I Can Fly

For the last several years I have wanted to get my private pilot license. I made a promise to a friend I lost to cancer that I would pursue it. My problem was that I had a medical condition that prohibited me from ever getting my license (or so I thought). The fact that I hadn't done anything about it was starting wear on me. I had promised that I would see if there was anything that I could do to get cleared for a 3rd class medical but I just kind of blew it off. As time went by, I kept getting a nagging feeling that I was not living up to a promise I had made and it was really starting to bug me. It would be so easy to just blow it off and go on with life like nothing happened. So at the end of last year I sat down with my wife and let her know that I thought I needed to explore the idea of talking to a CME and see what my shot at getting through the process would be.

To be honest, I really didn't want to awaken any sleeping giants but I did make a promise. So I went against my procrastinating ways and made an appointment with the guy that everyone told me was the best at finding solutions to difficult medical conditions. I barely passed the basic portion because of my slowly deteriorating eyesight. I've been blessed with amazing eyesight but after turning 45, they are starting to go. Once we got through the easy part, I asked what it was I needed to do to satisfy the FAA.

So here we are 3 months later and I have passed all of the tests required by the FAA. I'll find out some time during the first week in April whether or not I have to jump through anymore hoops. The one thing that has happened is that I have now joined a flying club, started ground school and on Saturday March 31, I take my first lesson. So it is no more simulator for me. I'll be going up in N737TY a 1978 Cessna 172N for a couple of hours with my instructor (who happens to be my neighbor).

We'll have to see how things go after Saturday (if the weather holds) as to whether I'll have a future in this. From everything I've done already, this should be somewhat anti-climactic but I won't bet against it.