Being Like Amelia for a Day

BEING LIKE AMELIA FOR A DAY

In 1975, my late husband was a flight instructor at a private aero club in Manila, Philippines.   At that time, he would bring foreign business executive as his student pilots and fly them to the different islands in the Philippines.   He would take me along during these flights and I would sit on the back seat of a 4-seater single engine planes usually a Beechcraft.  
On the way to various islands, my husband would sit on the right front seat, his student would sit on the left front seat, while I seat on the back as an observer passenger.   As the flight instructor, he would then teach them how to fly this small single engine planes for as many hours as they desire, until they have enough flying hours to be released and fly solo. More often, they would fly for a couple of hours until they reach their island destination. Thereafter, he would leave his student pilots overnight or for several days to enjoy the beach resorts on the island they would like to stay at and then come back for them in a couple of days.
On the way back, my husband and I would be left to flying back the plane.   I would then sit on the left front seat where his student would sit and he would sit on the right seat. He would then let me fly the plane myself, and pretend I was one of his students.   This makes me feel like Amelia Earhart for the day.   Imagine being able to fly over the ocean for several hours as Amelia did flying across the Pacific for several days on her way to Honolulu, Hawaii on one of her long exploration flights.  
It is such a wonderful feeling being able to take charge of a plane and fly like a bird across the vast oceans and seeing the horizon.   Seeing the beautiful surroundings, vast forest, rivers, lakes and the blue sky covered with big clouds.   Flying above the clouds makes you think one is almost near “heaven.”  
Being able to make maneuvers - - going up and down by pulling on the yoke of the plane to gain altitude or pushing on...