Flying a Plane - Weekend Bucket List

It's time for Weekend Bucket List adventures now instead of waiting for when we retire or when we are financially independent.

This blog is about taking our dreams on a test. I want to be a pilot in the near future, so Jimmy surprised me with an introductory flight to experience the skies.

"What! You got me a what!" was my response to Jimmy's Christmas present. I was in disbelief because I thought this had to cost him hundreds of dollars!! I've done some research; becoming a pilot requires investment and time. Jimmy smiles and tells me, no, I got it for $50 per person on Groupon.

"Awww Jimmy got scammed!"

So I did what any sane person would do and called to see if this was truly the fee, and a lady reassured me that this was real and quickly said, "when do you want to schedule?" No, no, nooo! That is what I'm yelling in my head.

Then she gets to the part of the conversation when she says it would be and additional $200.

I tell her yeah, this is a mistake. She then tells me, "looks like your husband didn't read the disclaimer when he purchased the tickets. It's right there; take a look."

And indeed, there was a fuel fee for each person of about $100. Jimmy missed the fine print, and I was at peace with it for the first time. He was trying to encourage me! 

Jimmy then did some more review research, and we thought, what the heck, let's do it! Let's fly a plane! Let’s go all in!

We made the payment and scheduled the date in January of 2021, kicking off the year by checking off a Bucket List dream. $300 to have an introductory flight made sense because I get to test if the sky is really for me.

Flying has a special place in my heart.

When I was about nine years old, I pretended to fly in the open attic of our apartment in Lima, Peru. I would grab two barrels as the front and back of my plane. Grab two cushions for my sister and me; she was my co-pilot. Grab a hanger and flit it upside down and this extraordinary pencil case in the shape of a pencil, all as my flight controls.

My sister, Claudia, would be in the back, holding tight as we pretended to fly and make turns in the sky. Take-off was particularly my favorite part. "Lista, Claudia?" That means, "Ready, Claudia!" And off we went in our imagination.

I told Jimmy that spending $300 for a childhood dream made sense to me. The pandemic had kept us "locked in" for a while, and it was time to let these two birds fly, even though we felt it could all be a scam. We said yes to dreams and no to doubts.

And they're tons of doubts till the hour.

As we approached the small airport in Long Island, NY, we saw a cemetery right in front, which had us nervously laughing. We get to the airport, and the company's name is nowhere to be found. And a security guard that did not look friendly at all. I called the lady again because I wanted to make sure we were at the right place.

"You're about 30 minutes early, wait a little while, and I'll send someone to the gate," she told us. Those were 30 minutes cracking up on how we get to share a story of the day we got scammed $300.

Those were also the longest 30 minutes of my life. And being the control freak that I am. We approached the guard to let us in and gave him the name of the company. He said, "yeah, come in!" Okay, this is hopeful. As we walked into the small gate, I saw my future as a pilot.

I opened the door!

It was a nice waiting area with a coffee section, a TV playing, and soft music. This place is a legit lounge! I told Jimmy I would use the restroom so he could speak to the receptionist, who welcomed us to make ourselves comfortable.

After using the restroom in nerves going crazy, I stood in front of the mirror, looking into my future. "Oh my goodness! What if I die today!"

It's so funny the thoughts that come rushing through at the sign of happiness and opportunity. "Big breaths," I said; this can still be a scam, and we may be kicked out of this place or laughed at.

When I come out, I see Jimmy serving himself coffee. "So, is this real??" I asked Jimmy, then I hear the receptionist say, grab a seat; someone will be coming for you. According to the reviews, a guy named Author was the pilot to ask for. So I mentioned,

We would love to see Arthur!

Two minutes after giggling at the Lounge with Jimmy, someone walks in asking who's next. It was a Latino pilot, and right behind him, I heard a voice. "I'll take them." It was Arthur himself!

Of course, I tell Arthur; this is a Bucket List/childhood dream because I'm Patty I over explain for a living. I can see he's excited for us. He then shares that an older woman pilot is the one who inspired him to get his pilot license. He shared how she told him it was never too late, and she was right.

You're on time!

Arthur’s story is at the end of the video below. You can also hear the fear/excitement in our voices as we get on the trainer pilot seat. We were skeptical even when we got onto the plane, and it's funny how fear creeps in. The instructions were super fast, and Arthur was ready for action, he enthusiastically said

“When we get to 60 MPH, take off!”

And there we were - flying. Jimmy went first as he took off from Long Island, NY to Connecticut, and I flew back from Connecticut to Long Island, NY.

Let's start something new, go all in with our dreams, and create memories to share a weekend at a time. The $300 was worth every penny, every nervous giggle, every heartbeat.

What is your childhood dream? 

Arthur's dream started when he was eight years old. He is now an American Airlines Pilot. We were part of his flying hours, and we're so grateful we were part of his journey and his excitement to share his story. Drop him a message on the video below.

Tell me about your next adventure! Please write it down, schedule it, my friend; give it a test! If you want assistance, please click here for our free Goal-Setting workshops, or schedule me for a 30-minute discovery call, and let me know that you read this blog.

As always, share this blog with a friend.

Love,

Me.