As a little kid I loved airplanes. But I had to wait until I was in my 50s to have both the time and money to pursue my lifelong dream. I earned my ASEL (Aircraft Single Engine Land) certificate November 11, 2009.

I continued flight training, and my life was all about aviation. I scored high on my FAA Instrument written test and was working for a leading provider of private pilot training materials.

Then fate intervened. I did poorly on a mandated eye exam. I knew my eyesight was declining, yet I wasn’t prepared for the abrupt limitation of my flying experience. I could have continued flying on a restricted basis, but I think every pilot should have 20/20 vision (correctable) at a minimum.

I returned my private pilot certificate to the FAA. That was hard, but it was the right thing to do. As long as you hold a pilot's certificate you have ongoing obligations to the FAA. More importantly, I didn't want to be tempted to continue flying when I could no longer meet my personal minimums. I was not a great pilot, but I aways put safety first.

If you’re interest in learning more about aviation, check out the links below. You can also get a copy of the book I wrote, “Learning How to Fly an Airplane: Insider information from a student perspective.”

I leave you with two things. One is a solemn reminder: 

"Aviation in itself is not inherently dangerous. But to an even greater degree than the sea, it is terribly unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity, or neglect."

• Captain A. G. Lamplugh, chief underwriter for the British Aviation Insurance Company

The other is an iconic poem in aviation: "High Flight" (link below).

Regarding flight safety, I've included a link below to the NTSB report of John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s accident. Sadly, it shows just about every kind of mistake a pilot can make in terms of judgment.

Finally, Pilot Debrief is a great YouTube channel. It's about aviation accidents, a topic it handles with intelligence and respect. Pilots watch it to learn how to be safer. You can watch it to see how aviation concepts apply to real world situations. Link below.

Be safe, and always keep the wind beneath your wings!

Ted Seastrom

Links

• FAA pilot resources

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 

• "High Flight" 

• Learning to Fly an Airplane 

• NTSB Kennedy accident report 

• Pilot Debrief