The theme of this issue is “celebrate your independence.” What greater sense of independence is there than the ability to part ways with the Earth? In an editorial meeting, fleshing out the articles and artwork that would bring this theme home to Flight Training readers, we brainstormed and reminisced about the points in our respective flight training journeys at which we knew without a doubt that we were pilots—notwithstanding the piece of plastic we carry in our wallets.
For me, it was not the solo—when I was too busy repeating my CFI’s admonitions out loud—or even the checkride. It was the day about a week after the checkride, when I loaded my husband and two children into a rented Socata Tampico TB9 for our very first $100 hamburger.
On that day, I was responsible not only for myself but for my loved ones. So I checked and rechecked the weather probably a dozen times, and performed possibly the longest preflight on record. Was I really ready for this?
Once airborne, the weight of the responsibility gradually gave way to the enjoyment of the flight. I chose the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, airport (LNS) as our destination, in part because I’d been there on my solo cross-country, so I knew I could find it. Eventually, I got much better at spotting airports from 10 miles out, and the possibilities opened up dramatically.
Over the years, I have flown my kids on several trips in which fun was the main objective and flying was the means to get us there. I started small with a lunch flight to Bay Bridge Airport (W29) in Stevensville, Maryland. It’s not even an hour from Frederick, but the route under the Class B shelf of Thurgood Marshall-Baltimore Washington Airport (there was no Special Flight Rules Area at the time) took us out over the Chesapeake Bay. The kids were excited to fly over the massive bridge span they had traveled by car so many times. Thanks to a tip from a local flight instructor, I discovered that the Citgo gas station a block from the airport had a surprisingly good lunch counter, which had earned it the nickname “the gourmet Citgo.”
We followed that up with a day trip to the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia to explore Luray Caverns’ stalactites and stalagmites. The folks at Luray Caverns Airport (LUA) shuttled us for free to the cavern; picked us up when we were finished; and boasted the cheapest full-serve avgas in the area.
In 2006 I got a complex endorsement and checked out in a Socata Trinidad—the faster, retractable-gear version of the Tampico—so that we could go farther in a shorter amount of time.
Our most memorable trip in the Trinidad was to Sandusky, Ohio, for roller coasters at Cedar Point amusement park. The trip took more than two hours, because I skirted the Pittsburgh and Cleveland Class B airspace.
We landed at Griffing Sandusky Airport (SKY), which looks out on Lake Erie. That final approach over the water was one of the most beautiful I’d flown. Cedar Point bills itself as the roller coaster capital of the world, and it does not disappoint. A cautionary note if you put this on your destination list: The SKY property is for sale, and while the airport is open, there are no services or upkeep. Instead, you can land at Carl L. Keller Field (PCW) in Port Clinton, Ohio, for fuel and more. AOPA Regional Manager Bryan Budds tells me PCW is a great alternative, with a diner (www.tingoosediner.com) that draws pilots from all around; the Liberty Aviation Museum; and U.S. Customs availability.
With each trip I could feel my confidence stretching and flexing. Flying creates its own grand sense of power, but—as Spider-Man’s Peter Parker learned—with great power comes great responsibility. As a new pilot, you may feel, as I did, a bit overwhelmed at the amount of responsibility you carry on each flight. As you begin to explore the possibilities that your new certificate affords, you will most certainly find your balance between planning and executing a safe flight—and enjoying all that your trip has to offer.
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