798 hours. What happens in that amount of time? Or 433 flights? And how have I impacted the 46 students whose names are written in my logbook? These kind of thoughts are floating through my mind today as I collect my last paycheck, clean out my desk, and load my car up with my office belongings. Today is my last day of work and what a mixed bag of feelings it brings. It’s been such a great journey, working as a flight instructor at EVA Flight Training Academy, and I’m honestly sad to be closing this chapter. I can’t really encapsulate all I’ve learned and experience I’ve gained while being a CFI here, but the least I can do is share some snapshots of the awesome time:
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| This is where it starts, seeing all those eager faces of student pilots ready to learn how to fly. |
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| You never forget your first student. (and don't worry, I haven't forgotten the rest of you either!) |
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| Seeing someone go from zero hours to Private Pilot and beyond is pretty cool. |
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| These ladies will probably be flying me around one day. |
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| And this guy too... |
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| What a fun time I had back in February when I got to meet up with former students at the HQ in Taipei. (no, these weren't all my students, but it was great seeing them all again) |
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| The sights you see as a pilot never get old. PC: Ann H. |
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| And that's it folks. Last flight. |
As you must have guessed by now, I am leaving my job to go overseas and start working as a missionary pilot in Papua, Indonesia. It's been quite the ride getting to this point and many times it looked like it wasn't going to happen, but 2 1/2+ years after first committing to going, I finally have my visa in hand and I'll be departing the end of August. It's exciting and daunting at the same time. The work will not be easy. But I believe it will be well worth it. And I'm encouraged by this neat verse I read a couple weeks ago. Never before has it felt so relevant and personal:
