Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Kissing the Skies over South Carolina
Turns out I kind of like being up in the clouds. I've been in 4 different planes thus far, and was spoiled on my first Angel Flight aboard a 6-seater Beechcraft Bonanza, kind of the BMW of single engine planes, according to David. We had air conditioning, and it cruised along about 180 mph. My flights since have been in smaller planes, pushing it at around 125 mph.
I've picked up some of the flight lingo from listening to David talk and hearing air traffic control on his flight simulation programs. The comunications between the pilots and flight controllers is comforting and gives me a sense of what is going on in the skies around us beyond what can be seen.
Yesterday, we were facing a line of thunderstorms as we were flying back to Greenville. My pilot was actually a student with about 400 hours of flying under his belt, he said, but still learning. His instructor, the plane's owner, was a former military pilot with thousands of flight hours, As we wove our way in and out of the clouds looking for clear spots, we hit a few bumpy patches, but the light bumping and the drone of the engines (dampened by headphones) actually created conditions for a nice little nap, especially since there was not much to see.
There is something incredibly relaxing about being up in the air, whether you can see the ground or are in the clouds. I'm beginning to see why pilots get hooked. Somehow, it feels like you are transcending the troubles below - putting them into a state of suspension, in a way. There is a feeling of being close to nature, and from the sky, an opportunity to be in awe of the beauty of this state. There is an abundance of green space and inland bodies of water, marsh lands, mountains, beaches and ocean. There is a totally different impression of Charleston viewing it from the sky, as a beautiful port city - one that cannot be fully appreciated from land or even from the water.
South Carolina has been home for almost 20 years, and I have gained a new appreciation of it these past few weeks. I pray that we have enough enlightened leadership in the state to help us keep SC beautiful and pristine. Since my sons seem to be inclined to settle here I would like to think that I will have grandchildren some day who will be able to enjoy all the beauty of the area as well. Unfortunately, with the emphasis on growth and development to foster an expanding economy, nature may become the sacrificial lamb. And that is not good for the mental or physical health of those living here. What happens to nature happens to us all - we are one in every sense of the word.
I've picked up some of the flight lingo from listening to David talk and hearing air traffic control on his flight simulation programs. The comunications between the pilots and flight controllers is comforting and gives me a sense of what is going on in the skies around us beyond what can be seen.
Yesterday, we were facing a line of thunderstorms as we were flying back to Greenville. My pilot was actually a student with about 400 hours of flying under his belt, he said, but still learning. His instructor, the plane's owner, was a former military pilot with thousands of flight hours, As we wove our way in and out of the clouds looking for clear spots, we hit a few bumpy patches, but the light bumping and the drone of the engines (dampened by headphones) actually created conditions for a nice little nap, especially since there was not much to see.
There is something incredibly relaxing about being up in the air, whether you can see the ground or are in the clouds. I'm beginning to see why pilots get hooked. Somehow, it feels like you are transcending the troubles below - putting them into a state of suspension, in a way. There is a feeling of being close to nature, and from the sky, an opportunity to be in awe of the beauty of this state. There is an abundance of green space and inland bodies of water, marsh lands, mountains, beaches and ocean. There is a totally different impression of Charleston viewing it from the sky, as a beautiful port city - one that cannot be fully appreciated from land or even from the water.
South Carolina has been home for almost 20 years, and I have gained a new appreciation of it these past few weeks. I pray that we have enough enlightened leadership in the state to help us keep SC beautiful and pristine. Since my sons seem to be inclined to settle here I would like to think that I will have grandchildren some day who will be able to enjoy all the beauty of the area as well. Unfortunately, with the emphasis on growth and development to foster an expanding economy, nature may become the sacrificial lamb. And that is not good for the mental or physical health of those living here. What happens to nature happens to us all - we are one in every sense of the word.
