I took up flying in May of 2000. I had always wanted
to fly -- but thought there was a lot more involved than there really is. I was
working with a guy who was a private pilot and really grilled him about flying.
Within a week, I had hooked up with the North Texas Flying
Club and took a demo ride in a Cessna 150 -- my first flight ever in a small
plane. I was in love!! After some loooong discussions with my wife, I was
taking lessons within another week.
I started learning to fly in a Cessna 150M. This is
an excellent plane to fly in because it's pretty forgiving and if you can survive a stall
in it, other planes are a cinch. I had a great instructor. He's one of the
owners of the flying club and is the Chief Flight Instructor. He's been flying
forever and his joy of flight is contagious.
I soloed for the first time on June 30, 2000. It was a little
different (the plane climbed a lot better with just me in the cockpit) but it was great!
Here's a picture of me right after I soloed.
I switched to flying a four-seater before my flight exam. The
examiner that was testing me was also taking her test to be an examiner -- so, another
examiner had to sit in the back seat to observe. I took the test in a Piper Warrior
and got my license on September 3, 2000. I went on
and earned my instrument rating in October 2001. I'm thinking that I
will one day try and get my instructor rating. Who knows when...
Since obtaining my certificate -- I love to share my joy of
flight with others. I got my dad interested in
flying and he also got his license. He recently bought a Piper Cherokee 6-Seater (left) that I
absolutely love. With a family of five, we need the room. We
have taken it on several trips here and yonder.
