Sayings such as this one, along with many others, will stay with me and with all the cadets that attended the 2008 Texas Wing Powered Flight Academy. Not only will they stay with us, but for many it will get us out of tight spots like the one I was in during my solo. Along with those great words and the training I received from my instructor, Lt Col Rayford ‘RK’ Brown, I was able to bring the plane around, restart the engine, and land it.

Back on the ground safely, drenched in water, half of my shirt gone to my classmates' scissors, my adrenalin rushing, and an ear-to-ear smile is how the week of 7–14 Jun ended for me. It was a perfect end to a great week full of flying, learning, laughs, and excitement. Flight Academy was the best activity I have ever been to.

The routine was packed with excitement and fun. We woke up at five, and were up in the air at sunrise. At 0700 we were having a delicious breakfast prepared and served by the Matagorda General Hospital, as was every meal. By 2000 (8 pm) we were back at the hotel, studying the flight books as we got ready for our pre-solo test.

            1. 2. 3. 4.

[1] C/2d Lt Michael "Yogi" Moody gets his very special T-shirt tail from Instructor Pilot Lt Col Rayford "RK" Brown. [2] Lt Col "RK" Brown with his two students, Top Gun Michael "Yogi" Moody and Second-place Gun Christopher "SpecialK" Knutsont. [3] Texas Wing Commander Col Joe R. Smith and Southwest Region Stand-Eval Officer Lt Col Bob "Wambo" McConnell. [4] The graduating class and instructors from the 2008 Texas Wing Power Flight Academy. (Photos 1-3: 1st Lt Sue Kristoffersen. Photo 4: Texas Wing Power Flight Academy staff.)

Most flight teams were composed of two students and one instructor pilot. If only one student was allowed to fly at any time, the other student would remain on the ground studying, studying, or studying. But not all the studying was reading out of books. A lot of the focus was placed on the practical aspect, so while one student was in the air flying, the other one could be on the ground flying. No, we didn't fly simulators, we flew ourselves, on a chalk runway. We would stick out our arms, and “fly” the pattern, practicing the radio calls, and other check-list items that needed to be committed to memory.

Of course, not all of our free time was spent studying. We liked to have a little fun, too. It was not a rare thing to find most of the students hanging out on the balcony singing, dancing, and getting to know each other. All the students had a great time together, and the friendships made at that time will last well beyond the flight academy.

For the rest of my flying career, I know that when I get in the plane, I will be hearing, “Right rudder, right rudder,” “Put the aileron in the wind,” “Keep that hand on the throttle,” “You don’t need two hands on the yoke,” “Let the engineers fly the plane, you already paid them.” Those saying will be with me and the rest of us at the flight academy for all time, and whenever we come in for a landing we'll hear, “Flare, flare, don’t push the nose down, keep the nose up.” And we will keep the plane in working order to fly another day.

Flight academy was great, but none of it would have been possible without the help of SABRE, Bay City, Matagorda General Hospital, Bay City Airport, “Jumper”, and “Wambo.” And a special thanks to all the instructors who, though already quite busy, generously gave of their time to come train us! Thank you to everyone that helped us, it was great, and I definitely recommend it to all those interested in flying.