March 1, 2022 What It Was

The Liberty Gazette

March 1, 2022

Ely Air Lines

By Mike Ely and Linda Street-Ely

Mike: We write about different aspects of aviation and how they relate to and benefit every person, be ye earthbound or be ye airborne. Sometimes we want to step back and cogitate on the wonder and romance that attracted us to flying in the first place. What it was that drew us here. It’s good for all of us to reflect on the past and ponder why it is we love what we do, or to go back to some of those dreams we had that might have yet to be realized and set a new goal for them.

We have recounted our first flights, our first solos, and the significance of looking over at the other seat, the one that usually had our instructor in it, and realizing that we were doing this thing, this activity, living this adventure under our own power. At that milestone, there is still a lot of learning ahead, but student pilots find that the huge accomplishment soaks into the soul, and something about life changes with a brand-new perspective that, “I can do that!” 

The student then goes on to learn to navigate over long distances where, like hiking in the wilderness, the scenery constantly changes. My initial cross-country training was from El Monte Airport to Palm Springs and back. Going out eastbound was easy because all one has to do is point the airplane at a wide gap between a couple of mountains. The return trip was a bit more complex. The area around El Monte is often choked with haze and smog, requiring more flight planning and precise navigation when there are fewer visual cues to render assistance.

One of my most memorable trips was a long solo flight from Southern California to Oregon, then Idaho and back home. I rented a Cessna 172 for five days and logged 25 hours. During that excursion, I broke through my first 100 hours of total flight time. On the leg from McMinnville, Oregon to Boise, Idaho, I flew through the marvelous Columbia River Gorge east of Portland. Despite the 3,000-foot overcast, the visibility underneath was good. It was kind of like flying through a tunnel. Gray clouds enveloped dark rock outcroppings where white frothing waterfalls sprouted. Wind surfers’ white trails streaked the river below as they zigzagged from bank to bank. Poking along my journey, I bisected the Cascade Mountain range. Beyond it, sunshine above and circle farms below dominated the view. As flyers, these are the kinds of experiences we hope for. They are not just the stuff of great memories, but enhance the imagination, enrich storytelling, and encourage us to seek more of these adventures. 

Linda: Flying feeds our wanderlust while challenging our minds, exercising a perfect mix of the ethereal and intellect. Three dimensional views are among the rewards for mastering control of a vehicle on all three axes at once. Achievement proven with every take-off followed by every landing, with all the good stuff in between. It’s why aviators say, “I’m livin’ the dream!”

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