Rich's Quest For Flight

Welcome to the first post in Rich's Quest For Flight. As you can probably tell, I'm Rich.

I had my first ride in an airplane on a summer day in 1967 in Warner Robins, Georgia. My father had earned his pilot's license while he served in the Air Force. During his stint in the Air Force he had discovered his calling and had made a quick progression in flight training and certification, starting with his private pilot's license, then instrument rating, multi-engine, and commercial rating. He also was certified as an instructor. He did this all in a very short period of time. He knew what he was going to do for his life after the Air Force. When he landed his first professional job as the pilot for a young soul singer from Macon named Otis Redding, he processed out of the service and began his new career. It would be a short career, ending when the Beechcraft he was flying crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin on a cold December day in 1967.

But that flight with my father became stamped in my memory. There I was, in the right seat, my dad at the controls. Unencumbered by restraints in any direction, we were floating high in the sky. I was barely tall enough to see out the door window, but I could see for miles. The most vivid memory was when my dad offered me the controls. I was mortified! How could I possibly fly this plane? But perhaps it was that moment that became the seed of a dream that I would now, after 39 years, finally fulfill. And, it is the single memory that remains of the father I lost a short time later.

So here we are. Learning to fly. This blog will be a journal in the traditional sense. I aim to document every action and every expense of all the events during the course of the next several months. I am doing it really for no one else but me, and the memory of my father. For those who wish to follow along, welcome aboard. It should be a fun ride.

Hey, I love the idea of what you're doing here, and I look forward to following your adventure.
Good luck!

I'm sorry you lost your dad so long ago. Best of luck Rich and enjoy.