Ever since I was a child, I have been obsessed with aviation and the concept of powered flight. Coming from a family of pilots, this was likely to be expected. I vividly remember my first flight in a small plane with my dad, when I seriously asked him if we could stop to get out and walk on the clouds. Needless to say, from that day on I was hooked. With my new passion discovered, I set out to collect every piece of aviation-related literature, filling almost all my spare time learning the intricacies of different aircraft and their systems. Since this past year, I have been working to obtain my private pilot's certificate. Studying aviation in a classroom environment and flying real aircraft has drastically changed my paradigm of the field. When asked about the difficulty of becoming a pilot, I often reply with my belief that anyone can fly a plane, but flight training is essential to know how to behave in the event of an emergency. I sometimes add that when it comes to the act itself, flying is nothing more than driving with the freedom to go up and down. With almost 30 logged flight hours as the pilot in command (PIC), I have learned that the key to being a safe pilot is understanding that a private pilot’s certificate cannot be equated to a driver’s license, but rather a license to learn. Surprisingly, even the best pilots with thousands of hours and multiple type ratings are always learning. In college, my passion for aviation has connected me with a handful of fascinating individuals through which I have gained a wealth of knowledge and insight on flying.