The best checklist ever

Jalissa Morgan had a flight on Valentine’s Day that she’ll never forget.

She tells the tale: “Nick and I met several months ago while working for the FBO. I was the new office girl just starting on my private pilot license, completely enthralled with this new world of aviation I was immersed in. Nick was recently hired as a corporate pilot with experience as a flight instructor and a charter pilot.

“We really got to know each other while we were visiting Back to Blakesburg on Labor Day weekend, surrounded by the most beautiful antique airplanes we’ve ever seen. It didn’t take long for us to realize our similarities, personalities and, especially, our common love for aviation made us a once-in-a-lifetime kind of relationship.

“On Feb. 14, Nick and I hopped in Classic Aviation‘s Piper Warrior headed for Ottumwa Regional Airport (KOTM) in Iowa. On the way, Nick asked me to read the Before Landing Checklist. At the end of the checklist, he had written in ‘Will you marry me?’

“I freaked out and said, ‘Yes of course, but we have to land the plane first!’ He said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll do it proper when we get on the ground.'”

“After a stellar landing, we got out and Nick got on one knee and asked me to marry him. Luckily a line guy was there and snapped a few photos for us. We snagged a crew car for a little dinner and had a beautiful night flight back home.

“Needless to say, that Piper Warrior is my new favorite plane and I’ll never read an Approach checklist the same way again.”