Forget the analogy of driving a car - too two-dimensional. Sailing has the same problem, but as with flying, your experience will be influenced considerably by the wind. A sport like bowling, golf, or tennis may come closer as a point of comparison. One's participation in any of those activities is very much an individual affair, but the experience is enhanced when it's shared with others. Isn't bowling more fun when you're part of a team? In my limited attempts at golf, the high point has consistently been the camaraderie shared afterward at the nineteenth hole.
In that way, at least, flying is very similar. We may have a planeful of family or friends, but only one person is actually moving the controls to shepherd that aircraft through the sky. Airline crews divide responsibilities based on the pilot flying and the pilot not flying, and in normal conditions only one of them is actually controlling the aircraft.
Even without sharing a flight, pilots love to talk about flying with one another. I recall a conversaton with actor Harrison Ford in a cavernous hangar at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport. It was a miserable, rainy day, and the auxiliary power unit on a jet outside screeched in our ears. But when I asked Ford how he liked the view of New York City while flying along the nearby Hudson River, his eyes sparkled, his expression melted into a genuine smile, and we talked about flying. Just the other day, during a quick stop for fuel at the Columbus County Municipal Airport in North Carolina, I found myself talking airplanes with a local pilot and discussing weather with a family traveling the opposite direction.
Even the short conversations we have with other pilots at the dispatch counter in the FBO, around the coffee pot, or on the ramp are important. You might learn something about today's flight conditions, that squawk that's been plaguing Three-Eight-Charlie, or the slick new four-place that the flight school's about to put on the rental line. These conversations, however brief, serve to convey important nuggets of information, keep us interested in aviation, and help to keep us safe.
But for whatever reason, not all pilots get an opportunity to "talk flying" with other aviators. This is particularly critical for student pilots. Students in this situation should form a support group, as Contributing Editor Julie Boatman suggests in "Staying the Course" ("Training Notes and News," ), or join an existing support infrastructure - there really are a lot of choices.
Amanda Svec and Dena Fox attended the annual Women in Aviation, International convention in Nashville last March. They won AOPA Flight Training's scholarships to attend the conference, but if they hadn't, I'm sure they would have been there anyway. Svec worked summers on a South Dakota ranch in exchange for flying lessons. Now she's working toward her flight instructor certificate while she pursues a degree in aviation education and plans a career as an FBO manager, flight instructor, and aircraft mechanic. When Fox lost her job in a corporate restructuring, she decided to invest her savings in flying lessons and live her dream of flying professionally.
They both were inspired by the conference, learned a lot, and developed important networking contacts. However, most of us don't have to attend such a specialized event to connect with other pilots - it's fly-in time. Sun 'n Fun, in Lakeland, Florida, kicked off the season in April. The biggie is July 23-29 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and AOPA Expo - this year in Palm Springs, California, October 24-26, is the capstone. Regional events dot the country between these larger fly-ins.
Actually, the nearest fly-in breakfast may be just what you need - this time of year, there's probably one within flying distance of you almost any weekend. Find them in your weekly ePilot e-mail newsletter, or on AOPA Pilot's online calendar of aviation events ( www.aopa.org/pilot/calendar ). If you're a student, invite your CFI to breakfast and make a dual cross-country of the adventure. If you're already certificated, find another pilot to share the flying (and the aircraft expenses).
One recommendation: Many of these events attract large numbers of airplanes. Some are combined with airshows or other activities. Notams could close the airport during certain periods, or may prohibit student solo flight. Plan carefully, and if you're a low-time pilot (or just rusty), consider inviting a deserving flight instructor and buying his or her breakfast. Even if you're up to the flying, an extra pair of eyes is always helpful.
Oh, yeah, about that description of what it's like to fly. I usually just give up and invite them for a flight.
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