by Alice Rush
I NEVER decided to be a mother, so my toughest achievement was earning my helicopter pilot’s license. I had no prior experience or background in flight. As a young girl, my mother often kept me from or encouraged me not to participate in activities that were unladylike. Hanging out with men in an airplane hanger and studying for what she saw as very dangerous was not ladylike. By the time I started my lessons, I was in my late thirties, much older than a typical new pilot, so mom couldn’t stop me. By then she saw me for who I am, and she was proud.
It was so difficult, though. I had so much going against me. Having no background in aviation was just the beginning. The bulk of the school was young men, most of whom saw me as some woman going through an early mid-life crisis, who wasn’t serious, she was just looking for adventure. Even as a child I was hyper-sensitive, and now in flight school I felt it all, and I doubted myself. I can still be thin-skinned, but I really grew from my experience. I frustrated no fewer than 5 instructors during my training.
That sounds pretty bad, but it was actually a good thing. Each instructor teaches differently and has unique tips. I acquired at least one new thought process or technique from each instructor. It took me a long time to recognize that I needed to completely manage the aircraft. The instructors always have dual control, but the idea is to transition that control. The student eventually takes charge and the instructor doesn’t need to consistently manage. I don’t remember having the same issues with learning to drive, but I needed a driver’s license to get work and to gain my teenage freedom, so there were other forces at play there. There are a host of reasons why it took me so long to learn that I had control in flight. The bottom line, as with so many challenges, was getting inside or outside of my own head.
WHEN MY first solo came, I was as ready as I could be. It’s spooky how many odd sounds can be heard in a helicopter when you are not flying with an instructor. It’s awkward for a while and everything seems a little intimidating, but after a few flights you settle in and recognize the sounds and you know everything is normal, or maybe it isn’t, but you know what to do. I put in my solo hours, and I passed my final flight test on the first try.
You would think that I would have learned about overcoming obstacles, but still, when I am confronted with a new mountain to climb, the nagging doubts sneak in. My feelings waffle as to what my next steps should be and whether it is worth it to continue a particular pursuit. But then again, one thing I learned from flying is that helicopters and airplanes take off best in a headwind. And finding your way through headwinds is all part of the journey of life though, isn’t it?
* Alice is a Maine realtor and a licensed helicopter and fixed wing pilot. She first met her Dutch husband in Maryland in 2005, and married him four years later.
