Did I feel privileged? Oh NO! What the h/$# am I doing here? was my feeling. And I felt very privileged when I was on the ground, even if I had to do some paperwork for the CAA.

I agree with you Galdri 🙂 I wrote most of this when I was still training with a sort a naive approach maybe. Since then, I did too have some flights where I wish I was somewhere else, at least safe on the ground and not 6 feet under!
One in particular where I was the only one in the circuit no having realised that the wind had picked up like mad. It took me 3 attempts to land and I was getting angry at myself as I thought it was my fault. When I did land the tower said I had won a whisky one the house because they didn’t think I would land but didn’t want to tell me while I was trying….

Steph…at the moment, the only real thing stopping me from learning to fly is finances…and a total lack of any idea of what I might do with a licence once I’d got it…I wouldn’t want to get my licence and then not doing anything with it…

Ashley, I understand what you mean and this is actually a very important topic to discuss before you start because getting the PPL means a lot of time, energy and money.

I have read this great book by Nigel Everett “Beyond the PPL” where the author describes all the things that you can do and should consider doing with your license. In the introduction, he says that there are indeed too many pilots who let their license lapse a few months after graduating, which is a shame. Basically these pilots end up being demotivated by wondering alone in the local area like lost souls and quickly the ratio energy-money vs pleasure is not worth it.

Other pilots with a lot more experience than I will probably tell us about what keeps them flying, let’s have their views.

As for me, I think it’s good to have a plan all the time. My one this year is to start aerobatics (I’m sure there is a lot to keep me busy before becoming an expert), get a cross-channel check out and find a budy pilot to fly with enough to keep me happy and not too much for my budget. The thing is that I will move to France next year… But definitely the first thing I’ll do over there is to go in a group, where I’m sure to find other pilots (men and women) who will be happy to fly with me, share the cost+fun.

This is not really original but it’s my plan and I’m willing to put the energy into realising it. That means putting the effort into preparing the flights or even imagining interesting routes, call up the club, other pilots etc.

In fact, this in only very recent since I was never in a position where I wanted to fly but couldn’t: when I arrived in South Africa, I knew no-one and got into flying by accident almost and thought it was a good challenge and opportunity to meet people. I only started worrying about what to do with the license After the PPL exam and I could have well been another victim of the lost soul flying wouldn’t it be for meeting motivated pilots around me.

I guess many women do perceive aviation as a “man’s thing”…and that perception applies to a lot of men too sometimes…I work at Duxford, and find it quite hard to be taken seriously as someone who is interested in aviation, and not just a woman (if that makes sense?)

The fact that there are a lot more men than women flying should not be the reason for aviation to be or to stay a guy thing if it ever is! That’s for sure.

I view any woman who flies with a slight extra respect, not because “flying must be harder for a woman practically”* but because she will probably have to put more energy and application to gain the necessary (and normal!) respect from men. Sad but true?

*Just to tease, this however applies to “reverse a car” :p

Cheers,
Steph

Wow!

Wooow Flylady,

with an ad like that, I’m sure quite a few of us guys are jumping in their seats!!! I would definitely sign up for lessons in your plane(s) so you can relax when I handle… the stick :p Ok, ok I’m not available right now but it’s quite a thought anyway.

I’m glad to hear of such a motivated and passionate woman and thanks all of you ladies to take part!

[By the way Flylady, thanks for the post on SpaceShipOne. I swear I’ll go to space too before I die! Or even after, I’ll pay for my coffin to be sent there!]

Steph

[Gray fly]
Despite Yak 11 fan’s comment 🙂 I think it’s great! In fact the instuctor who sat in the plane with me for my PPL exam was a woman and a very efficient one. She was in the army when she was not instructing, flying jets.

For the anecdote, I was told that sometimes she would bring her toddler to sleep in the back while having a lesson with a student… but it didn’t happen to me 🙂

I also have a female friend in Namibia who’s just been rated instructor… I was just wondering about the numbers and if these were isolated cases or if we’re heading for a more balanced figures.

As for partners? What are yours saying of your flying hobbies? Is it this strange thing that they don’t want to have anything to do with or do you manage to make them curious about it or even interested? In my case I am definitely grateful that she likes flying and likes going places with me. I wish she could do her radio license to help me sometimes but there is only so much I can ask for 🙂

Steph

Well, thanks a lot for your very much appreciated reactions and kind words! It’s really great to share these “adventures”.

I don’t have that many stories but I think a couple of others may be in order. so watch this space!

Cheers, 🙂
Steph