The Real Journey - Part Three

Trevor fetched me from the hostel early on Saturday morning. The drive to the airport wasn’t far. The school was in a small town, and had a surprisingly busy little airport. Busy in that there were a lot of owner-pilots and student pilots pushing planes around, carrying out pre-flights or listening intently to an instructor. I was in heaven. My father and his father were in aviation. It was in my blood. I wanted to become a fighter pilot. I wanted to soar up where the sky breathes, above the clouds where it is always a sunny day, or starry night….

The Cessna he had booked was a cute little red 172. It was my first time in a light aircraft. I had been in passenger jets, even flown a real Airbus and Boeing simulator, but never in something small. Yes, I was nervous, but above all, I was exhilarated.

After the pre-flight, we taxied out to Runway zero eight, and the old 172 rattled to life and trundled gently towards heaven. As the wheels lifted gently off the tarmac, I suddenly felt that meaning had come to my life. We flew about twenty minutes to where the flatlands met the mountains. There is a beautiful man made lake high in the hills, which we flew over, skimming the sails of lazy yachts and bored sailors. My little camera swallowed up film after film.

Perhaps it was the excitement, perhaps the low steep turns catching my inner ear off guard, perhaps the Welsh rarebit for breakfast, but soon I was puking my lungs out into a small brown bag. I was embarrassed, but we laughed at the suddenness of it all.

Once nice and level again, I took the controls, and did some lazy turns here and there, easing the nausea.

All too soon, the flight was over and the little red Cessna was ticking with warmth on the apron. We went to the flight school where Trevor seemed to know everyone. I was introduced all around, and met who was to be my future flying instructor, Big Bob. Trev bragged about how good a pilot I was already. It was cool. I felt good. I felt important talking to these pilots and pilots to be. It was as if I had walked into the Top Gun movie set. It was a good day so far.

More plans had fallen into place.