My Intro Flight Experience with FLT Academy
Those who know me know that I am a huge believer in the importance of experiences. I love trying new things and I love a bit of adventure! When it comes to my life philosophy, I value the experiences I’ve had much more than any “stuff” I could ever own. Recently, I was fortunate enough to go on an intro flight experience with FLT Academy. In today’s post, I am going to share details about my aviation adventure and the perspective I gained from it.
Preflight Background
This past Christmas, I decided to purchase a 60-minute Introductory Flight from Groupon for my best friend (and roommate). Initially, I only booked the flight for him and I had planned to be a passenger. But then I thought, wait a minute! I love flying and would really enjoy having this experience too. So, I bought myself my own 60-minute Intro Flight. Merry Christmas to me!
Fun Fact: During WWII, my grandmother dropped out of high school at the age of 15 to work as a riveter. I’m not sure if this has anything to do with my love for flying and aviation aesthetics.
The Intro Flight
For our intro flight, we took off out of FLT Academy’s Murrieta location in a Diamond DA40 Star aircraft. As it was intended as his Christmas gift, my friend flew the plane first while I sat passenger. During the first 60 minutes, he flew us over North San Diego County to Oceanside Harbor Beach where we turned around over the Pacific Ocean. Upon arriving back at the runway, we swapped places and it was my turn to have the controls. For my 60 minutes, I got to fly around the San Bernardino National Forest, the San Jacinto Mountains, and over quite a few lakes.
I would totally recommend this experience to anyone who appreciates flying and wants to try having the controls! You will learn and see a lot.
Perspective from Above
During the month of February, I experienced a lot of anxiety which caused me to be MIA from this blog and my other social media. Much of my anxiety stems from my fixation on very minute details which I have struggled with since childhood. My mom had actually pointed this out to me recently and reminded me to look at the big picture and focus my energies on the people and things I most care about. Totally easier said than done, I know.
While the intro flight experience didn’t cure my anxiety, it did provide me with a visual reference for my mom’s advice. Surrounded by the white noise of the propellers, I reflected on the idea that in our own bubbles our anxieties and troubles overwhelm and consume us. From this zoomed-out vantage point however, I imagined everyone’s little bubbles down below on the Earth’s surface. It’s cliche but I really felt how minute our bubbles are in the scope of the entirety of our lives and the world.
Sorry to get a little existential and real! While this experience, like many others I’ve had, was extremely fun, it also allowed me to reflect and think deeply about how I live my life. One thing I hope to convey in my approach to lifestyle is the importance of self-reflexivity and mindfulness.
In my last post, I shared 5 things that changed my morning routine for the better. Be sure to check it out to get some tips on designing a routine that is thoughtful and productive!
Leave a comment with any life altering experiences you’ve had!