Name: Sarah Ramey
Course: FAA 141 Program
Learning to Trust the Process: Sarah’s Journey at Skyborne
Skyborne student, Sarah Ramey talks in depth about her flight training experience and how she has mastered procedures, hit precise numbers, pivoted when things didn’t go to plan, and studied to make it as far as she has with a high level of self-discipline. Read below to learn more!
When the Plan Changes
According to Sarah, one of her biggest learning moments came from her first attempt at a cross-country flight to Savannah, GA. She describes at as ‘My biggest plot twist’.
“The weather wasn’t great up north, but it was forecast to clear by a certain time, so I decided to go. On the way up, I noticed the cloud cover building, so I called Flight Service from the air for the first time, having only used them on the ground before. Between their information and flight following, it was clear conditions weren’t improving the way I’d hoped, so I turned around and headed back to Vero. At the time, it felt like a failed flight. Looking back, it taught me to apply my ground knowledge in the air, to use every resource available, and that choosing to turn back is part of being a good pilot, not a step back from it.”
What She Couldn’t Possibly Understand Until She Experienced It
“Before flying, I never understood what it meant to ‘feel the plane.’ Early in training, I thought good flying meant hitting precise numbers every time. Then I started learning landings at Vero Beach, where the conditions were constantly changing between shifting winds, other traffic, and non-standard patterns. Even with the procedures memorized, I couldn’t fly the same approach twice. I had to stop flying by the numbers alone and start noticing how the airplane responded to every control input.
Now, I can often sense what the plane is doing through the controls and the sound of the engine before the instruments confirm it. That only comes from time in the air, and it completely changed how I fly.”
Bringing It All Together
If Sarah could share one moment in the cockpit with someone, she would choose a single-engine approach in a multi-engine airplane.
“It’s the moment where your skills really come together: the workload goes up, there’s no margin for sloppiness, and you have to trust your preparation and fly the airplane precisely.
I’d want someone to sit in that seat and feel how calm and focused you have to be, and how much confidence it builds once you’ve done it.”
This experience truly captures Sarah’s values about flight training: the opportunity to put knowledge into practice, meet new challenges, and develop the confidence to handle increasingly demanding situations at a moment’s notice.
One Flight at a Time
Sarah’s journey is a reminder that progress in aviation doesn’t always come from a perfect flight or a successful first attempt. Sometimes, the most meaningful lessons come from changing course, adapting to conditions and recognizing how far your skills have developed in moments that matter the most.
From making difficult decisions on a cross-country flight to learning to feel the airplane and bringing her training together in the multi-engine cockpit, Sarah continues to build the judgement, awareness and confidence that will serve her throughout her aviation career.
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