Never give up on your dream. I will share a story about a recent triumph I had by completing a goal I started almost 20 years ago.
After graduating high school, I was kicked out of my parents’ house. I dropped out of community college, and the next year failed out of university.
I then enlisted in the Navy with ambitions of becoming a pilot. I washed planes and dishes for 4 years all the while trying to talk to any pilot I could.
I did not come from a military background or an aviation background, so I had no idea what it would require. The internet was around but it did not have as much information available as today.
Once I finished my enlistment, I knew I needed a degree, and some flight time would help. I chose electrical engineering and started flight lessons.
I ended up graduating magna cum laude in electrical engineering with a minor in mechanical engineering. I had worked for NASA designing antennas for the space station and got published for hydrogen fuel cell research. I also built up 40 flight hours and did my first solo.
After almost 10 years of grinding, I finally had my acceptance into the Navy Pilot Program! Officer Candidate School was set for one month after graduation.
After 3 months of training and being at the top of my class, I was told by the medical doctor that I could not be a pilot a week before graduation. A contact allergy that I mentioned before signing the paperwork was the reason for disqualification. I asked how they could do that since they said it wasn’t an issue when I rejoined.
I never got an answer and ended up working as a platoon commander in the Civil Engineer Corps.
I was almost in disbelief the entire time, just kind of a shell of myself. It wasn’t until a few years after I finished my commission that I started to fly again.
This time I was met with CFI’s leaving, planes breaking, finances, and flight schools relocating all together. It was difficult to get on the flight schedule or get a Designated Pilot Examiner scheduled.
After working in commercial real estate and working on failed deal after failed deal I came to the realization that I had not achieved my original goal and I wasn’t getting any younger.
I decided to go all in on a full-time Part 141 flight school and pay the high sticker price.
Once I got in, I thought ok, this is it. I am finally going to become a licensed pilot. Wrong. The 100-hours of flight time did not seem to matter. I was hit with more failure and rejection.
You must pass certain tests to get to the final check ride and I was not passing them.
I had watched other students zip through the program with little to no resistance.
Self-doubt started creeping in. Maybe I’m too old? Maybe I’m not good enough?
After all I had been through, I just wanted to catch a break for once. But I realized I was not going to catch that break.
Instead, I doubled down. I went in with the mentality that I could not give them a reason to fail me.
I read all the material, wrote it out, reread it. Listened to the same audiobook 10 times. I flew the simulator until I couldn’t get a maneuver or the navigation wrong.
I asked my CFI and the school for more lessons despite them saying I was more than ready for the final check ride. I even flew with other instructors just to verify that I was ready.
Then the final day eventually came, and I passed the test. I am officially a licensed pilot!
Never give up on your dream.
