Aviation Education/Training | Aviation Guy

Lessons Learned: Surviving a Murder Board

The problem with having essentially a two-week break from work as a flyer is that you really don’t get to fly either. I was fortunate enough to get out with my friend in his Piper Cub on Christmas, which was amazing, but mostly just time around the house, and some homework otherwise.

I did have something to look forward to coming back to work this week, but it was a bit of a bitter-sweet thing. The exciting part of this week is that I get to be part of an 8-ship formation soon. In years past this would have been a relatively common occurrence, but these days almost all of our flights are only 2-ships, so to get out on an 8-ship is really exciting.

The downside is that I am one of the two main planners so there is a lot of work that goes into it. We got a great start two weeks ago and had a bunch of stuff prepared only to find out that the powers that be didn’t like our plan, so we changed it to a more vanilla plan. However, there really is no such thing as a vanilla plan when you are flying with four times as many planes as you usually do.

No worries though as I got a good base of a plan last week with a whole week to put it all together, or so I thought. I spent most of the last day or so putting the plan together and starting to prepare products and a brief to explain what we were doing. Then this afternoon we invited a handful of very experienced pilots and navigators that will be flying with us to take part in what we call a “murder board”. The point of a murder board is to get other people who may not have been involved in the planning process to look at your plan and find anything that may be wrong or just things that need to be reconsidered.

The name and the description make it sound like an incredibly painful process, and it can be if you are stubborn or prideful, but in reality it is an awesome chance to get an outside perspective. Especially for someone as inexperienced as me, it is an opportunity to learn from the people who have been there and done that. Though it can lead to massive amounts of work, or in other words what I will be doing until we actually fly.

Please don’t mistake this for a complaint, as I do genuinely appreciate the feedback. It is something that can be valuable in many different arenas, and even in civilian flying. While the vast majority of civilian flying is likely not as complex as an 8-ship military formation, part of the fun of any flying is trying new things. But, trying new things can also be a challenge if the plan is not thought through well enough.

Most of these poor plans can be traced back to a few common phrases, “Watch this!”, “I bet you can’t do…”, and the most dangerous “Hold my beer.” There is nothing wrong with trying new things and challenging yourself, but it should be done in the right way. If you want to get into aerobatics, take a class. If you want to fly across the country, plan it out thoroughly like Bill Harrelson’s trip around the world. If you want to land on small landing strips practice where you have extra room, and then when you are ready go for it.

One of the best things you can do is to get feedback from others with more experience. Anything from building a plane to getting a new rating can be done better with help from those who are more experienced than you. They can help you see things you never considered, and provide insight when you come across a problem where you see no answer.

One of the great things about military flying is that you can’t just rest on your laurels because they expect you to learn new things and progress through higher ratings and certifications. It can be challenging at times, but as I said, it is important to find new challenges in all aspects of your flying.

So the real lesson to be learned here is to be open to feedback from other people. If they are just being a jerk then nod and smile and then move on. However, the vast majority of my experiences have been that they are just trying to help you get better. That is one of the awesome things about people in aviation, for the most part they just want to help. So don’t be afraid to not only accept feedback, but actively pursue it, because that is the only way to reach your full potential as a flyer.

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January 6, 2015 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Tags:Challenging Yourself Flight Planning Lessons Learned Military Murder Board

Lessons Learned: Flying for Others Can be Better than Flying for Yourself

Flying is an interesting hobby as it is generally one that is limited in how many people you can include, but at the same time is an incredibly tight-knit, and large, community.

Unless you have the means to own a private jet or even a large twin, you are really limited to only about 2-3 other people coming along in your plane, if that. However, fly-ins can bring together dozens, or even hundreds, of people who are passionate about flying. Look at events like AirVenture in OshKosh where tens of thousands gather every year and it is clear that aviation is really a giant family.

Given the time of year, there have been a number of great articles talking about organizations that utilize planes to do good for others. Ron Rapp wrote a great piece about avgeeks who are “the best” because of the charitable work that they perform using their aircraft. Cap’n Aux also gave us a great look at individuals who opened their hearts to support others who may have personal struggles through the wonder that is aviation.

Both of these stories are great examples of the huge hearts that aviators have, and their amazing willingness to help other people. It made me wish that I was in a better position to help in the ways that these great men have. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that I have done at least a little good.

Just last weekend I spent about 15 hours flying during which I got essentially no training, but facilitated the training of 18 aeromedical personnel. I have performed three such trips in the last year including one which included returning 7 wounded military members to their home states.

This week I am at Ft. Benning, GA supporting the Basic Airborne Course (look for more on this next week) which will provide the training for about 400 soldiers to get their jump wings. This is the third time I have done that this year.

I don’t say all of this to toot my own horn, but to point out that we often overlook the good that we are doing because we consider it to be insignificant. All I did last weekend was get the plane where we needed to go, but that allowed for training that could not have been received on the ground.

I was also the beneficiary of a generous pilot this weekend when my friend took me up in his Piper Cub for a little fun VFR flying. It proved to be a short trip because of high winds, but it was some of the most fun flying I have ever done, and it further deepened my commitment to getting my PPL during the first of next year so that I can help others to enjoy the liberating feeling of small aircraft VFR flying.

It was a small thing to my friend, but it was a big deal to me. Each of us avgeeks has the ability to do these great things, and I am sure most of us do them without even realizing it.

Much has been written about aviators asking others to go with them and have some fun flying, but I would like to turn the tables just a little. I would strongly encourage anyone that is longing to get up and fly to ask any pilot you know to take you up the next time they go. If you don’t know a pilot then head down to your local FBO and hang around for a little while. You will inevitably make a few new friends and get that ride you have been longing for.

As I mentioned before, we aviators are really just one big family that is anxious to help our fellow aviators in any way we can. Most pilots would love a little company when they go flying if you will only ask. Don’t be afraid to ask because as most flyers will tell you, the stories are so much more fun when they are stories that you have shared with someone else.

Lessons Learned: What to Do When You Can’t Fly

I’ve been going through withdrawals recently, two kinds of withdrawals actually. The first one is writing because I just haven’t felt like I had anything special to share mostly because of the second one: I haven’t been able to fly.

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but being aircrew in the Air Force does not mean that you get to fly all of the time. In fact, we do a whole lot more other stuff than we do flying, but that might be something for another day.

So what does one who is obsessed with planes and flying do when they can’t fly?

Read about it naturally.

It is a lot of fun reading all of the various blogs and news sources out there, most of which I have stumbled across on Twitter, and they do provide incredibly value assets to someone like me who soaks in anything they can find related to planes. I have learned, in my relatively short years, that there is as much information out there to be taken in as you are willing to search for. The awesome thing about the aviation industry is that it is full of people who will talk your ear off about anything you want to know.

For an avgeek, that is a lot of fun, but for someone whose career is in aviation, it can make all the difference in the world. It really makes no difference if you are a flyer or if you work on the ground supporting flight operations, we all stand to gain so much by taking the chance to learn from anyone who is willing to share.

As I mentioned, I haven’t been able to fly for a little while because I keep getting sick every time I am supposed to fly. As much as that sucks, I did have an instructor who has forced me to take advantage of this time and not waste it.

He gave me a couple of exercises that forced me to get into the regulations and expand my knowledge. Admittedly, I was a little annoyed at first because I was in the middle of other things, but once I got past the initial reaction and started digging into the books it reminded me why I love my job, and how cool it can actually be. There is just something about feeling like you have expanded your own knowledge base that is incredibly rewarding.

While studying the FARs may not be as exciting as studying military tactics, there is still plenty that can be learned that is very exciting, and may just save your life. The best example is Capt Sullenberger who landed his plane on the Hudson. He had spent countless hours studying and learning for a situation just like that. There is a quote from an interview that he did with Katie Couric that really sums this all up perfectly:

“One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.” -Capt Sullenberger

I apologize that I couldn’t find a solid reference for that quote, but whether he said it or not, the message remains true. We work in an industry where serious accidents are a very real possibility every single day. The only way to be prepared for those accidents is to put in the time and effort now, at ground speed zero. There is no way to know everything all at once, but a solid foundation of safety can be developed over time if we only put forth the effort.

So as much as it sucks to be grounded for long periods of time, that doesn’t mean that we can’t take advantage of that time to become better aviators or improve our abilities on the ground. There is an unending fountain of knowledge that we all can partake in, if only we put forth the effort to take it in.

Lessons Learned: When to Ground Yourself

Flying is an inherently dangerous venture. While still significantly safer than driving, by the numbers, there is a much higher risk involved with flying because of the unforgiving nature of problems that occur at altitude, or even on the ground where other aircraft are operating. In fact, the largest accident in aviation history occurred on the ground.

Because of the dangerous nature of flying, in the Air Force we have a process to determine how much risk we are taking on for each mission. We assign numbers to the various aspects of the mission such as flying at night, flying an unfamiliar route, or having inexperienced crew members. It can be somewhat difficult to assign numbers to some things, but it helps paint a better picture of the level of risk that is being taken on for each flight.

Part of the process for determining the overall risk level for the mission is determining the risk level for each individual crew member. This individual score is based upon two factors, our own personal health to include things like fatigue and sickness, and personal factors like family problems or work stress that may impact our ability to perform at the highest level.

Surprise surprise that a government organization has an in depth process to allow people to fly long before the actual flight even takes place. I have no idea what airlines do but I would venture to guess it is based largely on legal compliance which makes sense because their flights are essentially the same every time. When it comes to individual people flying smaller planes I think most people walk out to the plane and do some level of pre-flight, with a level of detail unique to each individual, and get in the plane and fly.

Which finally brings me to my lesson from this last flight. As I mentioned before, I am in the middle of lead upgrade which means I get to do all of the planning for our mission. I spent half of the day before this flight coming up with a plan to meet training objectives and ensure we were as effective as possible. I even went to sleep a little earlier than usual to try and be rested.

Unfortunately, my body decided it didn’t want to sleep for half the night but would rather spend that time in the bathroom. I will spare you the details, but suffice it to say I wasn’t enjoying a nice soak in the tub. I finally just got up and went to work to finish preparing for the flight. As I was driving to work I noticed that I was not as sharp as usual which was really no surprise considering I only got about 4 hours of sleep.

All of us will have this happen at some point in our flying career. We will be tired, or sick, or even stressed to the point that our performance will suffer, and we will put ourselves, and everyone else flying around us, at risk. It can be really hard to know where your limits are. Especially when you have a crew that is counting on you, or passengers trying to get somewhere, no one wants to be the reason that a flight doesn’t go.

As I was making my last preparations, before everyone else showed up, it became apparent to me that I was not in a position to be flying so I made the decision to ground myself and hoped that we could come up with a solution to allow others to still fly. Coincidentally, someone on the other crew was also not able to fly so we had to rearrange crews anyways and only one plane flew that day. Not the ideal situation, but the safe one.

The point I am trying to make with this long explanation is that each of us needs to know what our limits our. We need to recognize when we are tired, or sick, or even just distracted, and we need to ground ourselves. This may disappoint our friends or cause scheduling issues at work, but that is way better than having an accident because we weren’t in the right mindset to handle it.

You don’t have to create a formal sheet like we have in the Air Force, but it may not be a bad idea for that to be the first step in your checklist:

1. Am I in the right mindset/physically able to fly today?

Making sound decisions is a huge aspect of being an aviator, and that begins long before you ever start the plane up to fly.

Lessons Learned: Garbage In, Garbage Out

Isn’t it funny how you can talk about a certain principle or idea and then shortly thereafter you get bitten by that very same principle?

There has been much discussion of late about automation in flying and how it may be creating pilots that are less capable with their actual “stick and rudder” skills. Tools like autopilot have done wonders to reduce the workload on pilots, and in some ways have made certain missions possible when it comes to duty days and other similar restrictions. These systems can be great assets to those who use them, but they have their limitations.

In most cases these systems require input from a person at some point in the process. This may be in the form of inputting waypoints, changing elevations, or various other data needed to accomplish the mission. In some cases there are even inputs from the plane itself that can affect mission performance, which is what happened to me this week.

On this particular sortie I noticed that we had been having issues with the GPS. In short, it was randomly going in and out throughout the duration of our flight. It’s really not the end of the world, because that is why I am there as the navigator. It’s also called a visual low level for a reason. The route itself provided nothing unusual, but as I am sure you will come to realize as I continue to write these posts, the airdrop is where this became a little more of an issue.

Me at the only desk I enjoy working behind,

Before I explain what happened I must first admit that it never should have been an issue, but I was being a little complacent that day and that is what led to a poor drop score on my part. Other members of the crew could have “saved” me, but I was the one that didn’t perform and thus have to settle for the crappy score I got.

As we were going in the for the run-in the GPS was completely gone so the computer was utilizing our INS to determine where it thought we were. I will spare you the boring description of how all of that works, and honestly I don’t even understand all of it as I am no engineer. Short version is that an INS drifts over time. There are a lot of variables involved as well as the occasional gremlin that randomly makes it drift a lot farther than normal. I had also noticed that the winds had come from literally every direction during the flight which could just be swirly winds, or a problem with the computer in the plane that generates those numbers.

As we came across the dropzone the pilot was flying right down the black line, according to the computer. Apparently he was being as complacent as I was because we both followed that black line down the opposite side of the dropzone that we had briefed and that the numbers had supported. The drop went out right on time (about the only thing I did right when it came to the drops) and we awaited our score. The dropzone called back that they were measuring which is rarely a good sign since a good drop is close to the middle and is quickly measured.

Sure enough my drop was 250 yards off.

Once we were back at ground speed zero and I was replaying the drop in my mind the whole thing made complete sense. I had briefed that we would drop on the left side of the dropzone but the plane tracked across the right side which was easily seen by the desired point of impact being visible out the left window of the cockpit.

Once again there are two lessons to be learned from this. The first is to not be complacent and rely on a computer to do your job. They can provide valuable insights and guidance but it is your responsibility to ensure that you are utilizing them as a backup and support rather than a crutch to be lazy on.

The reason this is important is the second lesson: garbage in results in garbage out. A computer is only as good as the data that is input. Whether that data is input by a human, or derived from its own sensors, if the data is inaccurate, you will get inaccurate results. In my case it was an INS that thought we were a half a mile away from where we actually were, but it could be entering a wrong frequency for a navaid or incorrect latitude and longitude.

Regardless of where the bad data comes from there is really no replacement for the good old Mk1 eyeball and the brain behind it to ensure that you are taking your aircraft where it needs to be.

Automation and technology are valuable resources and we would be stupid not to utilize them, but we must ensure that we never forget how to use our brains and other resources to ensure that we fly as precisely and safely as possible. In this case my complacency got me a bad drop score, but there are countless examples of complacency being a killer.

Where have you seen technology be a crutch that actually did more harm than good?

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October 26, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation Education/Training Aviation Technology

Tags:Complacency in Flying Flying Automation GPS Visual Navigation

Lessons Learned: Establish a Pattern of Success

In continuing with debriefing myself and always trying to improve I had a bit of a different flight last week. This flight wasn’t different because the mission was any different, it really doesn’t change much when it comes to local flying. But it was different in other ways, and that is what I want to talk about.

It started within minutes of walking in the door to the squadron. The sign-in process had changed unbeknownst to me so it took me a minute to find the paperwork and get signed in. Then I started to update my iPad before i realized that there was no update.

I won’t bore you with the continued details, but suffice it to say that almost nothing went the way it normally does.

No mission ever goes exactly as planned so you must have good habit patterns.

One thing I pride myself on is always following the same pattern and the same system when it comes to flying. So when there is something that breaks that pattern, it just adds a little stress to the situation. But that is why we use checklists to make sure everything gets done.

At times the checklists themselves are almost overwhelming. There are checklists for every single phase of the flight from mission planning to debrief. They are designed to ensure that every aspect of the flight is taken care of, and to make sure that even the smallest aspect of the flight doesn’t get overlooked.

After awhile you get into that rhythm that I talked about before and it becomes easier to get through a flight. You feel like the whole thing slows down and you have more time to get the things done that you need to. The crazy thing is you don’t have more time it is just that your ability to make it happen has improved.

Especially as a young aviator it is important to get into those GOOD habit patterns to make the whole process easier for you. I emphasize good because you will form habit patterns no matter what, but if you aren’t careful there will be bad habits mixed in with the good. Sometimes I get a little too comfortable with my abilities because I get into that groove and things just line up. Then all it takes is a night like my flight last week and I get humbled back to reality.

There was nothing terrible that happened on the flight but I walked away feeling a little less confident and even more sure that these articles are going to help me a lot in my flying. One of the reasons that I wanted to write this tonight is that I am starting my next upgrade tomorrow and I am going to need all of the help and confidence I can get.

I am starting lead upgrade training tomorrow which means that I become responsible for our entire formation. I have to do all of the planning and make sure that we are accomplishing the objectives that need to be achieved on each flight. It is by no means an impossible task, but it will become even more important to rely on the good habit patterns that I have formed, and build on those to effectively accomplish my training and to move on through my next upgrade.

So the lesson learned this week is how vital it is to build those good habit patterns early so that you can rely on them when the plan changes and you are forced to adapt to the situation. Knowing your limits is an important aspect of being a good aviator, but working to expand those abilities is equally important to becoming a true aviator.

Precision Makes All the Difference in the World When Flying

The C-130H generally flies with a crew of two pilots, a navigator, engineer, and two loadmasters.

I have been actively flying in the Air Force for only a little over three years which makes me pretty much a baby in so many ways. For that reason I have decided I need to start analyzing the things that happen on my flights and ensure that I am taking advantage of every opportunity I have to learn.

The reason I am writing these lessons here is that I am hoping to get feedback from others on lessons they may have learned in similar situations or maybe even totally different ones. I have always thought that part of being an aviator is sharing thoughts and ideas to make us all better. Conveniently, I had a good learning experience just last night to share.

So as the navigator on the C-130 it is my responsibility to ensure that the pilots take us to the right spot for us to kick a load out the back and fall where I want it on a drop zone. In the real world this could be anything from heavy vehicles, people, ammunition, water, food, to pretty much anything that a warrior on the ground could need.

As you might imagine, it is critical that the load falls where it is needed so that it can be quickly retrieved and minimize the amount of time that the people on the ground are in danger. While there are certain aspects of the process that are somewhat scientific, a lot of it is based on the experience and expertise of the navigator directing the plane where it needs to be at the right time.

With all of that being said, the C-130 is a crew aircraft and it takes all of us working together to get that load where it needs to be.

On a crew of 6 we had two females. We need more of that.

So last night we executed a quality route to an airdrop which led to me calling for the drop at just the right time at which point the co-pilot is supposed to flip two switches, releasing the load so that it lands right on the desired point of impact in the center of the drop zone.

What actually happened was that the co-pilot flipped one switch and the load didn’t immediately go out. As I said before though, I am on a crew aircraft, and the loadmaster did her job and released the load, albeit about 1.5 seconds later. That may not seem like much, but when we received our score it was 150 yards past the point of impact.

That means that in a real-world situation the people on the ground would have had to travel about a football field and a half to get their supplies while possibly under fire from the enemy. I think it’s pretty obvious to see why that is not ideal.

As with any time that I don’t get the score I am looking for (perfection) I began to analyze what had happened to correct it for the next drop. Did the winds change? Was the plane not in position? Did I make the call late? It could be any number of reasons, but in the end I am trying to learn and I really couldn’t come up with anything other than maybe I just called it a couple of seconds late. So that was the adjustment I decided to make.

Unfortunately, neither the co-pilot nor the load master had told me what had happened so when the next drop came around I ended up dropping almost the same distance from the point of impact, but short instead of long. It wasn’t until we landed an hour later that I found out what had happened, and it all came together in my mind.

Part of flying is enjoying the scenery, which you can’t do if you aren’t being precise.

So there are really two lessons that came from this experience, one of which I didn’t even think of until I started writing so I guess this whole idea is working for me. The first lesson is something I have already written about in the past, crew resource management (CRM). We talk about CRM before every single flight and this just reinforced to me how essential it is at all times.

The second lesson is how important it is to be precise at all times when flying. In this situation it could mean a really long run for needed supplies. During takeoff it could mean hitting a fence or tree because you didn’t climb fast enough. On landing, it could mean you don’t quite make it to the runway which could have terrible results.

The point is not to scare anyone, but to re-emphasize how important it is to be precise in everything that you do as a flyer. Don’t accept short cuts or a lack of precision from the people you fly with. Set standards for yourself and when you don’t meet them analyze how you could have done better. Ask for feedback from other people you fly with and apply it.

Being a true aviator means you never stop learning, and always work at improving yourself.

Boeing Working to Inspire Children in South Africa

I’ll be the first to admit that I am a Boeing guy. It’s not that Airbus makes a bad plane, I am just your stereotypical prideful American that wants all of the best stuff to come from the states. So sue me. (please don’t, I can’t afford it)

I have written in the past about some of the cool things that Airbus is doing to educate and inspire young people to pursue aviation like the Fly Your Ideas Challenge and the Airbus Lycée. I’m happy to see that Boeing is following suit with their newest joint venture with South African Airways.

One of the things that I spend a lot of time thinking about these days is how to get young people, including my own kids, excited about aviation. Kids like my son are easy because they just love airplanes, but there are so many that never even see a life in aviation as a possibility because they don’t realize all of the opportunities that exist.

That is why this venture is so cool.

Boeing and South African Airways have taken a normal shipping container and turned it into a mock up NextGen 737 including a flight deck, passenger cabin, and even a demonstration engine. This is the kind of hands on experience that kids need to really spark their interest in aviation and inspire them to pursue a career.

What makes this shipping container aircraft even more valuable is that it is accompanied by actual people who have careers in aviation that can show the kids that anything is possible. They can be role models for these young South Africans and give them hope that they can actually pursue their dreams no matter how lofty they may be.

As a kid I always loved airplanes and would stop playing to look up as they flew over my house. That really hasn’t changed since I grew up, and I hope to find a way to do my part with inspiring young people who have the same dreams that I did, but just don’t know how to make it a reality.

I’m glad to see that Boeing and South African Airways are doing their part as well.

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October 1, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation Education/Training Boeing

Tags:Aviation Demonstrations Aviation Experiences Boeing Children in Aviation Inspiring Children South African Airways

The Many Faces of a Flying Career

Weather can affect your flying in unexpected ways so learn how to deal with it.

I think most of us grow up dreaming about flying fighter jets or jumbo jets high in the sky, or fast through the mountains. That is exactly the way it works out for some people, and for other people it works out for them flying smaller planes in remote destinations that they love more than they ever expected.

I know my aviation career hasn’t followed the path that I thought it would, and I’m okay with that. In fact, it wasn’t until about a year ago that I realized how much I actually loved aviation.

I’ve worked in aviation for about 7 years now in a number of different roles, and there has been good and bad in all of them. Working at an FBO provided an opportunity to see some incredible planes, meet some famous people, and becoming friends with people who changed my life.

In my four years in the Air Force I have met some incredible people, visited some incredible locations, and experienced some incredible struggles. That is the part of a career in aviation that most people don’t tell you about.

Before I go any further let me be totally clear that I feel it is completely worth it, but there are some aspects that I had never anticipated.

I have spent far more time in a classroom than I have a cockpit. Now maybe that is more of a factor in the military flying community, but either way you have to be ready to do a lot of learning. That learning also never really stops. Whether you are a weekend flyer, or a 747 pilot, if you want to be good at what you do then you can’t ever stop learning about flying.

There is also a lot more to learn about than just stick and rudder skills. In fact, there is more to learn about flying than just flying. There are all kinds of other areas that you can learn about to make you a true aviator rather than just a pilot.

Safety is one of the biggest topics you need to spend time learning about. Read accident reports and learn as much as you can from others’ mistakes. I know some pilots are intimidated by those types of things, but it can only make you better.

The reason this is on my mind right now is I am currently attending a two-week power point fest that makes me fall asleep just thinking about it. However, it is an essential part of my career that will open doors that would otherwise be inaccessible.

It is entirely possible that something I learn during this training could save my crew’s lives someday. Hopefully, I will never have to use any of it and we will remain safe anyways, but it is reassuring to me to know that the knowledge will be there in case I ever need it.

I guess what I am trying to say is to not be afraid of the many aspects of becoming an aviator, but to embrace those opportunities to learn. With any luck you will never have to use it, but just ask Capt Sullenberger’s passengers if they are glad he took some extra training.

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July 15, 2014 I Written By David

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Filed Under: Aviation Aviation Education/Training Pilots

Tags:Aviation Careers Aviation Safety Training Aviation Training Extra Pilot Training

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 4 Flight Lessons

My first small aircraft flight was in this plane.

Day 4 of Avgeek Christmas this year is where the real fun starts as far as I am concerned. There simply is nothing like flying in a small plane at the controls. I have been on dozens of airliners and flown all over the country, and even half way around the world, but there is still nothing that compares to the first time I ever took the controls of a plane.

For me it was a Cessna 172 with the Garmin G1000 system, which was awesome. I even remember the tail number still: N123VK. It really doesn’t matter what type of plane it is though, it is still incredible.

Whether it is a Cessna, Cirrus, Mooney, or Stearman it will still change your life. Okay, if it was a Stearman it might be even more life changing, but that is for another post. The point is, there is nothing that compares to the hum of that engine, pushing up the throttle, and the feeling that you get when the gear leaves the ground, and for just an instant you feel totally empowered and peaceful all at the same time.

It truly is indescribable, but once you have felt it, you will never be the same.

In a lot of ways, flying is like the greatest drug ever. It is totally legal, will eat up your money just as quickly, and lets you experience a high that simply cannot come in any other way.

The Mooney is the fastest of the single-engine aircraft, and a joy to fly from what I hear.

The beautiful thing is that there are literally thousands of airports all across the country where you can take lessons. You won’t find any links in this post because there is simply no way I could possibly link to even a fraction of a percent of the options out there. If you know where the airport is just drive on out there and I would be willing to bet there is a flight school there, unless it is DFW, JFK, LAX or some other similarly sized airport. Stick to the small airports for now.

That being said, all flight schools are not created equal. Some of them have nicer aircraft which will carry a higher price. You may want to learn on a tail-dragger and not all schools have those. One of the most important aspects to consider is finding an instructor that you mesh well with. There would be nothing sadder than committing all that time and money to something amazing just to grow to hate it because you hate your instructor.

Many schools offer discovery flights to new students which give you a chance to check out the school, the instructor, and the aircraft you will be working with generally at a decent discount. This is a great opportunity to find just the right fit for you. The key is to remember that this really is about you, and not the school or the instructor. You need to be happy with what you are receiving, and if you aren’t then find somewhere else, because like I said, there are plenty of options.

Another great avenue to consider, that can also be less expensive, is finding a local flying club. This is a great way to save a little money, as well as being part of a club that you can continue flying with after you attain that coveted PPL. Once again, no links here because there are too many to even try. A simple Google search of “flight club (your city)” will likely give you a great starting place.

The “Mighty Katana” or DA-20 is used by the Air Force for initial flight screening and is a blast to fly.

The other great route to follow in finding just the right school or flying club is to talk to the people at the airport. Talk to the students, talk to the instructors, the maintenance guys, possibly the FBO that houses the flight school, or even just fuels their planes. People are what make aviation great, and for the most part we are all there to help other people out, especially new people.

If you come across a school or club that isn’t anxious to help you find exactly what you are looking for, then look elsewhere, because flying should be fun, and it is about you. The moment that it stops being fun is the moment you need to change something, because it is supposed to be about having a great time.

As I write this post, there are no links that I have personally put up, but like I say all of the time, flying is about people, and helping others out, so if you have a flight school or a flying club that you would like to support or recommend then leave me a note in the comments and I will gladly put them up on the main post.

Flying is one of the most amazing things I have ever done in my life. It shapes the choices I make everyday and the career that I have decided to pursue. It has become a part of me in a way that if I could never do it again I would never be quite the same. If you or your favorite avgeek have even the slightest interest in learning to fly then please go out and take a discovery flight. You may find that you would rather stick to the airliners, but you may also find the most incredible experience of your life, and you will never be the same.

“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”

-Leonardo da Vinci

12 Days of Avgeek Christmas:

Day 1: Aircraft Models and RC Toys
Day 2: Aviation Books and Guides
Day 3: Aviation Apps and Flight Simulators
Day 4: Flight Lessons
Day 5: Headsets
Day 6: Bags and Kneeboards
Day 7: Sunglasses and Watches
Day 8: Handheld GPS
Day 9: Handheld Radio
Day 10: Cameras and Video Recorders
Day 11: Random Aviation Accessories
Day 12: Airplane

Lessons Learned: Surviving a Murder Board

Lessons Learned: Flying for Others Can be Better than Flying for Yourself

Lessons Learned: What to Do When You Can’t Fly

Lessons Learned: When to Ground Yourself

Lessons Learned: Garbage In, Garbage Out

Lessons Learned: Establish a Pattern of Success

Precision Makes All the Difference in the World When Flying

Boeing Working to Inspire Children in South Africa

The Many Faces of a Flying Career

Twelve Days of Avgeek Christmas: Day 4 Flight Lessons

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