Flying SOLO

It's been a long time coming... but today Tim completed his solo flight. It's not that he didn't want to finish before now. I think he started his very first flight (ever) in 1992. It was more of a whim... although he really wanted his pilot's license... he also had many other extra-curricular activities. Finally, he decided to get "serious" about it in 2003, when he met Kelvin Combs - and began to fly on a more regular basis. As chance would have it... and as things seem to go for us... there were your typical (and not so typical) delays. Hi-Tech, while being a wonderful business for us and providing us with many blessings and even more opportunities, takes a lot of Tim's time. Then we had the summer of chaos. I think Tim suffered from 4 bouts of kidney stones and had to have 2 surgeries... and that's also when I was kicked by my horse and suffered a fractured pelvis. Definitely a summer we don't care to repeat.

That fall we traveled to visit our girls for the first time... and our life has been going at interstate speeds ever since. As we approach our 4th year of having the girls home with us... we are also completing our 4th adoption in 4 years. WOW!




So, flying had to take a back seat for a while.



But, like anything else... when you have a passion for something... you find yourself being pulled that way, and the yearning never really leaves. So, Tim decided to get back in the pilot's seat and complete his training.





So... let's see...15 years, 5 instructors, 4 kidney stones, two surgeries, one broken hip (not his), 3 (almost 4) children home, 2 simulator rides, 7 different aircraft and untold hours which we will not translate into dollar amounts... (for MY benefit)... and finally Tim completed his first solo flight this very COLD, cloudy and more than a little windy morning!






And what do you get for all that effort?? A tiny little card... that says he also must "possess" corrective lenses while in the aircraft. :) So, we finally got to solo... and now we are headed out to Wal-Mart to buy some reading glasses. It kinda stinks getting old. :)

Tim and Kelvin did take me and the girls up for a flight on Father's Day 2005... but McCaleb has yet to take a trip in the air with his Daddy. Hopefully we can talk Kelvin into making this trip with us again so that the little man can go up in the air with his Daddy!

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU, TIM/DADDY!