Learning to Fly

I don’t remember the first time Martin proposed that I get a pilot’s license.  My answer was probably something like, “Yeah, I should do that some day.”  Then I’d probably change the subject because it wasn’t really something I thought of doing before falling in love with a pilot.  We did a few flight lessons here and there.  I caught on to the left/right turning with my hands and feet a little.  It was the up/down that was happening at the same time that made my stomach feel like it was in my throat.  That up/down feeling in my stomach was probably the biggest factor in my plans to learn to fly SOME day but not TOday.

Martin liked to put his arm around the back of my chair.  When I did really well during those lessons, Martin kissed my cheek.  I asked if he did that with all of his students.

But most of the time we went flying I was not learning how.  I was busy taking on this role.  I was very good at it:

jet-lag

The elevation always knocked me out.  I tried my hardest to stay awake, but just like when you take commercial flights, I got worn out.  Yep.  It was jetlag in a bitty plane.

Then we got married.  We didn’t fly much.

Then we moved to Germany.  We didn’t fly at all.

Now that we’re back in the US, and I’m going to learn to fly, I am beyond excited.  I’ll share my experiences with you about once a week because while flying and a blog about creating a home don’t exactly blend seamlessly, I would very much like to share what I’m learning and seeing with all of you.  When Martin and I used to be at small airports, no one ever expected that I was a pilot.  They figured Martin was the pilot for one basic reason:  I’m a girl; he’s a guy.  Aviation is dominated by men.  (Remember that picture I showed you about women flying?)  I could never even count how many pilots I have met since Martin and I started dating.  NONE of them have ever been women.  One may have sounded a little girly, but that’s as close as I’ve seen. 

Most pilots learn how to fly at professional schools around the country with flight simulators and large classrooms.  I’m going to learn to fly on a gravel runway.  My classroom will be the little hangar that smells like oil and our kitchen table, which is why I think it’ll be such an interesting adventure to share with all of you.

Martin is going to teach me along with help from his original teacher (the owner of the airport), so to be perfectly honest, we’re not sure what my biggest challenge is going to be:

  1. learning to fly
  2. learning to do what my instructor – my husband – tells me without arguing and without telling him to quit being so dang bossy

I am very excited and very nervous at the same time.  Very soon, it’s going to be time for Martin and me to switch places.

small-plane-flying

It’ll be the girl in the captain’s seat from now on.

(Images for Making This Home)