“Flying down memory lane.”
For my checkout with Paul, we flew an old C172M model, which felt underpowered and sluggish compared to the Cessna 182’s and C172SP’s I have been flying. It probably felt like flying a brick compared to the Phenom’s and Beech-jets Paul flies now as a Captain. Nonetheless, it was an incredible day with my dear old friend Paul. With our move to the Naples area, I will be close to my old friend again, and I hope this will not be the last time we fly together, and I am convinced it will not be the last.
What a joy it is to share the joy of aviation with friends. Paul reminded me during our flight that I had taught him to put the ignition keys on the dash, so, as we were pre-flighting the aircraft, we would know the keys were not in the ignition switch as we walked around the propeller. He reminded me of the other little lessons or “isms” I taught him nearly 20 years ago, lessons that he teaches even today. It is a gift to know that in some way, you had a part in helping someone achieve their life-long dream, and to help a flight student learn the basics of flying. In Paul’s case, he has carried into his professional flying, many of those little disciplines that I taught him back in the day. I imagine he is passing on some of those lessons to other pilots as well. Thank you Paul for a wonderful blessing the other day.
Peace,
Eric+