Flying and Flowing
Today I piloted my dad's Piper Dakota.
I awoke to the call of adventure. My parents woke me up shortly before 7AM to invite me to go on a journey to transport my dad’s airplane, a four-seater, single propeller, Piper Dakota from Doylestown, PA to Sky Manor in Pittstown, NJ. With sleep still in my eyes, I hopped to it, brushed my teeth, jumped in and out of the shower, and passed out in the back of the sedan. When I awoke, we were in Doylestown and my dad’s co-pilot, Jake, was there waiting for us. The scene looked a little like this:
We wiped the frozen condensation from the wings and worked our way through the pre-flight checklist. Once cleared by air traffic control, we lifted off into a strong headwind and made our way to Lancaster, PA. While my dad and Jake flew, I visually identified planes that were picked up on our radar—I don’t think it’s actually radar but I don’t know the proper name of this particular piece of avionics. My back seat spotting came in handy a couple times, actually! Luckily, the approximately forty-minute flight was uneventful.
My dad and Jake landed smoothly in Lancaster and we taxied to the flight shop at the end of a massive runway. I mean, I don’t know what the airport in Lancaster, PA, with a population of 57,000, was built for, but this strip could handle a freakin’ aircraft carrier—nevermind the airplanes aboard. Much to our dismay, the flight shop was closed. After marveling at an incredibly cool private jet, we got back into our own vehicle. This time, Jake took the pilot’s seat and I assumed the co-pilot’s position. Jake, a certified flight instructor, had me take him through the hot-engine pre-flight checklist and he helped me lift the airplane off the ground. OK, Jake did a lot of correcting, but I successfully got the airplane off the runway—much to everyone’s satisfaction, especially my mom’s. While banking, trimming, leveling, and generally piloting the airplane, my attention was 100% focused on the task at hand; I was flowing. The instruments are many, complicated, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Sounds stressful. Is fun! Here’s a photo of me completely immersed in the cockpit:
I was completely in control of the airplane shortly after takeoff and only handed off control to Jake for the last 1200 feet of descent and landing. Takeoff and landing are definitely the most stressful and exciting parts of flying. I was not quite ready to land the airplane today but I am excited to do so in the future! After landing at Sky Manor going through the post-flight checklist, and refueling, I spoke to Jake. Jake had been flying with my dad since I was about 10 years old and had even babysat for me when he was my present age (22 years old). He told me that flying had been his passion since his dad brought him to his first lesson when he was 12 years old. Jake, a genuinely good guy, through his skill, determination, and good nature is now the captain of a large corporation’s G6 Gulfstream. Jake pilots this beautiful craft at nearly the speed of sound. The man does what he loves for a living and makes a good living in so doing.
Jake is an expert pilot, a stellar instructor, and a happy dude. I hope that, when I am Jake’s age, I will be proud to report that I have followed my vocation and made it my profession. Here’s to men like Jake and my dad, and women like my mom!