Flying - Dreams Come True

Bill piloting plane

My husband is taking flight lessons.  When his mother passed away last year, he chose to celebrate her life by doing something that would bring him joy, with the money she left him.  Although this is a beautiful sentiment, I have to admit, I was not happy about his decision, because it was one of the few choices he has made completely without my input.   And because this involved some risk and demanded a large amount of time and money, I moped for several months.  Then Bill hit a snag while trying to meet all the FAA health requirements.  However, after a few frustrating months of meeting their qualifications, he finally passed and is back in the pilot seat.

Bountiful Temple in the distance

For Bill's birthday this spring, he asked for only one thing.  He wanted to take me on his first cross country training flight.  I agreed it would be fun to do, and so, he talked with an instructor and set a date.  He spent all day Saturday, preparing his first flight plan.  Upon arriving at the small airport nearby, his instructor patiently spent the next hour revising and teaching him how to correctly plot his flight, using manual rulers and instruments and weather updates.  It was mildly interesting, to the extent I could understand what they were saying, and increasingly intimidating.  I realized I was back in Math class, but I wasn't doing so well.

Sunset over Antelope Island

However, then things became more interesting, as we approached the plane.  Bill went through a thorough and detailed check of the Cessna single engine airplane, and then we climbed on board.  I sat in the back seat and we put on our headphones.  After taxiing and communicating over the radio, we were finally airborne.  And to our delight, we discovered a breathtaking sunset over the lake to our left, with a full moon rising over the Wasatch Mountains on our right.  And, on this night, the moon was unusually large, called a "Super Moon", because of it's closer proximity to the earth.  The ground was covered with the calm colors of early evening and the light shown off the water ponds below.  I was kicking myself for forgetting to bring my camera to capture it all.  I snapped a few, very inadequate pictures with my cell phone.

Moon rising over the Wasatch Front

I tried to remain quiet, so Bill could concentrate on what seemed like a thousand little things happening all at once.  I noticed his instructor's totally calm demeanor.  I decided either he was gifted, to subject himself to flights with student pilots, or crazy.  I was impressed with Bill's ability to send and interpret radio calls of other aircraft and airports we passed, while changing course or ascending and descending to different altitudes, on our way to a small airport in Logan.  I felt a little tense as he circled and prepared for landing, but he succeeded in flying a smooth touch and go, and pulled back into the air for our return trip, this time through Sardine Canyon.  It was exciting to see the mountains up close and recognize the roads we normally travel in the car.

In previous years, Bill shared some of his nighttime dreams with me, where he would fly and hover over things.  I felt sad that I had not had similar experiences in my sleep.  Then, one night, I dreamed Bill took me flying with him.  It was like in the Superman movies.  We flew side by side, with our finger tips touching.  I knew if I let go I would fall, but as long as I was touching him, I was safe.  It was a beautiful and sweet experience for me.  And I remember awakening and laying in bed, remembering the feelings I had during this dream together.  On that night, I shared the dream with Bill and thanked him for taking me flying.

And, now, here we were, literally soaring together in the air, on this beautiful night.

Some dreams come true.