The Glory of Flight

About the Author

Ron Rogers

Living life on the edge. By edge I don't meaning getting ready to fall off, rather looking across the edge of tomorrow.

More about Ron Rogers

It’s a crisp blue morning, early Fall, temperature mid 60s, taking a breath brings exhilaration. I’m driving to the airport, confident in my abilities to pilot an aircraft from “A to Z”. I’ve filed my flight plan, carefully looked over my route and can’t wait for “wheels up”.

It’s a crisp blue morning, early Fall, temperature mid 60s, taking a breath brings exhilaration. I’m driving to the airport, confident in my abilities to pilot an aircraft from “A to Z”. I’ve filed my flight plan, carefully looked over my route and can’t wait for “wheels up”.

Simply put, flying energizes me. I could have chosen any number of activities but when I “slip the surly bonds of earth” it makes me feel alive. I’m sure some reading this will be pilots, others enthusiasts, some simply curious. I’m not going to focus on the mechanics of piloting an aircraft, rather the emotions that flow when I gaze at a distant horizon, navigate with precision through the clouds on a rainy day or execute an aerobatic maneuver called an Immelman.

I’m not a commercial pilot (though I do hold a commercial rating), rather someone who enjoys every aspect of this fascinating sport/avocation or just plain expensive hobby. I’ve soared in gliders, competed in aerobatics (no I’m not an air-show pilot), landed on grass strips, flown to the Bahamas (the water is SO blue) had more than one forced landing (I’ll save that for another post) and taught others to share the magic of learning to fly.

Over time we’ll watch the Florida shore disappear and hear what’s been called “automatic rough” (when we imagine the engine sounds a bit off kilter), looking around we smile knowing we’re out of sight of land. We’ll dive dramatically toward the earth gaining speed then pulling back sharply on the stick then easing as we float over the top of a loop. We’ll navigate blindly through the clouds breaking the bottoms only 200 feet over the runway, (wow… what a feeling of accomplishment).

Flying demands attention to detail and also a bit of abandon. When we fly, problems that might have faced us moments before MUST be left on the ground as our attention is focused on the delicate balance of lift versus gravity.

One of my interests in life besides flying is self-hypnosis. Does that apply to flying and what the heck is it doing in this blog? In a way it does, when we reach the state of balance in life or flight, all is well with the world and the possibilities are limitless. When money is low or time is tight, I’ll quiet my mind, close my eyes and look “through my mind’s eye” at the distant horizon and if only for a few moments, all seems right with the world.