Jennifer Dougherty possesses all of these attributes. Her determination to be a pilot is expressed every time we fly. She strives for perfection, even though I tell her that even the professionals have hard landings from time to time. She tries to gather as much aviation knowledge as she can, and she attends ground school classes every opportunity that she has.

Soloing an airplane is a huge step in every pilot’s life. For after that solo, the pilot is never the same. They have a renewed sense of accomplishment and achievement. Their self-esteem skyrockets, and they know that the sky is not the limit, but only the beginning.

I had Jenni write down her thoughts during her first solo flight:

“Back taxiing to the start of the runway, I thought my heart would burst,” she wrote. “It was beating so fast! The plane seems odd without my flight instructor in the right seat. You promised I wouldn’t solo until I was ready – I think I am!

“My legs are shaking so bad that my knees are knocking. I can’t believe I’m actually going to do this! Deep breath! A little right rudder to keep things straight.

“There’s 60 miles per hour time to rotate and climb at 82 miles per hour. Five hundred feet came really quick. Start your first turn, no more that 30 degrees of bank. Now enter your downwind leg and don’t forget the radio call. Everything is set, just like we practiced.

“Turn base – add flaps, turn final – more flaps, reduce power. Throttle to idle and start your flare. A little long, but I’m on the ground.

I feel the tears rolling down my cheeks as the reality of what just happened sinks in. Wow – I just landed an airplane!

“Tammy, thank you for your gentle guidance and tremendous patience. I couldn’t have done it without you. Tammy, thank you for believing in me!”

"I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings. Coming down is the hardest thing."

– Tom Petty

Published February 26, 2004