Bridges Of The Piscataqua _ Pat Corlin Photography

Hah! Look at me, drinking coffee, eating macadamia nuts and flying in a teeny, tiny, little, airplane. WHO KNEW?!

I am so thankful that I have reached “An Age” where my “Bucket List” now includes conquering fears that I have had for a very, very long time. This week I tackled a “MAJOR” fears that has prevented me from taking part in some really great experiences, over the years. I am, or so I had convinced myself for the past 15 years, terrified of flying in very, very small planes for instance. NO, REALLY! I had a very unhealthy, deathly fear of being up in those little suckers. Rather odd, in fact, because many of you know that I am not afraid, NOT ONE BIT, of the “Big Boys.” Oh no, I fly quite frequently on those big busses in the sky and am so relaxed I have been known to fall asleep while taxing down the runway! But ask me to climb into a four seater and you would see my dust! Well, yesterday was a big day for me. A VERY big day. You see, my husband is a pilot and a VERY good pilot, indeed. He and my kids, (yes he is such a good pilot I let them fly with him … but not me) AND my dearest friends have been after me to “GET UP THEIR AND SHOOT!” I DID IT! I took my seemingly relentless urge to shoot something new … and my “WHY in God’s name are you letting this stop you?” attitude and hopped into the Diamond Star with my own personal pilot and off we flew, wheels up at 8:30 am on a beautiful sunny morning and into a Robin’s egg, blue, cloudless sky. Perfect air and no belly bumps to scare the crap out of me. I lifted the lens and I was like a kid in a candy store. All of my fears … gone, in the first click of the shutter! We flew a half hour into the state of Maine, landed with a bump no bigger than the speed bump in the Home Depot parking lot and went into the Sanford Airport Cafe for a delicious breakfast and back up for the return flight home to New Hampshire. This time I rode in the back seat with much more space to shoot with my 70-200 mm. Shoulder to shoulder seating with the pilot in the front makes it difficult to wield that puppy around up there.
But never say die, I continue to learn each and every time I now let my feet leave the ground. "Up In The Air Junior Birdman"
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