When times are tough, there's not much more you can do than put your head down and push forward. I haven't been able to write because I haven't had anything to write about. I haven't taught since September, life throws its curve balls and its fast balls, and everything in between. This time will pass, just as everything else will, and hopefully we all get back to what we consider normal.
The same goes for your flight training. There will be bumps in the road. They may make you want to quit. EVERYONE goes through it, don't think you're the only one. With time they work out, but not by themselves. The completion rate for someone who begins their flight training is not great, partly due to a lack of drive. A person hits that tough time, they can't get their landings down, the cross country planning is too complicated, whatever it might be...and they quit. It really is sad. At the same time, the flight instructor is sometimes just as much to blame. They didn't get an outside opinion, they didn't get another flight instructor to help their student out with landings, they didn't come up with a better way to teach cross country planning. All too often what happens to the student happens to the flight instructor. They hit a pot hole in the road, and don't change their flat tire. All they need to do is work at it. I don't want to come off as perfect, I'm far from it. I'm learning more each day. The important lesson here is to work through it. Exhaust all your possible resources.
Students, when you hit a plateau and you feel like quitting, do what it takes to keep working at your goal. There was a reason you began your flight training, and there's a reason you should finish. If you feel your instructor is doing you a disservice, let them know. Be kind about it, while they could be the one that just doesn't care, they could just as easily be the one who doesn't know what to do. While flying is supposed to be our "forte", we really don't know everything. Your understanding in this matter will make the whole situation much more bearable. In the end, if it isn't working out, switch instructors. I don't suggest switching from instructor to instructor - it really is most beneficial to stay with one. Yet, if it's needed, it's needed, and much can't be done about that.
Instructors, put the work into it. You're planning on moving on to an airline? Can you live with the disservice you do your students by not putting the effort they rightly deserve? If you're reading this, you probably do care, but it's still something to think about. I have to...every time I don't feel like preparing for a lesson, or I feel like "winging" it (no pun intended), I have to think about my student. They're putting in the effort (there are students who need to be spoon-fed) to show up everyday and they're paying me to guide them.
I hope to be back with more stories, more often, in the near future. Until then, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Up in the Air
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Fix the Attitude
What do I feel is a major deterrent in whether or not a person will begin their flight training and finish? Attitude. Not just the attitude of the person learning to fly, although that is extremely important, but I'm talking about the influences around the person. The pilots he/she comes into contact with whenever they are at the airport. As much as working behind a desk stinks compared to flying, it still never ceases to open my eyes. And while I sit and wait for what seems an endless amount of time, I can't help but analyze attitudes - my own and that of others.
So maybe you can tell me: what is it with all pilots? Why do we walk around with a chip on our shoulder? It's like we walk around projecting the fact that we're so much better than everyone else, and that no one should dare to contest that. I can't seem to figure out why I instantly don't like 90% of pilots I come across. Is it the fact that I am just like them, and therefore think I'm better? Or am I one of the few with a better attitude. I honestly can't say.
What I can say is we should all work on our attitude. There is always talk about getting more people to fly, to open the world to those yet to discover the passion that is aviation. I almost feel like we're doing the exact opposite. Who wants to be like someone they feel is arrogant, proud, or belligerent?
The fact that I sit behind the front desk in an FBO gives me a clue into maybe what the world of aviation is like to those who have always been interested but maybe have never taken that next step. Whenever a pilot comes in (this is a usual scenario, there are some exceptions), they assume I know nothing about flying, they have no idea I'm a flight instructor and that I've been around aviation for several years (short but long enough). I cannot say how many times I've been talked down to or been treated in such a demeaning way it felt embarrassing to stare at the person. I don't want this to be a pity party on me, but rather, a wake up call. Stop treating people like they're "oh so lower than thee". They're not. You never know, maybe your impression is the one that will make them decide and say, "hey, aviation is great" or "wow, the people in aviation are stuck up".
So I'll be working on keep my attitude in check, and hopefully we can all do the same.
To first impressions and good attitudes,
Up in the Air
So maybe you can tell me: what is it with all pilots? Why do we walk around with a chip on our shoulder? It's like we walk around projecting the fact that we're so much better than everyone else, and that no one should dare to contest that. I can't seem to figure out why I instantly don't like 90% of pilots I come across. Is it the fact that I am just like them, and therefore think I'm better? Or am I one of the few with a better attitude. I honestly can't say.
What I can say is we should all work on our attitude. There is always talk about getting more people to fly, to open the world to those yet to discover the passion that is aviation. I almost feel like we're doing the exact opposite. Who wants to be like someone they feel is arrogant, proud, or belligerent?
The fact that I sit behind the front desk in an FBO gives me a clue into maybe what the world of aviation is like to those who have always been interested but maybe have never taken that next step. Whenever a pilot comes in (this is a usual scenario, there are some exceptions), they assume I know nothing about flying, they have no idea I'm a flight instructor and that I've been around aviation for several years (short but long enough). I cannot say how many times I've been talked down to or been treated in such a demeaning way it felt embarrassing to stare at the person. I don't want this to be a pity party on me, but rather, a wake up call. Stop treating people like they're "oh so lower than thee". They're not. You never know, maybe your impression is the one that will make them decide and say, "hey, aviation is great" or "wow, the people in aviation are stuck up".
So I'll be working on keep my attitude in check, and hopefully we can all do the same.
To first impressions and good attitudes,
Up in the Air
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Owning an Airplane
Happy 4th of July to everyone! Hope the long weekend is going well for all and quality time is spent with your families!
My last post was more or less about the benefits of flying. When comparing fuel consumption of an airplane verses a fuel-efficient car, there isn't much of a difference, in fact the costs associated with fuel is virtually equal. Of course, the larger the car, the more gas it eats up, and the same goes for an airplane. Keeping that in mind, think about your budget for a car. You can buy a brand new semi-luxury SUV starting at $35,000 and upwards. A decent Cessna 172 can be bought used (1975ish) for $30,000-$40,000 and of course for more the newer or more "refurbished" you decide to go. Either way, not bad for the reasons I pointed out in my last post. If I was in the market for another car (of course I won't be anytime soon...but I'm paying off student loans), I'd probably go out and buy a used one for $5000 and buy an airplane to go with it.
Now don't use my spontaneity as an excuse to make a rash decision. Sit down and figure out the costs - insurance, upkeep, hangaring, etc...ask around and make a list, try to think of all that is the unexpected.
Looking at insurance, for a private use airplane the insurance can range considerably, so shop around. Using AOPA's aircraft insurance QuikQuote I looked up the cost for a 1970-1979 Cessna 172. It came to $785 annually with the following conditions:
*4 Seats
*Airport State: California
*Not owned in the name of a business
*Not hangared
*Liability Coverage: $1 million each occurrence - $100,000 per passenger sub limit
*Physical (Hull) Damage Coverage: Ground and Flight
*Insured Value: $35,000
*Medical Payments: no selection
*Private Pilot with 100 hours total time and all of that in the same make and model
The more experience and ratings you receive the less that number will become, just as it is with a car. Use the following link to search in your own state and with your own variables: https://www.aopaia.com/quik_insurance.cfm
Again, to get more precise numbers be sure to talk to an insurance company representative, they can factor in much more than you would be able to with a quick calculator.
The other major consideration is maintenance of your airplane. Realize that the older the airplane, just as with an older car, the more you will most likely be paying. But then of course, if it is a well-maintained airplane, and has been over the years, your maintenance headaches will be fewer.
I hope this helps, I'm no expert on the subject of owning an airplane - I firmly believe you have to have either managed many, or been an owner yourself, of which I've been neither. At the least, I hope this points you in the right direction.
Thanks for stopping by,
Up in the Air
My last post was more or less about the benefits of flying. When comparing fuel consumption of an airplane verses a fuel-efficient car, there isn't much of a difference, in fact the costs associated with fuel is virtually equal. Of course, the larger the car, the more gas it eats up, and the same goes for an airplane. Keeping that in mind, think about your budget for a car. You can buy a brand new semi-luxury SUV starting at $35,000 and upwards. A decent Cessna 172 can be bought used (1975ish) for $30,000-$40,000 and of course for more the newer or more "refurbished" you decide to go. Either way, not bad for the reasons I pointed out in my last post. If I was in the market for another car (of course I won't be anytime soon...but I'm paying off student loans), I'd probably go out and buy a used one for $5000 and buy an airplane to go with it.
Now don't use my spontaneity as an excuse to make a rash decision. Sit down and figure out the costs - insurance, upkeep, hangaring, etc...ask around and make a list, try to think of all that is the unexpected.
Looking at insurance, for a private use airplane the insurance can range considerably, so shop around. Using AOPA's aircraft insurance QuikQuote I looked up the cost for a 1970-1979 Cessna 172. It came to $785 annually with the following conditions:
*4 Seats
*Airport State: California
*Not owned in the name of a business
*Not hangared
*Liability Coverage: $1 million each occurrence - $100,000 per passenger sub limit
*Physical (Hull) Damage Coverage: Ground and Flight
*Insured Value: $35,000
*Medical Payments: no selection
*Private Pilot with 100 hours total time and all of that in the same make and model
The more experience and ratings you receive the less that number will become, just as it is with a car. Use the following link to search in your own state and with your own variables: https://www.aopaia.com/quik_insurance.cfm
Again, to get more precise numbers be sure to talk to an insurance company representative, they can factor in much more than you would be able to with a quick calculator.
The other major consideration is maintenance of your airplane. Realize that the older the airplane, just as with an older car, the more you will most likely be paying. But then of course, if it is a well-maintained airplane, and has been over the years, your maintenance headaches will be fewer.
I hope this helps, I'm no expert on the subject of owning an airplane - I firmly believe you have to have either managed many, or been an owner yourself, of which I've been neither. At the least, I hope this points you in the right direction.
Thanks for stopping by,
Up in the Air
Thursday, July 1, 2010
To Fly or Not to Fly: The Benefits
To fly or not to fly? If you're me, that's no question at all. I'd fly a plane until the wings flew off...of course, hopefully I'd have a parachute on and a prayer in mind, I'd also have to do it where no FAA guy would find out, and of course I'd have to either have enough fuel on board or refueled many, many, many.........many times, in the air. Why I wouldn't take the time to stop for gas on the ground is a question I can't really answer - maybe it just makes sense, so that's why I wouldn't. But on to the entire point of this....so....
You've heard of aviation, pilots, airlines, air travel and such. Maybe you've been interested in planes. Maybe you've been interested in flying. Maybe you've never had an interest in either or perhaps in something else... You might be thinking flying is too expensive for you, it's an expensive hobby with not much to show in the end. Maybe not. Maybe your family doesn't support the idea, maybe you don't support the idea.
Believe it or not, these are extremely common situations, and I see it nearly every day. I was working just the other day and overheard a conversation on very similar topics (yes, I was eaves-dropping, but sometimes you can't help it in a quiet building, so shhh...). A man who hangars his airplane at the airport, took some acquaintances flying. From the looks of it, they were not close friends, they were friendly with each other of course, but the only reason he seemed to have taken them flying was to show them how much fun it was and to be open to them. At the end of their flight they began talking about both the expenses and the conveniences of flying. It hit home for me. This man did a great job of being realistic about it all, remaining enthusiastic the whole time.
What does it all boil down to? It boils to down to worth. What is flying worth to you? Do you care if you spend and don't receive anything back but the intangible, or are you the type that weighs the costs and benefits - looking for what you will get in return?
For example:
You need to drive somewhere that will take you six hours in a car. In a plane, say a Piper Warrior or Cessna 172 , you can get there in maybe two and a half hours. Not looking at anything else, is this worth it to you?
Lets look at a time table. You have a lunch meeting (business or pleasure, you pick) that will last maybe 2 hours. You're meeting everyone at 11:30am. In a car, you will need to leave at...(any guesses?), hopefully 5:30am...planning on no traffic. Okay, so you make it on time, and everything is wrapped up by 1:30pm. You say your good byes, and after filling up on gas you're on your way again by 2pm. With no traffic , and no stops, you'll be getting hope around 8pm. Long day? I know I would hit the hay after that...but then again, I'm not a morning person. In a plane you might plan on being at the airport by 7:30 to be safe and taking off by 8:30am, giving you half an hour to get from the airport you're arriving at (11:00am arrival) to wherever you need to be. Again lunch is up by 1:30pm and you're on your way to the airport by 2:00pm. You take off by 3:00pm (being conservative) and arrive at your home airport by 5:30 pm. No sooner than you land, you're greeted by your wife or husband when you walk in the door at 6:00pm. Dinner is on the table, and you're hungry! Eat up, then go relax. If you're me, you'd enjoy that - maybe get in a good movie before you're off to bed, because after all, you didn't get up before the sun.
Let's quickly look at finances...Assume you own your airplane, I have never owned an airplane, and don't deal with maintenance and insurance, so that would be something you would have to do your own homework on for now. This is what I do know: My car, if I'm not driving like a maniac, gets about thirty miles per gallon. Lets assume that six hour trip is 360 miles and I drive sixty miles per hour the entire time...that's using twelve gallons of gas one way, and twenty-four gallons round trip. At $3 a gallon, that's $72. I can usually lean out a Piper Warrior to burn six gallons per hour. On a two and a half hour trip that's fifteen gallons. At roughly $4.75 per gallon, round $71.25 up to $72, and it's the exact same fuel cost.
What is time worth to you? If time doesn't matter, how about the fun? What is the enjoyment worth? What is it worth to your family to see you home for dinner? Is it worth maintenance and insurance? You may have another reason to fly, that I haven't thought of just yet. Whatever your reason, think about it - what you come up with may surprise you (or I could be wrong...I admit I sometimes am, okay, I can't admit that but you get my point...I think).
Happy flying, and see you next time.
Yours truly,
Up in the Air
You've heard of aviation, pilots, airlines, air travel and such. Maybe you've been interested in planes. Maybe you've been interested in flying. Maybe you've never had an interest in either or perhaps in something else... You might be thinking flying is too expensive for you, it's an expensive hobby with not much to show in the end. Maybe not. Maybe your family doesn't support the idea, maybe you don't support the idea.
Believe it or not, these are extremely common situations, and I see it nearly every day. I was working just the other day and overheard a conversation on very similar topics (yes, I was eaves-dropping, but sometimes you can't help it in a quiet building, so shhh...). A man who hangars his airplane at the airport, took some acquaintances flying. From the looks of it, they were not close friends, they were friendly with each other of course, but the only reason he seemed to have taken them flying was to show them how much fun it was and to be open to them. At the end of their flight they began talking about both the expenses and the conveniences of flying. It hit home for me. This man did a great job of being realistic about it all, remaining enthusiastic the whole time.
What does it all boil down to? It boils to down to worth. What is flying worth to you? Do you care if you spend and don't receive anything back but the intangible, or are you the type that weighs the costs and benefits - looking for what you will get in return?
For example:
You need to drive somewhere that will take you six hours in a car. In a plane, say a Piper Warrior or Cessna 172 , you can get there in maybe two and a half hours. Not looking at anything else, is this worth it to you?
Lets look at a time table. You have a lunch meeting (business or pleasure, you pick) that will last maybe 2 hours. You're meeting everyone at 11:30am. In a car, you will need to leave at...(any guesses?), hopefully 5:30am...planning on no traffic. Okay, so you make it on time, and everything is wrapped up by 1:30pm. You say your good byes, and after filling up on gas you're on your way again by 2pm. With no traffic , and no stops, you'll be getting hope around 8pm. Long day? I know I would hit the hay after that...but then again, I'm not a morning person. In a plane you might plan on being at the airport by 7:30 to be safe and taking off by 8:30am, giving you half an hour to get from the airport you're arriving at (11:00am arrival) to wherever you need to be. Again lunch is up by 1:30pm and you're on your way to the airport by 2:00pm. You take off by 3:00pm (being conservative) and arrive at your home airport by 5:30 pm. No sooner than you land, you're greeted by your wife or husband when you walk in the door at 6:00pm. Dinner is on the table, and you're hungry! Eat up, then go relax. If you're me, you'd enjoy that - maybe get in a good movie before you're off to bed, because after all, you didn't get up before the sun.
Let's quickly look at finances...Assume you own your airplane, I have never owned an airplane, and don't deal with maintenance and insurance, so that would be something you would have to do your own homework on for now. This is what I do know: My car, if I'm not driving like a maniac, gets about thirty miles per gallon. Lets assume that six hour trip is 360 miles and I drive sixty miles per hour the entire time...that's using twelve gallons of gas one way, and twenty-four gallons round trip. At $3 a gallon, that's $72. I can usually lean out a Piper Warrior to burn six gallons per hour. On a two and a half hour trip that's fifteen gallons. At roughly $4.75 per gallon, round $71.25 up to $72, and it's the exact same fuel cost.
What is time worth to you? If time doesn't matter, how about the fun? What is the enjoyment worth? What is it worth to your family to see you home for dinner? Is it worth maintenance and insurance? You may have another reason to fly, that I haven't thought of just yet. Whatever your reason, think about it - what you come up with may surprise you (or I could be wrong...I admit I sometimes am, okay, I can't admit that but you get my point...I think).
Happy flying, and see you next time.
Yours truly,
Up in the Air
Monday, June 28, 2010
Back in Town
Hi to everyone! I've been gone for a bit...but not much has changed. I know this blog is supposed to be about flight students, flight instructing, and such...but when it takes the Federal Aviation Administration nearly 4 months to still not have my medical application processed, it's hard to have a student. But, I was gone for several weeks, and while not much has changed, there still is a little that has. I am now married, to that wonderful guy who always asks for pictures...so...
We went on a honeymoon to a place very tropical, here are some of my favorite photos. Any guesses as to where it was?
In the meantime, I'll figure something else to talk about for a while, and maybe this is just a way for me to talk about a little more than just flying! Thanks for reading!
Up in the Air
We went on a honeymoon to a place very tropical, here are some of my favorite photos. Any guesses as to where it was?
Up in the Air
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Finals
I am sadly, still grounded. On the bright side of it all, I just submitted my last final. As far as I know it's my last final of my school-days, that is of course unless I decide to pursue a Masters degree (ugh).
I don't mean to bore you, but I am going to mention the weather for a second. It's cloudy...and rainy...and just plain gray out. While it may have been conducive to my studying, it makes me think of one of my favorite sunny day flying trip. Although I know as time goes on I will probably label every experience as one of my favorites, this by far, truly was. I had a great friend along and never were we short on laughs.
Our journey took us to northern California, where we were airport hopping from place to place. We landed first in Quincy and were surprised to find out we landed in the middle of a father's day fly in. I like to think we surprised all the dad's there as the two of us girls hopped cheerily out of the plane - but then again, I probably think way too highly of myself as a girl and a pilot. :) Back to Quincy - it is by far high on my list. Its like one of those storybook towns that you see on the page and wish you could jump into but never could. Whenever I'm there (and it could be just me) I feel like I'm in one of those storybook towns - green grass, barns, and small towns. Although Quincy boasts a 5,000 person population - it definitely gives off a small town feel, being as it is secluded in a gorgeous valley.
View from above Quincy.
Lake Almanor
I don't mean to bore you, but I am going to mention the weather for a second. It's cloudy...and rainy...and just plain gray out. While it may have been conducive to my studying, it makes me think of one of my favorite sunny day flying trip. Although I know as time goes on I will probably label every experience as one of my favorites, this by far, truly was. I had a great friend along and never were we short on laughs.
Our journey took us to northern California, where we were airport hopping from place to place. We landed first in Quincy and were surprised to find out we landed in the middle of a father's day fly in. I like to think we surprised all the dad's there as the two of us girls hopped cheerily out of the plane - but then again, I probably think way too highly of myself as a girl and a pilot. :) Back to Quincy - it is by far high on my list. Its like one of those storybook towns that you see on the page and wish you could jump into but never could. Whenever I'm there (and it could be just me) I feel like I'm in one of those storybook towns - green grass, barns, and small towns. Although Quincy boasts a 5,000 person population - it definitely gives off a small town feel, being as it is secluded in a gorgeous valley.
View from above Quincy.
We walked into town (probably a quarter mile) for some good breakfast from the Morning Thunder cafe, walked back to the airport and took off on our way to a new place! We had decided on landing at the airport right next to Lake Almanor, known as Rogers, and located right outside the city of Chester. We didn't go to town, and although the airport was definitely in a nice place, I didn't find too much exciting about it. Maybe if I had brought a boat and a water ski I would have enjoyed it more? That's probably it...
Lake Almanor
Shortly after we landed, off we were again. This time we wanted to try out Trinity Center, and ever since that day, I've wanted to go back! The view getting in was gorgeous, we followed the long end of the lake in as we descended down for a landing, all along the way I couldn't take in enough of the view. I wish I had taken more photos, but at the same time, the lack of many photos makes me want to cherish the memories all the more. If I was given the choice of flying to any airport today, I would say Trinity. Here's why:
We tried hiking into town for some lunch, but we really only found a couple of buildings that could make up a town - a place to grab a lunch (not even really a restaurant), and a small convenience store. That's it. I don't know if we walked right on by or if that's what they considered the city center, but somehow I think we missed it! We did have a burger and fries, and then trekked back to the plane for our journey home. We were a little slow getting off the ground (obviously ate too much...), but we eventually made it home. The rest of the trip felt uneventful, but that's probably because the bar had been raised so high.
To sunny days,
Up in the Air
To sunny days,
Up in the Air
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Mount Rushmore
When I was doing my training for my Commercial Certificate I had to do quite a bit of cross country time, so I ended up doing a long one to Mount Rushmore. I had never been to Rushmore, and wanted to see it - it would be pretty cool to say I'd seen it from the air, although I had never even stepped foot in South Dakota. So, at the request of my fiance, who was wondering if I would keep adding pictures, here's a few from the trip.
Beaver Lake, ND
Crossing the Missouri River - a couple hours to go and I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad.
Despite the fact that there really isn't much to see in North Dakota and South Dakota, some sights really are gorgeous. At least in this one I was getting into the Badlands-looking area! :) Sorry to those native to North or South Dakota, I really don't mean to be negative, I'm just a spoiled west coast girl.
Hills! Mountains! Trees! How long has it been since I've seen you? This was as close to home as I could get, and oh was it nice.
I have yet to lays on Mount Rushmore from the ground, but it is a nice sight from the air! If you fly there, ask for the Rushmore tour, ATC is glad to help you out.
Looking back from whence I came.
Getting back into the flatlands...exciting...really, I mean it...
Home. Flatlands. The happenin' place to be.
Beaver Lake, ND
Crossing the Missouri River - a couple hours to go and I had to go to the bathroom pretty bad.
Despite the fact that there really isn't much to see in North Dakota and South Dakota, some sights really are gorgeous. At least in this one I was getting into the Badlands-looking area! :) Sorry to those native to North or South Dakota, I really don't mean to be negative, I'm just a spoiled west coast girl.
Hills! Mountains! Trees! How long has it been since I've seen you? This was as close to home as I could get, and oh was it nice.
I have yet to lays on Mount Rushmore from the ground, but it is a nice sight from the air! If you fly there, ask for the Rushmore tour, ATC is glad to help you out.
Looking back from whence I came.
Getting back into the flatlands...exciting...really, I mean it...
Home. Flatlands. The happenin' place to be.
I learned some important lessons on this flight. #1 Never ever have anything to drink 2 hours prior to a long flight. The same rules of a car do not apply, there's no guaranteed pit stops or car door to block a view. If you stop at an airport in the middle of nowhere you will most likely be using the tarmac as a bathroom, and that's no fun if it's in the open. Besides, you probably won't make too many folks happy if you're caught. #2 Never tell anyone from South Dakota there are no mountains there. They'll probably be as mad as I am when someone says California doesn't get snow. #3 Always bring along some form of entertainment. What did I have to do while I was thinking about that bathroom break that I would soon be awarded? Nothing. Oh, an I-Pod would have been nice, or perhaps XM Satellite radio. Either way, it was still a fun trip, despite the fact that I had long conversations with myself about drinking bottles of water. #4 Always include pictures so your significant other will be pleased.
Cheers,
Up in the Air
Up in the Air
Sunday, May 2, 2010
English Anyone?
I cannot say how many times I've said something over and over again to my students. At the end of it all, they just don't catch on sometimes. We all know there's lots going on...I've got to work on my patience. I know I was the same way.
Me: "Add a little back pressure."
Student: Intently staring outside
Me: "Add a little back pressure."
Student: Nods head a little (His hands?: Motionless)
Me: "How are we looking?"
Student: Staring outside
Sometimes you just have to have a laugh, and keep at it.
Or...
Me: "How are we looking right now?"
Student: "Good"
Me: "Are we a little high?"
Student: "Yes, I think so."
*seconds pass, no action*
Me: "How do we look now?"
Student: "Good"
If we're high do you think you should do anything about it? Why are you frozen like a deer in the headlights? I'm right there, if they're wrong to the point of making the flight unsafe, I will take over...there's really nothing to lose in trying to fix what you think is wrong. That's how we learn, but yet, nothing.
I work for Allegiant Airlines on the side, and I cannot believe sometimes how silly people are (I'm not saying I'm any less silly than the other person...I know I am far from that, but it's definitely a unique perspective to be on the receiving end...) We sometimes post a sign saying the flight is an hour late. Passengers who are checking in will read the sign and proceed to ask, "So is the flight late? Does that mean we'll be late getting into [insert destination here]?" My thoughts (I dare not say them): "Did you read the sign? Do you think you'll magically appear on time?" Later on, at the gate, I make a boarding call for rows 25 and higher. I'm not kidding you, people will walk up and hand us something for as close as row 24 or as far away as 5 or 10. Do you know which numbers come after 25? Really...it's not that hard. Better yet, at the end of the boarding call I like to tag on "your id's are not required". We checked them at the counter, and TSA checked them before you came to the secure area, so do I really need to see it now? No...and yet, despite our multiple calls and statements regarding not seeing id's, they still come...every time. We're taking our lucky dragon to the flights now (if you've seen How to Train Your Dragon and have kids who get kids' meals at McD's then you'll know what I'm talking about). Any way, it seems to ward off the silly questions...although not entirely.
Well, that's it for me and my ranting.
'Night all,
Up in the Air
Me: "Add a little back pressure."
Student: Intently staring outside
Me: "Add a little back pressure."
Student: Nods head a little (His hands?: Motionless)
Me: "How are we looking?"
Student: Staring outside
Sometimes you just have to have a laugh, and keep at it.
Or...
Me: "How are we looking right now?"
Student: "Good"
Me: "Are we a little high?"
Student: "Yes, I think so."
*seconds pass, no action*
Me: "How do we look now?"
Student: "Good"
If we're high do you think you should do anything about it? Why are you frozen like a deer in the headlights? I'm right there, if they're wrong to the point of making the flight unsafe, I will take over...there's really nothing to lose in trying to fix what you think is wrong. That's how we learn, but yet, nothing.
I work for Allegiant Airlines on the side, and I cannot believe sometimes how silly people are (I'm not saying I'm any less silly than the other person...I know I am far from that, but it's definitely a unique perspective to be on the receiving end...) We sometimes post a sign saying the flight is an hour late. Passengers who are checking in will read the sign and proceed to ask, "So is the flight late? Does that mean we'll be late getting into [insert destination here]?" My thoughts (I dare not say them): "Did you read the sign? Do you think you'll magically appear on time?" Later on, at the gate, I make a boarding call for rows 25 and higher. I'm not kidding you, people will walk up and hand us something for as close as row 24 or as far away as 5 or 10. Do you know which numbers come after 25? Really...it's not that hard. Better yet, at the end of the boarding call I like to tag on "your id's are not required". We checked them at the counter, and TSA checked them before you came to the secure area, so do I really need to see it now? No...and yet, despite our multiple calls and statements regarding not seeing id's, they still come...every time. We're taking our lucky dragon to the flights now (if you've seen How to Train Your Dragon and have kids who get kids' meals at McD's then you'll know what I'm talking about). Any way, it seems to ward off the silly questions...although not entirely.
Well, that's it for me and my ranting.
'Night all,
Up in the Air
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Georgetown Jokesters
What happened? We finally made it to Georgetown, and my two friends in the 172 were standing by their plane (shutdown, tied-down, and as ready to be left for the night as it could be), waving at us as we pulled off the runway. So a word of advice to all my readers (if I have any): Do a little bit of thinking and calculating before obliging every request from a couple of friends who you know would make fun of you given the opportunity. At least I have lots to laugh about - probably the most from a single night. Oh, and the dinner in Willows was great too.
In honor of my clever friend,
Check your six,
Up in the Air
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Black Hole
I don't know if I've ever met a pilot who didn't believe they were above average. If any one who is reading this is a pilot - you know what I mean - you're probably thinking it too. I know I am. I can't say that I would even consider myself less than an above average pilot. I can admit my instructing skills can still use much improvement - but that's easy to admit, I'm new to it. But when it comes down to the skills of flying, I really do think I'm good. I'm being honest too. I know inside that it is entirely possible that I'm wrong and I'm not above average, maybe I'm just average (I don't think I can bring myself to consider below average...). Even in everyday situations in life - we feel that given a situation we can handle it. We can handle it better than most. Until you experience a situation that was said to be tough first hand you don't think it's as tough as it's made out to be.
Have you ever heard of a black hole? I'm not talking about those holes out in space that scientists say we get sucked into and I'm not talking about internet black holes that drop clients (I really don't know what I'm talking about there...), but I'm talking about the black hole in aviation terms. The black hole you were warned about by your flight instructor or your ground school instructors (if you went to one). The ones you encounter when flying into an airport that has little surrounding features to help guide you to touchdown. For those who have no experience flying - it's basically featureless terrain. If an airport is surrounded by fields, and those fields are snowed over, there's nothing to use to judge distance and height. Same thing can happen at night. Take a look at the following short video.
The video was a landing I did at Georgetown airport in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at night after one of our famous trips to Willows airport for greasy food and chocolate pie. There were absolutely no visual references to judge where I was at on my approach. Lucky for me, I had been there earlier in the day and knew where the obstacles were (by that I mean pine trees!) - so the whole way down I at least knew I wasn't going to hit anything. I was being so cautious that on the first approach I ended up coming in way too high. I was past the half way point and still floating (3000' runway). At that point, I thought, well, I'll just go around and do it again (probably a bad decision). I added full power and began slowly retracting the flaps. I lifted the gear handle to bring the gear up. The gear wasn't coming up.
My 1972 Piper Arrow had an old gear switch that didn't allow the gear to come up below a certain airspeed as what was considered a "safety precaution" (I wasn't so happy with it at this point). You could chose to change that manually whenever you wanted (located just by the flap handle) - but it was hard to tell sometimes which way you had it set up. Apparently mine was activated! Fun time to find out. From earlier that day, I knew there were trees off the end of the runway, this time on the departure end, and I was worried. With my little Arrow fully loaded (all 4 seats filled), it wasn't climbing out as fast as I wanted it to. I was nervous. For the first time, I was thinking, "what if we didn't make it". With a little bit of light from the moon I could see the outline of the trees on nearby hillsides, but in the pitch black I had no idea where I was in relationship to the ones below me. To this day, I don't know how close I came - maybe I cleared it by a lot, maybe just barely. I nursed the airplane to traffic pattern altitude (maybe not the proper way to say it since it was my pride that was hurt and not the plane) and waited for the airspeed to increase until I could bring the gear up (in the darkness I hadn't been able to find the override switch and defaulted to just flying the airplane).
When I finally landed the second time around, I was close to shaking, and my friends had surprisingly landed ahead of us (that's another long but funny story I may have to tell later). I had always been warned about the ominous "black hole", but I had always wondered why anyone made a big deal about it. After all, could it really be a problem for such a great pilot as myself? Don't let that happen to you, you may not be as lucky as I was. The factors sure set me up for disaster - night time, in mountainous terrain, no lights, a full airplane, and an incomplete knowledge of my airplane's configuration. Don't be caught by surprise. Sometimes, situations are tougher than you think, and I'm still learning that!
Fly safe,
Up in the Air
Have you ever heard of a black hole? I'm not talking about those holes out in space that scientists say we get sucked into and I'm not talking about internet black holes that drop clients (I really don't know what I'm talking about there...), but I'm talking about the black hole in aviation terms. The black hole you were warned about by your flight instructor or your ground school instructors (if you went to one). The ones you encounter when flying into an airport that has little surrounding features to help guide you to touchdown. For those who have no experience flying - it's basically featureless terrain. If an airport is surrounded by fields, and those fields are snowed over, there's nothing to use to judge distance and height. Same thing can happen at night. Take a look at the following short video.
The video was a landing I did at Georgetown airport in the Sierra Nevada mountain range at night after one of our famous trips to Willows airport for greasy food and chocolate pie. There were absolutely no visual references to judge where I was at on my approach. Lucky for me, I had been there earlier in the day and knew where the obstacles were (by that I mean pine trees!) - so the whole way down I at least knew I wasn't going to hit anything. I was being so cautious that on the first approach I ended up coming in way too high. I was past the half way point and still floating (3000' runway). At that point, I thought, well, I'll just go around and do it again (probably a bad decision). I added full power and began slowly retracting the flaps. I lifted the gear handle to bring the gear up. The gear wasn't coming up.
My 1972 Piper Arrow had an old gear switch that didn't allow the gear to come up below a certain airspeed as what was considered a "safety precaution" (I wasn't so happy with it at this point). You could chose to change that manually whenever you wanted (located just by the flap handle) - but it was hard to tell sometimes which way you had it set up. Apparently mine was activated! Fun time to find out. From earlier that day, I knew there were trees off the end of the runway, this time on the departure end, and I was worried. With my little Arrow fully loaded (all 4 seats filled), it wasn't climbing out as fast as I wanted it to. I was nervous. For the first time, I was thinking, "what if we didn't make it". With a little bit of light from the moon I could see the outline of the trees on nearby hillsides, but in the pitch black I had no idea where I was in relationship to the ones below me. To this day, I don't know how close I came - maybe I cleared it by a lot, maybe just barely. I nursed the airplane to traffic pattern altitude (maybe not the proper way to say it since it was my pride that was hurt and not the plane) and waited for the airspeed to increase until I could bring the gear up (in the darkness I hadn't been able to find the override switch and defaulted to just flying the airplane).
When I finally landed the second time around, I was close to shaking, and my friends had surprisingly landed ahead of us (that's another long but funny story I may have to tell later). I had always been warned about the ominous "black hole", but I had always wondered why anyone made a big deal about it. After all, could it really be a problem for such a great pilot as myself? Don't let that happen to you, you may not be as lucky as I was. The factors sure set me up for disaster - night time, in mountainous terrain, no lights, a full airplane, and an incomplete knowledge of my airplane's configuration. Don't be caught by surprise. Sometimes, situations are tougher than you think, and I'm still learning that!
Fly safe,
Up in the Air
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Dreaming of the day...
Who has ever dreamed of flying? I used to have dreams when I was little about flying just above the town where I lived. I'd dream of waking up, going outside, and leaping into the air from my house. I'd go off on a sight-seeing tour of everything around where I lived. Funny thing is I could never really control where I went, it was always like one of those dreams where you try to run, but you can't no matter what you do. I felt like I was along for the ride - with myself of course. But I always enjoyed those dreams. Sometimes I remember those dreams when I'm flying, and it's hard to believe that it's real life - I wouldn't except for the fact that I really can control where I go!
One of the first sites I ever saw when I began flying was the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn, California.
It is considered the tallest bridge in the state and is featured in the movie "xXx" in which Vin Diesel drives a stolen red Chevrolet Corvette off it. Do I like the movie? Not really, but I love that scene mostly because of all the memories I have from the bridge. I grew up in Auburn, and I thought it was so fun to cross - little did I know I would soon circle around it in an airplane!
Not too far off, I constantly enjoyed the view of the Sutter Buttes (also known as "Sutter Butts" to myself and my flying friends), the world's smallest mountain range. They are located in the central valley of California, and from where I flew out of, they were on a direct flight path to Willows airport - an airport about an hour away that serves the greasiest food - but oh is it good!
Look closely at this one, San Francisco Bay is in the distance, with fog blanketing the city.
I'd love to say I've been from sea to shining sea in an airplane, but I haven't quite yet. I did get to see one of my favorite little towns on the northern coast of California, Mendocino. The first try was a failed attempt - it was fogged in, with no way of getting in. But my friends and I were finally successful!
It's barely been 5 years since the first time I started flight lessons, but I have had some of the most amazing experiences thanks to some great friends and a supportive family. These are just a glimpse of some of the wonderful places I've seen - there will be more to come soon. In the meantime, I patiently await my medical (well perhaps not so patiently).
In honor of a friend,
Smiles,
Up in the Air
One of the first sites I ever saw when I began flying was the Foresthill Bridge in Auburn, California.It is considered the tallest bridge in the state and is featured in the movie "xXx" in which Vin Diesel drives a stolen red Chevrolet Corvette off it. Do I like the movie? Not really, but I love that scene mostly because of all the memories I have from the bridge. I grew up in Auburn, and I thought it was so fun to cross - little did I know I would soon circle around it in an airplane!
Not too far off, I constantly enjoyed the view of the Sutter Buttes (also known as "Sutter Butts" to myself and my flying friends), the world's smallest mountain range. They are located in the central valley of California, and from where I flew out of, they were on a direct flight path to Willows airport - an airport about an hour away that serves the greasiest food - but oh is it good!
Look closely at this one, San Francisco Bay is in the distance, with fog blanketing the city.I'd love to say I've been from sea to shining sea in an airplane, but I haven't quite yet. I did get to see one of my favorite little towns on the northern coast of California, Mendocino. The first try was a failed attempt - it was fogged in, with no way of getting in. But my friends and I were finally successful!
It's barely been 5 years since the first time I started flight lessons, but I have had some of the most amazing experiences thanks to some great friends and a supportive family. These are just a glimpse of some of the wonderful places I've seen - there will be more to come soon. In the meantime, I patiently await my medical (well perhaps not so patiently).
In honor of a friend,
Smiles,
Up in the Air
What are you doing?
It's funny what people will do when they are scared out of their mind or when they have no idea what they should do. I had a student once who was both scared out of his mind and didn't know what to do. He was my very first student (maybe the fact that we were both scared out of our minds had something to do with it?...Just saying...). I could tell from the start that he was scared - scared of this one maneuver - stalls. That's basically when the wings aren't producing lift anymore - that's not as bad as it sounds, at least when you're five thousand feet above the ground in a controlled environment. When practicing all you need to do to recover is lower the nose, sometimes all it takes is releasing a little bit of back pressure, and wait until you gain airspeed to return to normal flight. I can't remember anymore exactly which type of stall we were practicing, whether we had power-on or off, but I do remember his reaction. The first few stalls we did were a little nerve-wrecking for him, and I was ready to call it quits to give him a breather, but he insisted on doing a couple more.
We set the airplane up for a stall, slowly raising the nose, letting the airspeed drop off. All of a sudden, as if he had lost patience, he yanked the nose back quickly - which caused an immediate stall. He was so abrupt he shocked himself. As the nose quickly fell down through the horizon, he let go of everything and gave out a little bit of a shriek. Before I knew it we were pointed nearly vertical towards the ground.
I was never far away from taking control - but I also wasn't expecting him to let go of everything. Always watch closely when someone is scared or apprehensive about doing something. You really don't know how they will react. I couldn't expect my brand new student to recover from a situation he put himself in when he doesn't know what to do. If he doesn't know how he got there, he definitely won't know how to get back. That's the same for everyone in life.You can't fix something that you don't know how to fix, and you won't fix it until you know how to. Sometimes the best course of action to take is letting go, let go and let the person you trust handle the situation, or whatever it is that needs letting go. My student trusted in me, trusted that I could help him when he had no idea how to help himself . Sometimes we all need to do that. If we pay attention, we can eventually learn how to handle even the toughest situation.
Back to my student. Will my student need to learn how to recover from a situation such as the one he put us in? Of course. I don't want anyone whom I've taught get a pilot's license if I don't know how they'll react in a tough situation. Did my stomach twist a little when all of a sudden the nose of the airplane was pointed towards the ground? Yes, I was a little shaky until the end of the flight, but I didn't let go of the controls. At some point in my flying career, I'm sure I would have done the exact same thing - but that point is in the past, at a time when I wouldn't have known how to recover either.
To clear skies,
Up in the Air
We set the airplane up for a stall, slowly raising the nose, letting the airspeed drop off. All of a sudden, as if he had lost patience, he yanked the nose back quickly - which caused an immediate stall. He was so abrupt he shocked himself. As the nose quickly fell down through the horizon, he let go of everything and gave out a little bit of a shriek. Before I knew it we were pointed nearly vertical towards the ground.
I was never far away from taking control - but I also wasn't expecting him to let go of everything. Always watch closely when someone is scared or apprehensive about doing something. You really don't know how they will react. I couldn't expect my brand new student to recover from a situation he put himself in when he doesn't know what to do. If he doesn't know how he got there, he definitely won't know how to get back. That's the same for everyone in life.You can't fix something that you don't know how to fix, and you won't fix it until you know how to. Sometimes the best course of action to take is letting go, let go and let the person you trust handle the situation, or whatever it is that needs letting go. My student trusted in me, trusted that I could help him when he had no idea how to help himself . Sometimes we all need to do that. If we pay attention, we can eventually learn how to handle even the toughest situation.
Back to my student. Will my student need to learn how to recover from a situation such as the one he put us in? Of course. I don't want anyone whom I've taught get a pilot's license if I don't know how they'll react in a tough situation. Did my stomach twist a little when all of a sudden the nose of the airplane was pointed towards the ground? Yes, I was a little shaky until the end of the flight, but I didn't let go of the controls. At some point in my flying career, I'm sure I would have done the exact same thing - but that point is in the past, at a time when I wouldn't have known how to recover either.
To clear skies,
Up in the Air
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Welcome!
I hope to write this blog for you, perhaps the aviation enthusiast, maybe the person who is simply clicking through blogs trying to find someone to follow. Maybe you're a person who simply wants to follow someone, or maybe one who wants to learn more about flying. Whoever you are, I hope you find this interesting, funny, emotional at times, and hopefully, not a complete waste of your time. I will try my best to be brutally honest about my life as a flight instructor - and in doing so I plan to tell the stories as they happen - whether it makes me look like an idiot, my student, my friends, or maybe even you (well maybe not that...)! I also hope to look back someday and realize how little I knew (come to think of it I probably won't know much then either).
For the time being, relax and enjoy! Suggestions are welcome, because I hope to make this a learning experience for me as well!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Up in the Air
For the time being, relax and enjoy! Suggestions are welcome, because I hope to make this a learning experience for me as well!
Thanks for reading!
Cheers,
Up in the Air
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