Seeing Beyond
the Horizon By Rohit Padmakumar
Acknowledgements
I truly must thank West Valley Flying Club and the members and workers at Palo Alto Airport who allowed me
to film, interview, and conduct research in their community and help me out through the process. Steve Blonstein, Wes Irish, Jim Higgins, and McKinley Siegfried have made this book possible through their insightful commentary and opinionated thoughts about how and why the aviation locale functions the way it does. I would also like to acknowledge Freestyle Academy of Communication Arts and Technology and their amazing staff, along with my community readers and Felix Nordmark, my phenomenal partner in the project. Matt Taylor, Leslie Parkinson, and Jason Greco at Freestyle supported and guided me towards the creation of the final product, and taught me vital methods of producing a piece of work that I am truly proud of. These people overall are the fundamental roots of my project; without them, this book would not have been possible. I give them my heartfelt gratitude.
3
Table of Contents Preface......................................................................................7 Introduction..............................................................................9 Chapter One...........................................................................13 Chapter Two..........................................................................19 Chapter Three.........................................................................31 Conclusion..............................................................................41 Work Cited.............................................................................43
5
Preface
West Valley Flying Club was where I had begun my flight training in the Fall of 2013. My first lesson was
somewhat new to me. Although I had been in these types of planes as a child, I had never truly had the experience of flying one and being the man in control. My first few lessons intrigued me; indeed, they made me want to be in the air again. And so, every Saturday I would fly and experience something new and engaging with my instructor. Flying to Half Moon Bay or Livermore, doing basic maneuvers in the aircraft, intrigued me while I simultaneously enjoyed the vast California landscape that I had yet to discover. Recently, my busy schedule has caused me to decrease my typically frequent flying lessons, but my will to fly remained, leading me to research how and why others chose to fly. I wanted to go more in depth into the motivations and the conveniences of flying and how that differs from person to person. Moreover, I was eager to uncover conflicts that caused people not to fly. It’s an expensive activity, and it’s a time consuming one that can be perceived as unsafe. These barriers of entry enabled me to look into pilot fall out rates and the causes to a possible decrease or increase of the student pilot population. The community established from a local and national level also interested me, making me seek others’ opinions about the influence of the aviation tribe on its members. With this, West Valley was the perfect place to research in order to draft a book about how, why, and what pilots achieve, and to encourage others to join the airborne crusade.
7
Introduction
You are somewhere unknown, somewhere new, somewhere high. Look down to your left and you see the
majestic, green hills that encompass Half Moon Bay with a faint fog quietly hovering over them. The beach creeps up your windowsill and the water turns white as the waves crash, creating a soothing, tranquil sound that echoes in your eardrum. Look to your right and you see the vast, cerulean ocean extending as far as the horizon line, with the orange sunset rays creating a gentle reflection on the water, silently glimmering as the light bounces off your warm, now heated face. Look ahead and you see your three gyros, flight control stick, and lightly scattered pink clouds that breeze by you in the wind, as if you’re at the bow of the Titanic. The only difference: you’re at five thousand feet, and climbing.
This heavenly world above us is unseen at most times and is often ignored. A commercial flight doesn’t nearly
depict the tranquil, yet thrilling aspect of being the pilot of a four-person plane. When you enter that cockpit, you are stepping into heaven, a heaven that you are passionate to explore with utmost determination. Flying allows one to see the world from an alternate perspective, a perspective that creates the feeling of astonishment combined with excitement. Have you seen the Earth? No, because you have not had this feeling at now six thousand feet, and climbing.
The sport of flying involves multiple complicated procedures and a large amount of mental aptitude. At West
Valley Flying club at Palo Alto airport, people are able to learn and display their flying skills at all types of levels. However, flying can only be practiced if one has money, time, and passion. One must be financially prepared for large expenses since this is not a cheap activity; this is one of the major reasons why dropouts occur so frequently. Time management is also a conflict when one must juggle a job, and over fifty hours of air time to learn and experience the art of flying itself. Passion is an absolute requirement; Without it, one cannot fly.
Yet, most people believe that regardless of their motivation, once you have been in the air once, you’ll likely
come back, as many instructors say. Some claim that flying is like a “bug” inside of you. Some have it, and some
9
simply do not. It’s that “bug” that makes one want to fly again and again. A student must be spirited and energetic in order to fly, otherwise they lose their urge, thus dropping out. Along with the personal “bug” in pilots, flying involves basic arithmetic to fully understand the sport. It involves navigating a sky of overwhelming information, testing your memorization skills and intellectual capacity. Yes, flying is hard work that cannot be done without utter and complete determination. Along with that, as a student you are with an instructor who will guide, teach, and examine you when flying, and perhaps save your life. It’s a very coherent and systematic process to obtain a license to assure that you are capable of flying an airplane. Cars drive in only one dimension. Planes fly in two, which is why multi-tasking and vigilance are critical traits for a student.
Yet, unlike cars, you are less likely to be involved in a plane crash because you have another world to yourself
and a few others. Anyone can drive, but not everyone can operate and fly an aircraft. Flying is a life skill that tests and strengthens your learned knowledge along with giving you a gateway to a new world. Time management and financial constraints do limit flyers indeed, but determination and heartfelt passion are by far the most vital components to learning how to fly. Our world has yet to be discovered to this day.
Although flying involves tremendous amounts of work, money and risk, its true value encompasses both rec-
reation as well as a fresh way of seeing the world. Student dropouts are the cause for a decline in pilots around the world; in order to reverse this trend, flying must not only be restricted to the milieu of affluent adults, but expanded to encompass young people and others so that any person with the lust for flying and exploring the world can do so. Moreover, this gives everyone the ability to redefine their literal perspective of the globe while elevating themselves at a personal level. Piloting must be supported such that people have the opportunity to dare themselves to break from the monotony of daily life and gain newfound freedom; piloting holds the potential to beneficially alter one’s mindset, character, and charisma.
10
Chapter One
Aspects of Aviation Motivation
D
rive. What drives people? Without motivation there is no desire ambition to display the true aviation What pushes them towards to fly. So why fly? Jim Higgins, an in- colors they are “born with.” something? Is it their inner structor at West Valley, claimed that
Similarly, Steve Blonstein, the
passion towards a subject? Or maybe flying was “something that you’re born manager of West Valley Flying Club, it’s the simple beneficial aspects such with,” and one can’t simply become a said “you don’t convince people to as financial incentives. For flying, it pilot. Growing up in New Jersey and learn how to fly.” If one doesn’t have varies, especially at West Valley Fly- learning to fly in Texas, his students the “aviation gene or bug,” convinc-
ing Club. When I began flying in my range from amateur high schoolers, to ing them is nearly impossible. Flying sophomore year, flying was something air force pilots entering the commer- is a sport that’s “in your veins,” “it’s that was very unfamiliar to me. Just cial aviation industry. He claimed that in your genes.” It cannot be forced the thought of flying a plane kept my “airplane was the first word, believe upon someone. Blonstein’s motive for hopes high, along with the obvious it or not, that [he] said after mom,” flying also involved the simple practibragging rights, yet I was unfamiliar showing his inner motivation towards cality of a transportation method. He with the other aspects of the sport. flying itself. “It’s a passion that you didn’t want to drive “three, four hours Although complex and time consum- have that’s deep inside of you and it’s from [his] job;” he wanted to do it in ing, flying was my break in the day, it just a case of are you willing to let that “45 to 50 minutes,” and it was “purewas the time where I could temporar- come out? Do you want that to come ly a convenience motivation initially.” ily wash away my academic struggles out or not?” Jim portrays it as a uni- Yet, flying is a rigorous sport that’s and look beyond the horizon.
versal human sentiment. It’s a choice not meant for those that lack basic de-
Motivation is essential in flying. of whether a potential pilot has the termination. It’s like any other goal
13
people try to ac-
and it’s something that
complish.
I’ve
How
always
Although motivation was partly
grown in her genes due to her prestigious
can one go about
up around,” since “it flying family, it was the fundamental
something with
wasn’t really some- relationships she established with her
so much com-
thing that [she] chose, friends that enabled each one of them
mitment, without
it was something that to build off another’s shared motiva-
passion?
chose [her]” through tion. When flying, “it is just the cool-
How
can one push oneself to want to do a unified passion that was driven by est feeling in the entire world,” stated something, if they simply lack the will her family members. Yet, Siegfried Siegfried, because “you are defying to do so?
isn’t just influenced by her family, but gravity” and “you’re doing something
Other motives also arise regard- by her peers too. Going to Oshkosh, that people aren’t supposed to natu-
less of passion. It can also involve oth- Wisconsin for the annual AirVenture rally do.” When one thinks about the er influences such as your friends and convention, Siegfried reunites with physics involved, flying is indeed an family. McKinley Siegfried is working her childhood friends that have all extreme sport in which you are susclosely with the EAA to create a Young stayed consistent with their flying pas- pended in the air. But not only are you Pilot’s Association targeted for those sion, which is “extraordinarily rare,” just suspended, you are realistically that cannot afford the expenses of fly- since a large number of budding pi- flying. You are taking mankind’s nating. Considering that her grandfather lots are generally in the student fall- ural ability to stay put on the ground, is a “patricorcist” towards flying, and out category. Their equal passion and and warping it to have an ability that her father, along with her brother, ob- urge to fly allowed them to create this is unnatural and thrilling, giving you tained their pilots licenses at a young lifelong friendship with people that that “magical amazing feeling.” age, Siegfried grew up surrounded Siegfried holds “very near and dear to
The feeling of excitement, the
by a family of flyers. “It’s definitely [her] heart,” who have now become creation of a family bond through avia legacy that’s kind of in my blood her “family through aviation.”
14
ation, and the simple passion of want-
“It’s definitely a legacy that’s kind of in my blood”
ing to fly motivate people to seize the challenge that is flying. “You have to have the passion, you have to keep the passion, and you have to have the money”, because it’s the people “who really have the passion and the deep pockets [that] can get to the finish line” (Blonstein). This sentiment illustrates the key constraint in entering the flying world: individual passion. However, financial constraints threaten to trump an emerging pilot’s passion, which prompts the question, can everyone fly?
“It is just the coolest feeling in the entire world�
- Siegfried
Chapter Two
Inherent Constraints of Aviation
F
lying can often be seen as an ited yet tiring amount of time. Howev- how and why pilots die through varielite sport. As Siegfried puts er, ground school and flying expanded ous case studies and statistical data.
it, there are certain “barri- my ability to analyze and grasp com- Paul Craig, a decorated flight instruc-
ers of entry” involving financial con- plex topics while strengthening skills tor and aviation educator, conducted
straints, time management, and simple that I use on a daily basis. It’s a learn- extensive research that led to a variety motivation that can hurt the aviation ing environment, and a process that of conclusions from his observations
business, especially at West Valley. pushes your mind to think critically in the book, including the fact that FedSpeaking from my own experience, I and creatively to have the ultimate ex- eral Aviation Regulations require all interrupted my flying crusade due to perience. time management. I was not able to
pilots to log a minimum of 40 hours of
But the time it takes to fly isn’t inplane training before obtaining their
keep up with the vast amounts of in- truly a small factor. “The Killing privates, even though the national av-
formation thrown at me in such a lim- Zone,” a non-fiction book, looks at the erage though is closer to 67 hours. At
19
West Valley in particular, Blonstein chose to challenge yourself by com- fect those that are young who simply noticed that it roughly takes “70 or 80 mitting in this consumptious sport. [hours] to become a private pilot, then
cannot come up with such finances.
The consequences to not finding “When you’re in your 20’s with stu-
another 40 or 50 to get an instrument the time can also increase your debt dent loans, you can’t afford to spend rating, and then it’s 250 hours to get a since “the longer you take, the more 100 bucks on flying” (Siegfried),
commercial rating,” exemplifying the money you spend” (Blonstein). Not which further limits the pilot populanecessity of time management, if you having frequent lessons can surely af- tion. According to the “Learn to Fly”
20
page on West Valley’s official web- “The Truth about the Profession,” an tion as to what is necessary when site, the estimated cost for obtaining article that uncovers the obstacles to committing to flying as a profession
a private pilot’s license is roughly begin flying, states that “If you don’t or even a hobby. Cost is indeed one of 18,300 dollars, including your pre- have that passion, you’ll find that the the largest barriers that impede entry
solo, cross-country, and practical test ‘glamor factor’ of becoming an airline and therefore increases the pilot fallrequirements. Although this is indeed pilot will wear off very quickly, and out rate. Reasons may include being
one of the major factors that limits fly- you will be tired, in tremendous debt, “harder than they thought it was goers, determination is considered one and will have wasted many years of ing be, costing more money than they of the most vital components to fly. your life,” giving rising pilots a cau- thought it was going to take, not being
as much fun as they thought it was going to be, or them not as dedicated
as they thought they were going to be” (Blonstein). He later reinforced this statement: “if you don’t have the will it will not happen,” causing you to
not reach the “finish line” that can only be crossed through self determination. Higgins claimed one needs that “elusive combination of both time and
money,” which most people struggle to find and maintain. Places like West Valley are not cheap, even though it’s a non-profit club, and it’s exceedingly difficult to work around these barriers. But a solution is in the making with Siegfried’s work on making the sport more aware and cost efficient
to ease those detrimental constraints on beginners and make the business more fun and communal, like an “Uber for planes” (Siegfried).
From my perspective, cost should not be the critical factor when con-
sidering if the sport is right for you. One must look for the maximum value
and the quality of the training before dumping piles of cash. But regardless
of these constraints, motivation is still the most crucial limiting factor as to why many don’t fly. “Time and money just facilitates it, it does not initiate
it” (Higgins). Higgins asserts that a mix of dedication, determination, and passion are the key elements to commence one’s journey in the air.
Along with those constraints, being in the air can also cause a chaotic
mess in which the fundamental act of keeping one alive is discarded. In
the article “Automation Overload,” the Associated Press begged the question, “Can a cockpit crew be so overwhelmed with data that the first rule of navigation -- to fly the airplane -- gets lost in the confusion?” By focusing on the major instruments on the dashboard, a pilot can often forget
to simply look up and outside the window. This was a major problem for
me when I began to fly, forcing my son Minar, an MIT graduate part of can become muscle memory, especialinstructor to put his hand over my in- the Aircraft Owners and Pilot’s group, ly for young pilots starting out, makstruments, so that I would look out the said that “flying requires vigilance” ing it “a lot less stressful when you window, as he would repeatedly yell, because “there are a bunch of extra can read the panel without thinking “Look outside, look outside!” The instruments you need to scan regular- about it.” Carey’s article effectively
instruments are guides for the pilots; ly; oil pressure, outside temperature, displays that even though there are they cannot simply rely on them to fly voltages, etc,” which are indeed cru- many complex displays in terms of the the plane, which often leads to a lack cial, but should not be purely relied
“If you don’t have
ing outside. A pilot’s focus should be ates in two dimensions. Furthermore,
the will,
of attention on what is truly happen- on since a plane, unlike a car, operthe reality of the situation, not staring Benedict Carey, a science reporter
at bouncing, and possibly inaccurate, for The New York Times, writes in
it will not happen.”
needles. Mental aptitude is a require- “Learning to See Data,” an article on
- Blonstein
ment when either in the air or on the how flying allows one to use “percep-
tual learning” as a skill, to display a avionics, flying can rapidly become an new method of erudition in the sport. unconscious cognition that one learns By researching a “perceptual learn- in only a matter of time. ing module” from a UCLA professor,
Furthermore,
Mark
Conway,
he found that amateur pilots after one author on “How Hard is it to Learn hour of training could read the flight How to Fly an Aircraft,” said the “fly-
ground because such vast amounts of instrument panel as quickly as pilots ing part is easy,” but “managing sysinformation are thrown at a pilot, forc- who have over 1,000 hours of flying. tems navigation and communications
ing them to be knowledgeable enough “They build the same reading skill, at are the parts that add complexity.”
to rapidly comprehend information least on the ground, in a fraction of the Yet Conway emphasizes his opinion and apply it when in the air.
time” stated Carey. Through percep- by stating that you have “more time
In “Why is Flying Hard,” Nel- tual learning, knowing the instruments to react to a potentially problematic
23
“Time and money just facilitates it, it does not initiate it.� -Higgins
situation,” unlike cars, because “you cording to the multiple statistics, is largely due to the instructor having an
won’t run into anything.” On the oth- where most pilots tend to be involved invalid or expired license himself, or
er hand, “The Killing Zone” displays in fatal accidents, regardless of wheth- the student being a “career” pilot, flyspecific statistical data over periods of er they were commanding the aircraft. ing illegally and without fundamental time that easily refutes Conway’s ar- During the time period of 1983 to knowledge of aviation. gument.
1999, the “Killing Zone” accounted
Yet, there is another spike in
Most people are aware of planes for 19.1 percent of all general aviation deaths once the students obtain their
and their associated safety issues. It’s the fear of the unknown that can often disconcert pilots. But specifically,
people can easily correlate aircrafts to
accidents and also to detrimental aspects that pose threats to the pilot’s
safety. Wes Irish, a pilot at West Val-
“Student pilots are a relatively safe category for flying”
private’s, due to lack of supervision
and a removed “safety net;” thus,
the flight instructor’s supervision is a “powerful source” for safety, even
though it still ultimately resulted in
1,780 deaths from 2000 to 2010. Moreover, once students are released into
ley, claimed that “some people are accidents. In terms of student pilots, the flying world by themselves, poor
afraid of flying” because of a sudden they remain a “relatively safe catego- decisions, weather visibility, stress, “phobia” or “perhaps they think it’s a ry of flying,” considering they are su- failure of instruments, particular ma-
safety issue.” It’s important to keep pervised by a professional in the air, neuvering, and even drugs can influin mind that the sky is a learning envi- just as Conway claimed earlier. They ence them to react in a way that leads
ronment with potentially lethal conse- allow the students to “formulate their them into fatal events. He doesn’t simquences. In “The Killing Zone,” Craig own go/no-go decisions,” thus empha- ply limit himself to the airplane being
discusses this reality. “The Killing sizing a self-directing environment in the cause, but the people likewise, dis-
Zone,” as stated in Chapter One, is re- which they can gather their own facts playing how their poor choices as huferred to as “a private or student pilot and observations. Still, even with an mans influence their flying skills. with between 50 and 350 total flight instructor beside you, there are a total
In Craig’s “Good News” pas-
hours.” This experiential window, ac- of about 94 fatal accidents annually, sage, he dives into the raw statistics
27
regarding pilots’ deaths from the vari- ment on how it’s improving. The au- of illegal activities. The aircrafts are ous types of flyers. His overall argu- thor also displayed that in 1965, there not the only causes for malfunctions
ment is based on the evidence that were 6.5 deaths for every 100,000 to- in the air, but a pilot’s psychologifatal accidents have decreased dra- tal hours flown. This number by 1985 cal mindset can also determine their matically over the recent decade and dramatically dropped to 3.38 deaths safety. With the recent airline crashes
have the potential to decrease further per 100,000 hours and has continued this past year, safety is a large conif we find and eliminate pilots’ prob- to decline to 2.32 deaths from 2000 to cern, but West Valley at most has one
lems that further cause these acci- 2009. It is clear that the accident rates or two minor accidents on the runway dents. From 1983 to 1999, there were have indeed improved, but “through each year which the pilots harmlessly
a total of 433.94 accidents each year, the 2000 to 2009 time period, the rate walk away from, according to Blonbut from 2000 to 2010 the total num- of decline slowed,” and has “leveled stein. Safety is indeed an issue, but not
ber of aviation accidents decreased by off.” Through his extensive research, large enough to hurt the business at 28 percent with only 310.8 accidents it is evident that fatal crashes are in- West Valley. Therefore, flying can be
annually over that eleven-year period. evitable, yet they have the potential to embraced regardless of these declinThese percentages show a decrease decrease as technology advances along ing issues. in accidents and emphasize his argu- with the pilot’s responsibility in terms
Chapter Three
Establishing the Aviation Ecosystem
A
t West Valley Flying Club, closely, it’s just a community, “it’s a ical pilot as an old man “which is not a unique and diverse flying family.” As mentioned earlier, Siegfried necessarily what a pilot looks like these community has been creat- is working with the EAA to promote days,” because a younger demographic
ed over a number of years that welcomes a Young Pilot’s Association in which a has begun to show interest in the sport. practically anyone. Being a sophomore social space is created for young adults But Siegfried’s work, though strenuin high school when I started my flying to join and share their passion for the ous and having the potential to be a crusade, I was quite anxious about how sport. Her strategies to break down the “legal nightmare,” is targeted to make forgiving and hospitable the people “barriers of entry,” involve making it the sport “cooler and younger” in orwould be at the club. But according to more cost efficient and appealing to the der to motivate people to get involved Siegfried, a pilot working with the EAA masses. The public often views the typ- in aviation at a younger age. She claims
that having a community is essential in was a gateway to allow her to meet var- derful adaptive personalities and skills order to make the association catch on, ious people that she would have never in a constructive, interactive, and efconsidering the struggles and conflicts crossed paths with if flying wasn’t an fective environment. Siegfried’s group people have with beginning to fly. The option. Siegfried compared the diverse of childhood friends has allowed her flying community from her perspec- community to a high school in that if to find another aviation family other tive is truly unique because it involves a you took a single person from the vari- than her own. Their shared passion of “diverse” group of people that have the ous social, intellectual, and motivated the sport bound them together in what ability to “motivate each other” through groups at the quad, and unified them, she calls a “glue” that people stick with their common “drive.” The community one would create the flying community mainly because of the community. It influences each other through one an- because they can simply “click” due to gave her an opportunity to interact and other’s motivations and goals in the fly- their similar compassionate drives. Re- establish lifelong relationships with ing process. It’s not seen as a competi- gardless of their background, they set others closer to her age and skillset. tion at West Valley, but rather a zone to their differences aside and collaborate
Piloting can often be termed as a
commence, collaborate, and influence together, ready to face any failures or sport meant for the rich, the wealthy, others in the art. She claims that most obstacles they might encounter. of her peers are pilots, and that flying
the flashy, and can often exclude large
Aviation brings out people’s won- numbers of people, thus limiting the
33
community. Steve Blonstein, the man- reach deep into your pockets to pilot of directors,” unlike a profit organizaager at WVFC, stated that you need an aircraft. The aviation community tion in which one or two individuals to have “the deep pockets” in order to treats one another as an equal regard- rent planes solely for purpose the of even consider the sport itself. Yet, even less of their social or financial status. maximizing profits. Profit and nonthough Siegfried explicitly states that Wes, an instructor at WVFC, said that profit are two diametrically opposite cost is a barrier of entry in flying, she one of the aspects he found interesting mentalities. With West Valley being a disagrees with Blonstein’s statement, saying that her flying community does not necessarily have the financial resources. In fact, she claims that most of her flying community are “working class” citizens managing another job 12 hours a day. These people are “drivers and mailmen,” but
“Pilots are pilots”
nonprofit, “everything is done for the members by the members” (Higgins), thus “it almost feels like a family.”
The flying community also has
the power to reinforce the number of future pilots. With this metaphorical glue and realistic passion that binds young pilots together, the communi-
each are hardworking and resourceful was that “pilots are pilots,” in that the ty becomes a powerful society that is to reach their drive to explore and con- “social stratification fades away,” mak- able to endure for years ahead, which tinue their passion. To have the moti- ing a person’s background oblivious in is exactly what Siegfried is attempting vation “you need to be able to want it, the community. to really want it” (Siegfried), which is
to create. In a way, her job ultimately
West Valley is a nonprofit or- holds the future of the aviation popu-
much like what Blonstein, and Higgins ganization because it’s a “social club” lation, in that she is creating the next claimed when saying that it’s “will” and that promotes a “better way to repre- generation of pilots to replace those “motivation.” These drives are what sent such a group of people with simi- that are moving on. The Young Pilot’s brings the community together in uni- lar interests” (Blonstein). “Everyone Association can ensure the continuity
34
son, exposing that you don’t have to gets to participate and vote for a board of the flying community since the pilots
“can replace themselves 100 percent,” decrease the pilot fall outs that Blon- to see how this community of shared and further expand the community stein was commenting on earlier. The interests can create such a diverse and to its potential. By eradicating barri- association opens up a broader band unique ecosystem in which people of ers such as financial constraints, more of people, that can connect and thrive various types corroborate to maintain people that have the will to fly can in- to further reinforce each other’s ambi- each other’s motivation. deed be a part of the aviation world and tions and learning. It’s quite interesting
36
“It almost feels like a family.� - Higgins
40
Conclusion
Are you a flyer? Maybe. Flying obviously isn’t meant for everyone and anyone. Although it’s definitely not
the most inclusive kind of activity, the sport can create a tranquil, yet complex environment in which an individual experiences the magic and thrill of being in the air. Most humans are stuck to the Earth while others can defy mother nature by soaring above the landscape. In my mind, the magical feeling involves a feeling of superiority, a sense of dominance. Yet, one can also experience their place in the world, making them feel inferior since the world is too large to endure, to cope with, to process through two eyes. But a plane, an aircraft, a flying machine opens the opportunity of stimulation and the moment of pure awe. Being hundreds of feet in the air, you explore, discover, and aspire to seek new adventures in the unknown world. Flying then becomes the key to open the gate to the clouds, and West Valley Flying Club in Palo Alto gives you that key to unlock barriers.
Even though it’s a unique sport that demands determination and searching for paths to deal with the financial and
time constraints, pure passion is what drives people. The motivation factor in the human is channelled to the deep and driven urge that is inherent in people’s character. Piloting is not the only activity that requires passion. Realistically, everything requires a will, your will. We each have our own personal goals, for some it’s running, and for others it’s flying. It all depends on the type of human being you are. Do you have a passion? Yes, even though it still may yet to be discovered. It’s that raw tenacity that compels us to do what we like, to seek our goals and to push ourselves to achieve them. We each have a passion, and if it’s not found, where can one find it? Well, have you tried sitting in a cockpit yet? More importantly though, have you seen beyond your horizon?
41
Works Cited “Automation Overload: Is Aircraft Sophistication Outpacing Pilot Skills?” The Associated Press 20 Mar. 2015 Blonstein, Steve. Personal Interview. 25 Feb. 2015 Carey, Benedict. “Learning to See Data.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Mar. 2015. Conway, Mark. “Quora.” How Hard Is It to Learn to Fly an Aircraft? -. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. Craig, Paul A. “The Killing Zone: How and Why Pilots Die.” New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. Print. Higgins, Jim. Personal Interview. 25 Feb. 2015 Irish, Wes. Personal Interview. 8 Mar. 2015 “Learn to Fly - West Valley Flying Club Website.” Learn to Fly - West Valley Flying Club Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. “Nelson’s Weblog: Aviation / Why-is-flying-hard.” Nelson’s Weblog: Aviation / Why-is-flying-hard. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. Siegfried, McKinley. Personal Interview. 8 Mar. 2015 “Some Final Advice from Me.” The Truth About the Profession. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.
43
Rohit Padmakumar is a Junior at Mountain View High School and at Freestyle Acad-
emy of Communication Arts and Technology. He is interested in going to college to pursue his passion for film and cinema production and possibly another field that is yet to be determined. Motivation, intelligence, and raw passion are the three components that he goes by when achieving his personal and academic goals, leading him to write his book on aviation. Being a proud student, he is a determined and adaptive individual who seeks to help others and reaches his objective when given the opportunity to display his talents to the world.