Costly

Glen's Falls, NY

So,
I wrote a while back how I was scared of talking to the tower. Mike took me flying in the "ring of fire" which is Bedford to Beverly to Manchester to Fitchburg to Bedford. It SUCKED. Every one of those airports is "controlled" which meant I had to tune into the ATIS, get the information, and TALK. I was a nervous wreck... I didn't want to do my long cross country by myself. I had done my short cross country at Keene, which wasn't bad at all because I just puttered around by myself in the air, I didn't have to talk to anyone, and the airport was uncontrolled, so I just announced myself what I was doing. And if I didn't, no big deal. I could see everything perfectly so it's not like I was going to crash.

My long cross country will inevitably involve doing a stop and go at a class C airport. Class C's include Hartford international, Providence International, Albany International, Manchester International....Basically any large-ish airport that isn't Boston or New York. Boston and New York are class B and even busier (they probably wouldn't let me come in for a landing, they're so busy). It's a little daunting to be sitting on the runway at a "real" airport. You can see the terminals and big jets waiting for passengers, and then there's me in my teeny Tomahawk.

Planes waiting at terminals in Germany

I wish I could have taken a picture but when I went to Manchester, there was a line of commercial jets waiting to take off. I'm sure you've seen it on TV or when you're waiting to take off at an airport. It was awesome and frightening to see this line of jets, told to "hold short" for me, just so that I could "touch and go" (land and take off again).

It kind of looks like this:

Hello, big jets...

Mike wanted to send my on my long cross country solo, but I really didn't feel ready yet. So, I asked if he could come with me on another one. He said yes, but only if I plan it and surprise him. So I did. I found out that I couldn't go north (my original plan was to nip up to Maine somewhere) because Obama was campaigning in New Hampshire. No matter, I thought. I will go to Martha's Vineyard. I always extol the awesomeness of flying by citing the quickness of a trip to Martha's Vineyard. Though I'd never done it before, I knew that it only took about 45 minutes to an hour to get down there. By car, it probably takes about 4 hours.

It was a beautiful day yesterday, so the flight was gorgeous. I wasn't as afraid to talk to the tower, partly because I had stressed out about it so much that there wasn't much more stressing to do. :)

On my way back, I had us stop at Providence International to practice a stop and go at a class C airport. I'm still so nervous (that's the perfectionist in me talking) but I think I can handle a long cross country by myself.

Bedford to Martha's Vineyard to Providence, R.I., to Bedford took a total of 2.6 hours of flying time. That's insane when you compare it to driving that distance. Anyway. it is also insane how much it costs to do it with Mike. When I fly with Mike it costs me $160 an hour. I substitute teach now (no more waitressing). I make about $10 an hour. People ask me why I haven't got my private pilot license yet and that's why. It's just a ridiculous amount of money (for me). Even though I live at home with my mom and don't have to pay many living expenses, it still takes a while for me to save that much. Subbing is not a guaranteed, every day kind of thing.

I've debated going into debt for this, because I REALLY want my license before I go to Officer Training School, but at the same time, I don't want to be racking up insane amounts of interest that I can't pay off.

I don't know what to do, but I know that when I do my long cross country, I will be going to Glen's Falls (that's right on the MA/NY border), then doing a stop and go at Albany International *gulp* then back home to Bedford.