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The sun is setting on 2014, and this is the time that most people feel reflective and contemplative over their past year. Perhaps they achieved all of their year’s goals, or they fell short of a couple. My theory has always been to try your hardest, and even if you fail you can feel good knowing you did all that you could.

I was writing down my goals for the upcoming year, and I realized that most of them had to do specifically with aviation. My list included earning my instrument rating, getting my tailwheel endorsement, and hosting at least one Ninety-Nines meeting. I began thinking about how a pilot could create a whole list of aviation resolutions in addition to their personal list. I decided to create a handy guide to some aviation resolutions and goals to inspire your planning for 2015.

Earn a New Rating/Endorsement – This one is fairly easy for a student pilot already viciously working their way towards their next certification, but perhaps even the casual Private Pilot should consider this for 2015. An Instrument rating or tailwheel endorsement can only serve to make you a safer and more proficient pilot. A year is plenty of time to earn either of those, and will they will give you a huge sense of accomplishment.

Log X Amount of Hours– Have you been tearing up the skies with your frequent trips or has chair flying been the more of the reality for 2014? It could be time to set aside the time and money to get back into the air. This could also be a great incentive to get current again. Planning to fly a certain amount of hours a week or month could inspire you to start up the engine and...

Go Mountain Flying (fly somewhere new) – I say mountain flying because it’s something new and different that a lot of pilots haven’t tried yet. This could also mean exploring airports around you that you have not visited yet. One of my favorite flights was when I went to Georgetown (27K) airport with my boyfriend just to fly somewhere. When we arrived a girl happened to be there waiting for someone with her 4 dogs of different breeds. As soon as we walked in the FBO they saw us and got so excited. One dog kept slipping on the floor as he excitedly paced back and forth. We asked if we could pet them and spent a good 20 minutes just playing with these dogs. Exploring new places lends itself to chance encounters like this, and great stories to tell later on.

Purchase a New Airplane– This might be more along the lines of a 5-10 year plan, but it is still worth mentioning! If you aren’t quite ready to shell out thousands of dollars, there are other things worth saving up for. A new headset, an updated kneeboard, or even a leather logbook cover are all good options.

Give Back – There are so many ways to give back in the world of Aviation. You could volunteer your skills to fly for an organization such as Pilots N Paws or the Volunteer Pilots Association. If you don’t have the resources to fly for them, consider giving a donation. I will be volunteering at Clark Regional Airport this summer when the Air Race Classic comes to town for a stop. There are a lot of opportunities out there and you never know what neat things you’ll see in aviation.

When I asked a dear friend what their aviation resolution was, they jokingly said it was to only have one forced landing a month. Whatever your plans are for 2015, I wish you the best of luck and want to encourage you to have fun and follow through. Happy New Year!

1. Neither Wilbur nor Orville finished high school. A hockey accident left Wilbur badly injured and he fell into a depression, forgoing his plans to attend Yale. Instead, he stayed home and cared for his mother, who had tuberculosis. In the meantime, Wilbur’s younger brother Orville dropped out of high school his senior year to open a print shop.

2. In 1889 Wilbur and Orville started their own newspaper. It was a West Dayton paper called West Side News, in which Wilbur was the editor and Orville the publisher.

3. Orville and Wilbur’s father was a bishop who traveled a lot. Their mother was the parent they turned to for advice on their engineering and design pursuits. Being mechanically inclined, she would design and build small appliances and also built toys for the two boys and their siblings.

4. Wilbur was mature for his age, and he preferred to hang out with his two older brothers. He was invited to join their social group called the “Ten Dayton Boys,” where activities included annual meetings, drinking, eating and singing.

5. Wilbur was quiet and studious. Orville was mischievous, but shy.

6. Orville played the mandolin. His sister Katharine, whom he was very close to, is known to have said, “He sits around and picks that thing until I can hardly stay in the house.”

7. The brothers funded their airplane pursuits with bicycles. The pair went into business designing, building and repairing bicycles. They competed with many other bicycle shops, at first selling the popular brands and later designing and manufacturing their own.

8. The Kitty Hawk location was chosen based on certain criteria that included a soft place to land, sustained winds, elevated areas to launch from and, of course, wide open spaces.

9. The test gliders were left on the beaches of Kitty Hawk. After the test flights of the first three gliders, the aircraft were so beat up from their time at Kitty Hawk that the Wright brothers just left them behind on the beaches of Kitty Hawk. A wingtip was later recovered, and is the only piece found from the Wright brothers’ gliders.

10. One wing was shorter than the other on the Wright Flyer On the Wright brother’s design of the 1903 Wright Flyer, the left wing was engineered to be four inches longer than the right wing in order to compensate for the engine placement on the right side of the pilot.

11. The brothers tossed a coin to determine who would be flying the Wright Flyer during its first test flight. Wilbur won.

12. Farmland was used for future flight testing in Ohio, as long as they moved the cows first. Tired of continuous flights to Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers sought out the use of land from a nearby farmer in Ohio. They built a hangar there and began a mission to fly circular flights and make the aircraft more practical. The farmer requested nothing in return, except that they lead the cattle away before flying.

Thaddeus Lowe’s Union Army Balloon Corps poses with an inflated balloon and observation basket near an unidentified battlefield. Photo via.

If there is anything that has experienced an entirely unique and interesting history, it is aviation. From the Wright brothers to the Blackbird, the innovations and creative ideas that helped get us into the air have been nothing short of amazing. Recently I was studying aviation history and I came upon something I had never heard of before. I decided to do some research and find out more about this interesting piece of aviation history.

In 1861, the beginning of the Civil War had come upon America. The North and South were split, and President Abraham Lincoln was desperate for a new way to help the Union defeat their enemies and abolish slavery. It would take some creative ideas to get the upper hand against the Confederate Army.

A man by the name of Thaddeus Lowe was one of the top American balloonists and was also in the business of building balloons for other aeronauts. He successfully flew his balloon over 600 miles on an eastward wind to the coast. He traveled from Cincinnati, Ohio to South Carolina in about nine hours. He was convinced he could cross the Atlantic Ocean, a feat unaccomplished at the time, in just two days.

Unfortunately Lowe never had the chance to complete is Atlantic flight. After landing in South Carolina, the locals saw his Ohio newspapers and figured he was a Yankee. They ordered him to be shot, but he used his charm and wit to talk his way out of the situation. When he finally found a northbound train and headed home, he could see the beginnings of war in America. He decided then that his Atlantic flight was not important, and he was determined to serve his country. With a great idea and resources available, he went to President Lincoln to pitch the idea of creating a Union Army Balloon Corps.

On June 18, 1861, Lowe had the chance to show Lincoln exactly what his balloon was capable of. He traveled to Washington and discussed the possibilities with the president, who was intrigued and asked him to demonstrate with his balloon. To prove that balloons had value in the war, Lowe decided try something he had never done before. He ran a telegraph line from his balloon to the ground, and sent a telegraph to President Lincoln from the air. He was asked to spend the night at the White House and they discussed plans for a future balloon corps.

Lowe was placed in charge of all Balloon Corps operations, and successfully aided in several spying, land mapping, and other helpful missions for the Union Army. The creation of the Balloon Corps also brought along the first instance of an aircraft carrier in history. Although many enemies shot at the balloons, they were never hit.

This is just a brief overview of the fascinating story of the Balloon Corps. I highly encourage further reading and research into the subject, as the stories of these aeronauts are simply amazing!