Debrief

When Kyle Petty retired from NASCAR racing he decided to pursue his dream of flying. “It was something I always wanted to do, but never took the time,” he says. He bought a Columbia 400 before starting lessons. “In typical Kyle Petty backasswards way of doing things, I decided to buy the fastest single-engine airplane you can buy,” he has been quoted as saying. But he soloed (October 2007) and passed his checkride (November 2008) in a rented Cessna 172.

Started in aviation… I have flown to and from races in private aircraft almost my whole life. When I quit racing, and my daughter lived in Nashville, I decided it was time to learn to fly so I could go back and forth from North Carolina to there to visit her.

Early challenges… An early challenge for me was just learning how to land the airplane. Trying to understand how to maneuver the airplane with my feet, the rudder. I was so used to driving a car with my hands that to steer the airplane with my feet was foreign.

Hardest lessons… For me the hardest thing to learn was talking on the radio. Making sure that I listened to the right information and relaying the right information back. I was always afraid of saying the wrong thing back.

Aviation activity… I just enjoy being around airplanes, talking to other pilots, landing at new airports. I think I learn something new every time I go up, so right now it is just enjoying the challenge each time.

Favorite aircraft… My airplane, a Columbia 400 .

Advice for students… Practice, practice, practice! Always try to learn something new during each flight.