My life was a fairly normal one, being an only child in a blue-collar family, living in a loving household. The unexpected death of my grandmother, the years of illnesses of my grandfather, the destruction of their home after Hurricane Sandy - all obviously serious hardships, that will remain in my heart and mind forever, but they are events I can do little to change. In contrast, I recognized that there are personal hardships that are less life-changing, less long-lasting, more transient, and are able to be changed, corrected, or overcome.
When my grandfather introduced me to flying at the age of 12, no one expected or understood the importance it would have on my life. At that flight lesson, I learned about a local high school aviation program and couldn’t wait until my junior year to apply. I was accepted into the program and it quickly became a focus in my life. In addition to learning to fly, I learned to manage my time between high school classes and flight training. I became part of a team of students and instructors who shared a similar interest. We were each moving together on a new, clear path that would transform my life. Joining the aviation program was, in hindsight, the beginning of the rest of my life. It has allowed me to gain vital experience, build up flight hours, and be accepted into three leading Aeronautical Universities. On a more personal note; I matured, gained confidence and leadership skills that would serve me well throughout my life.
As a senior in the program, I wanted to do more, learn more, be more involved. I was hired for my first paying job as a Line Technician and Flight Dispatcher at the same airport where I took my first flight lesson. My job at the airport, plus the things I learned and contacts I made through aviation, lead me to believe I was ready to take the next step in my journey. I could take the money I was earning together with my saving, combined that with a small loan and purchase my own plane. I did my due diligence, spoke to everyone, researched various planes and their history, and had several mechanics check them out. Finally, I selected the plane, a 1966 Cessna 150 that had been owned and maintained by people I knew. While it was older than my parents, it checked out in good shape and it was within my tight budget. Everyone agreed it was a fine first plane, but they all warned there were no guarantees. The plan was, it would save me money in the long run by: moving me quickly toward my Private Pilot Certification, eliminating the cost of plane rentals, earn college credits, reducing my course load, and allowing me to log more flight hours that I could use toward future certifications.
Everything was progressing as planned until problems began to appear. I needed to repair the landing gear, purchase new headphones, and upgrade to the required FAA technology all costing me money I did not have. This all culminated three months later when the engine of my newly purchased airplane BLEW. Major repairs were needed, repairs I could not afford. My savings were gone, an International Pandemic stopped the world from spinning; all schools were closed, the airport shut down, and I was laid off from my job. The loan was coming due and my plane was grounded… along with my Private Pilot’s Certification and all my plans.
Once the initial shock subsided I evaluated my options. I spoke with the mechanics that had initially checked out the plane. They all agreed it was an old airplane; repairs would cost more than I could afford and would be more than the plane was worth. All looked lost until I spoke with an older semi-retired senior mechanic. He heard about the problem and said since he had owned nine Cessna’s, including MY plane 20 years ago; he would check it out. He felt he could repair the engine for an affordable fee. This amazing mentor would let me watch and help as he rebuilt my engine, and taught me so much about plane ownership, repairs, and just flying in general. He shared so many memories of his years working in the airlines and advised me on my future college choices. We worked on the plane, it took some time, we were progressing, but the clock was ticking. I had a coming deadline for both the loan and the required, expensive “yearly” inspection that was just weeks away. At this point, and with the wisdom my mentor shared, I realized that I was not ready to be a plane owner and decided to put it up for sale. Fortunately, the plane was finished quickly, and I was able to find a buyer within my timeframe.
While I lost money, and I am still paying off the loan, I learned a valuable life lesson – making plans and having dreams is just the beginning, you must always be prepared for failure with a viable Plan B. In the future, I plan to keep an open door to any flight students looking for advice and will have stories to share myself, starting with this one.
