Up ... up ... and away!!!
Toni Merriss
Issue date: 3/15/07 Section: Features
Take-off was much more simple than I would have imagined and for it being my first time, and Escue assured me that a few bumps were normal. Getting up in the air was a breeze, literally, and only a few times when we hit a bit of turbulence did I hesitate on the controls.
You see, I am not one for a bumpy ride even when I am not the one behind the controls, but it eased my jumpy heart knowing that Escue had a set of controls on his side of the plane should I start freaking out.
Many times when we travel on the ground, I think people forget to notice what is around them and appreciate the beauty in it. In a small aircraft, such as the Cessna 172 Skyhawk that I flew in, it was impossible not to notice the spring scenery that surrounds us here at JSU.
Although our flight was only from Oxford to Jacksonville and back, I saw things from a very different viewpoint. Our area is growing at such a rapid rate, and I personally never realized it until seeing it from above. We are on a fast track with the take-off ramp getting shorter everyday.
A huge thrill for me was flying over our JSU campus. We circled the city a few times and then were on our way back to land at Anniston Aviation... or so I thought.
As we approached the airstrip with Escue giving me directions and more than a little bit of help, we performed what he called a "too perfect landing for a first attempt," so... up we went again.
On our second approach, I began feeling like maybe we were pressing our luck trying for more than one perfect landing in a day. Luckily our second landing was pretty smooth, not as perfect as the first but hey, it was only my second time. So imagine my surprise when Escue sent us up ... up ... and away ... again.
This landing was a little bit different, in that we were coming down at a steeper angle (which just thrilled me ... okay not really), but then he almost gave me heart failure when he told me that we were going to see how fast we could stop on the runway. Well, he was serious, and we actually did have a good landing. And although I do not really feel like I contributed a lot on the speed stopping, we did land and stop in 500 ft.
Overall, I had a great time in my experience at Anniston Aviation (of course, when my heart was not caught in my throat) and would suggest at least trying it to everyone. For as little as $89 you can schedule your own flying lesson and be on your way to obtaining your pilot's lisense today!
For a really great website chock-full of more information, go to www.projectpilot.org/Chanticleer. The site can answer any questions you have and even set you up with an airport and instructor near you. So what are you waiting for? Get going and get up in the air!
You see, I am not one for a bumpy ride even when I am not the one behind the controls, but it eased my jumpy heart knowing that Escue had a set of controls on his side of the plane should I start freaking out.
Many times when we travel on the ground, I think people forget to notice what is around them and appreciate the beauty in it. In a small aircraft, such as the Cessna 172 Skyhawk that I flew in, it was impossible not to notice the spring scenery that surrounds us here at JSU.
Although our flight was only from Oxford to Jacksonville and back, I saw things from a very different viewpoint. Our area is growing at such a rapid rate, and I personally never realized it until seeing it from above. We are on a fast track with the take-off ramp getting shorter everyday.
A huge thrill for me was flying over our JSU campus. We circled the city a few times and then were on our way back to land at Anniston Aviation... or so I thought.
As we approached the airstrip with Escue giving me directions and more than a little bit of help, we performed what he called a "too perfect landing for a first attempt," so... up we went again.
On our second approach, I began feeling like maybe we were pressing our luck trying for more than one perfect landing in a day. Luckily our second landing was pretty smooth, not as perfect as the first but hey, it was only my second time. So imagine my surprise when Escue sent us up ... up ... and away ... again.
This landing was a little bit different, in that we were coming down at a steeper angle (which just thrilled me ... okay not really), but then he almost gave me heart failure when he told me that we were going to see how fast we could stop on the runway. Well, he was serious, and we actually did have a good landing. And although I do not really feel like I contributed a lot on the speed stopping, we did land and stop in 500 ft.
Overall, I had a great time in my experience at Anniston Aviation (of course, when my heart was not caught in my throat) and would suggest at least trying it to everyone. For as little as $89 you can schedule your own flying lesson and be on your way to obtaining your pilot's lisense today!
For a really great website chock-full of more information, go to www.projectpilot.org/Chanticleer. The site can answer any questions you have and even set you up with an airport and instructor near you. So what are you waiting for? Get going and get up in the air!
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