It’s no secret that one of the many things I live for is pure excitement. It was only a few months ago that I went shark diving, and just this past weekend, I scratched one more adventure off my bucket list. I got to fly in a Blue Angel fighter jet.
It didn’t get past me that getting an opportunity to do this was a once and a lifetime event. I have always looked for new and interesting ways to obtain natural highs, and this was something that was right up my alley. I have to credit my wife’s uncle for making the connections that got me in the seat of one of these famous jets. Getting a chance to do this is so rare, and it was only through my wife’s uncle’s company and his own relationships with the Blue Angels that I got to ride.
When I got to the hangar, I was super pumped up and I could hardly hold in my excitement. I was there with about eight other people, including my father, my wife’s uncle and my father-in-law, and our excitement quickly subsided when we started getting the low-down on just how dangerous this flight could be.
We got a tutorial on everything from how to breathe properly when going in and out of the G-Force to knowing how to eject ourselves from the jet if we were about to crash. After hearing all that, some of that excitement stopped because we figured out that there was a whole element of danger associated with this ride that we were unaware of before. But of course, that didn’t stop me!
Once we got up in the air, I immediately started feeling the serotonin and dopamine releasing from my brain. I was trying so hard to live in the moment, but there were so many things I needed to do while in the plane that it was a challenge at times. I got comfortable quickly, so once that happened I was able to really experience this once in a lifetime adventure.
I think the one thing that provided the biggest rush for me was being able to fly the plane myself. I know – it sounds crazy, but it was kind of like being a student driver. The pilot had a set of controls that he could use in case I forgot what to do or couldn’t handle the plane. When I took control, I was able to flip, dive down, do a barrel roll – you name it. It was nothing short of a total rush!
I am still riding on the natural high I got from flying with the Blue Angels. I swear the endorphins are still running through my body, and I am still raving about how exciting this opportunity was for me! All in all, it was an amazing experience and one that I will never forget for a number of reasons, including being able to share it with my dad and my wife’s side of my family. These are memories I will cherish forever!
