How It All Began, Part 1

For interest's sake, I thought it would be interesting to explore the very origins of my desire to become a pilot. I've never actually sat down and thought about why I like the idea of flying for a living, so this entry may be a little haphazard as memories start flooding back.

I suppose I should start by saying that I was actually born near Cape Town, South Africa, in the Spring of 1986. I spent the first four years of my life there and I have a few cherished memories of those days. Most of my memories revolve around my time at play. I spent a lot of time outdoors exploring the garden around my parents' house, and those of our neighbours. I liked playing with our dogs, who faithfully stuck by me wherever I went.

Having such a warm climate, South Africa had a whole host of weird and wonderful creatures that called our garden their home. There were many insects and small lizards, but I recall being most fascinated by millipedes. They were in no short supply, and I often took them inside to my bedroom and watched the crawl around my duvet. I'm not sure why, but I guess I liked watching them move about, coordinating their many legs like a perfect little machine.

I also loved playing with Matchbox cars. That I really can't explain. I just liked how cars looked, and I liked the sounds they made. Being so young, I doubt I paid even the slightest interest in how cars moved themselves. All I knew is that I wanted to drive one. My favourite Matchbox car was that of the original Lamborghini Diablo; a red one with a tan interior. I remember seeing it in the Hypermart, asking my mom for it and playing with it regularly. It just looked so cool. To this day, I still dream of owning a red Diablo.

Flash forward a bit. Moving day. My parents decided to have has move to Newfoundland, Canada. As this isn't an autobiography, I won't go into any detail about how I felt about the move. Suffices to say, there was a lot of packing and I was utterly confused. Our worldly possessions would take a boat ride to Canada, but my family and I would take to the skies. At four years old, I was about to step onto a jet aircraft for the first time.

I don't recall getting on the aircraft, but I remember sitting down. My mom strapped me in, and I began to do what all children do on a plane: I kicked the seat ahead of me. I'll never forget the man peering over his seat at me. If looks could kill... But what I most vividly remember is the take-off. Being so small, the power of the aircraft overwhelmed me and threw me back in my seat. We were going so fast. I loved it!

During the cruise, the flight attendants invited my sisters and me to the cockpit. It was late at night and I must have been tired, because I remember very little of that moment. But I do remember seeing all those bright dials. I was curious about what I saw, but I didn't pay much attention. When we landed in London, I certainly didn't think twice about ever setting foot on an aircraft again. But as we still needed to cross the Atlantic to Canada, which meant another flight.

On this flight, I over-ate and I threw up all over my seat just as we were about to exit the aircraft. The flight attendant still had a smile on her face when I walked past her, but I can only imagine what the poor girl thought about cleaning up that partially digested airline food and chocolate cake.

When we arrived at our new hometown, Stephenville, Newfoundland, my father asked me if I'd like to fly planes one day. I suppose projectile vomiting earlier in the trip ruined the experience for me. But at that moment, I looked up at my dad and gave my answer: "No."

Welcome!

So I've finally caved and joined the Blogosphere. I've read other blogs with some interest and it seems like a really simple method to keep a record of something of great personal importance. I decided to create a blog of my own to document my progression to becoming an airline pilot.

Over the coming weeks I'll do my best to recall my early days as a student pilot, from my very first flight to the successful completion of my commercial pilot's licence just a month ago [at the time of writing]. Seeing what I've accomplished in writing may help me stay focused in times of doubt. But I also hope that any aspiring pilots out there who may have stumbled upon this blog may learn from experiences. Or if you're already an airline pilot, perhaps you can offer some words of encouragement... or a job.

In any case, I do hope you visit this page often and share in my experiences. And if you feel so inclined, please do leave a comment!