I had my first flight with the new instructor a few weeks ago. Even though it was a DA-40 and I've trained in a DA-20, it was like learning a whole new airplane. He has glass panels - a G1000 - which means everything is computerized. It has the same instruments, but in different places... and sometimes they are combined, so I feel a bit disoriented... and frustrated that after all the work I did, I have to go back to the beginning. :( Although, I am hoping that once I get used to where everything is that I'll climb up pretty quickly to where I was before.
I've dubbed the new instructor "Merlin". Since we met, he's treated me like Wart from "The Sword in the Stone" and we have that teacher/student relationship. He doesn't just teach, but takes me on experiences like Merlin did to Wart. Also, Wart had dreams about being a Squire and Merlin thought it was silly. My instructor was getting after us one meeting for being "air show groupies" - and you all know how I like a good air show. So we swap messages back and forth and I said "You say 'air show groupie' like it's a bad thing...". He said that too many people waste time looking up, wishing they were the military pilots in the air show and don't actually go out and do it. He went on to say that at some point, we all need to ask ourselves if this activity moves us forward towards our goals? He has a point... but I respectfully disagree- I think air shows definitely move me towards my goal and here's what I wrote back to him:
"Does attending air shows help me move forward in my goals? Absolutely. It's a fun break away from book studies, yet not straying from the aviation field. It's still a learning experience and a place to teach some of my non-aviation friends some of the stuff I've been learning. Also, it's a great place to connect to the aviation community by talking to other pilots. Not to mention, the adrenaline boost gets me a little bit more excited about aviation. While I'm there, I may gaze up longingly up at the F-18, wishing I was a fighter pilot and yes, you are right -that kind of wish is impractical and doesn't help me move forward in my goals. However, there are other aerobatic pilots in the show that started out much like the rest of us and some how or another got into aerobatics. From there, they built their own planes, learned them inside and out and demonstrate a sense of precise control in them that make me desire to be able to learn the same skills one day, all the while they are an absolute blast doing what they love and maybe, just maybe, helping others who are watching on the ground to fall in love with aviation much like they have. Now, *that's* a worthwhile and practical goal. The book work and practical flying skills are the most important part in learning to fly, but one thing is needed to obtain goals - visualization of the goal. So for a pilot, that means stopping every so often and looking up, as us Air Show Groupies tend to do. :)
"He called me after I sent it and said "Alright, alright, I'm convinced!". He said it was beautiful and wondered where I found a quote like that. Pffft, 'find' nothing - I wrote it, dude.
So that's another way he's like Merlin. Wart's so excited by life and other activities, which Merlin kind of frowns upon or doesn't totally understand. He doesn't discourage him from doing them, but still doesn't encourage them either. Also, he's a cranky old man. :)
I've got two flying buddies now too - Da Vinci and R2D2. Da Vinci was doodling (or "enhancing the paper creatively", as she puts it) during a meeting one night and Merlin said her drawings were "Da Vinci-esque". Then we had a Top Gun viewing party one night and gave each other call-signs from the movie. Da Vinci was Iceman, R2D2 was Goose and I was Maverick. So Goose is Maverick's RIO (Radar Intercept Officer), also called R2D2 because the RIO rides out back, like Luke's R2. Plus, she's geeky like me and would love that nickname. It's kinda cool to be turning the tables at CAP. Before, it was all guys - all older, pilot guys, so it was a little intimidating. Kinda feels like we're invading. MUHAHAHAHA
I've been flying with a lot of the CAP members, too, and that kind of helps break down the intimidation factor. I get to see each of them individually, plus I just like hanging out with pilots all day and asking them questions. haha
Last week, we went flying in the Cessna 172 (my second time flying in one!) up to a non-towered airport (my first one!). Merlin had to teach someone else when we got there, so the other guy who came with me and I, sat in the FBO to study. Now this FBO was a house, complete with rocking chairs on the front porch! Merlin said they sit out there with numbered cards and rate the landings. haha Plus, we could hear the radio communications inside and sometimes the guy in the FBO responded, sometimes not. We left there and went to yet another untowered airport to fly in the Maule, which is an airplane that tows the gliders! I'm totally excited about flying in a glider. Merlin says we will soon! Anyways, the Maule was interesting because it was only built out of Plexiglas, aluminum and fabric. It flew differently too (not that I was flying it... just along for the ride). Plus, it had glass doors and a sun roof, so it was like you were really out there!
On the way back, I got to play with the nav equipment and even flew from the right seat! It was my first time flying a Cessna 172.. and it was in the right seat. Think about it for a moment - it may not seem like a big deal, but how out of place would you feel if you tried driving a new car, AND from the right seat? Especially a fairly new driver. And you are about 3,000 ft in the air. Yeah, a little stressful... although a new experience and still fun.
I didn't do too badly actually... A Cessna handles differently than a Diamond, but it just takes figuring out those little details. Like how the rudder pedal requires more pressure, and the throttle is a knob that you pull out, rather than a stick you move back and forth. My instructor pulled an "engine-out" simulation on me, which I have to say is MUCH different than when it occurs while I'm flying in the back seat. haha He seems to like those "engine-out" maneuvers - he does them every time we're up in a plane, which is good I guess - just means that I'll be that much more prepared if/when it happens.
The previous day, I flew twice for scanner training and then 4 times on that Sunday, so I flew a total of 6 times last weekend! Most I had done before that was 2 flights in one weekend... and one flight in a day. So yeah... I think I pushed past my limits that weekend and was overly exhausted after all of it. One important thing about being a pilot is to know your limits, to know the plane's limits and to never, ever push past them.
So Merlin says we actually need to go places during our flights. He mentioned taking Da Vinci and I to the museum in Warner Robins - having one of us fly there and the other fly back. Now that will be awesome! That's what I wanted from my instructors before - not only flight lessons, but field trips and stuff. We're both totally excited by that!
Ooo, I nearly forgot to update about the last CAP meeting!! We had a safety briefing for about an hour and meetings are suppose to be 2 hours long. Merlin says he knows of someone who has a bunch of questions and opens the floor to me. "Fire away". OMG... really? He enjoys putting me on the spot... *grumble*... Which is good, I guess, but I really hate asking questions in front of all of them because of the intimidation factor, plus they are all pilots and know more than I do. I don't want to look stupid in front of all of them. Although, I am getting better at it... and getting to know them one-on-one helps, like I said before. So during the meeting, they kept mentioning something called an HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator). I didn't ask at the time because I didn't want to interrupt them, but figured this was a good time to ask. He says it's a good question and proceeds to explain it. It's an instrument on the panel, replacing the heading indicator, but it does that and so much more. So he draws the instruments on the board and asks me what all of them are. I fire off their names in rapid succession. He looks shocked... and then tries to get me with acronyms - HI (heading indicator) and DG (directional gyro). I get those too. "Whoa - where did this come from?" he asks. Then one of the guys in the back of the room says, "Sit down, let her teach it!" (squee) and he laughs and says "Yeah, really". I was totally stoked by that (even though I know they were humoring me a little). hehe I went home and finished one FEMA test, which got me even more pumped up. Finished the second one yesterday...and won a game of laser tag after, which has me even more pumped up. I want to accomplish as much as I can and keep moving up.
Next Tuesday will be one year since I took my first flight lesson. It's bittersweet, as it's a milestone, yet I still only have 16 hrs of flight time, no license and no solo. It'll be okay - I'll make it, I know I will.
The previous day, I flew twice for scanner training and then 4 times on that Sunday, so I flew a total of 6 times last weekend! Most I had done before that was 2 flights in one weekend... and one flight in a day. So yeah... I think I pushed past my limits that weekend and was overly exhausted after all of it. One important thing about being a pilot is to know your limits, to know the plane's limits and to never, ever push past them.
So Merlin says we actually need to go places during our flights. He mentioned taking Da Vinci and I to the museum in Warner Robins - having one of us fly there and the other fly back. Now that will be awesome! That's what I wanted from my instructors before - not only flight lessons, but field trips and stuff. We're both totally excited by that!
Ooo, I nearly forgot to update about the last CAP meeting!! We had a safety briefing for about an hour and meetings are suppose to be 2 hours long. Merlin says he knows of someone who has a bunch of questions and opens the floor to me. "Fire away". OMG... really? He enjoys putting me on the spot... *grumble*... Which is good, I guess, but I really hate asking questions in front of all of them because of the intimidation factor, plus they are all pilots and know more than I do. I don't want to look stupid in front of all of them. Although, I am getting better at it... and getting to know them one-on-one helps, like I said before. So during the meeting, they kept mentioning something called an HSI (Horizontal Situation Indicator). I didn't ask at the time because I didn't want to interrupt them, but figured this was a good time to ask. He says it's a good question and proceeds to explain it. It's an instrument on the panel, replacing the heading indicator, but it does that and so much more. So he draws the instruments on the board and asks me what all of them are. I fire off their names in rapid succession. He looks shocked... and then tries to get me with acronyms - HI (heading indicator) and DG (directional gyro). I get those too. "Whoa - where did this come from?" he asks. Then one of the guys in the back of the room says, "Sit down, let her teach it!" (squee) and he laughs and says "Yeah, really". I was totally stoked by that (even though I know they were humoring me a little). hehe I went home and finished one FEMA test, which got me even more pumped up. Finished the second one yesterday...and won a game of laser tag after, which has me even more pumped up. I want to accomplish as much as I can and keep moving up.
Next Tuesday will be one year since I took my first flight lesson. It's bittersweet, as it's a milestone, yet I still only have 16 hrs of flight time, no license and no solo. It'll be okay - I'll make it, I know I will.
"Nothing is difficult; everything's a challenge!
Through adversity to the stars,
To the last plane, to the last bullet,
to the last minute, to the last man-
We fight! We fight! WE FIGHT!"
(battle cry from "Red Tails"... and my studying battle cry haha)
Through adversity to the stars,
To the last plane, to the last bullet,
to the last minute, to the last man-
We fight! We fight! WE FIGHT!"
(battle cry from "Red Tails"... and my studying battle cry haha)
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