Most of you probably know I Love my husband very much...and I'm pretty freaking obsessed with him. I am so incredibly proud of him and every single day he does something else that fills me with even more pride. He hasn't had the easiest life, yet despite that, he's turned out pretty damn well. (better than most if you ask me.)
Nick joined the Navy with a dream. A dream to fly. He enlisted knowing he'd having to work hard to achieve this dream, seeing as enlisted service members cannot be pilots. And today, he's done that. Yes, we all knew this day would come when he was given the news (after this rollercoaster ) that he was chosen by the Navy to be a pilot his firstie (senior) year at the Academy. But today, he's gone and done it!!!
I feel very lucky that I was able to experience this huge milestone with him. Nick asked if I would like to go to the airport and watch. And while him flying scares me, there's nothing more I would love than to watch it.
That morning, I woke up with a nervous feeling. While I Love my husband and am confident in his abilities, him flying scares the crap out of me. I am nervous the entire time he is at work (and now driving to and from work thanks to that stupid street bike.) I always make him text me when he's safely back on the ground (which he forgets to do most days and I'm left semi-freaking out). Every day he leaves the house, I tell him to be safe. It's not like a car. You crash a car into a pole or another car while learning to drive, you aren't really going fast and (usually) you're fine. You crash a plane...well you aren't fine. I KNOW there's always been an instructor in the plane to take over in the instance anything would happen. But I worry none the less.
But today....there will be NO instructor in that plane. Nick will be solo....hence why it's called a solo. It makes me so nervous. As I said, I am 100% confident in my husband's skills and know he's a certified badass, but I worry. I can't help it. [I blame my mother...the Queen of Worriers].
Anyway, I wake up sick to my stomach with nerves. I just wanted to leave and get this underway. But as had been happening the past few days, the weather wasn't the best. We got a call to be on stand-by.
We finally got the call to head to the airport so off we went.
I tried to hide my nerves the entire time. [I think I did a good job.]
On the way, I asked Nick if he was nervous.
"No. I'm excited. Why would I be nervous?" (...um because you're about to fly a freaking plane by yourself!!!!)
His response did ease my mind (...but only a little). Knowing he wasn't nervous let me know that I was okay in being confident in his skills since he wasn't nervous. Nerves in Nick might indicate he was second guessing his own skills. And he wasn't at all.
We arrive and Nick was nothing but a huge smile. It's like his eyes and nose disappeared...his smile consumed his entire face. (and if you know Nick, you know he's not a smiling type of guy).
I met his instructor for the day, Alan, and the owner of the airport, Roger. [I was shocked to know the instructors are not military instructors. They are just normal flight instructors for anyone who wants to walk in there and learn to fly and get their private pilot's license. (Nick never mentioned this). This is also a civilian airport (which I did know). It was a much more relaxed atmosphere than I'm sure it'd be if we were at a base or military airport.]
Nick had to do his pre-flight inspection....making sure everything is good to go on the plane...checking oils, fuel, this gadget, that gadget. Checking gauges, marking down numbers and readings or something or other (some flight junk I don't understand and don't really need to understand...at least not right now anyway.) The ENTIRE time Nick walked around the plane doing this, he had this ridiculous smile on his face.
Then Alan (the instructor) walked out and they got in the plane.
I watched as they taxied down to the end of the runway and stopped. Insert butterflies in my stomach.
At this point, Roger walked up to me and explained to me what they were doing (checking the engines, spark plugs, etc) to make sure the plane was good to go. And then they were off!
I watched as Nick flew in his traffic pattern (basically a rectangle around the airport....down the runway, up, to the left and back across the runway, around another 180 degrees and then land. Then taxi back down and take off and do it all again.) He did this a few times with the instructor in the plane. All the while, Roger is talking to me letting me know Nick is doing a fantastic job.
He also talked to me about how great of a guy Nick is (as if I didn't know.) Letting me know Nick shows up every day with a huge smile on his face and it's obvious this is his passion and he's doing what he was meant to do. That he was born to fly. He talked about others that had failed their check ride and those are the "kids" who aren't born to do this. He said those born to fly just excel...at their oral, at their check ride, etc. "And that's Nick. Passing it all with flying colors."
He was bragging about Nick's abilities as if it was his own son or grandson. It made me feel so great. Then he started bragging about Nick's personality and how he's so genuine and nice and polite. {The entire time I'm thinking "DUH! I married the guy!" but it was still so great to hear these things from an older man who had only known Nick for about 3 weeks.}
After one of the landings, the instructor got out.
And at this point it felt like a pterodactyl was flying around in my stomach.....screw those butterflies, this was serious stuff!!!
He taxied down, radioed in that he was taking off and off he went....down the runway and into the sky.
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| Take off! |
I cannot even begin to explain to you that pride I felt. I wanted to look around to anyone there, point to the plane and say, "Yep, that's my husband." But there was only his instructor, his partner (they had a partner through the first hours of flying, who stayed to watch), and Roger...all who knew it was Nick and probably weren't impressed. But I was. I couldn't stop smiling. Couldn't stop taking pictures. Couldn't stop filming. I know Nick wanted this documented and I definitely wanted to make sure it was captured as detailed as possible. You only fly your first solo once!
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| He's up there, I promise. Click the picture to enlarge it. |
And when he landed that first time....WHEW! It felt like I had been holding my breathe the entire time he was flying that traffic pattern! I felt like clapping and jumping up and down but I didn't....I wasn't "that" wife. I just smiled and watched him do it all....two more times.
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| Coming in for a landing! |
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| Taxiing back around |
He flew his Piper Warrior in the same pattern (take off, fly, land) three times. After the third time he landed, he taxied the plane over to get gas and that completed his solo. When he was taxiing towards us, I could see the huge grin on his face. I went over and took some more photos of him and of course I had to get a photo of me with that sexy student naval aviator.
Afterwards, we went into the office and there is apparently a tradition of cutting off their (under)shirt, decorating it, and hanging it up in the office. So Alan, (Nick's instructor), cut his shirt, he wrote his name, his rank, a few sayings, and a thanks on the shirt. Then Roger helped him hang the shirt. And that was it.
Nick was all smiles...all for about an hour after he flew. I have never seen him so happy. Not even on our engagement or wedding day. Sure, I'm a
Seeing Nick so happy just makes me happy. But isn't that what love and marriage are all about? Feeling someone else's happiness as if it were your own?? This is all I wanted for him. When service selection came about, Nick asked my opinion...what community did I want him/us to put first. I didn't want to answer. While I did have my wants (and non-wants) I didn't want to give my input. I wanted the decision to be 100% his. I explained that I wanted him to choose the career path that would ultimately bring him the most joy...that I needed and wanted him to be happy. That he needed to pursue HIS dreams. He needed to achieve his happiness. I mean, if he's not happy in his job, that will spill over into our marriage and family life and make that miserable. (Applying that psych degree there with the spill-over effect). I knew I would be incredibly proud of him no matter what he chose. He's freely defending our country and signing over his life to it for me, my family and friends, and millions of people I've never and will never meet. He's chosen a life of protecting and fighting for me and our country. How could you NOT be proud??
And I promised him that no matter what he chose, I would always stand by his side and support him 110%. Always. We're in this together. All I wanted, was for him to choose his happiness.
And he's done just that. He is pursuing his happiness...his dreams...his passions.
I cannot begin to describe the pride I felt when watching him. When he landed, I couldn't stop smiling just looking at his face. Knowing that he's one step closer to his dream. Knowing that I was able to witness it. Not all military wives get to experience some of these milestones in their husband's careers. I recognize that and am thankful that I was able to share this with Nick.
{I wish there was more I could do to tell him this all. To show him. But what??}
I had planned to have a cake made (angel food cake...his fav) and airplane shaped rice krispie treats (his other fav). I was going to make them and have them hidden and bring them out when we got home from flying. But with the weather, his check ride was pushed back a day. Then his solo was canceled one day. It all kept changing due to rain, wind, and fog. I wasn't sure when he'd fly and I didn't want to the goodies to go bad.
We got home and shortly after, Nick ran to the store. While he was gone, I was able to make his cake but I had to scrap the airplanes...which I was super sad about.
None the less, when he came home and saw the cake he was excited =)
I know a cake and a sweet little letter about my Love and pride in him aren't enough. But nothing would ever be enough to tell my best friend just how incredibly happy he makes me...how proud he makes me...and how madly In Love with him I am.
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So yep....after just 11 hours of flying a plane and taking some tests over flight "stuff", he flew a plane all by himself. He's a certified badass now. Which makes me a proud badass' wife.
....although now my "badass" aviator is all pouty because he begins API (the second phase of flight training) which is all academic and he won't be flying again for at least 6 weeks.
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To see all of the pictures of his solo, click HERE!
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