Two to five percent of the general population are terrified of being above the ground in any capacity. For LHS junior Alahna Noble, however, flying through the skies is a part of her life, albeit a slightly abnormal aspect.
“It’s so cool to just get a perspective that nobody else really can see on a daily basis,” said Noble.
Having the opportunity to copilot planes is not exactly a typical experience for the average 16-year-old. However, growing up surrounded by planes and aviation, mainly because of her father, who is a former military and currently commercial pilot, it was never very out-of-the-ordinary for Noble.
“I remember him coming home [from work] and I’d be like, ‘So where did you go? What did you do?’” said Noble. “And I was always so interested in how fast the jets went.”
Despite constant exposure to the world of aviation, Noble never considered flying planes as something she wanted to do until about a year ago, when she flew in a plane with her dad and one of his friends, who has a hangar near the Sioux Falls Regional Airport. Noble went into the flight expecting to be relegated to the backseat while the two men flew when she was met with an interesting proposition.
“They were like, ‘Hey, you want to hop in the front seat and start?’ And I was like, ‘Sure,’” said Noble. “It was very random, very spontaneous, but I was like, ‘Oh. I could see myself doing this.’ I’ve always had just kind of a… need for speed. So, it was kind of fun to be like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in actual control of something that isn’t just a car.’”
Her excitement certainly did not stop her there. Following her first flight, Noble began pursuing her private pilot solo license, which will allow her to take the plane up without an instructor in the copilot’s seat. The licensing process is tedious and time-consuming, as it requires a minimum of 40 hours of flight time and a 70% or higher on a 60-question knowledge test. For Noble, balancing school, her numerous other activities and flying is what causes the average six month learning program to take a bit longer.
“I haven’t started a lot of the study work for it. I’m just building up some ground base hours and getting comfortable with the gadgets and all the areas and tools and everything that are in the planes,” said Noble. “I was planning on sitting down and buckling in with it [when I turned 16], but time kind of flew by and I [got caught up in other stuff].”
For Noble, however, the actual act of flight is more exhilarating and fulfilling than the tedious piloting study work.
“I’m just kind of doing it as a hobby right now. I definitely am transferring more towards aviation job wise, [for that] field of work, because I definitely know that with that there are many opportunities for me. I’ve never really sat down and thought about what I really want to do… [but] the aviation aspect as a whole has definitely opened up and it’s like, ‘Oh, wow. I could do this,’” said Noble.
There are so many intriguing aspects of being up in the atmosphere, but nothing is more awe-inspiring than the bird’s eye view.
“[My favorite part is] right after we kind of lift up from the runway, because I like… the climbing altitude. I like seeing ground level and everything get smaller and smaller,” said Noble. “Honestly, I really like just being up and being able to see Sioux Falls.”
Flying a plane also comes with many challenges, in part because it is so different from operating any other vehicle. From the steering to the many additional tasks pilots have to complete while in flight, Noble had many new components and tasks to get used to when she began flying.
“It’s not like driving; it’s something that has way more components, which is honestly something I didn’t really think about or figure out until I was actually in the driver’s seat or a copilot seat,” said Noble. “[The weirdest thing is that] when you’re taxiing right before you get off the runway, you steer [the rudders] with your feet… there are times when I reach for [the yoke (steering wheel)], and I’m trying to turn and it doesn’t work because that’s for the wings. It’s almost like walking; it’s really weird.”
Despite the difficulties and learning curves, flying and the experiences that Noble has had have given her a new perspective on life and learning.
“It’s not honestly even just the destination for me. It’s the process of getting there, too, [and] just the whole journey from start to end. And honestly, for me, there is no definite end because I’m always kind of moving along. So, it’s just the journey, and you kind of see where [that] takes you,” said Noble.
Flying planes is certainly not an everyday activity for the average person, and some people may even see it as terrifying or dangerous, but by taking chances and pursuing what one loves, one can never go wrong.
“[My advice is] just take the opportunities,” said Noble. “You never know where you’re gonna end up. I mean, life’s a journey and flying’s a journey from even takeoff to landing. So, just kind of enjoy it and take the opportunities that you can… because you never know; you might end up loving it. And it opens up so many more doors than you think it will.”
