How often have you looked up at the sky at a passing aircraft and thought "amazing"?  How many times has the sound of a plane flying overhead sent your eyes skyward to squint against the brightness of day and try to catch of glimpse of the source?  I'll wager that if you are reading this, more than once.

It seems odd that such a defiance of our physiological capability draws such intrigue and desire.  This planet has miles of solid ground and gallons of water for us to play on and in, yet we still have found a way to go vertical and make even the sky our playground.

I am guilty.  I am guilty of the intrigue, squinty glances and embedded desire to defy my role as a terrestrial creature.  This has led me to the hobby (ok, maybe obsession) of general aviation.  I've always dreamt of flying and am now taking steps to make that dream a reality.

My name is Cody Boyd, and I started this blog to document my journey from lowly ground dweller to taking my place among the privileged who frequent the skies above.  Without getting into a detailed discussion of how this will happen (we'll save that for future posts), I, like most, started by taking a discovery flight.  Often, a discovery flight is the gateway to fulfilling the dream of unbridled aviation freedom.  It introduces the student to what flight lessons will be all about and often gives them a full blown case of the 'fever' that fuels the desire for even more.  I was no exception.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a group of highly trained professionals at flyADVANCED out of Wings Field in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania.  They sponsored the $199 discovery flight that did all of the above: opened the gateway and sparked that passion that can only be satisfied by more time in the cockpit.

Let me outline a bit how it went.  My instructor, Reed McConville, started by going over some flight planning.  He outlined the path and plan for the flight and what to look for.  Next, he went over some basic aerodynamics in what was a mini ground school session.  After that, we walked out to the aircraft and conducted the pre-flight using the checklist.  He knew the aircraft inside and out and was able to impart a sense of confidence and excitement for the upcoming adventure.

Finally, it was go-time!  We flew for about 30 minutes, and I was able to get a great view of Philadelphia, PA.

I can't wait to go again!  As mentioned, everyone I interacted with at flyADVANCED was very professional and made my experience exciting.  Give them a call at 215.646.0400 or drop them a note at info@flyadvanced.com Check out this post's adventure video:

I hope you return to my blog as I continue to document my adventures and until then, safe travels and keep flying!