Name: Joseph M. Maldonado
Age: 54
Event: Solo
Where: Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Airplane: Cessna 172
My first solo flight was a lifetime dream come true for me. It was a moment of happiness, tears, excitement, exhilaration, and accomplishment. Everything I had learned during the previous weeks of flight training and throughout my life as a dedicated aviation enthusiast and sim pilot all fell into place and flowed smoothly during my flight.
There is still much more to learn before earning my private pilot certificate, but my first solo flight is definitely a pinnacle, life-changing milestone in my life, along with the birth of my son and the first time I saved a life as a doctor. As Charles Lindbergh said, “Science, beauty, freedom, adventure; what more could you ask of life? Aviation combined all the
elements that I loved.”
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