During high school and college I wanted to learn to fly so badly I could taste it. But being as poor as a church mouse I saw no way of ever getting enough money together to make it happen. So I eventually forgot about flying and got on with my life.
Over the years I was able to take fairly short flights with pilot friends on various occasions. It was always exciting for me, no matter where we went or how long we were gone. Around 10 years ago, after our son Eric had learned to fly, he took his mom and me flying as a Christmas present to us. I loved it! I didn’t want the flight to ever end. But I still wasn’t quite ready, financially that is.
During Christmas 2002 Leslie and I were visiting Stephanie and her family in Alabama. Steph’s husband Rich took me for a short flight in a Cessna 150. We were no sooner leveled off when he had me take the yoke and steer the plane. That’s all it took. I was hooked. I thought to myself that maybe it was no longer out of reach financially to be able to fly. I allowed myself the privilege to think it was feasible. By the time that short flight was over, I had made up my mind that I would learn to fly!
The day after returning home from Alabama I walked into the Santa Cruz Flying Club at the Watsonville Airport to sign up for flying lessons. A young woman standing there said, “Hi, I’m Amber. I’m an instructor. Would you like to take an introductory flight to see how you like it?”
I said, “No. I want to learn to fly.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to start with an introductory lesson,” she said. “It’s just a short 30-minute flight to see how you like it.”
Somewhat more forcefully I said, “I already like it. I want to learn to fly! When can we start lessons?”
She finally realized how serious I was and gave me my first lesson on January 3, 2003 in a Cessna 150. After the first lesson I said, “Let’s move up to the Cessna 172. The 150’s too small and uncomfortable for (big old fat) me. I soloed on Valentine’s Day 2003. I passed my checkride for my Private License in July 2003.
In September 2003 I joined a small group of 10 called Beach Barons, Inc. who bought a Cherokee 140 to put it online (for rent) with the Santa Cruz Flying Club. I switched to flying the Cherokee and loved it. It was my first experience with a low wing aircraft and I like the way it handled. As a new pilot, I liked that the Cherokee is a very forgiving plane. I flew as much as I could, roughly 10 hours a month. I received my Instrument rating in the Cherokee in August 2005.
During 2005 the Beach Barons group decided to purchase another plane, a Cessna 150, to put online at the club as a rental. We found a plane that we wanted, but it was in Pocatello, Idaho. In October 2005 I flew on my first long cross country flight to Pocatello in the Cherokee with another Beach Barons owner, Dan Dawson. It took us two days to fly there and two days to fly back, with a day in between to check out the plane before we bought it. Dan flew the Cessna 150 back and I flew the Cherokee. Before the trip I wanted to spread my wings and do more than just a one or two hour flight. Would a long flight be harder? Would it be more or less fun? All I knew was I had to find out. When this opportunity came up, I jumped at it! I don’t know what I would have done if more than two of us wanted to go. Anyway, it was a great experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. It turned out not being any harder or easier. But it sure was a lot of fun! A long cross country is just a bunch of short flights strung together. You end up stopping every two hours or so for fuel and a potty break, and maybe a meal. I’ve been yearning for another long flight ever since.
I want to give a special thanks to Eric and Rich for getting me hooked. They have both been very supportive mentors during this new period in my life. It has been great to be able to tell them about my latest flying adventure, or seek their counsel on occasion. I also want to thank Leslie for allowing me to chase this passion. She doesn’t enjoy flying as much as I do (at all), but she knows what it means to me and allows me to fully enjoy my passion.
And somewhere along the line I picked up the nickname Sky King, after the 1960’s TV character.
Sky King
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