Journeymen

Take The Leap Of Faith

Taking a 3,000-pound metal machine into the sky and learning how to operate it is nothing short of easy. It is tough, time-consuming, financially demanding, and very dangerous. But deciding to leap into an airplane has been the most fantastic decision of my life. With almost 50 hours under my belt now, I have learned a lot in my first year, and there are things I would have done differently. Most importantly, one must fully understand what they are getting themselves into when taking off into the sky.

It has been a somber week in the world of aviation, and many individuals may have felt fear and doubt about flying. When I first began my lessons, it was a surreal experience being up in the sky, inside a small box. There isn’t much one can do up there except rely on training and follow procedures to return safely to the ground. There is no time to second-guess ourselves or lack confidence in our skills. Breathing and staying in the moment have been my greatest assets in flying. Learning how to breathe correctly keeps us open to anything that comes our way and allows us to react quickly to challenges.

I remember last week when my instructor and I were doing maneuvers over the Idaho border at around 9,000 feet. I was practicing slow flight, a maneuver designed to test my ability to maintain steady altitude and control while flying at low speeds and high angles of attack. As we practiced, we suddenly hit a buffer zone where the wind instantly picked up to 20 knots or higher. It was the first time I had experienced winds like that, and it was the highest I had ever flown. But I relied on my training, and the only thing I could do was simply breathe. We were fine—we got out of the buffer zone and back into smooth air. Moments like that define a pilot; they can either make or break you.

Aviation can be dangerous—anything can happen in a split second, testing your confidence and decision-making skills. But if there’s one thing I believe in, it’s this: if something scares you, do it. We often surprise ourselves by realizing we are built for challenges like this. Aviation can be intimidating at first, but it is also exhilarating.

To fly means more than just being a cool, badass pilot with a mustache and aviators to complete the look. It’s more than the glory of saying, “I’m a pilot.” It requires dedication, perseverance, and constant self-improvement. There will be ups and downs—many of them, trust me. But through it all, we are the ones who dare to fly the skies, the ones who go where many can’t or won’t. That is a privilege, and we must treat the skies with respect and appreciation, always remembering that we are not invincible.

Good luck to all who choose this trade—don’t give up, keep going, and most importantly, have fun!