It was on my night cross-country flight during private pilot training when once again I realized how much fun it is to fly. My instructor told me that when I contacted Indy Center, I would be on my own. He wasn’t going to say anything else until we were on the ground. Now, I had flown into controlled airspace a few times, but had never landed at Indianapolis International Airport before. This was a test.

I was floating along about 110 miles per hour, watching groups of lights slip under my wings at 4,000 feet. What a joy it is to have the ability and the freedom to get in an airplane and go soaring like an eagle!

Oh, to look out at the Creator’s display to see the stars fastened to the blue-black sky, each one having a name and a purpose. Then to see His work reflected on the dark earth in all our city lights, knowing that each one tells a story of a certain person, place, and time.

This night flight reminded me of when I was a youngster and would sit and listen to the shortwave radio with Grandpa. His old radio was bigger than me with all the buttons and the big dial with a multitude of numbers and markings. One time Grandpa moved the big apparatus out from the wall and allowed me to look inside the back. The tube filaments were radiating a beautiful amber color just like the little town lights below my Piper Cherokee were doing now. I remember thinking back then that those lights in the radio and the numbers on the dial represented places and people all around the world.

For as many things a pilot has to do to fly the airplane, there are times when you just sit and listen to the engine as it pulls you smoothly along through the cool night air. There is a feeling of power and authority you can get when you take a flying machine up and defy gravity and the wind that would like to take you off course—the sense of accomplishment and the thrill of being able to do what most folks don’t even dream. These are the thoughts that drift in and out of the subconscious mind and can distract a pilot from the task at hand. One must watch, for this is a subtle trap that can catch you off guard. My mind had drifted.

Visit our Sponsor

The controller at Indy tower somewhat interrupted my musings, when from my communications transceiver I heard, “Cherokee three eight uniform, cleared to land runway two three right.” Somehow, I was able to immediately reply, “cleared for two three right, three eight uniform.”

Now, 23R at Indy is 11,200 feet long, and do you think I could find it? You have heard about not being able to see the forest for the trees. Well, I couldn’t see the airport because of all the surrounding city lights. And my instructor was slouched against the door and appeared to be sleeping.

There was so much for this student pilot to behold. I now must set aside all the glory and splendor of cruise flight. I had a clearance to land but maintained 4,000 feet since I could not spot the runway.

The radio was quiet and I felt alone in a big sky full of silence. I called the tower and asked the controller to turn up the runway lights.

I don’t know how much it costs the city to burn two miles of runway lighting at high intensity, but I know the weather was good enough they shouldn’t have been needed. “Can you see us now?” asked the controller. Still at 4,000 feet, I replied, “Thank you very much…, three eight uniform.”

The little airplane carried us along. And after a while—in a most pleasant and caring voice, I heard, “Three eight uniform…, do you think you can get DOWN from up there?”

I chuckled!

All of a sudden, I felt like a 2-year old at the top of a stairway and Mom wondering what she should do with me! I was still at 4,000! Why hadn’t I started my descent?

I replied, “I’ll bet I can.”

Although still slumped, I saw my instructor vibrating with laughter as I applied carburetor heat and pulled the throttle. I did all but dive at the runway to lose altitude. We rounded out and made a great short-field landing. What a waste of runway! What a night! I would have over-flown the airport if the controller hadn’t reminded me. He probably wondered what else it would take to awaken me!

I laughed at myself and vowed to never let it happen again.