Turbulence will not kill you, but fear will

If you are born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growingDetermined to conquer my personal fear of heights, I sought out to experience my first ever flying adventure on a microlight flight. It was one of my desires, on the MUST DO list. So on the special day when my oldest son turned 13, we decided to do something different....and lo...FLYING. Experience of flying on STOL [Short take-off and landing] aircraft as a co-pilot and feel the controls of an aircraft is an incredible experienceLike every first-timer, I was anxious too, till the Pilot suggested that I should enjoy the experience. One of the key pieces of advice was to relax and stay focused when you are in control of the flight. Soon you will realize that no matter what, the plane will fly :) and you being stressed will not change the course of the flight. The feeling one gets while controlling the flight at such an altitude is priceless.A couple of things I learned during the course is,Turbulence will not kill you, but fear will - So one needs to accept the fear and refuse thoughts that create self-doubt.Paint the sky, make it yours - If its important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find excuses.Like John Gillespie Magee once said, Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and danced the skies on laughter silvered wings. The poem rightly captures the very essence and thrill of flying high. It was a life time experience, something i would cherish for a long time..A thrill like no other.

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