Then it was my turn.
My heart started to throb.
“Clear!”
The aircraft was then cleared to taxi out, then, we were ready for take off, got to the end of the runway when I was told to check my safety harness, tight enough, we closed the canopy and done some further pre-flight checks. The next thing I could remember I was being at 2000 feet above the British countryside.
I had not blanked out, it is just that the excitement had got to me and I was intensely focusing on the G forces acting on me when I was pushed into the back of the seat.
In absolute amazement; how amazing was the U.K. from 2000 feet, only 1 hours drive from the smog and unpleasant view of the industry of ICI, Terra and other various firms from the 70’s throwing out dangerous fumes, this was a change, in the air everything looks so much better, the grass really does look greener on the other side --- of the sky, sheep the size of full stops, houses look like tiny little Lego blocks.
“Alpha, Victor, Mike clear to do aerobatics” this came over the radio.
I’m thinking what are aerobatics this is my first time flying, I’m inexperienced and very nervous and then the pilot pulled back on the control column and we did a loop de loop, “Amazing!!!” I thought to myself. Then the pilot handed me control and I did the same as he had just done excellent you are a natural, the pilot said.
Then it suddenly came to me I wanted a career in being a pilot, I did not care how commercial, private it does not matter as long as I can be in the air; that was my dream. We continued to fly I was now getting the hang of the controls, the only time I had ever had control of an aircraft before was on a simulator: on my computer. The most scary thing that came to me was that the only thing between me and the floor was air and a lot of explosive fuel, and that gave me a ‘WOW!’ the adrenaline rush from doing something like this is really interesting and gives me a real buzz.
“Clear to land!”
My time was up, we had to go, and land, amazement was said on my face the expressions I gave said it all, I loved it, I gave the pilot a great big thanks and walked back across the pan and entered the small hut. I took off the helmet and parachute, put them back then took off the flying suit. Then I went through and sat for a few hours while I waited for the other cadets to finish there flight, after we had all been in the air and had great fun.
Leaving the hut we marched around to the Air Traffic Control Tower, this is where the aircraft are controlled, being told to be extremely quiet as the controllers were telling aircraft in the sky where to go and a slight interruption could cause danger to the pilots. No one said a word we did not want the death or a pilot on out hands, we were told when we could talk and we listened to what we were told, end of story.
I looked out of the small side window and there was a small aircraft coming in to land on the runway, the man I was stood next to gave the controller the aircraft permission to land. The technology used is amazing, it can control any aircraft with just a push of a button in it vicinity and can cause an accident with just one mistake, we then climbed to the top of the tower from there you could see all of the runways and taxi ways.
I remember being asked by two female aircraft controllers did we have any questions: so I asked why are rubber ducks yellow, obviously, no one knows this answer and she was quite stuck for words, everybody found this rather amusing and laughed, they were not very impressed with me.
On leaving the tower we marched back to the cadets minibus, got boarding the minibus we started our journey home, I couldn’t get off my mind how amazing it was flying, doing loops and twirls; not many people get the chance to do something like this for free and I loved it, since then I have been flying about twelve times and hopefully I will continue flying.
Moreover, “I love it.”
