T Minus 7 and Counting

By this time next week, (weather permitting) I should be doing a "Walk Around" at LNS on N4601D, the Cessna 172 that I fly, in preparation for a very important flight. For years, I have dreamed about being able to take my Grandfather flying. It was he, who got me hooked on aviation as a very little boy. He used to be a pilot and would take me up when I was 4-5 years old. We would fly from Bridgeport over to Block Island and all around the Long Island Sound area. Those memories have lived comfortably in my mind for a long time. When I was a 15 year old kid, I had a flight lesson where I took my grandfather up. It meant a lot to me, but I just don't think I was old enough or mature enough to recognize how special it is to be able to do such a thing. That, and I was simply a kid who wasn't even close to comprehending what it meant to actually work for and achieve a pilot's license. Now, I'm an adult, who moved mountains in my life to achieve a goal and make a dream come true.

Next Saturday, I'll be able to share that dream with the man who introduced me to flying 25 years ago. Once again, it's he and I at the controls...This time....I'm in the pilot's seat. There is no way to even quantify the effect that people have in your life when you are a child. I'm just so grateful to have Stan Newman as my Grandfather. The man is now into his 80's and though he is no longer flying....he still gets around in style. (See Photo) Next week, I hope to be able to add another nice picture to my flying photo's collection.

Not only will I be able to share this wonderful weekend when my Grandfather, but for the first time in my lifetime, I'm going to have my mother join me for a flight. Now that I think about it, the last time I was on an airplane with my mother, it was USAir from Baltimore to Daytona Beach and that was 19 years ago. She's never flown with me as a student pilot either. For now, it looks as though her husband, my new Stepfather, will also be joining us and I'm very excited to welcome him aboard too. So, as long as God cooperates, this weekend stands to be extremely rewarding for me. Not only will I be able to fulfill a dream, but I'll also be treating everyone to Bruster's Ice Cream, because that's just a damn nice treat after flying.