You Can Fly - 2021 edition - 22

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING " But what would I do with a pilot
certificate? " it's no surprise. You might have a long-held mindset that flying
an airplane is something that only airline pilots do. We want to let you in on
a secret: Flying airplanes is something almost anyone can do, and it's one
of the most fun and rewarding activities you will ever undertake.
If the thought of climbing into a cockpit, pushing the throttle forward,
and nudging an airplane aloft isn't enough to get your juices flowing, here
are some suggestions on what you can do once you have a pilot certificate.

Get on up there...with
family and friends

Skip the long drive

Fly for food

Check off those bucket list
destinations-faster

After fascinating (or stupefying)
your friends and family members
with the progress of your pilot
journey, you finally get to share
with them what all the excitement is about. Take them up for
short sightseeing trips around the
area-nothing too ambitious for a
first-time flier-and they'll see for
themselves what an incredible experience flying is. And you might even
convince them to take a flight lesson
on their own! While the FAA prohibits you, a private pilot, from charging
anyone for flying them around, the
regulations do permit your friends to
chip in for a share of the fuel.
We're not sure why, but a hamburger
you flew in an airplane to purchase
and consume tastes a lot better than
the one you got at the drive-through
window. It's a badge of honor among
pilots to fly to other airports for
breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it even
has a name: " The $100 hamburger. "
(The $100 refers to the cost of the
flight to get the burger in question.)
Some airports have restaurants right
on the premises, so when you land
you don't need to rent a car, call
Uber, or stick your thumb out. And
yes, there are websites to help you
find airports with on-site restaurants
and other attractions.
aopa.org/destinations

22  FLIGHT TRAINING YOU CAN FLY 2021

That summer or winter destination
that used to take hours to reach
by car? As a pilot, those days
are behind you. You can rent an
airplane and fly to one of nearly
5,500 public or privately owned,
public-use airports in the United
States. We're confident one of
them is close to your beach or
mountain retreat. This saves you
a lot of time and aggravation as
you soar thousands of feet above
congested highways. You'll look
forward to making the trip and
your passengers will be too busy
looking out the window at the
majestic landscape to say, " Are we
there yet? "

Some people aspire to visit every
Major League Baseball park in the
United States. Others hope to hit
every national park, or perhaps
every amusement park. Whatever's
on your bucket list, a pilot certificate and a general aviation airplane
can be part of that dream. With
the efficiency of traveling by air,
you'll find that you can check off
those destinations faster and more
efficiently than you could when
traveling by car. Planning these epic
flights takes a little time and consideration, but by the time you're a
certificated pilot, you'll embrace the
challenge.
http://www.aopa.org/destinations
You Can Fly - 2021 edition

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