to become a private pilot. The flight plan was to go from Santa Barbara to Camarillo. As I was resting on my bed anxiously the night before, I ran in my head everything that could possibly go wrong the next day: thunderstorms, air traffic, and perhaps the most daunting, engine failure. After going through preflight, checking radios, and planning the runway, we were off and in the air. Ten minutes into the flight, my instructor reached out his hand and turned off both fuel tanks while I was flying, and just a few seconds later, the propeller became stationary. The aircraft started to tremble, and I began to feel that the plane was falling out of my control. My heartbeat kept rising, and my head responded obliviously as if the world has turned blank: What if I crash? What if I crash! It wasn’t until the binder pertaining all the flight information started to slide down my lap that I was snap back to reality and realized that I needed to make an emergency landing. Recalling the reports that I had gathered the night before, I visually identified a large field for landing. After checking briefly through the weather and geographical information in the binder that I prepared, I adjusted the aircraft to the best position for gliding and started flying towards the landing field. The booklet of operating procedures I brought enabled me to begin the engine restarting process: open throttle, switch on the fuel pump, check ignition, and finally, restart the engine. As the propeller started spinning, I could feel that the aircraft was back in my control, and it was undoubtedly a relief. I gradually adjusted the plane back to its designated altitude and successfully landed the aircraft at the destination.
In retrospect, after spending weeks trying to become a private pilot, I’ve learned that regardless of adversities, being prepared is the prerequisite to overcoming any challenges. This is a lesson I planned to carry forward with me, in law school, in court, and in life. I would go into lectures prepared with read summaries and case briefs, into debates with arguments and counter-arguments jotted down on my notepad, and into courts with a mind to fight an uphill battle.
Could you please provide your feedback after reading this? How do you feel about this experience and what lesson do you think I should take away from this (for law schools)?
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