I wrote this for my writing class, and the first time I kept trailing of the subject. My teacher told me to write it again…
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
And if you are a pilot or a person in the aviation field, please point out if there are any mistakes on my part, about the facts of the process of becoming a pilot, and how to make parts more simpler so a person not knowing aviation would understand
Or just tell me how I did overall.
Thanks! [:
Cultures Essay
Since a young age, I have been steeped in the culture of aviation. Ever since I could remember, the sound of metal birds never escaped me as I craned my neck and gazed intently upwards trying to spot the tiny speck in the sky. Whatever I was doing was quickly pushed to the back of my mind as my eyes followed airplanes. The roaring power always filled my body with an overwhelming feeling of connecting with the extraordinary flying objects, and my heart would pound with amazement. My eager eyes never wavered as my gaze stayed locked on the majestic ships. Thousands of feet above me they flew, leaving telltale strips of white, sliding behind clouds, trees, buildings and finally the horizon. Always they were escaping my vision, yet never did they escape my heart.
I have always lived in the general area of three major airports- Portland International Airport, Troutdale Airport and Hillsboro Airport, also several military bases, which brought me to see a wide variety of aircraft over the years. In my young mind they were a mystery that I just had to solve, and I set forth reading and watching materials on the subject of aviation. Some of these were an illustrated children’s book- Nobody Owns the Sky: The Story of “Brave Bessie” Coleman and a collection of stories-Teenage Aviation Stories, and movies like- Eyewitness – Flight and The Magic of Flight. With each tidbit of knowledge that I gained about what flying a plane entails and the extraordinary history behind it, the more I felt it becoming part of me. And the more I learned about the industry in general, the more I saw that it was in essence a subculture, made of individuals that achieve the status of pilot with which the individual inherits traditions, a particular lingo, uniforms, and values.
I saw these aspects up close when I attended the Oregon International Airshow in Hillsboro Airport in the summer of 2009. As the Thunderbirds took the stage, flying in from the back, taking everyone in the audience by surprise with the earth-shaking noise, and performing jaw-dropping acts, I fell completely in love. Throughout the show I felt nothing in the world could make me happier, feeling sound vibrations smelling the fuel exhaust and seeing white vapor form on the wings of fighter jets. I was squealing with delight, almost went into a hyperventilating state, and just stood speechlessly stunned. I saw a F-86 Sabre, an F-15 Eagle, a MiG-17 and MiG-21, an F-104G, an A-26 Invader, an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a T-1A Jayhawk, and a HC-130 Hercules among many others. Getting the pilots signatures my hands were trembling and I struggled to keep from jumping up and down and making a fool out of myself. Overall, it was an experience that sealed my plan to become a pilot and will stay imprinted in my mind forever.
Setting aside countless hours to study this subculture, and the amazing feats that are the results of the hard work of pilots, I learned much about what the process they undergo to attain flight. The Federal Aviation Administration has constructed a system, in which an individual takes specific steps and measures, moving up a ladder that will legally enable them to take flight and make a living out of it, if so desired. The common path one would take with this ambition is to first learn what getting a license to fly entails. Then, the first requirement is to get a medical certificate. Next, one would select a flight school and instructor. At this step it is up to the individual to study and train, putting his or her mind and body to the knowledge and skills of operating inside a cockpit. And, now finally they are put to knowledge and practical tests that proof their capabilities. The first solo flight is considered the rite of passage, when a student pilot proves they can handle the aircraft by themselves which is anticipated by students with nervousness and excitement. From there on out the training regimen changes and the student must progress to piloting in more challenging techniques, maneuvers and situations.
From what I have seen and heard of the field of general aviation it is grueling and challenging yet in the end rewarding and satisfying. My personal endeavors into this industry started with my fascination and dedication (bordering on an obsession) to the science and the job. This, I have to this day and it will stick by me, following me through the ups and downs, the hardships and the challenges, and ultimately to the fruits of my labor. Ernest K. Gann
a WWII and airline pilot compared this obsession that connects pilots to a marriage, and flying to “lying with the bride” in his book Fate is the Hunter. This is the biggest connection of pilots from all walks of life, and can in itself define the subculture of aviation. However it is the appearance of pilots and their surroundings that brings the most recognition from those on the outside, looking in. That is the uniforms of pilots, the gear, the equipment, the airports, and of course the aircraft.
