Flight 5 – 9/24 - Jordan Abrams – Persistence Pays, or does it?

So on this day, the fog is hanging in heavy over AVL and there is no chance that I’m going to get off the ground before noon. However, being the annoyingly persistent guy that I am, I get Jordan to agree to call me the minute the sky begins to clear and we will get aloft. I hang out in downtown Asheville doing some client research and having a second cup of morning java. As 11:30 rolls around, the skies in downtown are clear, but I haven’t heard a peep from Jordan. I know this is because AVL Regional is in a valley southwest of town and that most of the city’s moisture slips downhill, along the French Broad river and down to the airport. This means that AVL (Fletcher, NC) is one of the last places where fog lifts from the area.

I have to apologize here to Jordan...he was waiting patiently in the WNC Aviation office to see if the fog would lift. He has another appointment later in the day after me. We had left it at - “If we cannot get aloft by noon, we’ll shoot for another day”. At this point, it’s looking less and less like he has to worry about me, and can relax a bit before his afternoon instruction would have to begin. I’m sure he was enjoying his second cup of coffee unaware of my scheme.

See, I’ve been bitten by this bug. I ache if I’m not in the air. Altitude is the only salve for this disease. These days, when I’m earth-bound, I’m admittedly grumpy - a curmudgeon. Especially now that I’m jacked up on two cups of coffee, and I’ve been visualizing all week how well I’m going to do on the rudders, the radios, the procedures and the maneuvers! DAMN THE GALE FORCE WINDS - TO HELL WITH THE FOG - I”M GOING FLYING TODAY!

So you should have seen Jordan’s face when I POP INTO THE OFFICE unannounced, ALL GLEEFUL with reports of clearing skies over downtown, and all the way southbound on I-26 toward the airfield. I point out the window, “See! The fog is lifting!” I proclaim with a great big grin.

Jordan cannot even see the flagpole, which on a normal day is right outside the window. He rolls his eyes kindly...

“No really! It is just about to blow away. I could almost make out the exit sign on the highway here at the airport exit. We better get started on pre-flight!” I wasn’t taking no for an answer. (Ask me one day about Carole’s great example of positive thinking).

Jordan isn’t much amused, but being a hopeful chap like me (and also having been bitten early in life by the flight bug as well), he says “Let’s do some ground schooling and maybe it’ll clear up.”

So we chat about s-turns, turns around a point, winds impact on these turns, and how w e need to practice some touch-n-gos. I’m listening, but I glance sidelong at the RJs outside as they disappear into the clouds even before their rear wheels part with the pavement of the runway. C’mon sun – break that temperature away from that dew point!

Jordan completes a great ground school lesson, and quizzes me as - LO AND BEHOLD - the clouds lift up and follow the jets into a clear, silent, still blue sky. In the matter of a few minutes the skies are painfully azure and there are only little puffs of mist lofting skyward. We’ll see those clouds again to be sure, but for now – IT’S FLIGHT TIME!

I pre-flight the plane, and we jump in - as I call “CLEAR” and turn the key, nothing happens except an electrical hum. Jordan says the “Bendix (apparently something tht spins the prop) isn’t engaged” and asks me to pull the key out and turn off the master electrical switch. He bounds from the plane and walks around to the prop...After a few jockeying spins of the blade - he comes back and says “Try it again.” I power back up, turn the key and....nothing.

A few more tries at this (key out, power down so the engines doesn’t inadvertently engage and send his severed hands flying across the airfield) and the Bendix engages properly. We get a successful start and little Five-five-romeo sputters to life. Poor Jordan - he’s sweating and clearly not happy with the entire situation, but he keeps his good humor and chortles “No problem man, that’s just a day in the life of a CFI”. What a great guy.

After getting clearance from ground, we start our taxi run up A to Runway 34 and draft in behind an RJ. We pull off to do our runup checks, and are listening to the tower. A “unit” - a flight service truck that zip around the airfield, is talking to the tower about something on the runway. The tower cannot see it but the “Unit” driver says it’s a COYOTE!

Great, I say to Jordan, it’s like the ABC’s.

• First A - The “Arse” (I point to me) shows up and makes you fly, then
• B - the Bendix doesn’t engage, then
• C - there are COYOTE on the runway!

I said “Let’s not go through anymore of the alphabet”. Jordan agrees.

Hey....wait a minute....does that mean he agreed with my “A” statement?!

Anyway, we taxi without hitting any coyote (I guess the RJ scared him off), and we’re airborne to the SW practice area, roughly over Hendersonville Airport. The sky is still. I pick out a water tower as my “point” on the ground, and begin a long slow left turn. Since the winds are calm now, I easily keep the tower to my left and just under my lowered left wingtip. Nothing to this when there is no wind.

We do a few more rotations then turn for the power lines that crease the nearby mountain range with a arrow straight swath that is clear-cut and easily visible. I set up for my first S-turn.

Now we know from the tower’s weather report that there is supposed to be some gusty winds coming a bit later in the day, but we hear another WNC Aviation student pilot calling into Asheville approach for winds so they can do some touch and go’s. Funny, but winds seem pretty calm where we are flying, just a few miles SE of the field. However, the report from AVL approach is sobering.

“Winds now 070 at eight - gusting to twenty seven” the controller replies.

This time the CFI in the plane “next door” to us over the southeast practice area calls again - it’s my friend Joey Maxwell - “Asheville tower - say again - winds gusting to TWENTY SEVEN – that’s two-seven?” He sounds incredulous.

Roger - winds zero-seven-zero degrees (meaning out of the east) at eight with gusts to two-seven. You could almost hear Joey’s student pilot jamming the throttle to the metal. They were beating it for the field, pronto!

I look at Jordan - he looks at me. We’re both thinking the same thing. How has a gentle morning like this turned into a sudden wind-tunnel?” The skies where we are, just a few miles away, are serene and blue. More critically, how are we going to get this little light-as-a-feather plane on the ground with a 90 degree cross wind that is gusting between eight and twenty-seven miles per hour across the runway?

Jordan decisively says “Let’s head for home.” I agree, pushing the throttle in and turning directly for the field. I call approach, and he puts us into a right pattern (meaning we’re going to be making right turns on our rectangular route to runway 16).

Once we get into the downwind leg (which is now a crosswind really), we start to feel the buffeting of the crosswinds. We’re blowing away from the airstrip towards Cold Mountain and some of the higher mountaintops near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some quick crabbing adjustments and we get back on the downwind with the plane working hard to counteract the winds that are building FAST.

The tower calls to say “Cessna five-five-Romeo, I’ll call your crosswind” - this means that he will tell us when to make the right turn to put us on the “crosswind” leg of the approach. He tells us to watch for a twin prop plane on final from the north. We’ll be turning in behind him for our landing. We see the twin descending toward the field to our 2 o’clock. The tower calls us and instructs us to turn right for crosswind once the twin is out of the sky and on the runway. We make that right turn with hard yoke inputs to overcome the wind that is blowing from our right.

We’re now turned almost directly into the wind and the plane is working hard to counteract the headwind. Our groundspeed, Jordan points out, on the GPS has slowed drastically to lower than 50 KIAS – proof that we’re “swimming upstream” in a raging current of wind from the east.

The tower knows that we should be landing soonest, and he directs us to “head straight for the numbers” which means to expedite our landing. The tower is talking to about a half dozen aircraft in the pattern, most of which are full of instructional pilots or passengers, and all of which need to be getting on the ground before the winds worsen.

We aim directly for the numbers but the wind current has slowed our descent and our final approach to a crawl. We go full power and Jordan says, “If it’s OK with you, I’ll do this landing. That crosswind is a beast and with the variability, we’re likely to get blown around quite a bit”.

I couldn’t agree more. Now I’ve read about how to land in a crosswind and watched the Cessna training videos about this, but the procedure is not something I’m comfortable with just yet. A side-slipping, crabbing descent, followed by whipping the plane from a sideways, tilted crawl to “straight down the runway” just a few feet above the pavement is NOT something that comes naturally on the first time. It would be like trying to deliver a tantric experience during those first, fumbling, sweaty trysts in the back seat of a car in high school.” Not that I would know anything about that. ‘Nuf said.

“Jordan, you have the controls.”

“I have the controls.”

“You have the controls (thank GOD!).”

The tower calls again “Cessna Five-five-Romeo, please expedite final and head straight for the numbers”. He has other planes he needs to sequence in and they’re able to fly a lot faster than we can in a headwind.

We check to ensure we’re using all the juice the little Cessna can muster. We’re “all in”.

We creep down towards the giant 16 now, coming in from a bit of an angle instead of the usual straight in.

Jordan puts in ten degrees of flaps to minimize the impact on the planes slippery profile and prevent the wind from floating us around too much. We’re both cool and quiet, but Jordan is starting to get a feel that this is going to be one rough trip to the tarmac.

We float in over the runway, nose pointing almost directly at the terminal on the side of the runway. Jordan deftly dips the left wing and points the plane straighter down the runway, reducing the crab angle and counteracting the turn with hard right rudder - a classic side slip approach. In this “dirty” configuration, we drop altitude fast (We’ve got some extra since the wind is blowing under our wings and supplying more lift than our direct course needs. You can also get too slow very quickly, stalling and dropping to the ground - or worse, stalling, yawing and spinning prop first into the pavement. Instead, Jordan counteracts the wind expertly with skilled control inputs, and we float down towards the pavement for what looks like a smooth landing. At the last second, the plane bounds up on a gust of air, and we bounce around like a feather just feet above the surface. Jordan keeps his steely eyes on the runway, does some quick countering maneuvers, and the tires seem to reach out and grab the pavement like our lives depended on it (and they did!). We waver and skip over the pavement a bit, while the wind and tire friction fights an epic battle beneath us, using our little plane as their weapons.

As our speed decreases, the plane sighs relief as we sink into the ground and slow to taxi speed. I look over at Jordan and silently give him a “high five”, for he has safely and cleanly brought us back down to earth. Jordan grins and wipes a bit of sweat from his forehead.

“You can do a million of those, and they never cease to be a little stressful” he musters.

The radio crackles as the tower sequences in other planes behind us. We taxi to the ramp and park little 55R - who has done her job for the day. They’ll be no more take offs in VFR aircraft today.

Jordan apologizes for the rough landing a time or two, but he doesn’t realize that I’m blown away by his cool, calm controls during the event. He probably is thinking that he should have been able to show me how to “grease it in” during a tough crosswind, but I’m just impressed that we got on the ground in one piece. THANKS JORDAN! I’m not worried about a little skipping around on our tippy-tire-toes!

Now the lesson is obvious. Weather changes. Blue skies in town may no be so blue on the runway (remember the morning fog?). Even if you’re flying in blue skies just a few miles away, you might find that those skies are full of wind currents down on that airfield where you and your tiny, insignificant plane (filled with your tiny, significant and hopefully valuable little lives) are going to have to land.

Thank goodness for those men and women in the towers, on the weather radars and updating weather across the country so we all know what to expect and can plan ahead. This little “front” caught everyone by surprise, but I’m so glad to know that there are layers and layers of experts watching out for us in the sky every day!

Dave is right (as always)! Standard Rate Turns Correction!

David Tan correctly points out that a standard rate turn is One-Five (15) degrees - not 45 as I errantly typed in my earlier posting. Precision is everything in flying. Thanks for the correction, Dave, and keep them coming!

Mantra for standard rate turns...
Fifteen Degrees of bank - Three Degrees per minute turn rate - step on the ball - lock in that sight picture and keep the cowling on a set of "rails" around the horizon - coming up on two minutes - turn out early at 7.5 degrees. Hold steady, fly with a light touch and keep that head up. OOPS! In the clouds?- One minute of this turn gets you out of the clouds.

Fifteen Degrees of bank - Three Degrees per minute turn rate - step on the ball - lock in that sight picture and keep the cowling on a set of "rails" around the horizon - coming up on two minutes - turn out early at 7.5 degrees. Hold steady, fly with a light touch and keep that head up. OOPS! In the clouds?- One minute of this turn gets you out of the clouds.

Whew! Way behind!

Hey all. I haven't abandoned the blog, but instead just got too busy to update there for a bit. Two clients moving toward first rounds of venture capital in a "RUSH"! I'm not sure who is saying the economy is down. The startups are going full guns and the VCs are there to meet them with capital. Guess the old adage "best time to invest is when the market is down" is holding true!

I'll update the last half-dozen flights (and my solo which should happen this week - Weather and God permitting. Note that both are capitalized out of respect).

Also an update re: today's flight #10 with my adventurous sport of a daughter, Sarah!
Bonus content: A tour of one of the last 20 B-17 Flying Fortresses still in the air and meeting two WWII veterans - one flew the Hump in C-47s, the other (Gary Lux's father) was a Top Gunner in the B-17. A stellar day for this flyboy and his sidekick Sarah!

More to come tomorrow!

Shout Out to David Tan - Mentor Extraordinaire

I'd like to personally acknowledge the support and friendship of a great mentor David Tan! He's a studly pilot for NetJets, and owns a Porsche and a sport plane or two. He's a life long pilot from Singapore and was one of my best MBA classmates at Goizueta Business School at Emory. I'm thrilled to have his advice, his support and his expertise - but most of all his friendship over many years.

He is in Madison, WI now, and his wife Nancy is a university professor. From his Facebook: "I operate fine European machinery from the houses of Dassault, SIAI-Marchetti and Porsche". Damn if he doesn't - he is a man of fine taste and deep passion for operating great machines!

David is supporting me as my mentor in the AOPA Project Pilot program. This program, and David's support, drastically increases the odds of me becoming a pilot and blesses me with the skilled inputs of a veteran pilot. Thanks AOPA and Thanks David! He lives the life I dream of - jetting around the world a week at a stretch, then taking a week off for fun, flight and friends. Who knows, maybe in a few years I'll be PIC of a jet like my mentor!

To David:
Thanks for your mentoring and happy (belated) Birthday my friend!

Flight #4 - Turns around a Point and S-Turns

Got to KAVL and had my first lesson scheduled with instructor Gary Lux. Gary is another partner in the now life www.airplanesdirect.com and a cheery, solid CFI. We did some ground school work reviewing stalls (power on and off) and turns around a point, coupled with S-Turns. The day was bright, with a painfully beautiful blue a few light puffy clouds at about 0030 (that's three thousand feet). I was eager to get aloft!

Unfortunately the plane we had scheduled was in for extended maintenance so we had to wait for another plane. The wait led us into the early afternoon, and they had to juggle some scheduling to get me airborne with Jordan vs. Gary. Gary was waiting for another student (who happens to be from the Franklin area near my home) to return from a cross country solo, and he needed to be there to debrief her after the flight. Jordan was gracious in "taking me on" so Gary, who was pacing like a mother hen waiting for her chicks to come home, could be there to greet his student pilot on her successful return.

I went out to pre-flight my plane alone, and met the other pilot coming across the tarmac with a grin on her face - having just returned from her second cross-country. I introduced myself and we had a nice chat - agreeing to share rides from WNC to Asheville where possible to save gas (and avoid waiting in those two hour gas lines that are plaguing the mountains). Good to meet another soul who is enjoying the flying experience!

I pre-flighted the plane and Jordan joined me and we were taxiing in a short time. I completed the runup while a regional jet (RJ) did a taxi to 34 in front of us, our position required him to do a reverse taxi up the runway - and a cool on the ground 180 to get full advantage of the entire runway. We lifted off into calm skies behind the RJ and turned SW to the practice area.

Once there, we chose a water tower in Hendersonville for the center of our turns. I entered on downwind to the west of the tower and started a gentle left turn. I followed Gary's admonition that I focus out the front of the cockpit, keeping that sight picture consistent while only glancing sideways at the tower (under my left wing) and my altimeter / turn coordinator / compass occasionally for reference. The turns went well (and were much easier that expected due to light winds). I was able to maintain altitude accurately and keep the tower at a consistent distance for three circles.

We then rolled out of the turns and headed east towards a power line for "S-Turns". These were a bit more challenging as the wind was picking up a bit. I crossed the lines to the north and made a banking right hand turn - first time a little tight. The first arc was too small and I had to struggle to get around to neutral controls before crossing the power line. The second arc was much better. Jordan took the controls to show me the proper turn radius, and when he handed them back over, I was able to do a few turns with a bit more finesse, consistency and grace.
Good instruction.

We headed for AVL and did a touch and go. My approach was solid and I lined up with the runway easily on final. When we crossed the threshold, I changed my focus towards the end of the runway (like Joey taught me earlier). However, when we entered the ground effect, I flared up the nose a bit early. I was going to "flop" onto the pavement again if I kept the nose up, so Jordan bumped the yoke forward just enough to smooth out my "over flare" and we dropped gently to the ground.

We powered up and went around again, on the downwind, I called the tower, and he asked that we do a 360 right turn so another RJ could finish its final approach and we could then follow behind him. Jordan put me into a right standard turn (45 degree bank, two minutes to do a 360 turn) he said this would be critical to learn for IFR. This burns up just enough time. I did the turn perfectly, glanced to the runway to see the RJ landing at the threshold and called the tower ("Asheville 55 Romeo is back on downwind"). We then continued the base and final turns.

The last landing was much lighter, and right on the 1000 foot threshold, we slowed to a stop and rolled onto taxiway A. Jordan reminded me to switch the transponder to STANDBY (a step I always seem to neglect), and we thanked the tower for their help.

Jordan says I'm doing great for four flights, and that my turns, radio work and coordinate flight is progressing well. He reminded me to use "Western Fife Fife Romeo" instead of "Fifty Five Romeo" as that is accepted standard - and that David Shields or Ben will expect me to use proper identifiers during check rides (and always of course).

We post-flighted the plane and parked.

Things to work on:
* Turns with wind (there wasn't much today)
* Trimming for descents - I seem to want to stay in the air too much, but that's a good thing, right? But it causes me to enter the pattern a bit high and have to rush the descent to landing.
* Relaxed, touch controls vs. "Death gripping" the yoke and pedaling the rudders.
* Using power to control altitude and attitude to control airspeed in slow flight
* The landing flare - when and how much to use to "grease" the rear wheels onto the runway.

Next flight is IFR introduction and more turns around a point. Then its review and check ride!

Third Flight - Stalls and Landings

Got to finally go aloft on Thurs., 18 Sep 2008 with Joey Maxwell after a week of low clouds and thick morning fog. Joey is another of the fine CFIs at WNC Aviation and was a joy to work with.

I had run over to AVL the previous day to fly, but the soup just wouldn't burn off. I called Joey, and invited him to lunch to chat about his new business brokering aircraft - which he is in the process of starting with some other gents at WNCA. Great idea and they look like they're doing it "right"! Our lunch chat was great and I can't wait to see them start to grow. More to come!

On Thursday, we were booked to fly at 10, but the fog was hanging in. Joey and I sat and reviewed a bit while waiting for that persistent fog to burn off. We watched as some of the regional jets (RJs) rotated up off the runway and immediately disappeared into the clouds almost before their wheels left the ground. Joey said it'd be that way until the temperature got a few degrees above dewpoint. He suggested we wait until 11 to get started. I ran over to the airport authority but they were out of the office, so I drove into Fletcher and poked my nose into The Frugal Backpacker and Diamond Brands to inquire about kayaks. Met a cool paddler "Chunky" there (he hits a lot of rocks with his head - says he) who is a dedicated canoe paddler. Joey called and said give it another 30 minutes, so I got a great demo/intro to boats and canoes.

Anyhow, got back to the airport about 11:30 and skies were blue with a few puffy white clouds south of the SW practice area. Since we had reviewed, we grabbed the bag and "cans" and headed out for 66R. Joey led me through the pre-flight and pointed out some new knowledge (the rear static port is for the autopilot, not a redundant one, etc.) And we were in the cockpit firing up the 180HP engine in a few moments.

We wheeled out to the run up area and followed the checklist then called for clearance, which was immediately granted. We swung out onto the runway, pushed throttle to the firewall and watched the airspeed indicator begin rolling around the arc. At 55KIAS, rotated up for a smooth takeoff.

As we climbed "out" I was furiously pumping the rudder pedals to keep the plane on course at 340. Joey giggled and said "Tell ya what, let go of the pedals for a second." As I did the plane quit crabbing and settled into a very shallow left hand turn. "Now, gently put your feet back on the pedals and give the right one just a touch of pressure." The plane swung to the right and flew in a straight line. Joey looked at me and gave me his best Santa Claus grin. "No need to work so hard, see?" I'm gonna really enjoy training today!

We turned left for the SW practice area and continued our climb to 5,500. Joey called Hendersonville field (22Whiskey) as a courtesy - to let them know we'd be doing some maneuvers in the area, and had a friendly chat with some of the folks on the ground there. Flying folks are nice and appreciate friendly "heads up" calls.

Joey demonstrated the correct "flight picture" for me and then covered the altimeter and heading indicator. He made me do some left and right turns keeping my head out of the cockpit (looking out the windows vs. fixated on instruments). He said to imagine a coke bottle sitting on the cowling, and that I should keep the top of that bottle on the horizon line to maintain level flight. After about 3 minutes he took off the cover and we had only drifted about 30 feet of altitude. That made me feel good!

Then we worked on stalls. This was not only fun, but joyous! How can stalling a plane and falling out of the sky be joyous??? Well, Joey demonstrated the simple truth that it is a basic set of steps best executed with your head out of the cockpit (again). Configure for slow flight, then Look at a point in front of you - then pull the nose up. As the angle of attack increases, you strive to keep the nose pointed at your point in the distance. The plane continues to rotate upward and starts to shudder. Then all of the sudden, it drops out of the climb and floats downward. Quick application of full power, slight tug back on the yoke, and you're pointing at the point on the horizon you picked! Back off on the power, kick a little right rudder, and reduce flaps. Easy!!!

Power on stalls (like your taking off) are a bit more dramatic, but same basic principle. Configure for climb, power on full, pick your point on the horizon and nose up to climb. Now this takes some doing, but the nose keeps turning upward until you're almost hanging on the prop. Finally; however, the plane will shudder, shimmy, controls go mushy and the plane falls out of the sky. Just tug back on the yoke to break the dive and reset the nose towards your horizon point, and that's all there is to it! I'm loving this instruction at this point.

A few of each, and we were ready to clear the practice space and head for touch-n-gos at AVL.
We were instructed to "head directly for the numbers", touch and go, make left traffic and remain in the pattern with a call to the tower at midfield. Joey kindly read this back to the tower - "Roger AVL approach, cleared direct to runway three four, tough-n-go, then left traffic and call at midfield" and grinned at me saying "that was a mouthful, wasn't it?". These guys intuitively know when things are a bit overwhelming and will step in to make you feel confident and to handle anything that might be a little beyond your training to this point.

Joey had me waggle the tail a few times on base and final to relax my legs again. That helped tremendously with getting a "feel" for the rudder/yaw at slow flight. We lined up for the runway, and as we got over the numbers, Joey had me focus on the end of the runway, saying to point the nose at it and even make it disappear behind the cowling. This would approximate the right "flare angle" and put us down gently. Well, I got a bit eager and over rotated, the plane floated up and stalled about 3 feet too high, and I "clunked" it onto the runway for an unceremonious flop landing. Joey just grinned and said, "No problem, you'll get a feel for it."

We went full throttle, dropped the flaps to 0, and rotated up again. Left turns and same base and final, this time still waggling the tail to get a feel for the controls, but in a bit steeper descent. I made a much more normal landing this time and we slowed to our turnoff ramp Mike. We parked, post-flighted and had a good walk back over to the terminal.

Joey is a seasoned instructor and really advanced my understanding of stalls, coordinated controls and smooth landings in a short time. Fun to get to know him as well.

Next lesson: Turns around a point, S Turns over a road, more stall review and more time on the radios. Also, will need some help with all the instruments (powered, vacuum, precession, indicated vs. true vs. calibrated airspeed and altitude). That all seems a bit confusing.

Work on: Smooth landings, focusing outside the cockpit at that "burned in" proper flight attitude picture. Comfort with radio communications.

Flight (or not) #3 - Ground work due to WX

Well, after a week of delay due to Hurricane Fay, it was another week of delay due to a fried computer motherboard and processor. I finally got back online Wednesday thanks to the good graces of Dustin at Nexxus Network here in Sylva, NC.

Went to WNC Aviation today for a two hour lesson with the hopes that the fog and clouds would lift, but to no avail. My yard is loving the rain, but sheeze...gimme a break...I'm trying to LEARN HOW TO FLY HERE! Apparently all that had to happen to end our southern drought was for me to sign up for flying lessons. Grrrrr!

I was jonesin' for some time aloft, but had to settle for some review and practice in the plane on the ground. Jordan spent time with me reviewing a plethora of procedures, radio work, pre-flight, emergency procedures, etc. etc.. All great review, and done in Jordan's friendly, chatty way that makes it sink in and stick, while still being fun and valuable. All the while, however; I was stealing jealous sidelong glances of those corporate jets zipping up and down the runway while their pilots (many thousands of hours of experience) laughed at the weather, and rarely bothered to glance out of their glass cockpits at the dim, grey sky.

I'll get there...but this VFR stuff gets old fast when the weather is not cooperating. I'm accelerating my training voluntarily to get things back on track. I hope to fly the family home for Christmas with the in-laws!

I hope Grandma Brinkley will survive the prayer vigil while we're in flight from AVL to PDK.

Flight #2 - Slow Flight, Turns and Touch'n'Go x3

Well, Hurricane Fay did drop some great rain on WNC, and we couldn't fly on Thursday due to low clouds and limited visibility. That's OK, I drove to AVL anyway and did some shopping for Carole's birthday (which was this weekend). Friday, however; presented beautiful, clear skies and calm winds, so I spun up the "boo" (Chevy Malibu) and rode over Balsam for a day of flying.

Jordan was finishing up with another fellow student pilot (joining the rarefied 1/3 of 1% of the population who are airmen) who looked much like I'm sure I did after my introductory flight - flushed, giddy and smiling ear to ear.

Given that we were targeting a two hour lesson, we spent some time on ground school - going over lift, stall speeds, how turning requires additional power, etc. I'm still fascinated with lift and Bernoulli's principle - how higher airflow over the wing creates a vacuum, etc. It was fun to apply that knowledge to something fun and sporty like flying.

After about 30 minutes of chatting over various basics, it was time to fly!
We pre-flighted the plane with me doing most of the work, but Jordan chiming to show me a few efficiency tips (like checking the fuel under the cowling and on the right wing before climbing up on the wing to return the fuel to the tank). I ran through the checklist, and Jordan gave me a few pointers on how to brief the FAA examiner during my first check ride.

We spun up Western 070 (zero-seven-zero), and Jordan told me to handle radio communications. We checked ATIS to get weather (Zulu) and I called for clearance to taxi. The nice voice on the other end gave us clearance, and as we started to roll, revised her instruction to ask that we hold short of the taxi way for Navy traffic.

I eased to a stop at the edge of the taxiway as Jordan and I scanned the now still ramp area. Just as we both looked over our right shoulders, a pristine Navy T-45 Goshawk rolled out from behind a hangar and, in what seemed like an instant, was passing in front of us on the ramp. As he cooly cruised by our 12 o'clock, the pilot glanced up from his pre-takeoff prep to give us a classic aviator's wave - two fingers on a relaxed curved hand up to his helmet visor - finished with a snappy salute and that Naval Aviator's swashbuckling "BSD" grin from under his sun visor.

I don't care how you slice it, seeing a multi-million dollar jet cruising down the ramp - even if it is a trainer - is an inspiring sight. I felt like a kid on roller skates with cardboard wings strapped to my back compared to this honcho commanding his sleek machine, but it also reminded me of why I started flying in the first place. I made a mental commitment then and there that my flying career would not stop at lumbering, slow practice planes like the Cessna (though it is a great machine in itself), but would advance to speed, risk, aerobatics and jets.

Anyhow, shaking off the sense of awe, it was back to reality, ground control gave us clearance to taxi behind the jet (reminding us to stay well-behind the jet) for runway 34. I timidly taxied out onto the ramp, feeling the churning jet wash buffet our little plane just a bit.

I did some left and right turns with those rudder pedals and realized that all that visualization I'd done during the time off due to Hurricane Fay (imagining the rudder pedals and their effect on the ground and in the air) had paid off. I was able to control the aircraft much more effectively now using the brakes and rudders.

In a minute or so, we were treated to the roar of the jet's engines as the pilot started his takeoff roll - all run-up procedures stalled as we both jealously watched the Goshawk zip down 34 and rotate up into a perfect blue sky. In a second he was gone and we were left like two little kids staring at a blank slate. A shiver of wonder, and now it was our turn.

We completed pre-takeoff, (bottom left, up and over, down and right) and I - for the first time, called the tower:
"Good afternoon Asheville control, this is Western zero-seven-zero, ready for takeoff".
We got immediate clearance and taxied out to the runway - once I reached the center line I punched the throttle full-in and watched as the instrument panel came to life...I called
"airspeed is alive"; "instruments in the green", with Jordan's aid, and we rotated up into the blue.

I sledded around a bit - first slipping left, then crabbing right as I struggled to balance the left-turning tendency of the aircraft with the controls. A quick two left turns and we were headed towards the SW practice area.

We spent most of our 1.6 hours in flight working on coordinated turns, full circles to the left and right - Jordan all the while having me look outside the plane to burn that sight picture into my brain. I did a much better job of holding heading and altitude this time around. Trim tab was also much easier to use (again, a result of visualization - "Chair flying" they call it, during the recent inclement weather).

We climbed to 5,500 and then slowed to descended to 4,000, climbed again, then configured for slow flight. Raised angle of attack, slow engine to 1500 RPM, flaps to 10, slowing....slowing, back on the yoke a bit more - and we're crawling along at 55kts ground speed, gradually losing altitude all the while. The controls become mushy, and we have to add power as we extend flaps to 30% - I'm on the "backside of the power curve" for the first time, where you have to ADD power to go slower.

Since you spend most of your time in the pattern in this configuration, it is great practice. Seeing how spongy the plane performs at slow speeds is a real eyeopener. It takes much more overt control inputs to achieve the desired response. Hard pedal moves, a few seconds' wait before the turn begins, more push on the yoke to turn, etc.

After a few minutes we "trim out" for normal cruise flight, then go into slow configuration again to understand more about "setting up" for landings. Out one last time, and we're headed back to AVL's pattern for a few touch and gos.

We call approach and get clearance, set up for a downwind entry into the traffic pattern and descend to 1000 AGL. A quick left turn and 34 is just ahead. We drop in, Jordan is now at the controls but invite me to "ride the controls" with him to feel his inputs as we land. He greases in a perfect landing, then we spin up to full throttle and lift off again (to the north) - again I waffle around the center line as we climb.

We take a left turn into the pattern, and another into the downwind leg. My turns are curved and sluggish - something we can work out with practice. Need to be boxy and crisp. We call approach at mid-field and he instructs us to extend our downwind for inbound Leer Jet traffic on final. We look to our left and see a beautiful white corporate jet easing down the glide slope to a smooth landing right on the numbers. Jordan mirrors my thoughts, "Beautiful sight isn't it?"

We drop flaps and airspeed turn left for base and again for final. Jordan says "you have the aircraft". I trim out for landing - aiming at the numbers. I come in a bit steep, and flop the plane down a bit tersely - my first landing - not pretty, but we achieve the desired effect.

Power up the 172, rotate up at 55kts, and around again. During the next downwind, we are instructed to expedite our based and final legs and landing as other traffic is inbound. We slow down early and add flaps, curving left just after the end of the runway to shorten our base and final legs. This landing is quick, and we glide into a much smoother (albeit still less than perfect) approach. Once all the wheels are on the ground, we turn out on ramp M to clear the runway, and taxi to the ramp. Transponder to Standby...other post-landing checks...

I complete the post-flight checklist and we head back into the offices for a debrief.
Jordan compliments me on my improved rudder work, flight, turns and points out areas for improvement - smoother landings, flaring up more at the end and sticking to the runway heading during climb out from takeoff.

Next -- labs four and five.

Epilogue: Computer crashes and needs a new CPU. I'm about to go nuts waiting to do my next two labs, but they have to be done on the computer where I loaded the software. Oh well, more "chair flying" for this week.

Fay Postpones Flight #2

Hurricane/TD Fay decided to dump some much needed rain and stormy weather on NC over the week, so no flying yet..but...Thank goodness for the rain!

I'm going up again tomorrow (if the weather cooperates) or Friday. Also getting my Class 3 Medical done while in AVL.

First Flight Lesson! - Labs 1 & 2

22 August 2008 - My first liftoff!
After working on the first few labs in the Cessna Curriculum it was time to do some flying!
I had a great breakfast with my friend Henry Wong at Lee's BBQ in Sylva, then took the Blue Ridge Parkway from Balsam to West Asheville. Nice to listen to Peter Gabriel's OVO while winding through the cool mountains at 6,059 MSL in the Malibu (even had to kick on the heat some).

I booked Western 5099R (Cessna 172) and flight instructor Jordan Abrams - a young, fun loving buck who has flown in Alaska, gone through state trooper school there, and married his new wife this past July. It's great fun to work with a guy just "setting out" on the journey of life.

We did some review, then walked out along with some other student/instructor pairs to the ramp. After a great lesson on pre-flighting, we jumped in, fired up 55R, called for clearance to taxi, and I started a clumsy taxi towards runway 16.

Using those rudders to steer is certainly a challenge...I kept pressing right to speed up, and left to brake (like a car), and I couldn't resist the urge to try and steer with the yoke. 30 years of driving does that. We must have looked like a duck having seizures as the elevators flapped and we swerved around on the taxiway. Jordan had a good chuckle and helped me with speed (jog) and steering (with my feet). I'll have to work hard to refine ground technique and also to keep from trying to steer my car with my gas and brake pedals.

After a quick checklist on run-up Jordan called for takeoff clearance, and I crabbed out onto the runway. Jordan let me power up, call the airspeed indicator "Live" and rotate 55R up for liftoff. LUFF!
That's the word I use to describe that moment when the wheels leave the ground and there is a "fluffy" feeling of settling onto a cushion of air. I have always LOVED that moment in any flight...but now I'm hooked on doing that myself - with the control wheel in my own hands.

A few minutes of climb to 5,500 and we steered SW to the practice area. I'm sure Jordan was just as unimpressed with my klutzy neophyte flight skills as my taxi skills, but he was gracious and helped with setting heading and making adjustments to trim, etc. I was giddy nonetheless.

The sky was blue, a bit hazy but with great (5m+) visibility. My "in the moment" awareness made everything outside BRIGHT blue and green. Loved the cars/ants below on the roads too. The mountains to the west and north were beautiful - and AVL chatter added to the experience. However, I was having a hard time NOT focusing on the instruments, and Jordan kept reminding me to keep my head up, hand on the throttle (building that muscle memory) and start to set the straingt-n-level, turn, climb, descent sight pictures baked into my visual memory. Great instruction!

I did a few turns, some climbing and descent work - trimming for smooth, easy flight. Planes really do "fly themselves" and once you set an attitude, they just hold it. Some light chop required a few corrections, but overall it's pretty simple (like ole Martha and John King said it would be!). Jordan reminded me not to "search" for the right speed/climb rate, etc. Just settle into it and let the plane fly the line. I'll work on that.

In what seemed like only 10 minutes (but was actually about 40) we had done almost everything in the first two labs, and I was getting comfortable with the limited workload that I was handling. We turned toward AVL and set up for approach. Jordan was handling the communications (thank goodness), and called the tower. They set us up in the pattern for a left field (W) approach. We watched a few planes on final, then turned right into our slot just as another student in a similar Cessna set down at the end of 16 over our right shoulder (which they say is ABEAM). ATC wanted us to "close follow" so we had to cut base a bit short and angle toward the big 16 on the runway.

A quick turn to final and Jordan crabbed us slightly into the light crosswind for a nicely greased landing. It is always good to be on the ground, but also a little disappointing when gravity again has you in its grip. After some additional wandering taxi work (courtesy of my confused feet), we were pulling up to park and tying down. Wow! My first 0.9 hours and it seemed like minutes.

I'm psyched to fly again next week, and going to work on:

• Radio calls
• Building muscle memory for taxi/takeoff
• Pre-thinking through procedures/checklists/setting (radio)
• Rudder work on the ground and in coordinated turns
• Setting/holding steady maneuvers.

To Do: Review radio sheet, and ensure that my online update for Lab #2 "shows up".

WNC Aviation pilots and staff are friendly, genuinely interested in how your flights go, and love to introduce other students to each other. I like hanging out in the office and meeting everyone. I think I'm in for some high quality lessons, and for some interesting new friendships!

Next: Flight #2 - Labs 3-4.

The Journey Begins -- 18 Aug 2008

Signed up for Flight School on 18 August 2008. Met the crew of instructors at WNC Aviation and am thrilled to be finally earning towards my "wings". This represents a life long dream of flying and will open an era of fun and enjoyment that I've been denying myself for decades. Ready to get airborn!

I'll know I've arrived when one night I take my kids and Carole up for a flight, break through the clouds and enjoy the beautiful moon, stars and silence of near-space in our own plane!