Another Driver
Who is driving? It's my life; I should drive, right? On Saturday, I photographed a senior from one of our local high schools out at the airfield, where he owns a plane. Those who know me, know that my photography is one thing that brings me joy. And on Saturday, it brought a bit of courage, thanks to some new friends—a senior and his parents. I avoid new situations unless I have a partner in crime with me, or it involves my art or photography. Otherwise, you will find me watching from afar! Courage is not my strong suit at all! But on Saturday, I went way out of my comfort zone! My friends still can't believe it!
So many reasons to say no! The two-seater plane, built by the senior and his grandfather from parts of other planes, a grass field, and no control tower, I'm prone to motion sickness, and had to crawl in and out of the plane like I was entering the General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard, I could keep coming up with excuses! With lots of encouragement, I did it! I let someone else drive, or in this case, fly!
No regrets! Lots of fears gave way to such an awesome experience! This senior was very responsible and very patient with my millions of questions, and with just a little time in the air, I could relax and take in the views of Huntsville, Alabama, from the air. Don't worry, I would still grab the plane's dash as we turned. The fears did not completely go away. Taking off began the learning. I love learning new things, and this senior was patient to explain so much, from a plane's rectangle pattern during takeoff and landing, explaining what each gauge did, his personal experiences, to showing me the sights of Huntsville, AL, and Madison County, from the airfield to the Tennessee River, the space and rocket center, and even my home.
From the smooth takeoff to the smooth landing and everything in between, I am proud of this young man and of myself for taking the chance!
iPhone 13 Pro Max photos while in the air
Thank you Hurley Family for a such a fun day and credit to them for the two pictures below.
