"My First Solo Flight" Personal Statement Essay
The task: Describe a moment in your life when you took on a great challenge. What was the outcome?
It is not a secret that those who desire to achieve success should be ready to face challenges and undergo transformation throughout a lifetime. Since my childhood, I have been taught that setting goals and pursuing them were the important factors contributing to self-improvement, physical, moral, and spiritual evolution. Therefore, I have always tried my best to conquer new heights, even when those heights seemed insurmountable. Maybe, my inborn striving to overcome difficulties and reach the heights crystallized into a firm desire to become a pilot. I had to overcome many difficulties on the way to the realization of my dream. Still, on the day of my first solo flight, I had to deal with the greatest challenge that changed my life.
I guess I lost my ability to sleep, eat, and live normally after my instructor had informed me of the upcoming solo flight. I spent hours revising Federal Air Regulations and talking to those lucky ones who had already tried themselves in the role of airplane pilots. I still remember the glowing face of my instructor shaking my hand and congratulating me on such an outstanding opportunity. At that moment, I managed to plaster a reciprocal smile on my face and kept on nodding at everything he was saying. I can hardly recall all those things my instructor attempted to convey to me. Nevertheless, I do remember only one word that echoed painfully inside my head. That word was “responsibility.” All of a sudden, I found myself overburdened with the responsibility that was imposed on me. I began to ponder the possible consequences of my failure and pictured some wild scenes in my imagination where I was congratulated on the flawless solo. Shocked and excited simultaneously, I had to cope with a wide array of mixed emotions that, unfortunately, could prevent me from accomplishing my mission.
Therefore, on the eve of my solitary flight, I reminded myself that the successful realization of my long-cherished dream was in my hands. I plunged into meditation and recalling the most pleasant moments I had ever experienced in my life. I also indulged myself with reading the excerpts from the books I considered most inspiring.
Sweaty palms, heartbeat in my ears, and a lump in my throat were all those things I had to confront when my instructor, armed with a logbook, climbed out of the airplane. Having patted me on my shoulder, he wished me good luck and shut the door. For a split second, I succumbed to panic and hesitation. I knew that I had I right to decline the opportunity if I felt unready. Still, I managed to pull myself together to make a crucial step towards my dream. I reminded myself that I had a considerable amount of flight hours and decent flying experience. Then, I looked …
