Fall in Iowa

Fall is the perfect time of year for air to air pictures.  Here's a few airplanes I've shot recently.  

                                               Images belong to Classic Aviation, Inc.

The silence of the cockpit

"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious.  
Any why shouldn't it be... its the same the angels breathe."

Mark Twain

The last couple weeks have been a great time to be in the air.  The temperature has been perfect and the view of fall's arrival magnificent.  I've been in the air at least twice a week and some weeks three times.  I'm working on building my solo time and refining skills like stalls and crosswind landings.  I'm really starting to see progress, but it makes those not so good flights harder.  A week ago, I had a terrible time with controlling my airspeed and it just drove me crazy.  I tried several different things to get it under control, but couldn't get it exactly where I wanted it to be.  Those are the flights that make me question myself and my abilities, and then the next flight everything falls in to place again. My confidence is restored and back up to cloud nine I go. I have never experienced something so totally Maddening and Rewarding.  

I'm very grateful to be to the point that I can solo, but it's kind of a double edged sword for me.  I enjoy the freedom of flying alone (and greasing a good solo landing), but I don't really enjoy the quiet alone time.  I think it's kind of eerie!  I am a social creature and thrive on being around people.  I'm rarely ever alone these days, because I have a wonderful and talkative little shadow whose three.  He fills my days with stories and questions, and it makes the time in the airplane seem even lonelier.  Four or five landings at a time are about as many as I can handle before the silence begins to get to me.  This has been a source of slight frustration for Shane and my CFI.  They joke that they are going to block the taxiway so I can't come back to the ramp until I've completed enough take-offs/landings.  Cruel, I know!  

My aspirations and goals for flying play a part in my wanting to avoid the silence too.  My main reasons for learning to flying are for my family's safety, completing something I started, and to gain a better understanding of my husband's business.  I plan on using my license, once I obtain it, for flying with my family.  I just don't see myself taking the airplane for many solo trips, well maybe an occasional girls shopping trip.  I mean what girl doesn't want to fly to a shopping excursion.  I'm sure I'll power through and eventually get six plus landings in on a single flight.  I'll build my time for the sake of getting my license, but I don't know that I'll ever enjoy the silent cockpit like Shane and my CFI do.

Just what I needed!

 I was pretty bummed at the four solo landings I did tonight, but my spirits were lifted an hour or so later.  The sky gave me a pick me up.  AMAZING!

Careful what you wish for.........

"To a psychoanalyst, a woman pilot, particularly a married one with children, must prove an interesting as well as an inexhaustible subject. Torn between two loves, emotionally confused, the desire to fly an incurable disease eating out your life in the slow torture of frustration—she cannot be a simple, natural personality."

— Louise Thaden

To find out more about Louise Thaden check out http://www.nationalaviation.org/thaden-louise/

The last month has been a bit of a whirlwind for me.  Shane was at Phenom training in Dallas for seventeen days, the house was under construction, there were lots of photography jobs, filling in at Classic, and my most important job being a mommy.  Needless to say many things were dropped by the wayside.  I have been flying just not blogging. I did finally get my wish and on the 22nd of August I got to leave the pattern.  Yay, I was super pumped even if we were only flying to Knoxville.  I got to fly a whole fifteen miles, watch out next thing you know I'll be flying a Phenom to the west coast.  

My CFI and I headed out early around nine am even though it isn't my best time of day.  The flight over to Knoxville went fine, but things went south after that.  I easily located the airport, but once it was time to join the pattern I fell apart.  I actually had to go around the airport before I entered the pattern, and the whole time I was begging my CFI to demonstrate.  He gave me the tough love treatment and wouldn't demonstrate.  It was then that I told him maybe I should quit flying, and that I was just kidding myself thinking I could learn to fly.  He ignored my crazy ramblings, and made me keep flying the airplane.  I was emotional but able to keep the waterworks at bay.  After some coaching, I entered the pattern and finally landed at Knoxville.  We did a few more take offs and landings at Knoxville before heading back to Pella.  My landings at Knoxville were really pretty good despite my freak out/meltdown.  I may have greased one or two of them. On the way home, CFI had me crossover mid field and then enter the pattern. This was new to me but it went great.  I didn't have my best landing at Pella, but I wasn't really up for a do over.  It was a lesson full of learning for me, and despite my threats I'm not throwing in the towel.  I guess drama isn't just for teenage girls, lol!

The following week a trip to Oskaloosa was planned.  My CFI takes me to all the hotspots! Maintenance was being finished on 27G so I got to fly 3NK.  I was excited since the majority of my early training on was in NK.  It didn't take me long to realize that Shane and CFI were RIGHt, barf!  I hate not being right, but 3NK is a lot more challenging for me.  The biggest challenges for me were rudder control and visibility.  I did panic a wee bit when I realized it wasn't going to be as easy for me, but I got through it and flew the airplane.  The GPS and flying a heading got me to Oskaloosa.  I didn't have any problems entering the pattern this time thanks to some good coaching and less stress.  The runway at Oskaloosa is shorter than Pella which made it more challenging to land on.  We ended up doing four or five landings at Oskaloosa.  They weren't my best ever but I was very happy with them, especially considering the circumstances.  We headed back to Pella, and I left the lesson with the boost of confidence I needed.  I think knowing that Shane would be home the next day made it that much sweeter.

I'm still plugging away and getting very close to the cross country portion of my training.   I'm still researching cool small towns in Iowa to fly to and am up for suggestions.  The only stipulation being it has to be at least 50 miles from Pella.  I'd love to hear some input!!  My confidence and skills are growing with every lesson.  I still have lots of training to do, but it's been fun looking back at where I was and how far I've come.  It gives me the hope I need to pull off this crazy venture.  

2nd & 3rd Solo, headwind training, and my history with aviation

  "The pilot who teaches himself has a fool for a student." — Robert Livingston

My initial reaction to this quote was to giggle, but after some thought I realized how wise Mr. Livingston was.  I have been around aviation for over eleven years, gasp!  No matter how hard you dig your feet in the ground you still end up getting pulled in.  At first I was impressed with my pilot boyfriend, and then I was disgusted because the planes always took him away from me, and then I realized he was doing what he loved.  Most of the time I just kept my mouth shut and let him move forward.  I'd just ignore it as much as I could.  After a couple years of ignoring it, I realized if I ever wanted to see my husband I'd just have to embrace it.  I embraced it by bringing him lunch, helping with events, and making coffee time for the guys when I was off in the summer.  After awhile my desire to be more involved grew and so did the business's need for someone who knew how to use a camera.  It was a match made in heaven!

My involvement with my camera paid off.  I was able to bring some publicity to Classic, use my creativity, and make my husband proud.  Actually, one of the pictures from my first air to air photo shoot ended up as the cover of the 2009/10 Iowa airport guide and Iowa sectional.  I've since had winning photo entries in the Iowa Office of Aviation's annual photo contest, and even had some of my photos published in aviation magazines.  How do this relate to learning to fly?  I'm getting there.  Embracing and being immersed in aviation has given me a lot more knowledge than the average private pilot student.  I dare say enough knowledge to make me a bit dangerous.  The combination of my will, knowledge about aviation, and my teaching background have made me a difficult student at times.  I guess I didn't realize how difficult until recently when Shane enlightened me.   Shane and I had a fairly long conversation about this on our way to Oshkosh (Oshkosh happens to be the yearly mecca for pilots).  I realized after some reflection that Shane was right, and I haven't always been an easy pilot student.  It kills me to admit when Shane is right!   I'm making an effort to be a better student, and I figured the above quote was a perfect reminder. 

A bunch of things have changed since the last time I blogged about flying.  The weather has dropped about 20 degrees, life has been a bit crazy, and I've soloed two more times.  I've now soloed on both one six and three four which is good for the old self confidence.  However, I've been flying in the pattern at Pella for MONTHS!!  I'm talking since the end of February.  Yes, I know it's good practice and I'm thankful for it.  But I'm sick of bored with seeing and doing the same thing over and over.  I shouldn't say I'm doing the same thing every time, because the weather/wind add in variables that keep it challenging. The best way to explain it would be that you've been given the freedom to drive by yourself, but you can only drive around your block.  It's great because you have the freedom to drive yourself, but stinks because you're itching to go ANYWHERE but around the block.  I get how important take-offs and landings but this girl wants Needs a change of scenery.  Please, even a little trip to Knoxville or Oskaloosa will do, I'm begging!

My last lesson was a good experience but frustrating at the same time.  We dealt with a headwind the entire lesson which added some elements I wasn't used to.  It had been a very long time since I flew with a headwind.  The most frustrating part was coming in on final.  I'd pull out power too early and we get low.  As a result my landing would be flat which is far from ideal.  I went around and around, and was struggling even with good coaching.  I finally asked the CFI to model it which Shane said was a huge step for me.  He asked me many times when we were training together if I wanted him to show me a skill. Most of these times  I'd just want to work through it on my own.  By the end of the lesson, my landings had improved just not as much as I'd like to have seen.  I think learning to fly is kind of like being on a rollercoaster.  One minute you're on top of the world because you've greased a solo landing, and then next minute you feel totally incapable of flying alone due to a headwind.  And just when you start to question what in the world you're doing you get another solo flight that boosts your confidence.  I guess that's why I'm still a student pilot! :)

New photography venture- Aerial pictures of farms

A month or so ago, a realtor contacted Shane about taking some aerial pictures of farms that were going up for auction.  After planning, some studying, and lots of map prep we were ready to give it a go.  The  first time up we had some issues with the navigation aides, but we got most of the kinks worked out.    Yesterday, I spent two and a half hours in the air shooting farms.  It was more challenging than I thought it'd be, but was a good experience.  We now have a system, and are ready to take on more if the need arises.  Here are some pics from the shoot. 

             This picture was taken shortly after take-off.  The grass makes it look like it's fall not July.

Air to Air Photography of the Duchess

Shane's been wanting to get some air to air pictures of his Duchess, and we finally found some time on Friday to go up.  Shane flew the Duchess and one of his pilot's flew me in the Cessna 172.  Here are a few of the pictures that we got.  They may or may not be enhanced on photoshop. 

We saw some balloons too!