It was early on a Tuesday morning. I was sitting straight as an arrow in the red leather pilot seat of a 1988 vintage Cessna Skyhawk 172. My instructor, Patrick Herclotz, sat bravely beside me. I had a rigor mortis grip on the yolk, which is the part in an airplane that people commonly mistake for a steering wheel. The sky was a perfect blue and the ground looked even better.Despite my fear of commercial flying, it has always been a dream of mine to get my pilot certification. So, there I was – rigid and sweaty – flying an airplane for the first time. With every bump of turbulence or sudden change in cabin pressure, my empty stomach did back flips. My legs prickled at the thought of diving nose first into the green earth. The first lesson I learned about being a pilot was to never fly on an empty stomach.Herclotz was speaking to an air traffic controller in a voice that sounded to me like a robot.”The hardest part about learning to fly is learning the correct way to communicate with air traffic controllers,” he said, as I tried to overcompensate for wind by turning the yoke, which doesn’t work. You actually steer an aircraft with your feet, not your hands. This is a hard adjustment for those of us accustomed to driving a car. I could barely see above the many knobs and dials that made up the cockpit, but the view out of the side window was spectacular.We flew out of the Meadow Lake airport in Peyton and headed west to Garden of the Gods. After the first 20 minutes, I began to vaguely understand the workings of the aircraft. We spent just under an hour soaring above Colorado Springs. The toughest part about piloting was taking into account not only direction but altitude and angle. I couldn’t help but wonder how flight instructors could dare to sit in a cockpit with a novice. My instructor teaches at Springs Aviation, a flight school located at Meadow Lake Airport.Upon arrival at Springs Aviation, I was greeted by a welcoming staff and many interesting aircrafts. My first lesson consisted of pre-flight checks, takeoff, landing, post-flight checks and parking the aircraft. After my introductory flight, I was given a tour of the classroom. To obtain a pilot certification one must have a minimum of 40 hours of flight time, 20 hours of flight training and 10 hours of solo flight. Classes are offered to those from all walks of life because of the freedom and flexibility flying brings. Although lessons are pricey, payment plans are available. If you are interested in flying lessons out of Meadow Lake, visit http://springsaviation.com.My adventure at Springs Aviation was set up by Let’s Go Flying, which is an aviation initiative sponsored by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Let’s Go Flying offers many resources for those who are interested in learning to fly, whether it is for business, recreation or travel. They offer discounted introductory flights at thousands of flight schools nationwide. To find pricing, requirements or information about flight schools, visit http://letsgoflying.com.The most important lesson I learned from flying is that the world is so much smaller than I imagined. I hope to return to Springs Aviation in pursuit of my certification. It is fascinating how being inside of an airplane is so very loud, but looking down at the world brings a sense of silence.
