...and airplanes

Yesterday I went to the club and two of my best friends said “Do you want to go for an airplane ride?”

“Why yes, yes I would!” I responded

It was wonderful; we experienced the magic of flight.

They were honing their instrument approach skills.

Airplanes are wonderful devices. I have loved them as long as I can remember. My grandma Haynes would take me to the Shreveport Regional airport when I was three or four years old. On the way she drove that Volkswagen through as many puddles as possible. I recall laughing a like a maniac every time the water would splash. We would park and marvel at the magical mechanical dance of aircraft. 

When I was eight playing war my friend Todd always wanted to be a Marine and I always wanted to be an Air Force guy. When I was 19 I became an airman. As a combat controller I had one of the greatest jobs in the Air Force. http://tinyurl.com/okqpuyz

The people are what make CCT so awesome. Jumping out of airplanes and blowing stuff up is pretty cool and if you like being around aircraft then it is close to nirvana. I was able to jump out of many airplanes which means that you get to ride in the airplane, inspect the aircraft and later, as a jumpmaster hang out the side while in flight.  I traveled the world by military airlift.  I was a passenger on trips from Japan to Washington State and Japan to Australia in a C-130. Very time consuming.  I was also able to travel extensively on commercial flights dragging bags through the airport terminals of the world.  These were fun but controlling air traffic had a level of satisfaction that is hard to match.  Being a central part in the sometimes violent dance of man and machine is addicting.  I was able to watch airplanes take off and land at runways all over the world.  From Bung Lung, Cambodia to Fort Bragg, NC and many points in between.  I even got a ride in an F-16! 

Randy Blythe inspired me to finish my degree and apply to undergraduate pilot training. I didn't make the cut. The Soviet Union had just fallen apart. Stupid commies, bunch of quitters. I put in for three rounds of the selection board. On one of them there were 63 applicants and 3 got accepted.  Competition was stiff.  I was weighed, measured, and found wanting.  That is why they are the best. I was 28 and needed a waiver for my age.  I never considered learning how to fly on my own. That's what rich people and farmers do. “Park the Bentley next to the yacht and go flying.” was my paradigm.

Nearly ten years later, returning from a deployment to Kadena AB, Japan I saw a sign for the Aero Club. I signed up for a Discovery flight. I knew this was something I wanted to do. I landed, took my Harley off order, and put in for 30 days of leave and said “I want to do that for a living.”  Again, I have an AWESOME wife.  I spent my summer vacation in 1998 flying.  I flew 50 hours in one month and completed my private pilot training.  Naoya Tamanaha was my most excellent instructor.  He is a local, Okinawa to the core.  The precision that he applied to all areas of his life was amplified in his passionate dedication to aviation.  His patience was astonishing.  Then again he would not let me slide with “good enough” if he saw I could do better.

I was blessed with a full military career.  I continued to enthusiastically enjoy being a combat controller for several more years. Towards the end of my tour it became clear that my body was not up to par for the life of a special operations paratrooper. Realizing that I was a detriment rather than an asset to my team hurt my fragile ego but allowed me to transition to the next phase of my life. Upon retirement, we committed to pursuing the life of a professional aviator.  I went from living a dream life to living the dream. I have an awesome supportive wife. 

After our flight, I went back to the club and hung out with a group of airplane freaks and we talked about airplanes.  We occasionally work on the airplanes, and we certainly talk about working…and airplanes.