The new Cessna Skylane proud and majestic stood nobly in its assigned area of the large hangar. Angela
had been at the hangar for the last 2 hours admiring the sleek new aircraft, still not believing that it belonged
to her, that is to her and her dad. She had always assumed that ever since she was a little girl everything her
dad owned belonged to her too.
Ever since the new Cessna arrived about a week ago, Angela spent every evening at the airport just making
sure that it was still there. She would come home from school, eat her dinner, do her homework, if she had
any, and rush to the airport to again inspect its sleek lines. She looked at the large clock on the wall, oh,
gosh, 9:00pm. where has the time gone? She had been there for 2 hours, not realizing that it was getting so
late. Tomorrow’s school, and am I glad that I've already done my homework. She thought that she'd better
get home before her mom came after her.
Angela couldn't think of anything but the arrival of her 16th birthday next week. Ever since the new Cessna
arrived, she and her dad spend many hours learning the intricacies of the aircraft. It was a far cry from their
old Cessna 150. The Skylane had enough seats to house 4 passengers, more than the 2 that the Cessna 150
had. Its navigation equipment was far more advanced, and was far more capable of flying in instrument
weather. Its controls were more intricate, but not necessarily more difficult than the C150. Angela learned
the controls completely and felt that she was more than confident to fly the airplane alone, and she thought
that her dad did also. After all, she had been flying with him for several years now, and she felt that she could
fly the airplane better than anyone she knew, except for her dad.
But, she had never been flying alone in an airplane, any airplane. She was not permitted to do so. Not that
she was frightened. At least she wouldn't admit that she could be. After all, look who taught her, the very
best pilot in the world, her dad. Still she had a feeling of apprehension. Not a lack of confidence feeling,
but a feeling that she couldn't identify, sort of a empty feeling down in the pit of her stomach. I guess
everybody has this feeling when they are about to solo. But she wouldn't be doing that until next week.
Lying in her bed, just 2 days before her 16th birthday, Angela reflected of how much influence she had on
her dad. Although she did have some influence, it wasn't as much as she thought. She did not know that
before her heart to heart talk with her dad concerning the possibility of upgrading their Cessna 150, her dad
had the same thoughts. In fact, he had thought of surprising his daughter, just before her 16th birthday with
a new airplane. He knew that the Cessna 150 was getting a bit obsolete, and besides that he wanted a high
performance plane, one that would take his family on long flights, that is if he could only get his wife a bit
more interested in flying. He found all he wanted in a Cessna Skylane, a brand new version. It had great
power, could attain a speed of 160 knots, and obtain a ceiling of about 14,000 feet. In addition, the airplane
had the latest in communications and navigational equipment. Dual this and dual that. It was a fantastic
airplane. So, he was determined to keep this a secret, it was strictly Angela's idea.
Angela was talking on the telephone with Holly, her 18 year old cousin. Holly at one time was crazy about
flying. She did get her student license, but lost interest in flying soon after that. "Holly," said Angela, "how
come you didn't continue with your flying, I know that you were really interested in getting your private
license and maybe more at one time, what happened?" A lot of things," replied Holly, "my parents couldn't
afford it and I sure as heck didn't have any money for lessons. I wasn't as lucky as you in having your dad
teaching you all about flying, besides that my boyfriend didn't like it, so I gave it up." "Are you sorry that
you didn't continue with your lessons," questioned Angela. "No, it was interfering with my life, it was kinda
pinning me down, and I don't really miss it." Gee, thought Angela, I'd never let a boy interfere with my
dreams of flying.
"Holly," said Angela, "do you remember the day you soloed, were you nervous?" "Sure was, nervous and
also scared," replied Holly. " It was two weeks after my sixteenth birthday when my instructor turned me
loose." "Why then, wasn't you ready on your birthday?" "I thought I was, but my instructor kept putting it
off saying that I needed more time and more lessons. I kept asking him to please turn me loose, but he
wouldn't do it. I look back now, and realize that all he wanted was for me to pay him for additional lessons,
even though he knew that I wouldn't have any problems. So I told him either we do it now or I get a
different instructor. So that’s the story, and I didn't have any problem whatsoever. Everything went real
smooth. But you know, I have never flown again after that. I guess that I just wanted to prove to myself
that I could do it."
Angela couldn't sleep. She lay in her bed twisting and turning. She kept thinking of the last lesson her dad
had given her today. She was thinking of her soloing tomorrow. Would she be nervous and scared as her
cousin Holly had been. Naw, not me. Nothing to be scared or nervous about. I've been flying with my dad
for years just waiting for this moment. She was thinking of the intensity of her lessons today given by her
dad. She knew what the procedures would be. Heck she watched other kids many times in their first lone
flight, and she knew what was to be expected. Still, there was a funny feeling. A sort of apprehensive feeling
about tomorrow, and she could not explain it. It was a feeling that she never had before, like the time she
went out on her first date with Mark, not knowing what to expect and things like that. But she knew what
to expect. Well, I'll get over it by morning.
"Good morning and happy birthday Angie," called her mom and dad." Rise and shine, time to get up."
Angela was awaken with a start. She had a pitiful night, and had just started to get some sleep when her
parents came in her room and awoke her. Replying sleepily, Angela said, "thank you mom and dad, but can
I just rest in here for a while and get up a little later?" "But honey, " called her dad, “this is the day, this is
what you've been waiting for ever since you were a little tot." "But dad, I'm so tired, can't I sleep for a little
while?" "Sure honey, suppose I wake you in about an hour or so . This will give me time to go to the airport
and get Cessna 1452 all ready for you, okay?" "Sure dad."
Angela thought how strange she felt. Here she had been waiting a long time for this day. She never felt that
the age mattered. It was a minor thing. She didn't care how old she was. It was just that the law required her
to be 16 years old to get into an airplane alone and prove herself. Prove that I was capable of being the pilot
in charge? And now she was telling her dad to let her sleep for a little while. Ha. The funny feeling she had
last night was still there. Why? Am I so apprehensive of getting in an airplane all alone without anyone
protecting me? Bull, it was all in her mind. The waiting all these years for this day suddenly hit her. This is
the day of my life. This is what I've been looking forward to ever since my dad took me on my first airplane
ride. Am I going to blow it?
