Freedom and Responsibility

If you've never seen this video, do yourself a favor and watch it.  The actual interview starts at :40.



A very experienced GA pilot first shared this with me long before I had my own wings, and it's stuck with me.  I love Harrison as an actor, but I think I appreciate his words in this little clip more than any of his many films.  His story of becoming a pilot is probably different from most, but nevertheless relatable.  He exhibits the drive that makes any good pilot good: a desire to constantly improve and broaden his abilities.  He's lucky enough to fly for fun, but many would see him as even luckier for being able to incorporate GA into his non-aviation career.  In any case, he humbly recognizes that luck for what it is.  He is almost shockingly humble about his success, which makes you want to empathize with rather than mock his failings - you can't help but laugh along when you visualize his first solo (3:44).  His appreciation for small towns and small-town people also reflects one of the beautiful aspects of GA.  Even having grown up in a state with more cows than people, hopping into a little local airport feels to me like stepping back to a simpler era built on history and mutual trust.

What I really love about this video is when Harrison talks about why he flies.  Ask any pilot to do the same and freedom will be high the list (if they're honest); nobody gets into this because it's cheaper or safer than other modes of transportation.  But it is the mixture of freedom and responsibility (5:08) that fuels the adrenalin from takeoff to touchdown.  We pay dearly for the opportunity to launch into the sky, but that makes us value every second.  We take our lives (and those of our passengers) into our hands every time we line up on the numbers, but the gravity of that situation heightens our senses.  I think overcoming both of these hurdles is what makes us not only glad but proud to fly, and keeps us coming back for more.