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.