Preparing for life’s next airventure (I mean adventure)
So today I embarked upon one of my first experiences as an MIT student. Last week, I received an email from a member of the MIT Club of Wisconsin inviting me, an incoming MIT student to EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) Airventure in Oshkosh to participate in some of the MIT Club activities. Such activities included an air-conditioned pavilion, lunch, access to the whole airshow, but most exciting, the opportunity to meet MIT alumni and hear one speak about his company, Terrafugia.
Two words: Roadable Aircraft
aka: the next step towards the flying car
So it was this morning that my family drove the hour down to Oshkosh and waited an additional 30 to 45 minutes waiting in traffic to get into the parking lot. I occupied myself by counting the license plates from different states (23… well 22 states and a government vehicle). For those not in the know, the EAA is a huge deal. In fact, the control tower used by EAA becomes the “Busiest Control Tower in the World” according to the Green Bay Press Gazette and the large banner strung below its windows. According to this morning’s PG, last year, on July 27, EAA tower had aprox. 3,400 some flights while O’Hare had some 2,900 and Atlanta 2,400 something. People come from all over (as evidenced by the license plates) and stay for the entire week; a ton of people actually camp on the grounds. Finally arriving at a parking lot and walking to the main entrance, we picked up our wristbands at WillCall and walked to the MIT Club area. We arrived just in time for lunch, sandwiches and veggies and all sorts of lunchtime goodies (including ice cream sandwiches). I met the President and some of the board members of the MIT Club, all of whom were glad I could make it and welcomed me.
This is when it started to become real. Everyone that I talked to offered me congratulations on my acceptance and decision to attend MIT. These people had already graduated from there and done great things. I’m just an 18 year old who in some way, unknown even to herself, received an acceptance letter on pi day. It’s not just some distant ‘someday’ anymore. I leave in less than 1 month.
One month. Ah! Terrified and excited.
Continuing, we heard a presentation from Carl Dietrich (my spelling is questionable), founder and CEO of Terrafugia, the roadable airplane. He gathered a small group of fellow students and created a flying car with limited budget and in a remarkably short period of time.
This is “This is really happening part 2″
I realized that although my ideas about my future career change from day to day, I could potentially create my own product. Design. Idea.
And, duh, this has occurred to me before, but never before has it been so real and tangible. This guy left MIT and started creating flying cars. And will be producing and selling them.
This is why it’s so scary. I have no idea what is coming. MIT will be completely different than anything I have ever experienced before. It opens opportunities that I never knew existed before. I create my own opportunities.
And so with the growing feeling that one day, I too will be an MIT alum, I watched the fantastic airshow. Even my newly 13 year old sister rose out of her grumpy slouch and eyerolling behavior to enjoy the show. Of course, the show lasted for over two hours but included crazy stunt flying involving cars, high speeds, loop de loops, tons of tricks I do not know the name of, and formation flying. Even planes flying in formation AND doing tricks.
My family and I walked among some of the planes, though the show was so large we had little chance to explore as much as I would like before the complaints from all sides began. Mom retold stories of all of her uncles in the Air Force, flying P 51′s in Japan and Italy or being paratroopers or Grandpa Ed flying DC 3′s in the Sahara in the late thirties.
I had much more eloquent phrases and ideas and parts of the day to describe in my head, but after such a day, I am exhausted. Perhaps I shall revisit and revise later. But now, sleep.
I shall count airplanes as the loop the loop in my dreams.
Or maybe not, because that could be rather naseau inducing.
Just sleeping shall be fine.
