AUGUST 2019 FLYINGMAG.COM | 49brakes for a short-field takeoff to the
west. After all the miles we traveled
to get to this moment, the big test had
finally begun.
If you can see it, you can achieve it.
For many years, I laid flat through count-
less hours of indoor physical therapy.
With pain as my guide and recovering to
live a full life with the queen of my uni-
verse as my motivation, I would close my
eyes and silently visualize every detail
of the check-ride finale. Slowly, with an
air of deliberate confidence, the exam-
iner would extend his hand across the
cockpit of the aircraft and say these
three simple yet awe-inspiring words:
“Congratulations, you passed.” On a per-
fect Monday afternoon, June 10, 2019,
that exact vision manifested in my life.
Minutes after the examiner signed
my paperwork, he shared a few heartfelt
words, which meant the world to me. As
the ink was drying on my newly minted
license, he said, “This signature makes it
official, but you have always been a pilot.”
With parents, friends, Galen and our
all-time favorite FAA tower controller,
Bill, all gathered around the airplane,Charlie Bravo had a dream of his own
to set in motion. Like a proud dad on
graduation night, he looked me in the
eyes and asked if I was ready to take
my first passenger for a flight. Chris
asked Shawna to load into the airplane.
Moments later, Bill cleared us to take
the runway, and together, we stepped
out into the void, crossing beyond a
threshold. Within minutes, the two
of us were out over Tahoe in our first
moments alone in the air, blissed in
flight. Holding hands, with mist in
our eyes, we flew out over the lake,
exchanging freedom-filled smiles and
synchronized tears—tears of joy.
My lifelong dream to become a
fully licensed pilot has officially come
true. It’s been a little over a month,
and my feet are just now starting to
touch the ground again. As people,
we are most connectable where we
are most vulnerable. In that vein,
it is my passion to share my belief
that both greatness and absolution
exist beyond our challenges—if we
choose to pursue them with forward
movement. The truth is this: We all
struggle, and it’s who we decide to
become on the other side of struggle
that defines our lives and our paths.