I spent some time today talking with another would-be pilot. He has had his love of flight since three years old, and began his flight training while in the Air Force. While about 40-years-old he is still working his way to his dream of being a pilot.
The realities of life got in the way and with a career, family, and other distractions he has not yet earned his certificate. He pointed out the time and money involved can be a lot when you have other responsibilities.
We talked a lot about the need for more people to become pilots. He had strong thoughts on how the industry should work to attract people under 50 to learn to fly, as with few young people becoming pilots the whole system of General Aviation will be threatened in the long term. It is not something only for the wealthy, but we agreed there should be more exposure to the opportunities for the whole population.
Our discussion also moved to the things I was learning in my online ground school class about the basics of aerodynamics. It was fun to chat with somebody about the subject and the more we talked about flight the more I was excited about building community with others in and around aviation.
I am surprised each time I talk about flying with others who those who are pilots (or want to be pilots) come out of the woodwork to encourage my interest.
Reality is that I am talking little baby steps on what is clearly a long journey... but it is a lot of fun. A wise man told me that keeping the enthusiasm is going to be paramount to my success in this endeavor. I can tell that the community is going to be key.
Have A Great Day.
thom singer
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