Pilot at 63

It was my sixty-third birthday. Dawn was breaking on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, as I lay in bed contemplating the thousands of days, both behind me and, hopefully, before me. Where had the time gone?

The morning of solitude focused on memories of the past and dreams for the future. My thoughts went first to my pending August wedding but then moved quickly to my dreams of flying and the decades of thoughts related to obtaining a pilot certificate, of learning to fly. Where and when did this dream begin? Was it jumping off our family’s single car garage roof in 1955, at the age of 6? Was it watching two of my uncles do a low flyover of their homes on Indian Trail in Akron, Ohio? Or perhaps it was all those Saturday mornings watching Sky King, the aviation adventure TV series of the 1950s.

Life has a way of interfering with dreams. The time, effort, and financial commitment to obtain a pilot certificate is significant. I did not learn to fly because the availability of time and resources needed to pursue the dream were beyond my reach. It was then that I realized I now had both the time and the resources. The question became what is my excuse today?

Having no reasonable response or a new excuse, the decision was made. I prepared a pot of coffee and fired up the laptop. A search ensued for an online ground school, and after some hours of research, Gleim matched my learning style. The application and registration forms were processed, and my program digital links, books, and other materials arrived a few days later. As I perused the material it occurred to me that I had been unaware of what was to come over the next months, but I remained confident. One page at a time, one lesson at a time, and one quiz at a time. One hour at dawn each day was dedicated to the ground school study program and course work.

During the ground school period, a search for a flight school began. After many telephone interviews, I selected a small operation in Sebring, Florida, and a two-week July vacation was scheduled. Romke Sikkema and Jeff Hudson, the operators and CFI instructors, were there to meet me when I arrived at Sebring Regional Airport (SEF). At our meeting, I announced that it was my full intention to leave Sebring in two weeks with my sport pilot certification in hand. I found out later that the CFIs got a good chuckle out of my declaration.

There was a small apartment in the hangar that became my new home for the time I spent in Sebring. This took total immersion learning to a new level, resulting in more than 95 percent of my time in Sebring being spent at the airport. I cherish the memory. The training schedule was to fly as much as we could based on weather and wind conditions. Much of the time would then be spent on classroom instruction. The remaining time was dedicated to study. The airport was deserted during the evenings, save for me and the night watchman, and allowed for plenty of time to study and think. Over a two-week period, my ignorance showed its ugly head many times, but with each hour and lesson, my confidence grew. I will be forever indebted to my flight instructors, as they saved my bacon numerous times until I learned to save it on my own. My solo was July 25, and I successfully passed my FAA checkride on August 3, the fifteenth day. Cheryl and I got married the next week.

Now, 12 years later, I have logged hundreds of flight hours in my Tecnam Bravo N13HV, thousands of landings, and dozens of cross-country trips, and I have a logbook record of wonderful experiences.

I encourage anyone and everyone who has ever dreamed of flight to hold fast to your vision. Whether you are a new pilot, a rusty pilot, a student, or someone looking for life adventures, you are encouraged to move in that direction. There is so much support in the general aviation community that one does not have to look very far for assistance. Visit an airport. Introduce yourself to people. Talk to a flight school representative. Take an introductory flight. Find an EAA chapter near you. Join AOPA. Create your future. After all, you are the pilot in command.

Herb Hutchison is a private pilot living in Foley, Alabama. He is the AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer at Gulf Shores Airport (JKA).