I’ve been reading this magazine for two-thirds of my life, ever since I was an eager-eyed lad of 12. Back then, the arrival of Flying‘s newest issue was a highlight of my month. I’d read Len Morgan first, then Gordon Baxter, then Mac McClellan, Dick Collins and Peter Garrison, and then everything else. I had no clue about half the stuff I read, but at least it got me familiar with aviation lingo. I drooled over and plastered my bedroom with spreads of all sorts of airplanes: GA, corporate and transport, props and jets, vintage and new, and bleeding-edge prototypes. If it had wings, I loved it and couldn’t read enough about it. I still remember a lot of the covers, and some of my favorite stories — like the time Flying paired up with Car and Driver to race a Mooney MSE against a Ferrari 456GT across the wastes of West Texas. That one prompted a lot of angry mail from straight-laced law-and-order types, but I thought it was as cool as anything I’d ever read. Adolescence seemed so slow and dull, but by reading the words of the guys who got to do and fly it all, I put myself in their shoes for a few blissful hours and dreamt of living that life.
Taking Wing: Dreaming Versus Doing
Key Takeaways:
- The author's personal journey, from a childhood dreamer reading "Flying" magazine to becoming a professional pilot and writer for it, exemplifies the power of pursuing one's passions.
- The magazine's readership comprises two main groups: established pilots ("doers") and aspirational aviation enthusiasts ("dreamers"), with many doers having originated as dreamers.
- The article warns against the cycle of regret that arises from unfulfilled dreams, often due to perceived barriers like cost, time, or fear of the unknown.
- The crucial step to transform a dream into reality is to create a concrete plan, involving research, budgeting, and breaking down ambitious goals into actionable, manageable steps.
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