Becoming a private pilot

"This was an amazing feat, it is. Something that seemed so impossible immediately became possible -it was something I truly never believed I could ever do." -Jetta

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Ever since my dream began I remember that initial moment I made contact with the world of aviation. I figured all of this out in what seemed like a blip of time. See, life is all about new beginnings and starting new chapters, and that is what has come forth to me. There was nothing like walking through the Salt Lake International Airport for the first time, gazing at all of the aircraft parked out on the ram. My eyes glanced over and saw a tall tower that when angled perfectly, touches the peaks of the mountains. Many people for the longest time has had their eyes forwarded to the sky with a keen interest in the foundations of flight. I know that because I have been one for the longest time. As the jet engines turned on, the flaps lowered, and the smell of avgas burned my nose I knew that I couldn't get enough. I could not let that moment go, I could not let anything hinder me from attending this dream. With the furtherance of my personal research the determination became real. There was no doubt in my mind that flying was for me.

That breath of fresh air led me here to where I am today. I started flight training here at Southern Utah University in the Fall of 2022. From the first day of training I truly felt at home in the skies. Every time I would have a flight I would find comfort in knowing I was going up to where I belong. If I looked back at my younger self I would honestly say, "do you know where you will be at in 5-10 years?" I had no idea that I would be where I am today. The beginning of my training began near perfect until I hit a few hiccups in the road, but soon after they were fixed. The mindset of a lion became that of my very own. I was bold, determined, and put forth a unique amount of effort. I could not even imagine what my life would be like if I did give up. There were definitely moments where I felt like doing so, but in the end I obviously persevered to becoming a private pilot. 

One of the best things about being an aviation student is the fact that no day is the same. During the first week of flight training I found myself performing stall training. I would say that the first time I felt that stall, buffet, and break was the time that my eyes were opened to the fundamentals of flying. Over the coming months while I was furthering my training, those flights turned into me soloing the gorgeous Cirrus SR-20 G6 airplane. I was able to complete my initial solo at Saint George Regional Airport in the southern part of Utah. This was exhilarating because it was my first time being the sole occupant in the airplane.  If someone does not fly planes or has not been through flight training it is hard to explain this huge event in a way to where they could understand. I always said that flying is freedom and freedom is flight, but during my initial solo is when I felt the true freedom of it all. 

From the initial start to the next step which was soloing, I can attest to the fact that everything thereafter was promising. i started off this semester with flying at a towered airport. It was quite funny because I was supposed to do it at Grand Canyon (KGCN) but their snowplows were broken, so I ended up doing it at Henderson Executive Airport. I really enjoyed that because I was able to fly and land on parallel runways. I highly enjoyed having a slightly different environment to fly in. In Cedar city things are a little different at our airport versus Henderson Executive, which made it even more interesting. I thought talking to the tower and getting vectored through the bravo was a cool part of my training.

What is even better than a towered solo? If I do say so myself, my 150 nautical mile solo cross country was the best one of all time. When I got up in the air and realized it was just me and the little airplane I knew this was going to be a good flight. The first leg was from Cedar City Regional to Delta airport, which is up north in relation to KCDC. This one was a blast because all I could see for miles and miles was endless snowcapped mountains. I loved this because I always took the snow for granted in the state of Utah, but this time it was much different. I saw a painted landscape and that landscape was my home state. When I landed at Delta I did have to do a go around due to birds flying down low over the runway. They then flew in front of me, so I had to adjust the aircraft for the given scenario. The second leg was all the way to Fillmore. Fillmore's runway needs some maintenance, but other than that it was a nice little place to land. After that it was back to Cedar.

One thing I loved about my training to becoming a private pilot was when I would communicate with others. On my solo flights I was able to strike a lot of conversations with other pilots over frequency. I enjoyed hearing their excitement about a new student pilot on a solo flight. On every single one of my solo flights I had at least one person comment through frequency about how amazing it is to have young people like me flying. I remember on my initial solo SkyWest pilots were holding short of the runway just so I could land. They began commenting and congratulating me on flying solo for the first time. These moments are what kept me going through the hard parts of my training. These comments are what helped me have faith in myself. So if the SkyWest and the general aviation pilots ever read this, I want to deeply thank you and show my appreciation for calling me out, congratulating me, and filling me with positive things. I am here to continue the legacy of aviation -of these amazing men and women who fly metal birds. Those comments will never leave my mind, as they are forever permeated inside.

When I got the notice that it was time to take my checkride my heart started to flutter with excitement. I was quite nervous when I got to the airport, but other than that nerves were at a minima. I sat down for the ground portion and personally thought it was quite simple. I took my checkride flight in high winds, which made it even more fun. I personally enjoyed the flight and the DPE was awesome. The moment that I got the news I passed was the moment I my heart nearly stopped because I had so much joy. My dream of becoming a pilot finally came true. Now there is way more to this dream than just private pilot -instrument, commercial, CFI, and CFII. However, I have the best and most highly prized title of pilot. As a private pilot I can now act as pilot in command while flying for fun. 

The amazing opportunities and learning experiences the past two semesters has brought forth to me has been amazing. The second I realized that all the heartache, tears, and countless hours of studying paid off was the second yet another epiphany hit. I had my eyes to the sky even more. The drive to become an airline pilot was at an all time high. The yearning to fight and to keep flying took over my body.Everything I went through was for a reason, and here I am with the license and title of private pilot. Everything I have dreamed of is coming true. If there is one thing that I learned from this it is to be confident with yourself, put forth the effort, and have faith that you can do this. Nothing is impossible because if it was, there would be nothing on this planet and we wouldn't exist. Faith moves mountains, determination fights the lion, and effort frees the past. I am a private pilot, and I love to fly. Every moment added up into this big one. I never believed I could, and others did the same. However, I proved both them and myself wrong. Anyone can do anything... they just have to put their mind to it. So go, go chase your dream because everything will be worth it.