How It All Started

     It all started when I toured Jacksonville University my senior year of high school. I had been toying with the idea of being pilot since I was a little kid, but my junior year of high school I started to seriously consider it. However on that day the fall semester of my senior year, my mind had been made up.

     My mom and I got up early on that Friday morning and drove over to Jacksonville. We got to the University, talked with admissions for a little bit and one of the student ambassadors gave us a tour around campus. I really liked the JU campus. It had the small town feel despite being in a large city, beautiful scenery and good atmosphere. We got the chance to talk with folks over at the Davis Aviation Center in the Davis College of Business (DCOB). Captain Willette was extremely nice and helpful. He told me that I could tour the flight school and even do a discovery flight. I jumped at the opportunity and we headed off the Craig Airfield. We got to Craig, one of the flight instructors showed us around and my mom setup of the discovery flight with dispatch. It was then that I got introduced to weight and balance as I sat in awkward silence as he calculated it. We headed out to the plane, did a pre-flight and hopped in. 

     We started up the plane, the instructor started talking to ATC over the radio. I could feel the excitement growing inside of me. We hadn't even started moving and I was already like, "dude, this is awesome". He let me taxi the plane a little which was a little more difficult than I had thought at first. Quickly did a engine check and we got cleared for takeoff. As the instructor put in full power and we started the takeoff role, I was almost bubbling over with excitement, then just all of a sudden, we were airborne. As the plane climbed, I just started out the window at the ground that was slowly getting smaller, taking in the moment. The instructor turned to me and gave me the flight controls, and he showed me how to do some basic maneuvers. It was in that serene moment as I softly gripped the controls that everything else faded away. The engine's throbbing dulled, the radios went quiet, and the beauty of the earth and the clouds left me awestruck. As I looked out with a wiry grin on my face I knew in that moment that I was meant to fly. 

     The entire ride home I wouldn't shut up about my experience in the airplane (that was of course when I wasn't sleeping). I couldn't wait to graduate, go to JU and start my flight training. It's almost all I could think about as my senioritis started kicking in. In just under a year, I was at JU and starting my flight training. Now, two years later, I'm an instrument rated pilot working on my commercial multi, a member of the International Aviation Fraternity Alpha Eta Rho, and the Flight Team Safety Officer. 

With that first flight in the little C172, my love of aviation began.