Flying

When I was six years old, my parents surprised my sister and I by taking us to Disney World. I remember getting in the car and driving into downtown Charlotte, NC, not knowing where in the world we were going. We pulled up to the airport, and I remember my dad saying, "Girls, we're going flying!" Somewhere he acquired two stick-on pilot wings - the kind that commercial pilots wear on their uniforms - and attached them to our jackets. We boarded the plane, and off we went. Since then, I've been hooked.

Me and my sister, Madeline.

On July 7, 2007, I completed my solo in a Cessna 172. I received all of my private pilot training from Pressley Aviation out of Arant Field in Monroe, NC. Arant is a 2,500-foot-long grass runway with a downhill dog leg. "If you can learn to fly here, you can fly anywhere," said my flight instructor. So far, I've found that to be pretty true!

                                                  Here I am, full throttle, on my first takeoff by myself.

On October 21, 2009, two days after my 17th birthday, I successfully completed my check ride. I was so happy to be a private pilot!

Here I am stepping out of the airplane after flying back from my check ride. My family was waiting with a bottle of sparkling                   grape juice to celebrate.

For the next two years, I would fly every chance I had! I decided this past summer to go for my Instrument Rating. I received all of my pilot training from Andrew Hyatt, a CFII for FlyCarolina. Instead of flying out of a grass strip, I trained out of Concord Regional Airport. Class D airspace, directly adjacent to Charlotte Bravo airspace, is a whole different world up there! After eight weeks of intense ground school and flying, I passed my check ride.

                         Here I am holding my license after successfully completing a 4-hour-long oral exam and check ride.

I am currently an Instrument Rated pilot hoping to earn my Commercial Rating in the next few years.

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