Aviation Day

I just left the doctor's office with my brand new shiny medical certification third class and student pilot certification. A little disappointed that it's such a small piece of paper but the name, still, makes me wear a smile from one ear to another. So now, I can officially have my first solo flight. Ba! I can actually fly solo. Technically, legally, not that I really know how to do it.

I decided to call my parents but didn't tell them about the visit and certificate. After all, they are not very happy about my "crazy" new idea. But when they told me that today is actually Aviation Day in Poland, I couldn't be silent anymore.

In moment like that, I am even more sure, that I was supposed to go this road from the very beginning.

Yesterday, on the other hand, two beautiful planes. I know I know seeing planes in the air - what's a big deal! But for me, it's even better than before. I always had this tendency to stop, wherever I was going, and stare at the planes in the sky. I couldn't ignore one. One could think - when you start flying, once it becomes a real thing and not an impossible dream anymore, you don't get so excited when seeing a plane in the sky.

It so doesn't apply to me.

One was a little airplane, I don't know what kind. It had beautiful wings, very wide, all the way to the wing tips. It was like one of the oldies, even width of the wing like in a biplane. Breath taking. It was flying above me so pretty.

A few miles later I saw a six person beach craft or something similar. Doing a pattern!! A pattern!! Coming from the downwind to the base leg and then to the final approach. I followed the turns, imagined I set the flaps on 10, then on 20, then on 30, reduce the speed, lower the nose (lower the nose! lower the nose!) and sit softly and smoothly, just like a pretty thing like that deserves.

All that while driving my car, not very straight...

And that longing for flying started o scream even stronger. It's really strange and I myself can't believe it, still. Even if I read so much about it, even I know so well Exupery and Bach, I still can't believe I actually feel physical pain of longing. Just like with love, when the desire to see this other person seems to be tearing us apart - just so with flying, being grounded hurts. Literary hurts. And every airplane gliding through the sky reminds us about the suppressed longing just like seeing an alter ego of someone we are crazy about.

So that's why I went to the doctor today. And I chose one who is a pilot himself. How could I chose one who isn't a pilot! And the moment I saw him, I had this huge smile on my face, this banana smile that doesn't leave me from the moment I get to the car when driving to the airport. Because I knew, he is one of us, I saw it right away. And he knew what I feel. I he knew what language to speak. And we both spoke Loveflyish.

How awesome it is to meet thee people. How awesome to talk to them. To be with them. To understand each other on the level that nobody from the outside will ever understand. To listen to them and hear the wind bending on the wing. To talk to them and sound like humming around the plane's tail. To make gestures similar to touching the yolk, pressing on the rudder, let the flaps go down. And walking like sitting the airfoils on the runway.


How amazingly awesome it is.