As time progresses, we are finding ourselves making great strides toward laying a great foundation under this wonderful project called, “The Flight for the Human Spirit”  And yes…even though this is an aviation oriented mission…it still needs to have an excellent foundation under it’s wings.  It is this foundation that gives it the support that it needs to endure from beginning to well beyond the end.

 

A case in point is that I now have preliminary confirmation that the aircraft will be ready to take delivery the week of June 14th.  And remember, our official unveiling will be at US Aviation Group located in Denton, Texas on June the 27^th.  For more information, please check our community site at www.flightHS.com

 

Now, regarding the flight training…I’m happy and proud to say that I’m able to bring an aircraft safely back to the ground.  Landings are the obvious key to flight training, and last Friday Justin and I flew from Denton up to Ardmore, Oklahoma where I did my first unassisted landing.

 

Justin first took off, and flew around the airport traffic pattern to show me the proper altitudes and steps to fine tune the landing procedures, then he assisted me with two more landings.  After that, he did what any good instructor should do, and stayed completely quiet as he let me take off, fly the traffic pattern, and land completely unassisted.

 

I have had a lot of pinnacle moments in my life, but there is an absolutely wonderful feeling that I had when I brought that aircraft safely down.

 

Specifically, we were flying a Technam Bravo Light Sport Aircraft, and it handled very well except it’s got a metal skin on it that made it feel heavy especially during take-offs and tight turns.  It was a very stable aircraft to land however, which made it nice to fly for this individual day.  Now, this particular aircraft had an auto-pilot system which was absolutely fantastic!  Once we reached cruise altitude I simply pushed two buttons, and we were on our way back home very effortlessly.  This gave me a chance to process the steps of landing in my mind, and just generally regroup my thoughts.

 

Now the only strange part of the day came early when I felt a little queasy as we were doing some maneuvers in the morning.  I’ve heard that this happens to all pilots sometime in their flight career, but it was not fun!  My mind raced with thoughts of “oh boy…this is going to be a long flight not only today…but throughout “The Flight for the Human Spirit”  But I spoke up right away, sipped some water, took some deep breaths, and looked at the farthest point on the horizon that I could find.  Within minutes, it had passed, and I was able to complete the day without another problem.  The most encouraging part about this is that it went away while I was still flying, and that I didn’t have to get my feet back on the ground first.

 

I didn’t eat right, and my thoughts were too consumed and fixated on the instruments rather than flying…a good lesson learned.

 

Now, last Sunday marked the countdown day of 300 days to the take-off of the flight from Salina, KS, and honestly I wasn’t really ready to see that number pop up on our home page.  As I saw it, I have to admit my heart sunk a little as my mind began racing with thoughts such as, “Oh man…I’m way behind schedule, this isn’t moving as quickly as it should, I’m never going to get this project completed the way that I want to, and on and on.”

 

Well, I sat down at my computer to write down my thoughts and to document the moment, and before I began, I read my entry from the 400^th day to take-off, and do you know what?  We’ve come a long…long way in the last 100 days!  A hundred days may not seem like a long time, but in those few months, we’ve secured the aircraft, begun flight training, added sponsors, completed the preliminary route, and began to book speaking events.  Wow!

 

But do you know what gave me the most peace?  (And this is really what I want to talk with you about today).  At first I was overwhelmed as I considered the huge scope of this project, and it was for one very simple reason…I felt alone.  I really felt like the entire burden of this project laid squarely on my shoulders, and mine alone.  My peace came when I realized that I wasn’t alone at all.

 

Peace came to me when I realized that Justin, and US Aviation Group are helping me learn to fly, Michele is backing me up with support on the web site and marketing pieces, and of course - - - moral support.   I’ve just hired a sales person who will make sure that we have the right people that we are helping to build their businesses through this project, and you’ve already heard about the tremendous support that I’m getting from the aircraft manufacturer not only in Europe, but from their entire staff at the assembly plant here in the United States.

 

The DFW Lite Flyers club is behind me, my family is behind me, my on-line group is behind me, you who visit here each week are behind me, my sponsors are behind me, my…well…you get the message, right?

 

So think about yourself for a moment, think about your dreams and your aspirations.  What do you want to do?  Where do you want to go?  How high do you want to fly in your life, in your business, in your relationships?

 

This most rewarding message that I can give you today is very simple.  Realize that no matter what you are aspiring to do, as long as it’s legal, ethical, moral, and will ultimately benefit others…you are not alone!  You have an army of supporters behind you who are waiting to help you…right now, at this very moment of your life.

 

Suppose that you want to take your company, or your business to a higher level of income, then you already have a wealth of individuals who are behind you in your vision.  Suppose that you have a new idea that you want to develop, whether it is a book, a song, an invention, or a new recipe…then again…just like that, you have a wealth of individuals who are behind you in your vision. 

Do you want to move to a new area, buy a new house, start driving a new car?  You’ve got the support that you need…already.

How about something that’s not so measurable, such as just treating people better than you’ve treated them in the past?  Maybe being more gentle with your words, or maybe not being as gentle but more authoritative?  No matter what…you’ve got a wealth of individuals who are behind you to support your new vision.

 

Again they are naturally there, and will gravitate toward your vision as long as it is legal, ethical, moral, and will ultimately benefit others.  Think about this, because it is an important key to moving down that pathway of success.  Today is the day for you to begin achieving your dreams.  Today!  And today is possible, because no matter what…you are not alone.  Every single step that you take toward your dream or your goal, is definitely not a step that you are taking alone.  Trust me…people are already here to help.  People are here to support you, and they are here to watch you grow in all of your endeavors.

 

One of my greatest reflections of this past week just happened to me yesterday.  I was speaking to someone about the project, and he had never known me, seen me, or heard about The Flight for The Human Spirit, but after just ten minutes of our conversation he looked me square in the eye and asked, “How can I help you with this?”

 

That’s what I want for you my friend.  I can’t wish for you to have all of the help that you need, because you already have all of the help that you need.  It would be much more effective for me to make a wish for you to simply realize that you already have all of the help that you need, no matter what it is that you want in your life.

 

Your help and support has already arrived, you just need to recognize that simple fact.

I’m amazed at the overwhelming response to our first week’s podcast, and humbly I have to say that I am so glad that you are here.  With the number of hits to our website www.itsneverEVERtoolate.com increasing at a rate of over 78%, you are saying that this flight is on the right track and is striking an important chord in your life…and best of all…you are not alone.  The message of “It’s never EVER too late to follow your dreams is catching on, and believe me…the best is yet to be for you regarding this flight.

 

Okay, now for a quick update on our progress, I was in Denver a few days ago, and had the fantastic opportunity to see the Remos GX aircraft.  Until now, I’ve been basing my decision of which aircraft to fly for this mission on the Remos G3 model which you can see at U.S. Aviation Group in Denton, TX.  So it was nice to see the GX.  It is completely carbon fiber, and the Aviator II package was absolutely loaded with sophisticated electronics.

 

The Remos GX has folding wings which make it easily trailerable, which is a strong consideration for this particular mission.  That’s right, the wings fold back, and we can load it onto a trailer and take it anywhere that a trailer can go.  Almost everyone has asked me why this is important, so let me just take a moment to explain how this flight will work. 

 

First of all, on April the 4^th of next year, I’m taking off from Salina, KS on a journey that will reach over 16,000 miles in this little aircraft.  On some particular days, I’ll be promoting the flight, the light sport aircraft industry, and encouraging everyone to follow their dreams. (Remember my primary goal of touching the lives of 20 million individuals with the message of “It’s never EVER too late to follow your dreams”!   

 

This will be augmented by trailering the aircraft from the local airport where I land to strategic locations in certain cities like Washington DC, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles.  Can you imagine turning on your television, and seeing this aircraft on “The Today Show” or “David Letterman” sitting in the middle of Times Square for all to see?

 

Once I have flown through the 48 contiguous states…we’ll pack the aircraft onto its trailer and take it up to Alaska, where I will fly it through that wonderful and scenic state.  After I touch down in Alaska, we’ll trailer it to Long Beach California, where it will be carefully placed in a shipping container and shipped to Hawaii for the last and final leg of this historic flight. 

 

Due to the nature of this flight, the promotions, the transportation, and logistics…I need an aircraft that will safely meet these needs.

 

Plus, with the Remos being so portable, Imagine this aircraft being displayed in the parking lot of a school near you where we can let anyone come up and take a look at exactly what I’ll be flying in, or even at an exhibit or conference where anyone can come to see it!  I have to say…I can not wait!!! 

 

With that said, I am getting a lot of pilots interested in this project.  In fact, I want to give a big shout out to the Flight Design CT club who has been encouraging me to fly a CT.  If someone can help me to understand how portable it can be…I am all ears!  But no matter what I am flying, I really want to say how excited I am to fly with the CT’s as they are organizing groups to fly in formation with me as this journey leads me into some local areas across the country.  Imagine what it will look like to see twenty or more aircraft flying overhead as we encourage an entire nation to follow your dreams. 

 

Personally, even if I wasn’t involved with the flight…I would travel anywhere to see such an inspiring site!

 

Okay…now the heart of this project is following your dreams, so let’s talk for a moment about your dreams, and why they are important to who you are as a person, and the quality of your life that you are living.

 

When I typed the word “dreams” into Dictionary.com, I found this near perfect definition:  A condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration

 

A condition or achievement that is longed for…an aspiration.  The more that I think about this…the term “longed for” really bugs me!  Your dreams should not be longed for!   I want you to be on the pathway of accomplishing your dreams today, not simply longing for it.  Never say the words, “Some day…”

 

So, how can you get on the path of helping your dreams to come true?

 

The first step is simply to identify your dream.  You can do this by asking yourself, “what is it that I really want to do with my life?”  Usually when we ask this question, we’ll come up with a list of three or four or…sometimes more things. Although it’s good to compile a list of things that you want to do, you really want to find some sort of a priority to your most important dream.   So…Another way to identify your prominent aspiration is to ask…”More than anything else, what do I want to do with my life?”  Sometimes when you ask it in that way, you might be surprised at the thought that first comes to your mind.

 

I want you to ask yourself that question today…right now.  “More than anything else…what do I want to do with my life?”  By identifying the answer to this question you will automatically plant the seed to letting this dream begin to grow.  For instance, perhaps you’ve been putting off traveling to Europe for any number of reasons.  If this European trip is first on your list of those accomplishments that you would like to experience before you die, then write it down.  Simply say, “I’m going to Europe.”

 

This simple step automatically puts you on the path of heading to Europe.  Now if you believe it…the world around you will begin to manifest itself toward arranging the plans to make this trip possible.  We’ll talk more about believing in your dreams in the weeks to come.

 

From my own personal experience, I would simply say “I am a pilot.”  I would write it down, I would say it when I looked at myself in the mirror, and I would say, “I am a pilot” as I was driving to the grocery store.  I said this long before this project was announced publicly.  But I can promise you that on that very first day that I said those four simple words, this dream, “The Flight for the Human Spirit” began to come true.

 

So what is it for you?  What is your dream?

 

No matter what it is, big or small, out of reach…or close at hand.  Say it!  Write it down!  Believe in it!  And most importantly don’t give up on your dreams!

 

There is no better time in your life for your own dreams to come true than right now!

 

As I said before, by following this flight…you’ll see the triumphs and roadblocks that I personally go through.  But through it all, there is one thing that we will all witness together…the Human Spirit that resides within us all will prevail! 

 

Take care, and I’ll see you in the sky.

Dreams.  What are your dreams?  Where do you want to go with your life?  What do you really want to do?

Those are questions that I am asking 20 million people through a project entitled: “The Flight for the Human Spirit”

I want to make this a world where we all feel free to dream of our truest potential, and that we encourage others to follow their dreams.  As a result, I’m following my own passion to fly.  This is a dream of mine that I thought that I had let go forever.  But I have found that there is a license called “Sport Pilot License” that allows you and I to go through flight school, and get up in the air.

The Flight for the Human Spirit will take off on April the 4th, 2010 from Salina, Kansas and will touch down with this message of encouragement in all fifty states.  This histroic flight will involve school children, news and media organizations, and everyday people like you and I.

Through this project, I will bring interest to the aviation industry as well as to the core of each individual as they look at accomplishing their own dreams.

For more information, log on to www.itsneverevertoolate.com and sign up for the group.  We will be adding more information on this site as it grows to be a place of great encouragement.  There are many sponsor opportunities to those companies and individuals who are looking at spreading a message of abundance and encouragement to their customers and clients.  If you know of them, have them contact me at michael@mcombs.com  Sponsorships start as low as a few hundred dollars and will incorporate the use of one of the greatest marketing professionals in the industry to get your company name, number, website and message as far as it can reach.

Also, here is the YouTube video link: 

Take care - - - Michael Combs