By Charan Kandula

I remember the sound more than anything else. Not the loud and constant engine but it was my headset clicking into place and sealing myself from the outside world. I could feel everything become more serious as I put my headset on. I could feel the weight of silence encroach on me making everything a lot more serious.

Dials and labels were present there that I usually have not seen before.

I felt a drop in the stomach with a sense of unpreparedness, as if I were playing a sport without knowing the rules. As I ran my finger over the yoke, I was able to experience something that pilots experience every day.

In my mind, imagining how it would feel to fly an airplane for the first time. Seeing airplanes take off from the ground, as if lifting off was one of the most natural things in the world. Like watching a bird flying away into the distance.

Sitting in the pilot seat of the airplane and not looking through a window is a whole new perspective realizing that you’re no longer just watching but participating. You get to experience firsthand what a real pilot feels like.

As we taxied slowly and consciously down the runway, I could feel the vibration of the pavement against the wheels. The checklist items being spoken out loud, each one making the experience more real. This wasn’t me taking off on my simulator anymore in the comfort of my home, this was the real thing.

When we lined up on the runway, there was a brief pause. The runway looked like it was stretched for miles, longer than it had looked behind a fence. The engine noise increased, pushing me back into my seat and being able to feel the pressure acting against my whole body. My eyes moving between the runway and the airspeed indicator.

Then, without a warning, the feeling changed.

The bumps softened. The vibrations eased. I could see the runway drop away slowly and I felt my stomach lift and the ground separated from us, and in that moment something clicked.

We were flying.

Looking out the window, being able to see everything get smaller and fade away. The roads were lines, the houses were smaller. Everything I thought about from the ground felt more distant, and as we went higher in altitude it got more quiet. I always thought that it would be bumpy and loud, but it was quite the contrary. It was hushed and peaceful. The airplane was steady and felt slow while it glided through the air.

While flying I remember paying more attention to my surroundings and the sounds than ever before. I was listening to every subtle change in the engine or even the airplane started to accelerate or climb altitude. I was starting to realize that it was not just about what’s inside the airplane; you need to really pay attention to every small detail.

When we turned around, a part of me didn’t want it to end. I felt like I was in a place that I never wanted to leave. Touching back down felt different and familiar. It was the same place but different than before. I feel like it changed how I thought about it in a small but also important way.

That first flight didn’t just show me what flying was like but showed the discipline and effort that had to be put in for each and every flight. It made this path feel more real that can be achieved with effort and responsibility and it did not just have to be a dream anymore.

I left the airplane knowing that I didn’t just want to watch the airplanes take off but wanted to earn my way into the cockpit, and it all started from the moment the ground slowly fell away.

Charan Kandula is a 14-year-old freshman in high school and has been flying for nearly four years. She dreams of becoming a pilot one day.