Aviation
On the weekends, I pilot single-engine Cessnas and explore from the air. From my home airport of Lansing (IGQ), I often fly locally in the Chicagoland area to explore unfamiliar towns and practice my flying skills. When not flying, I meet up with other pilots and do other flying related activities, such as behind-the-scenes tours of major airports and businesses in the aviation industry.
In the near future, I’m looking to improve my flying skills and expertise by getting more advanced FAA ratings. The next step up for me will be an Instrument Rating, which would allow me to fly long-distances and fly in poorer weather. My ultimate goal though is to become a certified flight instructor (CFI) before graduating from UChicago in Summer 2021.
Learn more about what flying means to me below!
How I became a Pilot
I learned how to fly before I learned how to drive, and received my private pilot license when I was 17. It took about two years of training before I completed my check ride with the FAA examiner.
I spent many weekends down at my local airport in San Carlos (SQL) learning the theoretical aspects of flying. In my club’s ground school, my classmates and I learned how to read weather charts, use the National Airspace System effectively, and understand the inherent biases in aircraft instruments among many other topics. The actual flying part was a lot easier!
Learning to fly is a skill that is easy for anyone to acquire, but it takes practice to retain. Controlling the airplane in straight-and-level flight, turns, climbs, and descents are fundamental skills I use on every flight. The real challenge comes from learning what to do in tricky situations.
One of the most fun parts of flight training is learning to push your airplane to its limits, get into a tricky situation, then recovering. I had a lot of fun intentionally stalling my two-seat Cessna 152, falling out of the sky for a brief moment, then recovering right back into straight-and-level flight, and it made me a safer pilot!
My Current Flying Habits
During the academic year, I try to fly every other week to keep my skills current while exploring the skies over Chicago. To this end, I recently joined a small flying club where I hope to fly with other pilots on a more regular basis.
I enjoy flying with other pilots because I get to learn more about others’ techniques and habits that could make me a safer pilot. Additionally, having another pilot in the cockpit means I can share some workload with them if we enter busy airspace or if there is ever an emergency situation.
You can always keep up with my latest flying adventures, and track my progress towards my long-term aviation goals at my blog. I also keep a media gallery of unique photos I’ve taken while flying.