Alarm buzzes at oh-four-hundred, still dark outside,
Snow crunching under tires on the long county ride.
Home lights fade in the rearview mirror low,
Bitter wind howling, got miles to go.
Park by the fence, grab my bag, head into the storm,
Preflight the Challenger in the blowing white swarm.
Ice on the ramp, numb fingers checking every line,
But step in the cockpit, it’s warm, feels like home every time.
Cleared for takeoff three-five right,
Winds three-four-zero at ten have a good flight.
Throttles advance out of the gate,
Rudders dance to keep her straight.
V-1, rotate, V-2, let’s climb—
Up through the gray, leaving the cold behind.
Snowflakes streak past the windscreen like stars in reverse,
Engines humming steady, easing into the turn.
Heading east into the sunrise, a golden line breaks the night,
Punching through the overcast, into clear blue light.
Above the clouds, the world’s quiet and bright,
Strong black coffee steaming, chasing away the bite.
Radio chatter soft and low, through ATC’s calm voice,
Thoughts drift back home to love ones still asleep, won’t see them again for a week.
Cleared for takeoff three-five right,
Winds three-four-zero at ten have a good flight.
Throttles advance out of the gate,
Rudders dance to keep her straight.
V-1, rotate, V-2, let’s climb—
Chasing the dawn, every time.
New York approach, it’s crazy, the frequency’s alive,
Vectors stacking up, controllers barely survive.
Runway change last minute as we slip back into the snow,
No sight of the pavement till we’re breaking out below.
Gear down, flaps full, throttles steady in hand,
I-L-S locked on just-right, just as he planned.
I-L-S four-right cleared to land,
Flaps down throttles in hand.
Speed bleeding off on the glideslope line,
Grease it on smooth, right on the dime.
Another trip done, wheels kiss the ground,
Life of a corporate pilot, wheels up, wheels down.
It’s not the glamour they show on TV screens,
Just early mornings, cold starts, and quiet dreams.
But up here above it all, where the sun always waits,
He wouldn’t trade this life for any other gates.
One more departure, one more sunrise climb
Cleared for takeoff… every time