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.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
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:
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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!
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!
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