Stephen Limkin
Trainee Student & Film Maker
For almost 20 years I have had a fear of turbulence. I sleep terribly the night before I hop on a plane, and travelling internationally is even worse for me. Those big stretches of ocean, the isolation of nothing around the plane reinforces the isolation my fear has kept me in.
I have realised that this irrational fear is totally ridiculous, so I have decided to do something about it. This year I am embarking on my own learning to fly journey so I can overcome my fear and hopefully learn to love being in the air, even the bumps.
Overcoming fear is going to be hard, I have no idea where to start or what it is going to take, but I guess the instructors have a plan and a syllabus that will take me from knowing very little to being able to confidently fly a plane.
I’m pretty nervous, quite often I hide it behind a smile and a muffled laugh, but the thought of hitting turbulence in a plane that weighs less than my car terrifies me. There is not a lot of protection when you’re harnessed into those small planes, but I’m reassured by the professionalism of the staff and the way they have tailor-made the experience to help me achieve my goal.
So this is the start of a long journey. I’m sure it will be full of ups and downs, but I’m excited, and scared at the same time.