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01/08 - A Personal View – Flight training, an ageless endeavor

I’ve been a flight instructor for a number of years, focusing primarily on training sport pilot and private pilot students. Frequently, I get asked questions about age. How old should my son or daughter be to begin flight lessons? Or, I’m nearly 70 years of age. Am I too old to learn?

(Take a moment and check the Q & A section of this e-newsletter for one question about age.)

Recently, in response to Reach For The Sky, I received the following short note and poem. After reading, I was quite intrigued by the author and wanted to learn more. I contacted her and received a most delightful reply. I’d like to share both with you.

Marguerite writes:

As a 65 year old woman, attending my first AirVenture last summer, I was inspired by the possibility that I, too, might learn to fly, and wrote this little poem:

To Fly
To fly, to soar,
To rise above the trees,
To float, to glide,
To be within the breeze.
To duck and dodge,
To fly amongst the clouds.
To see the world, so clean and crisp,
To rise above the crowds.
To feel, to be…
The one who flies the flight.
To lift and swoop
To take in such delight…
To think, to learn,
To have in one’s own hand,
The knowledge and the skill it takes
To fly above the land.

Composed by Marguerite A. Greene
10/19/2007

Marguerite’s response to my inquiry:

Greetings Steve!

Happy New Year to you and also and thank you for writing. You asked about my inspiration?

Well, my inspiration/motivation to fly is a long story, which I’ll try to keep brief. Watching Peter Pan as a child, my sleep was filled with dreams of flying.

Later in life I flew with my husband, who was a pilot, as a passenger only and loved it. Also, I enjoyed commercial flights to visit family. When my husband entered a nursing home with advanced Alzheimer’s, I really needed some purpose. Sixteen years of taking care of him and now I had nothing to do!

A friend, a pilot and CFI, was building a plane, so I offered to help out with the mundane chores; polishing the plane, cleaning and straightening the shop, etc. The work filled a void and became more enjoyable and educational. As I began to learn such things as how to cleco, rivet, and how to time an aircraft engine; I wanted to learn more. What are the functions of the avionics? What about the pitot/static line? What’s their purpose?

Add to the mix, my very first trip, last summer, to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, a world I didn’t know existed. I made the 7-hour trip back and forth from Oshkosh to Indiana on three occasions, to check on things at home. I couldn’t wait to return to Oshkosh to witness the ongoing preparations for AirVenture and to share in the experience.

While volunteering at the Wearhouse, tagging merchandise and helping with Meet & Greet at the Authors’ Corner a few times, I met so many amazing men and women and experienced the privilege of hearing their life stories.

Men like C. E. “Bud” Anderson gave me a hug and signed my copy of his book. Listening to lectures by Patty Wagstaff and Tim Voss, from NASA, and many trips to the museum to learn about other pilots and their accomplishments, deepened by enthusiasm. Rutan and SpaceShipOne, the films of women pilots and also a host of volunteers who shared their stories on those quiet evenings leading up to AirVenture were inspirational. Each is to be admired for their accomplishments and dedication to EAA, and finally watching the “World of AirVenture” become a reality.

So here I sit, at 65, with my Sporty’s Pilot Course on DVD studying ground instructions, challenging myself. Can I do this? All that is for sure is that I want to fly!

Sincerely,

Marguerite Greene
(just call me Marge)

Editor’s Note: You truly are an inspiration to all and you have shown that the challenge of flight is ageless. I’d love to fly with you someday.