Flying

I had a wonderful experience today.  I got to go flying.  My friend Tim asked me if I wanted to go, and before he got the question out, I was screaming YES!  It was so much fun.  He picked me up at the Albany airport and we flew at 120 knots over I-5 towards Harrisburg, OR.  I loved the flying, but more amazed at the beauty of the town I live in. 

Everyday while driving to work I marvel at the beauty of this place, but seeing it from the air. . . well, it just took my breath away.

Tim offered me the controls of the airplane while traveling over I-5, but I declined.  I needed to know more about what was going on in the cockpit, so I asked a ton of questions about the gauges, and what things were. . . then just watched him operate things while I took pictures.

We landed on a grass strip outside of Harrisburg where he learned to fly.  That was really cool.  The we took off for the Lebanon airport where Tim again offered me control of the airplane. 

My hands were shaking and my palms sweaty as I took hold of the yoke.  It wasn’t 2 seconds in before I realized that any movement I had, no matter how slight, made the airplane move and that I had to undo that movement. 

It isn’t like driving a car.

But, thanks to Tim’s patience with me, I eventually flew the plane for a few minutes alone and am still alive to talk about it. 

We stopped at the airport in Lebanon, OR where I got to meet the owner.  He was a very gentle man who only had wonderful, positive thing to say.  And he had an office dog.  So I liked him immediately.

After leaving the Lebanon airport, we hit some turbulence.  It made me laugh.  It was way better than a roller coaster ride, and I knew there was nothing really wrong with the plane. . .  just bumpy air.  Tim was happy that is didn’t upset me.  In fact, I was laughing.

Our ride ended way too soon.  We got to fly over my house (3rd pic ~ yeah, I live in the woods) and then we had to land and it was over.

But I know I will never forget the thrill I got from being in control, even for a short time, of an airplane.

Thank you, Tim, for that opportunity.