Shameless Blog - er - plug!

[ayavner]

I have been using the blog feature of the site to get my stream of consciousness somewhere else besides rattling around in my head. I will probably continue to post there, but I liked the concept enough, I decided to move the content to a blog site which will give me a few more features like the ability to have people receive updates etc.

 

The intention is to chart my plodding progress through the world of student pilot training, and hopefully provide useful information at some point to those who might in the future be where I am today.

 

(Disclaimer: this is not intended to be a reference or particularly complete. It will be nowhere as near as awesome as Eric's training diary. But I hope it will be entertaining and that it might be something that someone in my position could relate to)

 

So without further ado, I give you:

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/

 

It is in its infancy right now, mostly being content I have migrated from here, but soon I hope to have lots more. Enjoy!

 

 

[Piet Fil]

A good read, I can appreciate the one step forward one step back feeling at only one lesson a month. (and I feel bad if I hit the 3 week mark!)

 

Keep it going, I'll be reading (and try not to focus too hard on the solo, it'll happen when it happens)

 

Phil

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Good read- helps us old farts that teach it remember we were young and apprehensive once- keep up the good work. Instructors are like air- some rough some smooth, often different but in the end air is air and it all helps you fly- look for the learning in every experience I reckon.

 

 

[ayavner]

Thanks guys and glad you enjoy!

 

Ballpoint, that made my day! That's one of the things about this sport that is so life-affirming - even at 43, I'm not too old to be young and apprehensive! When was the last time any of us felt that?? Honestly makes me feel the hours of drudgery at the office are worth it, even if the feeling only lasts an hour or two!

 

cheers guys!

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Never to old to be young I reckon.

 

 

[ayavner]

Never to old to be young I reckon.

Hear hear!

 

Also, I should point out - I am open to suggestions (constructive) on ideas for content, things that anyone thinks that a middle-aged student pilot might find useful!

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Ayavner:

 

The most important thing an instructor told me was that anyone can learn to fly (not withstanding brain damage). When you get to the point (and a lot of us have been there) when you feel like "this is not working. I can't figure this out. I'll never be able to fly." keep going, don't give up. It will come if you persist with it. But just be aware that you probably will hit a "wall" like that somewhere along the line, and that you will get through it if you stick with it.

 

 

[ayavner]

Thanks CSH! I've definitely hit a few walls and come out the other side, and I feel like I can do this! The hard part is sustaining this level of enthusiasm week after week when lessons keep canceling and postponing, I feel like after a year and 3 months I should have more than ~15 hours in. But, as I mentioned, now that I am with the CFI I am hoping that my training will no longer be at the mercy of whether my instructor has plans on a given day, since its his only job.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Ayavner: Yeah, 15 hours in 15 months is a bit thin. I found, the closer I could space the lessons, the faster I progressed. But the first phase is bloody hard yakka when you're fully concentrating on just making the plane go where you want it and you're trying to concentrate on the extra stuff the instructor's going on about and watching for traffic and...and...

 

Having said that, I remember my training time as high stress, high reward. I had a couple of really great instructors (shameless plug for Damien and Neil) and I always felt really great after a lesson. They were really positive, but also gave me critical feedback on the things I wasn't so good with. I've had good instructors and not-so-good. I'd rate Damien and Neil as my gold standard.

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

Ayavner: Yeah, 15 hours in 15 months is a bit thin. I found, the closer I could space the lessons, the faster I progressed. But the first phase is bloody hard yakka when you're fully concentrating on just making the plane go where you want it and you're trying to concentrate on the extra stuff the instructor's going on about and watching for traffic and...and...Having said that, I remember my training time as high stress, high reward. I had a couple of really great instructors (shameless plug for Damien and Neil) and I always felt really great after a lesson. They were really positive, but also gave me critical feedback on the things I wasn't so good with. I've had good instructors and not-so-good. I'd rate Damien and Neil as my gold standard.

Oh Shucks, I'm all embarrassed now.... thanks mate

 

Love what you do to learn what you need.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Oh Shucks, I'm all embarrassed now.... thanks mateLove what you do to learn what you need.

No worries mate. Just send the cheque to......

 

 

[ayavner]

Ayavner: Yeah, 15 hours in 15 months is a bit thin. I found, the closer I could space the lessons, the faster I progressed. But the first phase is bloody hard yakka when you're fully concentrating on just making the plane go where you want it and you're trying to concentrate on the extra stuff the instructor's going on about and watching for traffic and...and...Having said that, I remember my training time as high stress, high reward. I had a couple of really great instructors (shameless plug for Damien and Neil) and I always felt really great after a lesson. They were really positive, but also gave me critical feedback on the things I wasn't so good with. I've had good instructors and not-so-good. I'd rate Damien and Neil as my gold standard.

Yup, my feelings exactly... frustrating in that I have been available almost every weekend in that time and have tried to make schedules only to keep getting pushed back. if I had a lesson each time I tried, I would probably have close to 50 hours by now! But the reward so far is higher than the stress, this feels like something very natural to me - makes me wonder where I'd be if I followed this out of the Air Force, rather than getting the standard desk job :(

 

We'll see how natural it feels the first time I rotate for that solo!

 

This forum has really been a godsend to me, reading about everyone else's experiences, learning from others' mistakes, and in general just knowing that everything I am experienced has been gone through by someone else. I am hoping that as my blog fills out, that other people in my situation might find something that helps and encourages them.

 

 

[eightyknots]

Ayavner:The most important thing an instructor told me was that anyone can learn to fly (not withstanding brain damage). When you get to the point (and a lot of us have been there) when you feel like "this is not working. I can't figure this out. I'll never be able to fly." keep going, don't give up. It will come if you persist with it. But just be aware that you probably will hit a "wall" like that somewhere along the line, and that you will get through it if you stick with it.

Thanks for the encouragement CSH. I hit a few flying 'walls' during my flight training but you eventually get over them. I could only afford a once-per-month lesson regime until my training pause commenced. This happened more recently due to another 'wall' which has stopped my flying in the short term, a financial one. I'm hoping that, by 2013, this will be all sorted and that I can take up flying again. Next time around, it is going to be 2-3 lessons per month, not 1.

 

 

[LimaMike08]

I hit the wall during my trike training (like you Ayavnar I could only get to training every few months due to the tyranny of distance in NQ and sometimes I would drive the 6 hours to Townsville only to have the weather turn against me) and again during my 3-Axis training. I thought I would never get there during the 3-Axis training and then one day it all came together. To me it didn't seem like a gradual progression. One session I was Shiite the next it all can together (I think a major factor was the realisation that my feet should never be still, especially on final). Good luck.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

I hit the wall during my trike training (like you Ayavnar I could only get to training every few months due to the tyranny of distance in NQ and sometimes I would drive the 6 hours to Townsville only to have the weather turn against me) and again during my 3-Axis training. I thought I would never get there during the 3-Axis training and then one day it all came together. To me it didn't seem like a gradual progression. One session I was Shiite the next it all can together (I think a major factor was the realisation that my feet should never be still, especially on final). Good luck.

LimaMike: Yep, from my experience and talking to others, it often happens like that. You think it's not working and you struggle and lose confidence, then all of a sudden *CLICK* it all makes sense and then "Oh What A Feeling!"

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Yup, my feelings exactly... frustrating in that I have been available almost every weekend in that time and have tried to make schedules only to keep getting pushed back. if I had a lesson each time I tried, I would probably have close to 50 hours by now! But the reward so far is higher than the stress, this feels like something very natural to me - makes me wonder where I'd be if I followed this out of the Air Force, rather than getting the standard desk job :(We'll see how natural it feels the first time I rotate for that solo!

 

This forum has really been a godsend to me, reading about everyone else's experiences, learning from others' mistakes, and in general just knowing that everything I am experienced has been gone through by someone else. I am hoping that as my blog fills out, that other people in my situation might find something that helps and encourages them.

Ayavner: Especially don't sweat the solo. On the day you solo, it will probably go something like this:

You'll go up with the instructor and by now, you're starting to feel reasonably comfortable with controlling the airplane and you've been through the engine failure stuff etc. The instructor will take you up for some circuits and probably an engine failure or two. Then suddenly he'll say NOT to do the touch and go, but do a full stop. He'll probably tell you to back track to the downwind end of the runway and halfway there, he'll tell you to stop. *YIKES* He's getting out. But wait a minute, you've done some circuits this morning so you know what the conditions are like. You know what's up in the circuit and your landings feel pretty good... Here we go. When you take off comes the first surprise. The plane climbs like a homesick angel. But it seems a lot bumpier too. That must be because there's less weight in the plane. OK, just remember the checklists and try not to forget anything. Before you know it, you're on final and everythings looking pretty good (just like it did for the other three circuits). You set it down, maybe a little long because the plane wants to float with only one up. But you manage to get on the ground safely without too much bounce and then realise *I DID IT!!!*.

 

 

[ayavner]

new update as of Saturday's lesson. thanks guys for all the encouragement and for sharing your experiences here as well! When I do solo, I expect that the experience will be somewhat of a blur (like my wedding)!

 

some major crosswinds, rough air, and thermals this weekend...

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com

 

 

[Eric McCandless]

new update as of Saturday's lesson. thanks guys for all the encouragement and for sharing your experiences here as well! When I do solo, I expect that the experience will be somewhat of a blur (like my wedding)!some major crosswinds, rough air, and thermals this weekend...

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com

Hi Ayavner. Your first solo will be a breeze, nothing to worry about. Your instructor won't let you go if you are not competent and ready. You won't have time to think about it when the instructor gets out. It will all be automatic, as you have done it many times before. And it will be over very quickly before you have time to think about it. Only when you are back on the ground will you realise what you have just done and the adrenaline will be flowing. At least that is how it was for me.

Just do what you always do in a circuit. Just try to imagine your instructor is seated beside you. Just be aware that the aircraft will appear to leap into the air without the extra weight and you will be higher earlier on takeoff than with the instructor, so you need to watch your height more closely. Also the aircraft will float more on landing as it is lighter, so expect to touch down further down the runway than when dual.

 

I normally talk over the intercom through everything I am doing at the time (300 feet checks, downwind checks, base descent, final approach), and that helped me on my solo to provide a familiar routine and as my security blanket. So it was as though I was talking to the instructor as I normally do.

 

I found I was more nervous on my second solo, because I knew I was about to do it.

 

Eric.

 

 

[ayavner]

new update after a xwind session:

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/crosswinds-and-crossroads/

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

new update after a xwind session:http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/2012/12/10/crosswinds-and-crossroads/

Another great report!

 

Just remember that a 12kt NNE won't present as a 12kt x-wind unless at 90 degrees to runway.Get your instructor to run you through x-wind component vectors. Neverthe less the Jab's do tend to run out of rudder early( maybe not the latest ventral mod ones), so well done.

 

You hit the nail on the head ayavner with respect to the head game- as you know it's where most learning really happens.

 

Keep up the good work....

 

 

[ayavner]

Just remember that a 12kt NNE won't present as a 12kt x-wind unless at 90 degrees to runway.Get your instructor to run you through x-wind component vectors. Neverthe less the Jab's do tend to run out of rudder early( maybe not the latest ventral mod ones), so well done.

Hey BP2469 - good catch! Actually I do understand all that, I think in my rush to get it all out of my head and into written form I mis-stated it, so I'll go back and edit. I went back to my pad where I wrote down the ATIS report, and it stated" winds from 080 at 18 kts, max crosswind 12 kts". I know from 30 degrees, that 18 knots would be 9 kt crosswind, so i assume by "max crosswind 12 kts" they meant either the direction was occasionally changing, or it was getting really gusty.

 

Thanks for the catch and the nice words!

 

adam

 

 

[ayavner]

for them what's still interested:

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/night-moves/

 

oh, and i did correct the bit that ballpoint brought up, thanks again!

 

 

[ayavner]

Happy New Year everyone (a bit belated), but here's the first lesson of 2013:

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/good-start-to-the-new-year/

 

 

[rankamateur]

Never to old to be young I reckon.

Never forget that "the older you get , the better you were", works for sportsmen, gives then something to talk about in their reclining years!

 

 

[ayavner]

this month's entry;

 

http://morerightrudder.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/progress-has-been-made/