Memorial day Pancake breakfast at Sully

Shane and Sullivan take the Cessna 120 to Sully, IA.

Lesson 32 (5.25.12)- Flying outside the comfort zone

"Being comfortable isn't the way to learn to expand your abilities."

Thomas Perry

The weather was kind of yucky on Friday. At five Shane called and said there was a window in which to get some flying in. It was time to do some flying with one of his other instructors. I've been dreading flying with another instructor, but wanted to get it out of the way.  It would put me one more step closer to solo.  I was feeling pretty stressed as I drove out to the airport, and even contemplated turning around.  I didn't, but by the time I arrived at the airport I had created a pretty big mental block for myself.  It would prove to be pretty evident in my flying.  On top of psyching myself out there was quite a crosswind.  I didn't have a lot of experience with crosswinds, and the experiences I've had were with pretty mild crosswinds.  


I had a quick chat with Shane and learned he was going to be test flying an airplane while I was flying.  I think he did that on purpose, because I'm sure he was kind of nervous too.  I'm know how it is to watch months of your teaching/instructing being put to the test; even if you have total faith in your student's ability.  YIKES!  I felt for him!  I headed towards the airplane and the CFI (Certified Flight Instructor).  Shane jokingly introduced us, I see him frequently. Sullivan and I are at the airport a couple times a week for this and that. He's actually flown me for some of the aerial pictures I've taken.  Actually, some of my best pictures were when he was the PIC (Pilot in Command) of the airplane I was sticking my head out of.  Below are a couple pics from the aerial photography flight we did.

I know what you're thinking, and yes our work is pretty amazing. LOL
So I got a bit off topic, but I LOVE photography.  Where was I?  Oh yes, flying with another CFI.  I think my stress level would've been through the roof if I had to fly with a CFI I didn't know.

We got in the airplane, and realized we didn't have the key.  He ran back to the building and got it.  By the time he got back I had got my seatbelt on, and that was about it.  I remember telling him we could wait for Shane to take off, and he could go fly and pretend that I was with him.  For some reason he wasn't game for that.  I guess it's good my husband's employees don't want to lie to him, but I would've paid him to this time.  I relented and started going through the checklist.  Thank goodness there was a list in front of me, or I probably would've lost all focus.  I got through the checklist and we started to taxi towards the runway.  We had to wait on Shane to take-off before we could back taxi and do our run up.  It wasn't long and Shane was in the air, and we headed towards three four.  I got to the turn around and lost the brain power needed to turn the airplane around.  Not good!  I got through the run up, and then it was time to go.  I spaced off my departing radio call, but I got a friendly reminder from the CFI.  I made the call and we were ready to roll.

We started rolling down the runway and soon we were up in the air.  I had a decent take-off but could tell there was a crosswind.  We made our way around the pattern, and I think due to nerves my pattern work wasn't very precise. The crosswind was blowing us around a little bit as well. I started to make my towards final and came in super high.  My first attempt at landing ending up being a go around.  I had a feeling I'd have to do one, but wasn't looking forward to it.  Shane and I have only done a couple so it's not a skill I'm as comfortable with.  I had some good step by step instructing and I got through it.  It was kind of nice to get it out of the way right away.  We made our way back through the pattern.  My pattern work progressed as I started to relax a bit.  It was the landings that were a bit rough.  I had probably some of my worst landings ever, thank you crosswinds!  I didn't realize how much is physically required to correct for landing in crosswinds.  It is intense both mentally and physically.  I remember being ready to call it a night pretty early on.  Not my proudest moment but I do remember saying after a crap landing that I was ready to go home.  The CFI had other plans and pushed me to keep going.  At the time I wasn't real excited about continuing, but I'm glad he made me.

We back taxied and kept going.  I'm not exactly sure how many landings we did, but with each one I made a little progress.  Thanks to some good instructing I started to turn a corner on my crosswind landings, and my last one was pretty decent.  I'm actually kind of shocked I was able to pull off the last one, because there were three other airplanes in the pattern.  I typically don't perform well with lots of other traffic, but I think I was just too busy to think about it.  The weather was starting to roll in and that put an end to the lesson. I was ok with that but the CFI would've like to see me attempt a few more landings.  That was probably the most intense hour I've had in a long time.  I felt like a mouse on a wheel once my feet hit the ground.  The combination of nerves and adrenaline kept me wired for hours after I got home.  I think I probably could've run a marathon that night.

I learned a lot of things that night.  One I have developed an annoying habit of sighing in to the mic when I'm flying.  I think it's a little stress reliever for me but not cool when you're flying with people other than your husband. I now have a better grasp on correcting for crosswinds thanks to a very patient instructor.  I seriously don't know how flight instructors do it.  I don't think you could pay me enough to sit through crappy landing after crappy landing for the sake of learning.  Flying with another instructor was a good experience for me, and gaining some different insight was very valuable.  I won't be stressed the next time I fly with an instructor other than Shane.  Lastly, flying has been a maddening but rewarding experience.  I need to put more focus on my successes in the lessons rather than my failures.  If I don't I think it will bring me down and increase my chances of calling it quits.  That being said despite all the things that went wrong in the lesson I rocked my take-offs.  The take-offs have been a huge hurdle for me and I think at one point in the blog I called them my achilles' heel.  It wasn't my most comfortable lesson but it was full of learning, and that's whats going to push me forward.

My Love Affair with Flying

  

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better" 

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

I'm loving learning to fly, but for a different reason than you may think.  I've been told once you take-off for the first time as a student pilot you're hooked, but that really wasn't the case for me.  The first time I took off it was a rush but it wasn't an ah ha moment.  I've been flying with Shane for 11 1/2 years and it wasn't until this year that I had a desire to learn.  I was actually very content to be flown wherever I needed to go, and probably would still be that way if Sullivan hadn't come along.  My desire stemmed from wanting to be able to land Sullivan and I safely if something happened to Shane.  Shane and I's plan was to do a pinch hitter course but somewhere in the course of things the plan changed.  I can't speak for Shane but for me the draw has been getting to spend an hour of uninterrupted time together.  Those of you who have children know how hard carving out that time can be, and flying has been great for us and our relationship.  It has opened my eyes to how amazing my husband is, and how much of a team we really are.  I can honestly say that I think our relationship is stronger because we've done this, and the funny thing was I was totally skeptical about a positive outcome.  I'm so glad that I was wrong and Shane was right.  It's not very often I admit defeat, just ask Shane.

I'm getting closer and closer to solo with each lesson, and I'm very excited to cross it off my bucket list.   I'm a bit sad though because it will mean I have to fly without Shane at least twice.  Shane and I both agreed early on that the safe thing to do would be to have me fly with another instructor at some point. I know this is something I need to do, but I love flying with Shane.  He has created a perfect learning environment for me, and flying is fun and enjoyable.  I'm a little anxious about flying with another instructor, but that's pretty normal.  Shane says flying with another instructor kind of simulates the stress of flying solo.  I think I'm the most nervous because of the expectations the other instructor may have since I'm the boss's wife.  Shane is a very experienced pilot and flight instructor, and I pretty sure other instructors expect certain level of skills/finesse from his students.  I'm trying hard to not pysch myself out, so hopefully we can get it taken care of soon.  I can see many benefits to flying with another instructor.  As a teacher I've seen many great learning experiences as a result of co-teaching.  The tables are turned and being the student is a bit unnerving.  I guess it will make me a better teacher if I go back to the classroom someday.

I've heard so many negative experiences with a spouse being the flight instructor, and I can confidently say that it doesn't have to be that way.  The key for us has been having a back up plan, and staying on the same page.   We agreed early on if either one of us felt uncomfortable with how it was progressing that Shane would turn over the training to another instructor.  Shane has been an incredible instructor for me because he knows me so well.  He knows when he needs to push me and when to let things go, how to explain concepts in a way I can process, and has an amazing calming effect on me.  I also feel very comfortable asking him questions and communicating my frustrations, and in turn he's helped me work through my challenges. He has taught me in a way that has given me a whole new respect and admiration for him as a teacher.  I've learned so many things from him that I could take right back into my classroom if I was still teaching.  I look forward to seeing where this path takes us, because it's been  an amazing journey thus far.

Lesson 30- 5.16.12 Conquering One Six

"Fences are made for those who cannot fly."

- Elbert Hubbard

Shane and I couldn't resist flying tonight. The beautiful blue skies, perfect temperature, and the absence of wind seemed to set the tone for the evening.  I headed out to the airport about 6:30, and by the time I got out there Shane had the airplane preflighted.  We got into the 3NK and did a quick debrief on our days before I started on the checklist.  Soon enough we made our way towards the runway, and Shane told me the plan was to use one six.  Rats, I wasn't real excited about using one six.  Once we made sure the area was clear I made my radio call.  Yep, to Shane's delight, I've got the radio communication component done pat.  I still don't like making the calls but I'm doing it.  We headed down to my less preferred runway, turned in, and I finished the run up.  It amazes me how quickly I get through the run ups these days.  It use to take what seemed like an hour to get through the checklists, and now I could probably recite the checklists by heart.  Once I was finished with the run up we prepared to take-off.

I got myself all lined up and took a minute to mentally prep myself, and soon we were rolling down the runway.  My goal was to gently ease the airplane off the runway and as Shane says "Let it fly itself," and I did.  I kept myself from pulling to hard and avoided the jerky take-off.   This was a good boost for my confidence.  Once we were in the air, Shane and I talked through some of my frustrations with the pattern flying of one six.  He gave me some tips to try and they were very helpful.  The first time around we worked through some of my pattern issues, and I had a decent landing.  Things only got better from there, and by my third go around I was feeling pretty good.  I had an awesome third landing.  There aren't words to describe greasing a landing, and its probably one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I've ever had.   Being a creature of habit I normally quit on a good third landing, but with some coaxing from Shane I decided to go around again.  My last landing wasn't a greaser but it was ok.  This lesson also helped us to figure out that I do better when I come in high upon landing on one six.  Learning that was a game changer for me,  a lightbulb went on in my head and one six suddenly made more sense to me.

After some previous lessons were I fought one six, and ended up very frustrated, it was good to feel  success on it again.  I have a lot of things to look forward to in the near future as well as some apprehensions.  More on that very soon, but for now I'm going to enjoy my conquer of one six!

Third time is a charm- Week of May 6-12 (lessons 27, 28, & 29)

“The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” 
                                                                     --Douglas Adams

Last week Shane and I hit the flying pretty hard. We went up three times.  At this point in the game I think my biggest roadblock is myself.  I will have a great take-off, nail the pattern work, and have a great landing.  I'm on top of the world and then the next time around I'll make a small mistake that mentally blocks me for the rest of the lesson.  It is so frustrating and deeply maddening to me but what a rush when it goes flawlessly.  The rush is indescribable and it is what propels me to keep working towards solo.

The last three lessons have revealed quite a few things to me.  The first lesson learned is that safe and perfect don't have to be the same thing.  I've come to learn that not every landing in this stage of the game is going to be perfect, but a consistent safe ones can be a victory.  My desire for perfection in flying has clouded the view of my progress, no pun intended.  My goal is to try to enjoy the small victories even if a small imperfection is present.

The other thing I learned is that I favor flying and landing on three four as opposed to one six.  Flying the pattern around three four comes easier for me.  I think this maybe due to the fact that the landmarks and pattern work associated with three four are more memorable for me.  I also prefer landing on three four, but Shane says that is natural because three four is nice and flat.  One six drops seven feet over the first one thousand feet which is probably why I struggle with my landings on it.  I'll keep on working towards conquering one six, even though I've been telling Shane that I'm only going to fly when I can use three four.   I do plan to solo at some point but only if I can land on three four!  I should be able to stack my odds toward perfection right?  LOL!

Lesson 24, 25, and 26 - last weeks in April (Practice and Conquering the radio)

"The exhilaration of flying is too keen, the pleasure too great, for it to be neglected as a sport".

                                                      — Orville Wright

The poor blog has been neglected.  My plan all along was to blog on a lesson before we went up for another one.  The last few lessons have happened and I haven't been able to stay caught up with the blog.  So here's a recap on what's been happening.

The last three lessons we've mainly been working on pattern work as well as take-offs/landings.  My take-offs have come a long ways.  I can now navigate the airplane smoothly down the center line while gaining the speed needed to lift off.  Yay, for ditching the crazy veering from one side of the runway to the other like a wind-up toy (maybe it wasn't quite that bad).  I can now recite the steps of the pattern work in my sleep, and effectively fly the pattern for both one six and three four.  The pattern landmarks are now embedded in my brain.  I feel like I've been flying the same pattern so much that I should be having dreams about it, luckily I haven't.  My landings are progressing each lesson and I've even been able to grease a few on to the runway.

I was able to conquer one of my big roadblocks, radio communication, in lesson 25.   I had told Shane I'd make a call from the pattern in lesson 24, but that didn't exactly pan out.  I had Shane to push the mike button for me since I was busy flying, but freaked out when it was time to talk.   Shane saved the day, but I think he was a bit fed up.  I knew I'd have to talk eventually so I made up my mind to do it the next lesson.  Legally it isn't required to make any radio calls at Pella, but with other airplanes in the area it is the safe thing to do.  I can't explain why it was so hard for me to push the button and talk.  As Shane says "You love to talk!"  It creeped me out that people flying in the area or people at nearby airports could hear me and know exactly what I was doing.  Let's face it, that's slightly disturbing.   Shane being mildly annoyed and for safety's sake propelled me forward.  So on the 25th lesson, I bit the bullet and made 75% of the calls. In all the flying we'd done before this I had only made one radio call.  Another small victory was mine at least for the night.  Last night I made a call that we were clear of the runway, and I forgot what I was suppose to say.  All the people on the frequency heard a few words and then a bunch of giggling.  I  had to click off the mike and regain my composure, but I was able to finish the call.

I'm know those lessons were filled with a lot more, but mommy brain has damaged my memory.  I think I hit all the high points though, ha ha!  Hopefully, lesson 27 isn't too far away!