Daniel's Perspective on Flying

Friday, October 21, 2005

“Manchester Tower, Cessna triple niner one seven ready for take off.” Cessna triple niner one seven. Position and hold runway 17. “Triple niner one seven, position and hold.”

Good, I sighed and leaned back in my seat a little to review the frequencies. Clearance Delivery- 135.9, Ground control-121.9, Control Tower-121.3, ATIS-119.55 with Yankee. So many new terms and regulations. It’s like a new language.

Triple niner one seven cleared for take off. Looking down the runway I felt dwarfed in the Cessna 172 beside the “heavy” airliners all around me. I quickly swung into action and pushed the small plane to full throttle and off I went, on my own. Cessna Triple niner one seven, cleared for extended left down wind runway one seven. You’re number tree after the Challenger. 

This is a small peek into what has been going on in my life over the last few months. The portion above is from my second solo flight and my first solo flight at a controlled airport within class C airspace! What a rush!

As most of you know I am in Maine getting my pilot's license while staying with the Fernalds, who are good friends of mine from earlier years in Maine. All has been rather quiet here except for the occasional airplane that comes into the little airport where I work.

This time has given me room to sit back and look at my options and what I want to do with my life and the more I study the more I’m sure. I will be a pilot in a mission field some day soon. I still have plans to go to Venezuela in early January and work there for a year or so while learning many of the skills for a future career and life in those lands. Until I have more time, this will have to do.

                         -Daniel Adams