway. I didn’t think anything of it since we’ve done this before, until he asked me if I wanted to solo.

And I hesitated. My mind raced. My mouth half open. My pulse jumped. And I blurted the first thing that came to my mind. “No.”

I’ve been told numerous times that he who hesitates is lost. Am I lost? Ryan has mentioned to me a few things about his training, I don’t remember it exactly but he said something about stalls for the first time and where he was wondering what the hell he was doing flying, or something like that. That’s what I felt like at that exact moment, only with two different feelings. It was a tug of war of emotions that left me exhausted and ashamed at the end of the day.

What the hell was I doing flying? That’s all I could think about. What the hell am I doing. I have no business doing this. Who am I to be doing this? What right do I have to do what man was not meant to do?

The other part of me;

What the hell was I doing saying no? I’ve wanted this for so long; I know I can land the plane. Why am I saying no? I can do this. I’ve done it plenty of times without my instructor touching the controls. I’m confident in my abilities. I've been wanting this. This is who I am, all that I'm about, this is the first step to my dreams. Why was I hesitating?

I can try and make excuses. But in the end none of that matters. And I can honestly say, this is the first time in my life that I have ever felt this ashamed. I must be the only student pilot on the face of this earth to turn down the opportunity to solo. Have to be. I even asked my instructor, to which he laughed and said that I was the first, but that there was a first to everything. He told me if I wasn’t ready I wasn’t ready, he wasn’t going to rush me. My response? I told him not to give me the option, just get out of the plane.

I’m a little weird. I know I’ll make a good pilot for the sole fact that I thrive in chaotic situations. And if any emergency ever rises I should be able to handle it. I don’t know what to do with myself when things are calm. But, when things get rough its as though my body kicks it into overdrive, everything seems sharper, I’m more vigilant, careful, precise. Always have been.

I flew us back to Paine, the whole time trying to keep my emotions under control and fly the airplane. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to turn back around and let him solo me. My heart was breaking the longer I was up there. The sky was eating me up, tearing a hole into my heart. I wanted him just to fly us there. But, I knew that I’d start crying. I needed something to focus on to distract me. Flying. Keep flying. Don’t think about it, just watch for traffic. Check the ATIS. Scan for traffic. Call up tower. Scan for traffic. Watch airspeed. Keep scanning. Watch altitude. Keep scanning. Stop all emotions. Just fly the plane. Keep her safe, keep yourself safe. As I turned on base I slipped and started thinking about how I couldn’t wait to get out of there, I felt suffocated. This resulted in me overshooting final. I took a deep breath and cleared mind again. Stop thinking. Fly the plane. I landed her nicely, got off the run way, cleaned her up, and called up ground to taxi back. Got out of the airplane. Walked into the flight school. And the emotions came crashing down. Ryan was talking to me, but I didn’t hear a word he was saying. Something about my landings, but all I could think about was that I could have soloed. Today, was supposed to be one of the best moments of my life. But, it wasnt. He handed me my log book, breaking me from my thoughts. I forced a weak smile and brought up again how he needs to not ask next time, if he keeps asking I’ll say no. But, I know that’s not true. I can promise you I won’t make this mistake again. I left the flight school as empty as a drum. I've talked to my close friends about this. They’ve all told me the same thing. I trusted my gut reaction. I didn’t feel on top of my game, so I made the right decision. I’ll know when I’m ready. It’s not as though I won’t have a second chance. Everything happens for a reason. Blah, blah, blah.

I’m actually having the chance to work on my dream, something many would kill for. I’m doing something that I’m so in love with. And I hesitated. One of my friends asked me what the big deal was, why I was so upset. How couldn’t I be? This is everything I’ve been working towards. Supposed to be a major milestone. Instead it’s a rollercoaster of emotions that in the end has left me feeling worse than before.

I don’t know why I said no. Because I’ve been ready to do this for months. I went to the airport today. The exact one I should have soloed on. And saw a beautiful plane. She soothed my acheing heart, and I was reminded why I’m so in love with flying. I’ve been knocked down again, there are no words of encouragement here, no one offering a helping hand, as I look around I’m on my own. I see now that this is my own journey, I'll always be alone through this. I don’t want to fly right now, or tomorrow. Yet, the sky whispers to me. So, I force myself back up. I try and find the stars, but the clouds cover them up. Though, they're covered, they speak my name. I may have been a coward. I may feel ashamed. But, saying no to soloing does not make me a bad pilot by any means.

Total cost invested thus far: $5337