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Martha Lunken Earns Her Wings (Again)

A check ride marks this pilot's full return to the skies.

As a child, I thought Christmas Eve was hands-down the most magical time of the year, but December 24, 2021, was over the top.

That morning I became a “real” private pilot…nine months since the revocation of all my certificates and ratings. Though I could pursue getting all of them back, at this time in life I won’t go for anything else except an instrument rating. I don’t need anything more.

Sure, it’s nice to remember flying that single-pilot Lockheed Lodestar alone, instructing and testing pilot applicants for thousands of hours, and logging nearly 1,000 hours in a bunch of Douglas DC-3s. And I had loads of fun playing with an Aeronca Chief, a de Havilland Beaver, Piper Super Cubs, and a Republic Twin Bee on the water (even under a few bridges)—and pretending I actually knew enough to be a commercial hot air balloon pilot.

This article appeared in the Q2 2022 issue of FLYING Magazine.

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