It blew my mind when I was instructing at ERAU-PRC how many students had never done any flying outside of the school. I had a handful of commercial students who had over 100 hours and had never flown back home or anything. One student told me her mother wouldn't let her because she didn't feel that it would be a safe decision. I told them all they're missing out on so much fun, because while training can be fun, it's still training.

I came to the school with my private and about 100 hours of puttering around the Black Hills area of SD & WY, and that's some of my favorite times spent in a plane. I was so fortunate that the airport had a flying club that was uber-affordable even for a kid in high school. Fly-ins, pancake breakfasts, family gatherings, or just poking around the area looking out the window, I wouldn't trade that flying for anything. I hope, someday in my lifetime, I can fly a plane I call my own.

Thanks for the read, Saab.