But in the middle of his flight, something happened. He noticed he was losing altitude and realized he couldn't hear the sound of the engine.

He turned to his instructor, realizing that "we were basically gliding in the air," Brandt recalls.

Rather than panicking, the Saratogan did what he was trained to do. Staying calm, he ran through a checklist and realized the engine switch was off. With just a click of the switch, the humming from the engine resounded and everything was back to normal.

Surely, Brandt was relieved. But he was even more relieved to find that it was all a test, something that all of the students at Squadron Two Flying Club have to go through to get their private pilot's license.

Stationed at Reid-Hillview Airport in San Jose, Squadron Two specializes in turning aspiring pilots into flying experts through its comprehensive training lessons.

"We want to make sure that our students know exactly what to do in every circumstance possible," says Tom Engleman, a flight instructor. "They have to show that they are 100 percent confident and competent in the air before they are given a license."

To date, the club boasts more than 700 members and 35 planes, according to the owner, Frank Mason, a Saratoga resident. That's an accomplishment, considering that it started out as a one-plane operation in 1974. Here, students can get all types of ratings. The most basic, a private pilot's license, would allow pilots to fly only to designated areas under certain conditions after a three- to six-month training period, depending on the student's schedule and learning capability. The highest rating, the airline transport pilot's license, would allow pilots to work for an airline.

I recently had the opportunity to fly a plane—well, help fly one. I had no idea what I was getting into.

I was anxious, hoping that what I had eaten for lunch would stay down.

But my nerves calmed as Engleman and I carefully inspected the plane. Following a checklist, which is included in each aircraft, we made sure that the tank had enough fuel and that all of the mechanics were working properly. It's definitely not like getting into a car and taking off instantly; it took nearly 20 minutes to make sure everything was good to go. It could have taken a shorter amount of time, had it not been for my incessant "are you sure this is right?" and "can we check this one more time?" questions.

Finally, we were ready for takeoff. I braced myself and put my trust in Engleman. On the runway, I tried steering to the left and right, but I remembered that everything was controlled by foot pedals—not that it affected me; I couldn't even reach them.

"We're not driving a car," Engleman reminded me. "Get used to it."

In no time, we were flying with the birds. All I could see at just under 10,000 feet during the 30-minute trip from San Jose to Watsonville were acres and acres of green land and water. It was amazing.

"It's especially beautiful at night," Engleman says. "It's just you, the sky and all the lights below. It's like you're flying over a big fancy jewel."

For former student Sidney Retamoso, being able to separate himself from the rest of the world is what the Saratoga resident says he loves about flying.

"I fly to get away from all the traffic and people," says Retamoso, who has a private, instrumental and multiengine pilot's license. "Sometimes I go to the Central Valley and other times I just fly around the airport for fun. You get a different perspective of things when you're in the air and see things you've never seen before, like roads you never even knew existed and houses on the other side of a hill. It's a different kind of freedom up there."

Retamoso, who is in the process of getting an aircraft maintenance technician license, says he hasn't had any close calls yet, but admits the thought has crossed his mind.

"I'm always alert and aware of my surroundings," he says. "I always listen out for the engine and have possible landing spots in mind."

For Brandt, also a certified private, commercial and instrumental pilot, and the proud owner of a single-engine, six-seater Cessna 210, what attracted him to the flying culture wasn't only the thrill of learning the technical aspects involved in flying, but also the convenience.

"The benefit of flying is that you can go anywhere you want whenever you want and get there in a short amount of time," he says.

Brandt says his license has definitely come in handy on special occasions, such as Valentine's Day.

"My valentine and I were challenged with places to go. I gave her two options—to stay local and go to a nice restaurant in Los Gatos or go to Napa. She chose Napa, so we hopped on the plane and headed there. It's nice to have options," he says.

For more information about the Squadron Two Flying Club, visit www.squadron2.com.