It is strange how things that seem unrelated eventually come together in a pattern. An old man dynamite fishing in his homemade sailboat; a stay-at-home mom; the sight of my father's Pan American World Airways crisp uniform. These memories take me back to my early life and eventual career as a certified flight instructor. Reminiscing while slowly turning the pages of my pilot logbook, I scan the names of students spanning over forty-four years and 20,000 hours of flight time. In the remarks, procedures, maneuvers, and endorsements sections of the books belonging to my students, the endorsements were signed Robert G. Mixon, 1585409 Certified Flight Instructor, Airline Transport Pilot, Multiengine Sea, Multiengine Land, Single-engine Land, and Glider ratings. But those titles don't tell the whole story. Perhaps even more important is how a certified flight instructor can change the lives of others, using the airplane as a tool to replace insecurity with confidence, or over-confidence with humility. The realization that perhaps it is not the certified flight instructor or the airplane who makes this change, but a Higher Power. That may seem ridiculous to many, strange to some, but the truth that follows, you may find appropriate. "Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). This is a true story of survival of the heart and soul as well as survival of the body. My father's plane would come plowing through the water with the deep throated roar of the huge four engines echoing off the walls of the terminal building. Pan American World Airways "Clipper Ships" in 1934. Capacity included 37 day passengers or 14 sleeper berths. Celebrities like Winston Churchill and famous Hollywood movie stars flew to exotic places in the S-42 seaplane even before land bases were constructed throughout South and Central America as well as Hawaii and Europe. As a young boy, I stood with my mother on the roof that is the observation deck of Pan American World Airways seaplane base at Coconut Grove, Florida. That beginning would lead to the desire and dream of becoming a pilot, a pilot who would use his skill, not only to fly in aerobatic competition, but place his skills into the heart and soul of his students, including one who had been trapped in the darkness of abuse. Flight training became her route to personal freedom. The spiritual experiences in this book are not fiction but life-saving. Most of the characters' names have been changed, but the events are very real.
About the Author: Rob Mixon is an award-winning poet and writer. His work has been published in Sport Aviation, Aviation Historian, Sport Aerobatics, Mentor, Vintage Aircraft, and other publications. He was awarded the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration "Flight Instructor of the Year" in 1994 after publishing his book entitled The Art of Broomstick Flying: Techniques of Pre-Solo Flight. Rob was also awarded "The Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award" by the FAA for his "dedication, technical expertise, professionalism, and contribution to aviation safety." There were other awards: "Most Authentic Aircraft Restoration" by the Historical Association of Southern Florida in 1977 at The Harvest: A Country Fair." Rob won First Place in both Spot Landings and Short Field Landings in 1983 at Bob and Suzi Harpors' "Cane Raisin' Fly-in" at Clewiston, Florida. Achieving his degrees in Aviation and Education from Miami Dade College, he eventually taught aviation there as an Adjunct Professor in the Aviation Department. He also obtained his Bachelor's degree in Education from Florida International University and his Master's degree in Counseling from Barry University. While working on completing his education, Rob was employed by Pan Am as an Interior Aircraft Cleaner on 727 and 707 aircraft. Later, Rob got to fly the L1011 aircraft while working for Eastern Airlines as a Cockpit Procedures Trainer in both the 727 and L1011 aircraft. His interest in flying began as a young boy watching with his mother in the Pan American World Airway base in Coconut Grove, Florida as his father returned from far away exotic places on the Pan American S-42 seaplanes that were state of the art flying machines in the 1940s. Rob has flown in aerobatic competition and airshows, earning the following ratings: Certified Flight Instructor Airplane and Instruments, Single Engine Land, Multiengine Land, Multiengine Sea, Airline Transport Pilot, and Glider Ratings with a total flight time of 20,000 hours.