Summer Trip to Gpa and Gma's

Airplanes were the theme of this visit to Grandpa and Grandma's.
I knew nothing until Grandpa received a phone call.

My ADHD senses tingled.

"Re-schedule? Okay. It's for my son-in-law," Grandpa said.

Grandpa won a raffle at a local charity auction for a half-hour flying lesson. Grandpa and Grandma's love language is (and always has been) giving gifts...and they love surprises. Carrie had known about the lesson for three weeks!

Sunday, Shane, Grandpa, Grandma, and I drove to their airfield. Carrie stayed back.

Before we left, she told me, "Mike, I'm sure you'll have a great time, but I can't watch that." We told each other "I love you," and I saddled up for my soaring appointment.

I admit: I was scared.

My brothers and sisters often seem fearless (or sometimes oblivious), but I'm usually acutely aware of how things can go wrong in a situation. I can't let them have all the fun, though, so I let my impulsivity substitute for bravery. Once I start, I can't stop. I've done more stupid things (and had more fun stories) due to ADHD induced antics than I could ever remember (or write about).

Abraham Lincoln said a Proverbs based quote I like: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Swap "a fool" with "afraid of dying in a fiery plane crash" and that's about where I was. I figured I had a lot to live for! I didn't tell anyone, because I figured I was being paranoid.

Flying is on my list of "things I'd like to do" and you can't pass up opportunities to live life.I did make sure I told Carrie I loved her in case those were going to be my last words to her. God promises challenges in life and I hoped my challenge wouldn't be exploding, but it never hurts to cover your bases.

My flight crew and I arrived at the airport right on schedule. Grandma was thrilled to learn she could go up with me for no extra charge!

The day was windy and the plane was small. It was a Cessna of some sort.

At first, Grandma and I got a little nervous when the pilot, Jim, pulled out a checklist on a piece of paper and started talking himself through the pre-flight. A piece of paper? Shouldn't he know this!? Jim knew his stuff, though. He must have gone through the same check lists talking out loud at at least five different points! Before getting in, after getting in, after starting the plane, before pulling on the runway, after getting on the runway...

The cockpit was very retro and very cramped. The door kept my elbow glued to my ribs. My instruction was very brief, "Left goes left, right goes right, push forward to go down, and pull back to go up!" Jim pointed out at a bunch of different gauges and then we were off. There was no quiz.

It happened quickly. Once we were in the air, Jim looked at me and said "How about you take a turn?"

Suddenly I was flying.

It was like going really slow and really fast at the same time. Our airspeed was around 90 knots, but the wind was fighting us the whole way. The equivalent speed was probably close to 90 mph.

In a car, 90 mph feels very quick. You can see the pavement disappearing underneath you and objects whisking by. In a plane, there are no landmarks close by. The nose of the plane is large and you can't see what closest to you. All of the landmarks are far away, very small, and don't seem to change much.

Hence, the slow.

On the other hand, I was constantly fighting with the controls. Jim told me to "keep it at around 2,500 ft and don't drop below this speed." The wind was having it's way with the little Cessna.  I turned the stick to go left, pushed down to lose some altitude and the wind pulled me up a 100 ft and kept me on course.

And it kept changing!

A car driver expects to make little corrections to the wheel, but the a pilot gets no rest. I was constantly readjusting. The wind buffeted us and the altitude and open sky made the plane feel very small. It felt like getting bumped and jostled on a roller coaster ride.

Hence, the fast.

The miles melted away underneath us. The ground looked far more lush, flat, and full of water than I would have thought. Every lawn looks mowed at two thousand feet.

Jim was laid back the whole time. "You're doing good! Want a picture?" he said.

"I have my phone in my pocket." I said.

"Well get it out then and I'll take a picture!"

I try not to fish through my pockets while driving, but flying?

Jim must have noticed. "Oh, I'll take the controls for a second."

Like I said, laid back. Ha! I got the phone out and handed it to Jim. When he wasn't sure how to pull up the camera he handed it back and had me set it up.

I tried to look at the camera and smile, but my eyes kept glancing at all of the instruments!

The half hour passed in a blink. I was so engaged with trying to fly I didn't notice the time ticking away. It was a lot of fun. Jim took the controls back and brought us back to the airport for landing.

Shane and Grandpa were waiting for us. Shane got to run out and was thrilled to hit the plane. The "ground crew" took some pictures that I hope to post when I get them.

It was a busy weekend, but lots of good memories. The only downside was Shane's cold made it hard for him to sleep. I ended up holding/sleeping-with him in a recliner Saturday night when he kept coughing and wouldn't sleep. The next day, Shane passed out on a walk and Grandpa held him upright to sleep.

Speaking of Shane, it's about time to go pick him up from daycare. This is Captain Daddy signing off.