Learning to Fly
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (118365)
Gainesville, Florida
April 29, 2017 7:57am CST
I wish I could say this post is about me learning to fly (both Pink Floyd and Tom Petty taught me a thing or two about flying), but this is about one of my lifeguards at work.
I have a young lady who started working for me as a lifeguard last summer at the age of 16. She is a good kid with a great attitude and work ethic, and is one of my best lifeguards.
Imagine my surprise yesterday when I picked up the local newspaper and saw a nice article on her about her taking flying lessons. I had always known she was interested in flying, but didn't know she had started taking lessons. In fact, she will end up getting her pilot's license before she even gets her driver's license!
What I found most interesting was that this young woman has a very ambitious goal to become the youngest female airline captain. Currently, that records stands at 26 years old. I hope she is able to realize her dream and become a captain by age 25!
Are any of you here on myLot a pilot, or have any of you taken flying lessons? I know @gillygirl in the UK has taken a lesson or two!
16 people like this
17 responses
@JudyEv (325348)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Apr 17
Good luck ot your young employee. We had a couch-surfer stay with us - a young girl - and she was the youngest trainee air traffic control officer at Changi Airport in Singapore. I can't remember how old she was but it was certainly early twenties.
3 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
Wow, that is awesome! I hope she can keep calm under pressure, as I've heard that air traffic controllers are one of the most stressful jobs in the world!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325348)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Apr 17
@moffittjc That's true. About twelve months later there was almost a taxiing collision (just wingtips) under her watch and she was very upset about it. They seem to get very short work shifts and more holidays than most because of the stress involved.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Apr 17
I know no one who is a pilot. I hope your friend makes her goal.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
One of my best friends from high school is a private pilot, and he flies clients all over the world. I told him that if he ever comes to my city, he better call me and take me up for a flight!
I really hope my lifeguard makes her goal as well! She really deserves it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
@fishtiger58 Me too! I'm dying to go on a private flight! Maybe I can talk him into flying me down to the Caribbean for free! haha
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
29 Apr 17
@moffittjc and I hope you friend makes it to Florida sometime and gives you that ride.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
29 Apr 17
Whoa! That's amazing ! Good for her. I hope she gets to be the youngest captain 
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (95001)
• United States
30 Apr 17
@moffittjc Yes I am sure she'll do wonderful if she has her mind to it =)
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
It's a very lofty goal, but one that is attainable with hard work and determination (and a little luck, I'm sure)!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
29 Apr 17
I won't even be a passenger in a plane and if I was I would want a well-experienced, older dude flying it!
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
I have no issues with flying, and generally I agree with your assessment of wanting an older pilot commanding the plane. But I know this girl well enough to know how serious she would take the job as captain, and I would trust my life to her!
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
29 Apr 17
@moffittjc With age comes experience - it's a moot point I don't/won't fly.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
@AbbyGreenhill That's true, if you don't every fly, you will never have to worry about who is piloting the plane! haha
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 May 17
@CRK109 That's a great idea Claudia! I'll have to remember that for this coming Christmas!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
I would love to take flying lessons someday, but it is just too expensive!
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14558)
• United States
1 May 17
@moffittjc If anyone ever asks you what you want for a birthday or other holiday, there's your answer!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
It's amazing seeing such a young kid with such a lofty goal for her future! But I think she can do it!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
@Courtlynn Yes, she's the "little engine that could!" Have you ever read that book? I'm not even sure it's popular anymore these days! lol
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
29 Apr 17
Wow! That is amazing! I hope she reaches her goal, anything is possible with determination. =) She sounds like a smart and goal oriented girl-that's incredible at a young age.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
She is a very smart and determined young lady! And I'm glad to have her on my staff as a lifeguard! I wonder if she's ever flown over the pool she works at while she's been taking flying lessons? I'll have to ask her when I see her.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
29 Apr 17
it sounds like she knows that she can. i'm glad her family helps.
2 people like this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
5 May 17
Not me, I much prefer to keep my two feet on the ground lol
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
8 May 17
@moffittjc lol No two left feet, I am quite light on my feet as they stick quite close to the ground lol
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
8 May 17
Well, hopefully you don't have two left feet! haha Then it wouldn't be fun to keep your feet on the ground, because you'd always be tripping!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
30 Apr 17
My father, my grandfather, and one of my uncles were all fighter pilots in the military. I'm surprised I never got the flying bug!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
13 May 17
@noni1959 When I was in high school, I dated a girl whose dad was a pilot. He had a Cessna and would always take us up flying in it. There were several occasions when he let me take the controls. It was definitely a fun experience!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 May 17
I have dreamed of flying a helicopter as well! I gave serious consideration at the end of high school of pursuing a career in the Army flying Apache or Cobra attack helicopters. Being that my whole family is Navy veterans, they would have killed me if I went into the Army instead of the Navy! haha
1 person likes this
@noni1959 (9876)
• United States
11 May 17
@moffittjc lol maybe someday you'll get the chance. I was allowed to "fly" a cessna once with my girlfriend's dad while it was in the air. I got to spin this knob thing on top to bring the nose up and "drive" it. It was fun but I know it wasn't all there was to flying.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 May 17
@DianneN I think I remember you mentioning something about that. Life sure is fragile, isn't it?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
29 Apr 17
Well, she's not a pilot yet, she is just training to become one!
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
2 May 17
Good luck to the young girl...She sounds determined .A few months ago the newspaper reported about a all women crew in an international flight
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 May 17
Wow, an all women crew! I haven't seen that happen before!
1 person likes this
@responsiveme (22926)
• India
4 May 17
@moffittjc the flight was AI ..174....New Delhi to Sanfransisco over Pacific then back to new Delhi over Atlantic, in early March this year
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (118365)
• Gainesville, Florida
4 May 17
If she sticks around another year or two working for me at our city pools, she will most likely get promoted to a pool supervisor position.
@DeborahDiane (40042)
• Laguna Woods, California
1 May 17
My husband took lessons and became a private pilot when we were young, back in the 1970s. We flew all over California and Baja California in Mexico. We joined a group called Flying Samaritans and flew a dentist to a remote part of Mexico once a month. I took classes and learned to file flight plans, study the weather, navigate and make an emergency landing which, thankfully, I never had to try out!
