Halfway To The Shire

I don't go see many movies. Not because I am opposed to the secular world, or because I can't get a date, but mostly due to my penchant for falling asleep during lengthy films. Think about it: is there a more conducive atmosphere for catching some shut-eye? Complete darkness, comfy reclining seats, a greased-up stomach from overpriced popcorn, and horrendously intricate plots all lend themselves to form one insurmountable obstacle towards actually watching the movie. I still remember the time my college buddy Tan conned me into seeing a midnight showing of the third Lord of the Rings. Not only had I 'missed' the first two installments, but my motive for going was questionable at best (a female may or may not have been involved). My disdain for silly fantasy storylines notwithstanding, I barely made it through the previews before I was snoring like a geriatric with a sinus infection. (note: did you know that the word geriatric derives from Greek orgin and means 'Old Man Healer'? Why are we still calling them doctors?) Since I didn't have any idea what the the movie was about, I did some minor research and can now tell you that the film revolved around a group of people (or animals, it remains unclear) who embarked on some great quest, encountered numerous obstacles, fought through adversity, and ultimately found their destiny, united by a common goal of global preservation/domination. In retrospect, that Tolkien fellow could have saved time and simply renamed the trilogy Flight School.

Hardship. Sacrifice. Uncertainty. Evil warlords controlled by an all-consuming passion for power. A relentless march to Mount Doom. The discovery of self. Parallels from that movie to my experiences here are infinite.

Like a piece of oversteamed asparagus, I have now been in the pressure-cooker for two months. I'm nearing the halfway point of the program. My existence has been trimmed of virtually anything other than flying, studying, and sleeping. Lost in the rubble are the last eight weeks of my life. How can time progress so quickly when each day is exactly the same? You could tell me that I arrived here just yesterday, or you could tell me I've been here for two years. I would believe either one.

I have tasted small morsels of success, achieved major victories, and successfully wrecked havoc on the food pyramid by refusing to eat anything besides sandwiches. Along the way I've discovered more about myself than I ever knew existed. I can fly airplanes. I know how to study. I am impervious to challenge. And, probably the most surprising: I am passionate about something other than sports. My final career destination, while still unknown, means substantially less to me now when compared to transformation that's already happened.

The savagery of a small group hungry student pilots attempting to complete flight school in five months is not pretty. This relentless pursuit of aviation knowledge leaves a tremendous trail of destruction: already one student just a few weeks ahead of me has been sent packing, deemed not fit for the rigors of flight school. One more was dismissed from the program for having a lacksadaisical attitude towards studying. Still another prospective pilot was devoured by a pack of desert lobos. Let's hope my fate more closely resembles what this program originally prescribed.

I am closer to the finish line than ever before, yet it seems further away than ever. What lies ahead is a daunting schedule I never dreamed I'd be ready for. It's going to get crazy in here, and fast: In the next 90 days, I am scheduled for six more checkrides, five written FAA exams, 165 hours of flying time, and something close to one hundred dreams involving Outback waitresses bringing me bottomless baskets of Filet Mignons.

Tomorrow, I change airplanes, leaving the Cessna to climb aboard the Seminole and leave my faithful CFI behind. The journey continues. There are new mountains to climb, battles yet to be fought, and plenty of packaged noodles stockpiled in my cupboard. This bizarre and confusing journey through Middle Earth flight school will be over before I know it. Will our hero make it? Who wins? One thing's for sure: I'll be certain to stay awake for this one.

PB&J Sandwiches Consumed (to date):61