As I awake at 3 a.m. Monday, the thought crosses my mind that perhaps I am making a mistake. Maybe I don’t want to do this after all, but I can’t chicken out now. My husband has told everyone in Moore County and my dad has passed the word to those in Wake — "Faye’s going up in the MetLife blimp!"

The day seems to fly by and soon it’s time to head for Pinebluff, where the Snoopy One van will pick up its passengers for the 6 p.m. flight. Luckily, photographer Glenn Sides is going along, so he can vouch that I took the ride.

Chief pilot Marty Chandler drives us to a landing site on Camp MacKall, where the blimp is moored at the end of an unmown field. Pilot John Conrad has the motors running, the crew is in place and after receiving our safety instructions, Glenn and I are ready to board.

Snoopy One, featuring the likeness of the famous cartoon beagle, is 130 feet long, 38 feet wide and 45 feet high. Filled with 68,000 cubic feet of helium, it carries three passengers and one pilot in its gondola, which measures only 14 feet in length. While basketball player Wilt Chamberlain wouldn’t feel too comfortable in the cabin, which is only 6.5 feet high, it’s fine for me at only 5 feet.

I ride up front next to John, and Glenn spreads out in the back seat with his camera equipment. We fasten our seatbelts and put on the headsets that will protect our ears as well as allow us to talk to one another.

John explains the take-off procedure as the crew chief releases the blimp from its mooring and the crew, holding tightly to the lines, pushes it away. Powered by two Limbach L2000 engines that provide 68 horsepower each, the blimp can cruise at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour and up to a maximum of 7,000 feet.

John increases the power to the engines as we begin to climb to an altitude of around 1,000 feet, which provides us with an aerial perspective of the area. A minimal amount of vibration makes the blimp a perfect choice for aerial photography.

As we motor gently over to Pinebluff, it becomes clear to me very rapidly that this thing doesn’t ride as smoothly as I’d hoped. As John turns and changes altitude, the blimp goes up and down like a rollercoaster, except much more slowly.

Moving along above N.C. 5 to Pinehurst, we hover over Pinehurst No. 2, FirstHealth Moore Regional and the traffic circle for what seems to be an exorbitant amount of time to me and my queasy stomach while Glenn snaps picture after picture.

John, who thinks I’m gripping the window because I’m afraid of flying, now realizes that I’m more concerned about motion sickness and heads us off toward Southern Pines, where we cruise over the Elks Club pool and then turn south toward Camp MacKall.

On the way there, we stop to do a "static check," during which the engines are idled back and the blimp sort of drifts around, allowing John to ascertain if we are properly weighted.

I continue to think that I just might make it back to terra firma without being sick. Then John says we’re going to stand off a few minutes to wait for the next group of passengers to arrive.

We land rather smoothly, the crew grabs the lines and Marty assists us in getting off. Two other people get on board and standing back, we watch Snoopy One take off.

Did I make it? Well, let’s just say that the grocery bag I carried in my tote came in handy and that next time an opportunity comes up to ride in any flying machine, I won’t be putting my name in the hat.