f1rocket
Well Known Member
I will try and keep this as brief as I can. If you are a current builder and not flying much, or the owner of a finished bird and you fly less than 50 hours per year, this tale is for you.
Like many of you, I took my good health a little for granted. I took all the precautions, ate right, didn't drink or smoke, and visited my doctor regularly. I was a picture of health right up to 58 years old, then WHAM. Long story short, in 2012 I dealt with the aftermath of having Stage 4 cancer and the impact chemotherapy treatments had on my body. I was able to initially deal with these challenges and even built my RV-12 as a mental recovery treatment but ultimately, I had to give up my passion entirely in 2016. Fortunately, in my 30 years of aviation, I was able to achieve nearly all my goals and dreams. I built multiple times, won an award at AirVenture, and visited 42 of the lower 48 states.
My point to all this is to remind you that your aviation future is not a foregone conclusion. God has a way to setting you on a different path than what you have planned for yourself. Get that RV out of the hangar and go places, fly, enjoy the freedom, whatever drives your aviation passion, just DO IT. Tomorrow may not be an option.
Do I miss aviation? Every single day. Every time there is a CAVU day, or I hear an airplane fly overhead, I think of all the great times I had going places, meeting great people, and seeing our country from 3K feet. I miss it dearly, and would love the opportunity to engage in my passion once more. But that's not going to happen, and it's an outcome that all of us ultimately face somewhere down the road.
Now, I didn't write this so anyone would feel sorry for me. Don't. I'm doing fine and I use my energies on different passions now. I bought a business with my two sons and it's going great. I also have four grandsons under 4 years old that love to go fishing with Poppy. My life is wonderful even without aviation. But don't take circumstances for granted. Get your bird finished or drag it out of the hangar and dust it off. Top off the tanks and launch!
Like many of you, I took my good health a little for granted. I took all the precautions, ate right, didn't drink or smoke, and visited my doctor regularly. I was a picture of health right up to 58 years old, then WHAM. Long story short, in 2012 I dealt with the aftermath of having Stage 4 cancer and the impact chemotherapy treatments had on my body. I was able to initially deal with these challenges and even built my RV-12 as a mental recovery treatment but ultimately, I had to give up my passion entirely in 2016. Fortunately, in my 30 years of aviation, I was able to achieve nearly all my goals and dreams. I built multiple times, won an award at AirVenture, and visited 42 of the lower 48 states.
My point to all this is to remind you that your aviation future is not a foregone conclusion. God has a way to setting you on a different path than what you have planned for yourself. Get that RV out of the hangar and go places, fly, enjoy the freedom, whatever drives your aviation passion, just DO IT. Tomorrow may not be an option.
Do I miss aviation? Every single day. Every time there is a CAVU day, or I hear an airplane fly overhead, I think of all the great times I had going places, meeting great people, and seeing our country from 3K feet. I miss it dearly, and would love the opportunity to engage in my passion once more. But that's not going to happen, and it's an outcome that all of us ultimately face somewhere down the road.
Now, I didn't write this so anyone would feel sorry for me. Don't. I'm doing fine and I use my energies on different passions now. I bought a business with my two sons and it's going great. I also have four grandsons under 4 years old that love to go fishing with Poppy. My life is wonderful even without aviation. But don't take circumstances for granted. Get your bird finished or drag it out of the hangar and dust it off. Top off the tanks and launch!