What I learned from learning to fly

As a child, I was fascinated with airplanes. When I heard the sound of one in the distance, I watched it until it went out of sight.

I often dreamed of the time when I could fly an airplane.

I had two short rides when I was fifteen years old.

The third airplane ride was my first flying lesson at the Gibson County Airport in Milan, Tennessee. Everett Williams, an elder of the church at Dorris Chapel, introduced me to Lawrence Browning, who would be my instructor for the next few months until I received my private pilot’s license.

I had enrolled in Harding Graduate School in Memphis, Tennessee. The first class I was encouraged to take was Critical Introduction to the Old Testament. My assigned outside reading was a several-hundred-page book covering the material. As I skimmed through the book, I recognized much of the language.

In my third year at Freed-Hardeman, I studied and wrote 11 term papers on such topics as the Documentary Hypothesis of the Pentateuch, Deutero-Isaiah, and Ur-Marcus. I knew that many term papers awaited me in this process. I detested writing term papers. I didn’t enjoy writing until I was 70.

Therefore, I reinvested the time and money I would have spent in graduate school in learning to fly a single-engine aircraft. My graduate school was at Gibson County Airport in Milan, Tennessee.

Lawrence Browning was the very epitome of a non-anxious presence. He was confident and relaxed when he flew. He was calm in his instructions.

The only time I remember him getting excited and raising his voice was during a takeoff when I had the nose of the airplane pitched too high, and the airspeed was getting too slow. He shouted, “WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE! WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE! GET YOUR NOSE DOWN! GET YOUR NOSE DOWN!”

What he was saying was very important. The attitude of the airplane is the relationship of the nose of the aircraft to the horizon. Taking off at too steep an angle can cause the airplane to lose flying speed and stall. On takeoff, there’s not enough altitude to come out of a stall. The result is a crash for the airplane and possible death for the occupants.

I never remember getting in that position again in an airplane. I’ve approached other situations in life with my speed too slow and my nose too high. Several times when that’s happened, I hear the voice of Lawrence Browning saying, “WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE! WATCH YOUR ATTITUDE! GET YOUR NOSE DOWN! GET YOUR NOSE DOWN!”

Learning to fly involves a preflight check of the airplane, learning to fly straight and level, learning to turn right and left, learning to gain and lose altitude, practicing recovery from a stall, taking off, and landing. That took about six hours of instruction. During this time, I also attended ground school. We learned many principles of flying, navigation, airport communications (including arrival and departure procedures), weather, and how to deal with it.

On January 16, 1968, we practiced takeoffs and landings. It was a snowy day. Lawrence had taken a Ford tractor with a front-end blade and cleared enough room on the runway for us to take off and land. After we had been around several times, he asked me, “Do you think you can do that by yourself?” I replied, “I think I can.” He said, “Let me out after this landing.”

That was my first solo flight.

During the next few weeks, I flew a few more hours solo, getting used to making my own decisions without an instructor in the aircraft.

Next, I took on a dual cross-country flight. I planned our trip from Gibson County Airport to Henry County Airport in Paris, Tennessee, landing there, then to Dyersburg, Tennessee, landing there, then returning to Gibson County Airport.

I carefully planned and rehearsed the entire flight. I had marked it on my map. When we reached flying altitude, Lawrence told me to take my eyes off the airplane and look around. I told him I had to keep the airplane on 43°. He said I needed to look around outside the aircraft. I reiterated that I had to keep the plane at 43° to reach the desired destination.

He explained why his advice was necessary. He told me I wasn’t the only airplane in the area. I didn’t need to run into another airplane. He then explained how I could keep the plane on course and stay flying in the right direction.

He asked me, “Are you on course?” I said, “Yes. I’m flying at 43°.”

He said, “Look as far as you can see, and pick out an object directly in front of the airplane.”

I replied, “I see a barn that is on course.”

He said, “Fly over the barn. Forget about 43°.”

As I was flying over the barn, he said, “Are you still on course?”

“Yes, I am flying at 43°.”

“What do you see in the distance that’s in front of the airplane?”

“I see a pond of water.”

“Fly over the pond.”

As I was flying over the pond, he asked, “What do you see?”

“I see an airport.”

Lawrence said, “Land the airplane.”

To reach any long-range goal, I need to determine the objectives I must meet to get there.

Then I can focus on the next step in the process, knowing that as I do those things, I will eventually reach the long-range goal.

Another lesson I learned was during my checkride to get my license.

I picked up my designated pilot examiner, Russell Reddick, at the airport in Paris, Tennessee. He asked several questions on my oral examination. He instructed me to taxi to the end of the runway and take off.

I was ready to leave. His window was open, and his arm was out the window.

I told him he would need to close the window for us to take off.

He didn’t make eye contact or make any move to do what I’d asked.

I repeated that he’d have to remove his arm from the window and close it for us to take off. He didn’t move or acknowledge what I said.

At that point, I reached with my right hand, removed his arm from the window, and closed the window myself. If I hadn’t done that, I would have failed the examination.

When I’m the designated leader, I need to lead. Other people may have more education and experience. But if I’m the designated pilot of the plane, my job is to keep myself and other people safe and fly the plane.

And that was part of my graduate education. I didn’t get a master’s degree, but I learned some valuable lessons that have stayed with me throughout my life.

I’m still trying to remember to watch my attitude and keep my nose down.