I am a firm believer in setting goals and tracking progress towards them…. In fact, I think every pilot should have a bucket list…. Here is mine:
1. Personally land in all 50 states and 50 countries:
When I started flying, I casually thought about flying to lots of different places. Then in 2010, I decided it was time to start getting serious about it. I set a goal of personally landing in all 50 states and 50 countries. The 50 states was relatively easy. It took less than 2 years!
On Feb 18th, 2012 I landed in Hawaii, which was my 50th state! You can see the actual sequence in this short video:
Still working on the 50 countries 🙂
2. Get a Commercial rating DONE!
You may be surprised to see this item on the list. I certainly don’t ever intend to fly as a career. However, like any other training, this will make me a better pilot and possibly enable me to do some unique commercial flying, such as ferrying aircraft or maybe even sightseeing flights.
3. Personally land in every country in the Caribbean!
Now this one requires some footnotes.
- Except Cuba because I have no interest in visiting a Cuban jail 😉
- Many of these countries have several islands, or hundreds like the Bahamas. I certainly won’t get to every island. But each country for sure.
This goal is still in progress. But, you can follow along on the map below:
4. Learn To Fly aerobatics
While this one may sound a bit like a daredevil item, it is really not. The discipline required to fly aerobatics requires intensive stuck and rudder training, and a heightened appreciation for safety. There is no rating involved here because I am never planning to do this as a professional stunt pilot. However, there is a fairly standard curriculum that I completed at the famous Patty Wagstaff school in St Augustine, FL.
5. Do a Self Flying Safari – DONE!
This item has been in the back of my mind for years. Finally in June of 2013, I finally did it! I got my South African Pilots license, then rented a plane in Johannesburg and setoff to Botswana & Zimbabwe. You can see a recap of my safari in this short video:
6. Fly a North Atlantic crossing from US to Europe
This one is tentatively planned for May 2025 🙂
7. Fly from US to South America
This one is not very complicated form an aviation perspective. But the exotic travels along the way will eventually make this an epic trip.
8. Land in every Class B airport in the US
Still working on this one… But I have created a custom Google Map to track my progress, which you can see below:
9. Get a Flight Instructor’s Certificate?
As of January 2025, this one is mission accomplished! Not only did I get my CFI & CFII ratings, I also became a Cirrus authorized instructor.