WhiskeyTango
Member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2002
- Posts
- 19
Hello Gentlemen.
I've been lurking here off and on for a few weeks and I thought I'd say hello. A little bit of a long intro, scan to the bottom if you would like to offer some advice on a couple of things. I've tried not to repeat any questions I've seen you guys answer recently.
While in school about 10 years ago or so, I joined AFROTC and received a pilot allocation. Long story short was that I was signed up for 18 years but right before my last year of school, the AF broke the contracts with most of the pilot/navigator cadets due to cutbacks and then had a change of heart and offered an intermediate position with no guarantee when we'd get to UPT. I declined. I had been taking some hours as I could afford it over the summers and solo'd at 10 and racked up a total of 20 or so.
Due to schooling costs, new career, etc. I got out of it for a while. I've been working as an automotive software engineer for about 8 years and I've decided to get back into it and finish now that I have the time and money again.
Well, one instructor ( a fellow engineer and hell of a stick and rudder guy- but a chain smoker ) has been grounded due to heart problems. Another instructor I had died in crash a few years ago, apparently trying to take off in some weather he had no business toying with ( not exactly a huge confidence builder there ). So, I've looked around and I found an older gentleman, say 50-55 (older than me that is- I'm 31), who's been a lifelong pilot and is the chief pilot at our airport. Downside is that he has to call off for charters, but the upside is that he is knowledgable, particular and encouraging, and he doesn't want to be anywhere else. I may even get some right seat time on some of those charters. =)
After about 3 flights he was ready to turn me loose- but I opted to ask him to stay onboard for one more flight. I have been flying a 1998 172R which is by far the newest plane I've ever flown with the best avionics. GPS is great.
So, next flight he got out of the plane, gave me a few final admonishments and waved me on. I found that soloing this time was no less of intense introspection than it was the last time- maybe even more since I'm more aware of my mortality at 31 than I was at 21. It's funny how those first few flights you hold onto those things which have been pounded into your head like a security blanket ... 'Don't dive at it...trim for 65' ... 'Ok now transition your vision to th opposite end of the runway ... hold it up .. hold it up...' That's about all you have by way of confidence at first- at least for me.
The only hitch was that there was another student in the poking around the pattern and not announcing his positions...first time around, I lost him but was sure he was two legs ahead of me until I had just throttled down on the downwind and kicked in 10 and saw him on base about 1/4 mile in front of me and a few hundred feet below. I don't know- I guess he had a long crosswind.
Regardless, this was not the by the book trip around the pattern I had hoped for. I thought 'Oh man, he's going to kill me if he sees me that close to this guy.' I decided ( and announced ) I was going to leave the pattern and come back in on downwind for spacing and fretted about whether that would constitute leaving the airport which I was not supposed to do on this flight.
It's humorous to think about it now because it was such a trivial thing, but you probably remember how your nerves were on your first solo. I finally decided that a long downwind was good enough and brought her around to final (and announced spacing was good now ). No problem. Not a peep from the instructor except 'Good job' after touchdown.
So, I've been hitting the books hard again practicing with some of the Internet-based FAA exams. I'm at 27 hours we'll be moving into cross-country work next. I guess I'm a little behind the curve after having spread my training out over a decade, heh.
A few questions for you:
- All I have by way of training is the old Cessna 'Red Bag' which includes a flight manual. Of course, I have the 172R manual as well and the FARs. What's the coventional wisdom on the DVD programs? Which is the best or do you think I am good to go with what I have?
- I commute an hour to work and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to 'Cincinnati to Ohare IFR' which I purchased from Sporty's. It's been great just for the radio training. Do you recommend any other audio tapes?
- I've picked up a few magazines lately, such as 'Flying' and through rading these and talking with some people, it seems like there is a lot more discussion about the dangers involved in flying these days. Is that just me? Have things gotten more dangerous or is there just more of an emphasis on it these days? What do you suggest as the best ways to supplement my training with an emphasis on emergencies, etc?
- What's the job market like out there? I plan to finish my IFR and then take a serious look at whether I want to take it to the next level. It's starting to feel like it's time for a career change and this is the natural choice. I saw that the FBI was hiring special agents with fixed-wing experience, but convincing my wife that I should take a 60% pay-cut isn't going to fly. So?
Thanks for any other insight or advice you guys can offer.
I've been lurking here off and on for a few weeks and I thought I'd say hello. A little bit of a long intro, scan to the bottom if you would like to offer some advice on a couple of things. I've tried not to repeat any questions I've seen you guys answer recently.
While in school about 10 years ago or so, I joined AFROTC and received a pilot allocation. Long story short was that I was signed up for 18 years but right before my last year of school, the AF broke the contracts with most of the pilot/navigator cadets due to cutbacks and then had a change of heart and offered an intermediate position with no guarantee when we'd get to UPT. I declined. I had been taking some hours as I could afford it over the summers and solo'd at 10 and racked up a total of 20 or so.
Due to schooling costs, new career, etc. I got out of it for a while. I've been working as an automotive software engineer for about 8 years and I've decided to get back into it and finish now that I have the time and money again.
Well, one instructor ( a fellow engineer and hell of a stick and rudder guy- but a chain smoker ) has been grounded due to heart problems. Another instructor I had died in crash a few years ago, apparently trying to take off in some weather he had no business toying with ( not exactly a huge confidence builder there ). So, I've looked around and I found an older gentleman, say 50-55 (older than me that is- I'm 31), who's been a lifelong pilot and is the chief pilot at our airport. Downside is that he has to call off for charters, but the upside is that he is knowledgable, particular and encouraging, and he doesn't want to be anywhere else. I may even get some right seat time on some of those charters. =)
After about 3 flights he was ready to turn me loose- but I opted to ask him to stay onboard for one more flight. I have been flying a 1998 172R which is by far the newest plane I've ever flown with the best avionics. GPS is great.
So, next flight he got out of the plane, gave me a few final admonishments and waved me on. I found that soloing this time was no less of intense introspection than it was the last time- maybe even more since I'm more aware of my mortality at 31 than I was at 21. It's funny how those first few flights you hold onto those things which have been pounded into your head like a security blanket ... 'Don't dive at it...trim for 65' ... 'Ok now transition your vision to th opposite end of the runway ... hold it up .. hold it up...' That's about all you have by way of confidence at first- at least for me.
The only hitch was that there was another student in the poking around the pattern and not announcing his positions...first time around, I lost him but was sure he was two legs ahead of me until I had just throttled down on the downwind and kicked in 10 and saw him on base about 1/4 mile in front of me and a few hundred feet below. I don't know- I guess he had a long crosswind.
Regardless, this was not the by the book trip around the pattern I had hoped for. I thought 'Oh man, he's going to kill me if he sees me that close to this guy.' I decided ( and announced ) I was going to leave the pattern and come back in on downwind for spacing and fretted about whether that would constitute leaving the airport which I was not supposed to do on this flight.
It's humorous to think about it now because it was such a trivial thing, but you probably remember how your nerves were on your first solo. I finally decided that a long downwind was good enough and brought her around to final (and announced spacing was good now ). No problem. Not a peep from the instructor except 'Good job' after touchdown.
So, I've been hitting the books hard again practicing with some of the Internet-based FAA exams. I'm at 27 hours we'll be moving into cross-country work next. I guess I'm a little behind the curve after having spread my training out over a decade, heh.
A few questions for you:
- All I have by way of training is the old Cessna 'Red Bag' which includes a flight manual. Of course, I have the 172R manual as well and the FARs. What's the coventional wisdom on the DVD programs? Which is the best or do you think I am good to go with what I have?
- I commute an hour to work and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to 'Cincinnati to Ohare IFR' which I purchased from Sporty's. It's been great just for the radio training. Do you recommend any other audio tapes?
- I've picked up a few magazines lately, such as 'Flying' and through rading these and talking with some people, it seems like there is a lot more discussion about the dangers involved in flying these days. Is that just me? Have things gotten more dangerous or is there just more of an emphasis on it these days? What do you suggest as the best ways to supplement my training with an emphasis on emergencies, etc?
- What's the job market like out there? I plan to finish my IFR and then take a serious look at whether I want to take it to the next level. It's starting to feel like it's time for a career change and this is the natural choice. I saw that the FBI was hiring special agents with fixed-wing experience, but convincing my wife that I should take a 60% pay-cut isn't going to fly. So?
Thanks for any other insight or advice you guys can offer.