Air force cover letter

I attribute my interest and passion in piloting to my family, especially my dad. Ever since I was four, my dad would come home after work dressed in the same type of clothes— navy blue uniform and light blue short. What stood out to me was that the clothes did not resemble those of my friends’ fathers and my teachers back at school. So, one day, out of curiosity, I asked my dad why he kept wearing the same clothes over and over. In a quick rejoinder, he told me that he ‘flies the biggest birds in the sky”. At my age, I didn’t quite comprehend what he meant. So, I asked, “Can I also fly those little birds that visit our trees every other morning?” and he replied “No. Lovely son, I will show you those special birds pretty soon”. He explained to me how he flew the ‘big bird’ with a special small stick, how the ‘bird’ soared so high above the clouds, and how the clouds look so beautiful when watched up in the sky. All these sounded both unimaginable and fanciful to me. Noticing my interest in the matter, he promised to take me to the airport to get a first-hand look at the planes.

Becoming a pilot

As promised, my dad took me to the airport in one of the summer holidays. The ambiance was so appealing and the lounge beautifully decorated. I could see huge screens showing ‘big birds’ which I later learned from my dad that they were planes. I was so excited when I was taken to the viewing gallery. There, I saw many people who had dropped by buses, and they climbed the stairs leading to the big planes. Lights flashed beautifully on the tips of the wings of the plane. The doors were suddenly closed, and the plane moved towards the runway with a rumbling sound. As the plane moved, its speed increased, and it took off the ground. In the sky, it looked like a huge bird. The beautiful scene and experience elicited my interest in flying, and I looked forward to flying one day. At the age of 15, I got a chance to get into a southwest airlines flight simulator. This gave me an opportunity to simulate flights with the help of my dad. With the simulator, I was able to ‘land’ a Boeing 767 airplane. My dad was impressed with my achievements, and this made me proud of myself. The flight simulator exercise was the best memory I have ever had with my dad.

I finally got my first flight experience when I turned 17. I had eagerly awaited from this day. My dad took me, and we flew over our hometown in a small Cessna 172. It was such an awesome experience; I got a chance to see the beauty of my hometown from an aerial view. As soon as we took off, my interest in piloting grew more and more. I was curious to know what it takes to be a pilot. After the flight, I started my lessons with an instructor in pursuit of private pilot license. I would make plans to fly three times a week during summer. After the flight, I would call up my dad and narrate to him about the experience. The experience and the skills acquired during the flights enabled me to relate with my dad in a special way. We could talk and discuss at length about flights. During such conversations, he would give me tips on the best take off speeds and what it takes to land. He would also narrate to me about his learning experiences as an air force pilot and relate to what I was currently learning. I benefited from the after-flight conversations with my dad. This is something I would never have gained from a classroom situation.