AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2021 - 47

came and went, some getting their certificates
as quickly as three months. This
was never an option for me because of my
full-time job and family commitments. My
wife wasn't a fan when I first started flying.
" Text me when you've landed, " she'd
always say. Once during a flight my phone
battery died and I was unable to send her
the note, which caused some trouble for
me and the immediate purchase of a portable
charger.
Everything was overwhelming when
I first started. Several of my preconceived
thoughts about flying a small airplane
were shattered. What? You can't just rattle
down the runway full throttle, but
also have to apply right rudder to fight
the left turning tendency while calling
out airspeeds? Crosswind correction
anyone? There was a feeling of inadequacy
in at least one part on every one
of those early flights. One day I was great
with the radio, sounding precise, smooth,
and crisp (maybe just in my head?), but
then I would land like a sack of potatoes;
the next flight I couldn't for the life of
me get the words out properly, but nailed
three closed patterns with fairytale landings.
It felt like I'd never get to the point
where everything would work together
in unison.
Often, I had terrible flights because
the pressures of work and life in a city like
Los Angeles would seep into my aviation
studies. Upon landing, Edgar, my instructor,
would ask me, " Had a rough week,
huh? " It was frustrating. I wanted to
dedicate more time to flying but couldn't
because I couldn't make it to the airport
in time after work before darkness
set in. Nonetheless I continued, encouraged
by my instructor, my family, and
several YouTube aviators. Edgar said
that I was " doing really well. " Something
I didn't feel at the time, although I tried
not to be too hard on myself. I told myself
there wasn't any pressure since this was
my hobby and not my job. Still, seeing
newer students solo so fast and getting
their picture taken with their certificate
next to " my " airplane would bother
me sometimes.
Then one day in January I fueled
up, preflighted, and took off with a fair
amount of crosswind and no assistance
from Edgar. I climbed straight out while keeping an eye on my crosswind
corrections, turned crosswind and right downwind, and headed
to our usual practice area over Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa
Clarita. I performed the whole menu of maneuvers from power on/off
to turns around a point, then got the latest ATIS, and returned to Van
Nuys. I stuck the landing and as I was clear of 16 Right, Edgar turned
to me and said, " That was it. That was your flight. " It didn't occur to me
right away what he meant by that, but as I was driving home, I felt like
a pilot for the first time. He said a few more flights and I would solo.
I was where I had felt for so long that I would never be. All that was
needed was a bit of finetuning in certain sections of the flight. The fundamentals
now worked, and the studies and lessons had paid off. I had
finally gained control over the whole process of flying a small airplane.
Then COVID arrived, and I haven't been in the cockpit since. At
first, I tried to dive into theory, but with my knowledge test already
passed in November 2019, and no end to the pandemic in sight, I got
lazy and didn't open my books for a while. I wanted to fly, not just
learn theory.
There is something soothing about the GA
airport environment...at a GA airport the
love and beauty of flying prevails.
How would I be able to stay proficient as an almost-solo student?
Since I couldn't be in an airplane safely during this pandemic
(cases in Los Angeles County kept skyrocketing, and my wife was
pregnant, so I didn't want to risk it), I at least wanted to be in the
environment, so I spent time at the public observation area. I happily
discovered that it was not just me. Airplane lovers, photographers
with giant lenses, and parents with their aviation-enthused kids are
also frequent visitors. There is something soothing about the GA airport
environment. Unlike bigger airports where the pressures and
general annoyance of travel seems apparent, at a GA airport the love
and beauty of flying prevails. I enjoy the comfort of the repetitive
nature of the operation, the humming of all kinds of different engines
in climbs and descents, the ATC instructions, and the expectant execution
of their orders.
Then there are the few quiet, intermittent moments in
between landings and takeoffs where I just listen to the wind and
wonder if it's changed direction or increased in strength with
the new METAR. Who doesn't crave this kind of ordinary poetry during
these times?
There is a song by German musician Reinhard Mey where one line
of the lyrics goes, " Above the clouds, where freedom must be endless,
all the fears, all the troubles stay below them and all the problems that
appear enormous shrink down to nothing. " I always found those lyrics
calming, even more so today. When I do get to climb back into a cockpit
in the future, I know that this time spent watching and listening to
ATC and pilots will pay off. Hopefully, I can continue where I left off
so my family can point me out in the sky one day. Harry Buerkle is a
student pilot in Van Nuys, California. He restarted flying in April 2021.
AOPA PILOT / October 2021
47
AOPA Pilot Magazine - October 2021

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