View from above

A few years ago I decided to take an introductory flight lesson at Republic Airport on Long Island. My instructor, David, explained the process and walked me through the preflight. As we taxied to the runway my palms were sweaty, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. I was excited and extremely scared. We were told to position the plane on the runway and hold, while we waited for the traffic in front of us to dissipate. Moments later we were cleared for takeoff. My instructor guided me along as I waited for the airspeed to increase. Then I proceeded to pull the yoke back, at that point the plane became airborne. Many things where going on at once: the objects on the ground morphing into unrecognizable shapes, the voice of the controller directing other flights, the instruments on the plane feeding us information. Along with the emotions that I was feeling and the picturesque scenery in my view. I was overwhelmed and tried to enjoy every single moment. My training continued on and off for a year. However, due to circumstances in my life I had to stop flying after logging 80 hours of flight time. It was very difficult to give up especially since I was so close to getting my licence. I spent many weekends looking up at the sky wishing I was up there. After being grounded for nearly two years I finally had the opportunity to go flying this past Saturday. As I flew across Long Island Sound watching the magnificent sun set I wasn't overwhelmed or scared but felt calm and at home as if the sky was waiting for my return.
(photo: Captree Monument, Long Island, 2003)