Why I fly

I usually have a flight scheduled for Saturdays but this weekend I have canceled my flight as the RG is not available. There are only five more lessons that I need to complete this term and all of them require a complex aircraft. This was part of my plan as I knew that Winter Term would have less than perfect weather and so that I could get this flying done before going back and brushing up for my instrument checkride. It looks like my plan will pay off as I should be able to complete my complex lessons in the next couple of weeks and then have a couple of weeks to get my checkride done.

I am really looking forward to finishing my instrument rating. It has been a few years since I’ve gone up with an examiner and I know that I am ready. Learning to fly up-into, over, and back down-through the clouds has been challenging but very rewarding at the same time. One morning back in late summer my instructor and I took off out of Troutdale with a low layer of clouds over the airport. The layer was just high enough to meet our minimum requirements to be able to get back in. As we climbed up into the clouds I went through the various maneuvers as assigned and eventually was cleared to climb up to 4,000 feet. Right around 3,800 we came through the tops of the cloud layer and could see the beautiful blue sky above us and all the mountains in the distance. It was a stunning view and one that I had looked forward to seeing ever since I had taken my first lesson. To be able to takeoff on a cloudy day and get up to where the sky is blue while everyone else is still down below living through a gray and dreary day, makes me feel a sense of pride in all I have accomplished. The things I have worked so hard to achieve are in my hands and all I have to do is grab ahold!

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