For the past couple years, I've been working as a part-time Phy Ed teacher by day, a coach by evening, and a Residence Life Coordinator by night. My wife and I live on our college campus where I now supervise a group of RAs. I am compensated with housing for my job at the college, and my wife is also working full-time as a teacher.
One night last school year after a meeting at the college, one of my RAs, Conor, hung back to chat with me. He was an amazing student, great baseball player, and top notch RA with his eyes set on law school post graduation. He told me he was considering becoming an airline pilot. Wow! I thought. Tell me more. He went on to explain to me what he new about the industry, the process of becoming an airline pilot, and the airline pilot shortage that we are just on the brink of as baby boomers hit the mandatory retirement age of 65. He said he went on a demo flight and loved it. I told him to keep me posted and then walked back down the dorm room halls to my home. My wife and I probably had a conversation about how to keep a handful of middle schoolers from doing nothing in gym class (that is, to try to get them to at least do something), and I probably mentioned Conor's demo flight experience and how I thought it was cool, and then we probably ate dinner at 9pm and then we probably went to bed.
A week later, Sara had scheduled a demo flight for me. I was so excited to go up in a small plane. I could literally count on one hand the number of times I had been in any airplane. Unfortunately, the day of the flight came and the pilot called me to say that the clouds were too low and we wouldn't be able to make it work. I was disappointed. He tried to reschedule but it was a busy season for us, so I dropped it.
Me, Sara, Auntie Terri & Uncle Darwin
This past summer, Sara and I went on vacation in Hawaii, visiting our friends. We shared a lot of good conversations with our hosts who became fast friends. I shared with Auntie Terri the story about Conor and his choice to pursue an airline pilot career and how Sara immediately booked a demo flight for me but it all fell through. I was sharing the story in the context of how encouraging Sara can be. Then all of a sudden, Auntie Terri started to sound just like her. You'd be a great pilot, John! Uncle Darwin and Auntie Terri have some close friends who are pilots and they offered to connect me to a mentor in the industry. I thought that was kind. Then we got ready for a camping adventure with our friends. Flying was out of sight, out of mind.
Not a week after we had returned to Minnesota from our vacation, Sara had scheduled another demo flight for me. Last month on August 7th, 2013 I took my first flight. And that is where this story begins...
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