CELEBRATION: Lauren Sánchez Celebrates Son Evan’s First Solo Helicopter Flight: ‘So Proud’…See More

“There’s a special kind of trust that comes when you watch your kid take off on their own for the first time,” Sánchez wrote in the caption.

“It’s about letting go, but also knowing they’re more than ready. It’s terrifying, exhilarating, and so deeply rewarding all at once.”

“Today wasn’t just about a solo flight, it was the beginning of something bigger, @evan_whitesell took a step forward into his own story,” she added. “So proud you .” As for the story of the book, well, there’s a personal inspiration there too.

“I was flying with my kids and a fly somehow got into the cockpit of the plane.

My kids were like, ‘Oh no, this poor little fly is separated from his family!’ And I was like, ‘I don’t know, she gets to see the world from a completely different perspective,’ ” Sánchez told PEOPLE in this week’s issue.