Getting to Work...

Pre-Maneuver Check - Fuel Pump, On; Landing Light, On; Recognition Light, On; Mixture, Rich.  Pre-Maneuver Check Complete

Sorry for the gap in posts, but training has really ramped up.  After my initial flight with Chris, we met with Nancy, and apparently, I was given top marks on my airmanship.  We agreed that I would shoot for the minimum amount of hours necessary to attain my Commercial Certificate.  This equated to 16 hours in the Cadet and 20 hours in the Arrow.  So, here we go!


Our next flight was an introduction to commercial maneuvers, as well as more of the local practice areas.  One thing I've noticed about Vero Beach, is the winds during the day are quite strong and gusty.  This makes landings interesting, and low-level maneuvers difficult (at best) to get as accurate as possible.  We started the lesson with Lazy-8s.  A lazy 8 requires a fine touch to complete correctly, as it involves near constant change in bank and pitch, though the whole maneuver.  Essentially, without changing the power setting, you begin a slow roll (left or right) and pull up at the same time.  By the time you reach 90 degrees from the beginning of the maneuver, the aircraft should be about 20 degrees, nose up, with 30 degrees of bank.  As the nose falls through the horizon, the bank angle gets taken out, and the airspeed rises.  At the end, the aircraft is 180° from the beginning heading, at the same altitude, at the same airspeed.


I nailed the very first one.


We moved on to Chandelles.  Roll 30 degrees, smooth pull-up 20-22 degrees and hold it.  As the airspeed falls, and the aircraft passes 90°, the bank angle is slowly taken out, but the pitch stays the same.  The second half of the maneuver is much slower than the first, due to the high pitch-angle and slow airspeed, but at the end, the aircraft should be about 500 feet higher than the starting altitude, 5-knots below stall, and 180° from the start heading.  These went well, as I had a good concept of how to perform the maneuver to begin with, but weren't perfect.


As we continued the Chandelles to gain altitude, we also made our way towards Valkaria Airport (X59).  At around 5,500 feet, Chris pulled the engine and asked me to perform a steep spiral maneuver into a power-off landing at the airfield.  To add that extra bit of challenge, Chris told me to make it a spot landing at the 1,000' markings on the runway.  All those glider flights and spot-landing contests with JJ came in handy, as I had a nice smooth touchdown within 50 feet of the mark.


We finished up with Eights on Pylons, a low-level, horizontal figure-of-eight with varying altitude.  I had the most difficult with this one, but after the third attempt, I started to get it.  The winds were around 12-15 knots and quite gusty, so my difficulty with the maneuver wasn't entirely my fault.  With a bit more practice, I feel I can get this one down too, no matter the conditions.


Our next flight was in the late evening, the next day.  Chris wanted me to go solo, but I wanted to get one final feel for the area, with him there, and a few more dual-looks at the maneuvers I had been practicing.  We took a look at the southern practice areas, and practiced some proceeders, followed by some more Chandelles.  We finished off the quick lesson with some touch-and-gos at Fort Pierce (KFPR) and headed back to Vero Beach.


Next post will be about my first solo flight, at night, and at an unfamiliar airport... Stay tuned!

First Flight

"Cherokee 9213D, cleared for takeoff, Runway 11R."

The words sent a jolt of adrenaline through my body as I pushed the power forward and taxied past the hold-short line and onto the runway.

"Pilot window, Closed; Fuel pump, On; Landing and Recognition Light, On; Door, Closed and Locked - Lineup Check Complete"

The studying came in handy as I went through the checklist by memory, as is required for many of the critical checklist items at FlightSafety.  No comments from the instructor meant I was doing well as I double checked my heading (making sure I was on the correct runway) and pushed the throttle to its forward stop.  I rotated at 55kts and took to the sky on my first flight at my new school.  The flight was a cross-country (over 50 miles, straight line) flight to Kissimmee (KISM) as an evaluation of my piloting skills.  I would be tested on my pre-planning, preflight, navigation, diversion, decision making, and stick-and-rudder skills over the next 2 1/2 hours, above the barren and hot interior of Florida.


Navigating to Kissimmee is fairly straight-forward in a plane like those I flew back in Frederick.  The one I was flying was a bit different.  In Frederick, the Cessna 172Rs had two navigation radios (NAV-COM), GPS, moving map display, and (in N26499) an ADF.  The Piper PA-28-160 Cherokee Cadet had a single NAV-COM.  And a compass.  And a DG - without a heading bug on it.  It doesn't get any simpler in general aviation these days.  In fact, I'm fairly certain you'd have to CUSTOM ORDER a plane that simple if you bought one today!  This sort of navigation really tested my pilotage skills, otherwise known as dead-reckoning.  Simply put, it was looking out the damn window and finding where you are on a map!


Further, I was required to know every performance calculation relating to the aircraft:  


Runway headwind component; 
Runway Cross-wind component; 
Pressure altitude; 
Density Altitude; 
Weight and Balance; 
Ramp weight; 
Takeoff weight; 
Landing weight; 
Takeoff roll distance (0° and 25° flaps); 
Takeoff distance over a 50' obstacle (0° and 25° flaps); 
Best angle of climb; 
Best rate of climb;
Landing distance over a 50' obstacle;
Time, distance, and fuel used to top-of-climb; 
Fuel consumption; 
Engine performance and setting at cruise; 
Top-of-descent point, including fuel used, and time of descent; 
PLUS, all of the standard cross-country calculations!


Holy hell...


And here's the kicker, I have to do the first 13 calculations, EVERY TIME I go flying!  Never before had preflight planning been SO thorough, but this is professional aviation.  Yes, in modern commercial aircraft there are computers calculating all of this for you automatically (with just a few inputs), but here, they want you to know every aspect of your craft, INSIDE AND OUT.  Its amazing, to be honest, and very humbling.


Long story short, my flight went amazingly.  He had only 2 or 3 items on my pre-flight planning to comment on and my landings were pretty good, especially considering it was my first time in the aircraft, and it was after working my brain on a challenging first cross-country (a LOT of thermal activity en-route made it difficult to hold heading/altitude).  On the way back, he simulated a diversion for me, to which I had to calculate my initial heading, distance, time en-route, and fuel consumption on the fly.  While I got the right answer, it took a little longer than I felt I am capable, and feel need to practice it more.  We did a touch-and-go at Sebastian Airport (my roommate was in a different aircraft doing them at the same time) and headed out over the ocean for some basic maneuvers.  We did slow-flight, power-on and -off stalls, and steep turns.  All of them went very well, with minimum coaching on the critical speeds and checklists.  Chris was especially happy that on my steep-turns, I only had about 10 feet of deviation in altitude!


After the flight, Chris had to leave to another lesson, but in the debrief, he told me my flying ability was more than acceptable for FlightSafety's standards, and he'd have no issue soloing me in their aircraft the next day.  We need another flight to practice emergency procedures, but I'm confident after a few more hours and landings in the Cadet, I'll be more than comfortable to go it alone.


Next step is a meeting with the Chief Flight Instructor, Nancy, on Monday to discuss what I have to meet the FAA requirements for my Commercial Pilot's Certificate.  I'll be back to post about that, following the meeting.


For now, a picture:

Like Taunting a Dog with a Ball

Man I am really itching to go flying!  The last few days have given me a taste of what life is going to be like in school, and I just want to get it started.  Lets rewind to Sunday and get a full taste of what's been happening.


My roommate, Mike, just recently got his CFI from FlightSafety and is working on his MEI and CFI-I.  He's doing this training at Ft Pierce (KFPR) in a Piper Seneca (as opposed to the Seminoles at FlightSafety) as its a bit cheaper.  Anyways, he invited me flying with him and his instructor for a lesson in the area, and itching to get a view from the air, I totally went along.  As we lifted off and climbed up over the Indian River, I couldn't help but noticing the beauty Florida has to offer, completely unnoticed from the ground.  The water of the river was clear enough to see the bottom from shore to shore, and tiny islands dot the interior of the river.  

In the Seneca over the ocean

The ocean was a completely different view altogether.  As we continued to climb, I was taken aback by the sight of the ocean.  The white shorelines contrasted against the beautiful turquoise waters and the Atlantic was spread out into oblivion as I looked east.  The sky above and around us was cloudless and there was barely a hint of turbulence as we leveled off.  From the backseat, I watched as Mike and his instructor (in the left seat to simulate a student) went through a ton of maneuvers and procedures - a great experience since I'll be tasked with the same things in a few weeks.  When we landed I was as invigorated as ever to get my training under way...


DAY 1 - Orientation

Pilot window - Closed and Locked, Fuel Pump - On, Recognition Lights - On, Landing Light - On, Transponder - XMIT, Door - Closed and Locked... Hold the Brakes, Full Power, Engine Instruments looking good - Hit it...

 Okay, so we're off and running.  Orientation started with filling out the obligatory forms and making the first payment onto my account.  Afterwards, they sent me off to take a drug test and get fitted for my uniforms, which I should be getting by the end of the week.  I reported back to the administrative building, where they walked me over to the Pilot Shop and bought my textbooks and required equipment, including a nice new Jeppesen Flight Bag, Manuals out the demon-hole, and a few VFR charts.  (Side Note - my roommate who had gone through the commercial program was able to give me his old books, allowing me to return a few and save some money)



I then met with the Chief Flight Instructor, Nancy Ritter.  Nancy has been very helpful thus far in my journey and I was very happy to talk with her again.  She gave me my flight instructor's contact information, and told me to take a few GEMINI flights by Thursday, when I'll be taking my first flight.  GEMINI flights are a free service allowed to FlightSafety students, which allows them to sit in the backseat of nearly any dual lesson (flight instructor and student) and observe.  I immediately called my instructor, Chris, and found out he had a lesson scheduled that afternoon.


The flight went well, considering it was a pre-Private student practicing landings the whole time.  Because of work being done to the primary runway at Vero, 11R, we initially used Rwy 4, and switched to 11L to favor the prevailing winds.  Unfortunately, because of the student's low time, not all the landings were what I would call "silky."  Still, he did a great job, and Chris coached him very well, giving me a good sense of confidence in his abilities to teach me.

My instructor Chris, after my first GEMINI flight

I ended the day with an hour of studying the Piper Cadet training manual on the beach, followed by a brief workout in the gym here at the condo complex.


DAY 2


Today was a little easier.  I went up on another GEMINI flight with a different instructor.  His student had his Private Pilots License, and was working on some commercial flight maneuvers in the various practice areas.  Since I know I'll be spending some time out there, I definitely didn't want to miss this one.  I got a better feel for operations at KVRB as well as how things work inside the cockpit.  We did Chandelles, lazy-8s, Steep turns, 8s-on-Pylons, and Power-off 180s, along with several touch-and-gos and some "hood" (instruments only) work.  I could follow what was going on pretty easily in and around the plane, and feel I can merge right into the swing of operations within a few flights.

The Indian River

The Atlantic Ocean and its gorgeous waters

On my second GEMINI flight

One thing I DID find out, was dispatch will allow me to go out to a plane and sit in it for practice, (again, free of charge) so I can go through the motions of the checklists, procedures.  That'll be tomorrow, in preparation for my first flight (at the controls) on Thursday.  My instructor asked me to plan a cross-country flight to Kissimmee (KISM) where we will do some maneuvers along the way, in order for him to get a good feel for where I am in my training. 


Stay tuned for reports of my first flight!!

The Apartment Hunter

NOTE:  I'll add pictures as soon as I can find the cable to plug my camera into my computer...


Well I'm happy to say the train got Dan and I here safely.  In fact, we arrived a whole hour early - a rarity in modern US train travel!  After de-training, Dan and I headed over to Sanford-Orlando International Airport to visit long time college friend, and a protege of mine, Jeff Russell.  Jeff attended and is now a flight instructor for AeroSim Aviation, formerly the Delta Connection Academy.  

Arrived in Sanford!

We eventually checked me into the on-campus housing FlightSafety offers its students.  FlightSafety offers 4 options for housing: the Bungalow, a single room studio; a 3-Bedroom Apartment; the 2815 Dormitory, a two-bed version of the Bungalow; and the Landing Strip, a single or two-bed apartment (depending on layout).  I was lucky enough to get a single-bed landing strip, but at $39 per night, it wasn't financially viable for me in the long run.  

My bedroom on campus - Fully furnished! (Dirty jeans on the bed not included)

My hunt for somewhere a little cheaper started on Craigslist.  Since the economic downturn in 2009, the housing market in Florida has collapsed pretty hard.  Rental prices range from $450/month for a studio apartment to $1200 for a 3-bedroom condominium, and typically, utilities are included.  One thing I quickly found were some of the "special conditions" many of these places have:

2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo with very private garden view of lush landscape. FIRST FLOOR, no stairs, reserved parking space & guest parking.
Very large living room - dining room combination with pass-through from the kitchen. All appliances and window treatments are included.
Water, Sewer and Trash as well as the Condo Maintenance fee is paid by the owner.
This condo is spacious and very attractively priced for an Unfurnished Annual Rental at $560/month.
The condo association does not allow pets. The owner does not allow smoking.

$560/month!!??!  Hell yeah! Find me a roommate and...

Age 55+ condo community...

Shit


After sifting through these age-restricted landmines, (the motto down here is "newly-wed, or nearly-dead") Craigslist turned up a few results, which I visited and looked nice.  My eventual crash-pad came to me in the form of a flyer on a bulletin board at FlightSafety.


I'm settled into a wonderful 3-bedroom apartment in a gated apartment community for only $400/month.  Save for my bedroom, the apartment is fully furnished and utilities are included.  The complex has a full gym, pool, game-room, tons of jogging paths, and is only a few miles from the airport.  To top it all off, I'm living with two FlightSafety students.  One just finished the CFI course and is working on his CFI-I and MEI ratings, the other about to enter his training for his instrument rating.  Having a student ahead of me and one behind will offer unique opportunities to not only learn from both of them, but also to help teach from some of my experiences.


So I have a futon mattress to sleep on for now until I finalize my furniture situation, but my computer is set up, and I have a pantry full of food.  The weather for the next 7 days is sunny and in the mid-to-upper 70s, so I guess I'll hang out at the beach for the majority of the day tomorrow, for Monday is when the real work begins...

Vero Ground, ready to taxi...

Cleared for Departure

Cleared for departure to the Vero Beach Airport.  Upon entering controlled airspace, radar vectors to Commercial Single/Multi-Engine Land, CFI, CFII, then as Filed.  Maintain 3000, expect One-Zero Thousand, 10 minutes after departure.  Contact Miami Center on 132.250.  Squawk 0720.

Yeah its cheesy, but its appropriate considering my departure today.  I sit here in my parent's house, in my somewhat empty room, filled with more emotion than one person should be allowed to have.  Excitement, anxiety, fear, happiness, nostalgia - I could go through a whole list of thoughts racing through my head right now.  But that time has come and gone.  Right now, I have the task ahead of me, for this is the beginning of my great adventure.  My career.  My life.


Let me give you a little background of who I am and why I am writing this blog.  For as long as I can remember, I've had an inexplicable obsession with aviation.  According to my parents, my first word was "airplane" and my first phrase "airplane go bye-bye."  Having been born on Maui (hence "Flyin Hawaiian), we would have to fly everywhere to visit friends and family.  If you've ever been on an airliner, there's always that ONE person who thought it would be a good idea to bring their 6-month old child with them, which ends up crying from startup to shutdown.  Not me.  On my first trip from Hawaii to the mainland, aboard a United DC-10, I was not only quiet as can be, but I sat up in the bassinet, and looked around, fascinated by my new airborne world.


Maybe that is what hooked me on aviation.  Or maybe it was my dad, taking me to the runway ends of Gaithersburg Airpark (KGAI), Gravely Point in Washington DC (KDCA), watching F-14s at the end of NAS Miramar (KNKX), helping John Davis - captain for American Airlines - do a walk-around on an MD-82 (pre 9/11 of course), or any of the dozens of airshows my parents took me to as a baby.  In fact, at the 1988 Air Expo at NAS Patuxent River (KNHK), during Dale Snodgrass' F-14 demo, I took my very first steps.  There have been many instances, which can point to my love of aviation, but I just think its in my blood.  Like most pilots, I know I was meant to be up there not down here.


Fast forward 12 years, and my parents made me a deal:  Make honor roll for the entire school year, and I get flying lessons.  Take a guess what I did?  I took my first flight lesson on June 26, 1999 with Greg French, in a TB09 Tampico N55372.  It was amazing.  Me, doing what I've known to be destined to do, and doing like a champ.  I could hold straight and level, make turns, even hold a heading.  I could even handle unusual situations such as a vacuum failure, as I pointed out the gyrating DG to Greg.  I didn't freak out, I didn't panic, I just pointed it out to him, and thought "don't tell mom."


Through my involvement in the Civil Air Patrol, I attended the 2000 Maryland Wing Glider Academy, where we immersed ourselves into aviation and were guaranteed TWO rides in a sailplane.  Dave Pixton took me up in a Grob 103 sailplane for 30 minutes, and I was HOOKED.  Not only was glider flying within my parent's budget, (I was only flying powered once a month) but it was so much fun.  In a glider, everything slows down, and you truly feel like you're flying.  All you hear is the air rushing by, the sailplane rattling as if it were speaking to you, and your heart beating in your ears.  Sailplanes challenge a pilot in every aspect of VFR aviation:  Formation flying on tow, energy management aloft, dead-reckoning navigation, spatial orientation, situational awareness, stick and rudder skills, and dead-stick landings.  I soloed on July 2, 2001, 18 days before my 15th birthday. It was one of the greatest feelings of my life.  As I released that tow cable, knowing I was up there, alone for the first time, I knew I was a PILOT.  I'm not afraid to admit I wept in joy.  To this day, thinking about that feeling gets me choked up.  Granted, my next thought was how silly it would be if I ran into something (like the ground) because I was all teary-eyed, so I got it together and focused on the task at hand.


A year and 18 days later, in front of many friends and family members, I soloed Cessna 172R N172WG on my 16th birthday.  The following year, I was a licensed glider pilot.  Unfortunately, my departure to Penn State (from which I graduated) put my Single Engine - Land rating on hold, but not indefinitely.  In the Fall of 2006, my mom introduced me to my friend and mentor, JJ Greenway, and by introduced me, I mean he came and picked me up from school in his Cessna 172 - N20336 - and told me to fly us home.  Talk about a meeting!  This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship, and a turning point for my aviation career.  JJ helped me through my SEL Private Pilots Certificate (August 8, 2007), high-performance, complex, and tailwheel endorsements, as well as much of my instrument flying, and introduction to professional-style aviation.  I've logged more hours with him than any other person, and owe a lot of my attention to detail and knowledge to his expertise.


So here we are now.  I passed my Instrument rating checkride on February 9, 2011, and am about to leave for Vero Beach.  My Mazda is packed to the gills (minus my laptop - obviously), and the Auto Train leaves Lorton, VA at around 3:30pm - myself and my best friend Dan on board.  But why am I going to Vero, you might ask.  Simple - I am enrolled in the Commercial Single/Multi-Engine Land, Certificated Flight Instructor, and CFI-Instrument courses at Flight Safety International's Flight Safety Academy.  This blog is going to be a venue to share my experiences with my friends, family, and the world.  I will be posting updates as often as my schedule allows, and hope to continue it beyond this chapter, and into my career.


I apologize for the wall of text, but if you've continued this far, allow me to share with you a passage, which has sustained me through my challenges, and desire to accomplish my dreams:

"A career in flying was like climbing one of those ancient Babylonian pyramids made up of a dizzy progression of steps and ledges, a ziggurat, a pyramid extraordinarily high and steep; and the idea was to prove at every foot of the way up that pyramid that you were the one of the elected and anointed ones who had "the right stuff" and could move higher and higher and even--ultimately, God willing, one day--that you might be able to join that special few at the very top, that elite... the very brotherhood of the Right Stuff itself."

-From: The Right Stuff, by Tom Wolfe