My First Helicopter Ride

I took a deep, ragged breath as we entered the park. Every step harder than the last as I followed Elizabeth toward the space shot. I stopped ten feet away and stared up. It was suddenly hard to breathe. Nerves rattled through me like an icy wave.

During the initial introduction many of the people recalled how beautiful the day started, the sky was blue, clear and perfect. However, as soon as people realized that an airplane had flown

Fear holds back a person’s ability to commit to an event, a relationship, and contains one back from his or her dream. As a child, I dreaded boarding an airplane due to the altitude and the pressure closing one’s ears, a terrifying experience. In addition to my fear of airplanes, flights would absolutely bore me. Hence, my impatient reaction of shaking my leg in a fast paced, up-down motion, a nervous tick. Over the years, every time my parents announced a trip that required an airplane flight, the idea would horrify me. Nevertheless, the distinct moments I boarded airplanes, there were always hints of curiosity about the bird-shaped flying machine. How does this strange machinery work? How could an airplane be this frightening? That fear was the foundation of my commitment to aerospace engineering.

His 18 years of life crossed his eyes instantly. He started to become nervous and insecure gradually as the airplane was elevating in the air, and he was afraid that the airplane might drop. He could hear the wheels rolling on the ground loudly and it was unpleasant to him. Fernando’s body was reacting. He felt compressed in his chest that his lung was too large for his chest, so he had trouble of breathing, and his heart was pounding rapidly against his rib cage. During the trip, the airplane met a turbulence, so he began to feel more anxious and fearful. He felt that everything in his body wanted to leave him. His blood pressure increased, so he became agitated. Soon he started to feel dizzy and light headed. He was about to lose control of his body; therefore, he grabbed the seat handles tightly and pressed his feet intensely against the floor to prevent his body from shaking. Meanwhile, he was being extremely quiet, and all he heard were the turbulence, his heart beat and heavy breathing. As Fernando described, the ocean view out of the window was beautiful, yet he could not enjoy looking at it at all.

My first Disney trip was everything I imagined and more. Disney is the most magical place on Earth. Although I was scared to get on all the big rides I still managed to get on. I would stay calm in all of the lines, but whenever I saw I was about to get on the ride I would get the biggest knots in my stomach. On Tower of Terror, I was very close to crying, but I got through it. A very scary ride is Space Mountain. It was like I wanted to start balling out crying, but it was just tears falling out of my eyes. I also hated big drops at the time. The rides with big drops like Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Space Mountain made me lose my stomach. My favorite roller coaster is Rockin Roller Coaster. Rockin Roller Coaster is a fast loopy loop ride, but it’s very smooth and easy going. I do not like jerky rides like the primeval whirl that jerks you every which way.

I remember the first time I flew in an airplane. My eight-year-old self looked out the window of the terminal I was taking off from, astounded by the large size of the vehicle. Worried, I thought to myself how could something that big fly with so many people? Yet, as the plane took off my worries became excitement. Not only was this my first flight, this was the event that marked the start of my new life, my takeoff from Vietnam to America.

The rotor blade on the helicopter continued to pound, but the overwhelming thoughts in my head reduced the once resonate rumble to little more than a whisper. I looked down as we were nearing our destination. It was clear that I was far from home. The usual suburban houses and oversized department stores were nowhere to be found. Only abandoned cities and ruins, overrun by war, hunger, and poverty.

A lady who had been up half the flight, saw out her window that there was something wrong with the plane. Then suddenly the plane started to rattle then a huge POP. Jamerson woke up, he went to go wake up his sister Kaitlyn but, the flight attendant Carrie had announced “Everyone stay in your seats and everything's gonna be okay”. Carrie had been acting all nice and pretending everything was okay, but he could see it in her eyes she was scared too. Kaitlyn had finally woken up, she heard a loud scratching noise outside her window and along the white paint on the side of the plane. She couldn't tell what it had been it had gone by so fast. Carrie had announced again with her shaky voice. “Everyone put on the masks that fly down in front of you, you need to put them on for your safety”. Everyone was panicking about whether or not they're gonna die or live. Kaitlyn thought that maybe they were landing, but she thought wrong. She looked out the window thinking, “That doesn't look like we're anywhere near the ground, and then she noticed that they had started spinning”. The captain began on the announcement “Everyone stay as calm as you can, we can only work with you if you calm”. Jamerson had said to himself over and over everything will be fine. Kaitlyn had been thinking about what she said to Jamerson earlier when they were getting settled. She wanted to go apologize, but now was not the time, she had to stay calm and be

As we flew through the air, in the moment, it was all slow motion. I blacked out for a split second, then opened my eyes, as I was in midair, and I slammed my head on the rough, rocky ground. My head felt like it had cracked open.

Adrenaline raced through my veins, I could feel my heart pounding. My heavy breathing became apparent, even over the wind. It was if I felt everything, but my mind felt nothing. It was numb, dull. As if this wasn't an insane idea.

I covered every inch of myself, so now I could only see thru the misshapen opening of my hood. I slowly waded thru the slush of snow. I shoved my hand into the pockets of my coat, desperately trying to keep them warm. Ever since I was a kid, I feared hypothermia. I was so afraid of losing my fingers and toes to the point where I rather just lose the whole arm, instead of just one finger.

Before I realize it, I am flying through the cotton clouds that give a sense of dimension in the vastness of the sky. It is a sight that I have seen too many times, but can never get used to. Soaring 45,000 feet above ant-sized figures, I watch as my hometown vanishes. A short announcement by a friendly voice cuts the silence. Fourteen hours pass more quickly than I expected,

I, someone with absolutely no experience flying a plane, was in the pilot’s seat and Wayne, a daring and trusting flight instructor, was co-pilot. Wayne sat back in his chair, one arm resting on the door of the Cessna 172 airplane – one with no air conditioning or heating and only two seats – and the other hand balancing his mug of freshly brewed coffee. “‘Take your hands off the controls and let the plane fly by itself’” he said. I stared at him; cruise control did not exist on this aircraft for sure. “’The plane wants to fly. All you need to do is guide it’”. So I took my hands off the yoke, my feet off the rudders, and let the plane fly by itself 1500 feet above the hills of Southwest Ohio.

I then fell… My life flashed before my eyes as I plummeted into the ground, the ice shattered beneath me and the entire world froze as my cheek hit the frigid ice. The cold biting at my face, I could smell nothing and could only see

The night before we began our journey to Orlando, I didn’t get much sleep. My eyes were wide open like an owl most of the night, tossing and turning under my cloudy soft comforter thinking about what awaited me the next 24 hours. I have always been interested about what it would be like to go on a roller coaster, but I hated the feeling of weightlessness like a balloon. I even hated going on elevators, just the thought of all that force sent a shivering sensation throughout my body that made me agonizingly uncomfortable. Nevertheless, there was a roaring lion fearlessness within me that wanted to indulge on this endeavor. In the morning we pack the family SUV as if we were sardines in a can and headed out to Islands of Adventure.