I had lesson 4 scheduled for Friday, May 22. I was so excited, even though it would mean I'd miss the kids' Field Day. I love Field Day, and have never missed one, but come on, this is important to me! And it's supposed to be great weather, and once school is out, I will have fewer opportunities to go. I have not participated in school events for the past 4 months, so it didn't seem like a big deal to finish out the year without joining in the festivities. The kids hadn't expressed a desire for me to be there, and even if they had, they could get over it. I have a life apart from them, after all.
It's amazing the rationalizing one can do when desiring to please only oneself. Sure, obtaining my license is important to me, but raising healthy, confident kids is my primarily responsibility and is ultimately more important. Sure, there will be times when my plans take precedence, but this was not one of those times.
So I missed 4 months of school, and three of those were completely justified - Monte's recovery took priority, and we all knew it. Did the kids like it? No, but they recognized it. The past month actually didn't have a lot of volunteer opportunities, so it was easy to pursue my own desires. So when faced with the decision, it was very easy to choose my way. Besides, teachers needed volunteer forms by the 15th, and I didn't sign up to drive, so there was no obligation to anyone.
After my lesson on Tuesday, I received an email from Quentin's teacher requesting more drivers. I shrugged it off, since I had a lesson scheduled. Monte once again proved himself as a more selfless parent, as he was sincerely disappointed that he couldn't be there. He questioned why I didn't want to be there to watch the kids participate, and I didn't have a good answer, just an excuse.
I didn't sleep well, knowing that I was disappointing the kids and Monte, and I didn't want to cancel my lesson. Not just because I was really looking forward to it, but I didn't want to call Jeff. What if he thought I was scared? What if he agreed that I wasn't good enough? What if he thought I wasn't dedicated to the process? What if he wanted to drop such a flighty student? Why do I care so much what other people think of me? But I did call to reschedule, and have a lesson Tuesday, June 2. Which does not interfere with the field trips on the 3rd and 4th :)
I have given myself a timeline of 18 months to complete this, so what's the rush? I want to be consistent, but I don't need to push everything else aside.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Lesson Three
You have no idea how excited I was to go up again! The previous lesson was so short in an attempt to forestall any sickness, so I didn't feel like I had really learned anything new. So I was really hoping that we'd cover more material during my next one.
I spent the entire weekend checking the weather forecast, and the closer the day, the worse the forecast. I have no idea how to gauge the cloud ceiling, so I really had to trust Jeff on this one. He called to say that winds were picking up, but that it was still OK to fly, if I wanted to. Hahaha, if!
Driving out to the airport was a bit discouraging, as the rain (that was not predicted!) started to fall. As I said, I have no idea how to measure the cloud ceiling, so as the weather worsened, I didn't know what I'd be able to do in the plane. I started to worry that I'd be delayed yet again. What if this was God telling me I wasn't cut out for this? So of course, I called Monte for reassurance, and he was, of course, very encouraging. Have I mentioned how much I love him? As I drew nearer the airport, the sky became progressively clearer, and my worries abated. I was so ready!
When I arrived, we sat down right away and started talking about the maneuvers I'd be doing that day. Again, we'd try to keep it short to keep the pukes at bay, but I'd be learning! It was too windy to practice stalls or slow flight, but Jeff decided that landings would be doable. Landings! I was so excited to learn actual procedures, and not just theory. I had learned some of the basics through my study (traffic pattern and descents), but no specifics on what to do in the pattern or at the runway. As Jeff said, I'll always have to do at least one landing, so I might as well learn it.
We decided to head up to Greenville, and practice landing there. It's a wider runway, with fewer obstacles, plus, it's different scenery. As far as maneuvers, I didn't really learn more or even practice much, but I did use the time to really use my eyes and ears to get a better feel of the plane through turns and level flight. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped I would, but I corrected well (I think). And we made it there! I was actually able to see the runway from a distance and pulled into the downwind leg pretty easily. Then it got interesting.
First off, I had to start thinking about decreasing power, lowering flaps, adjusting trim, and keeping an eye out for traffic. All while keeping the aircraft stable in a glide path, even in descending turns. Oh, and calling each leg over the radio. Thankfully, Jeff took over the calls so I could concentrate on all the little things that would keep us in the air. He kept saying, "As long as the plane is stable in the approach, landing is pretty simple." To which I replied, "Yeah, but getting stable is the not-so-simple part!" Especially in 13 mph winds.
So all in all, I think I did OK. It was a lot to learn, and I didn't do anything perfectly, but I did get a feel for all the forces on the plane. I hope that with practice, it will all come together and I will do it perfectly! Or at least, proficiently. I just need to make sure I am practicing the right procedures. As my brother-in-law says, practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes habit. And habits are hard to break, so it'd better be right. Looks like I have more studying to do, especially review.
I spent the entire weekend checking the weather forecast, and the closer the day, the worse the forecast. I have no idea how to gauge the cloud ceiling, so I really had to trust Jeff on this one. He called to say that winds were picking up, but that it was still OK to fly, if I wanted to. Hahaha, if!
Driving out to the airport was a bit discouraging, as the rain (that was not predicted!) started to fall. As I said, I have no idea how to measure the cloud ceiling, so as the weather worsened, I didn't know what I'd be able to do in the plane. I started to worry that I'd be delayed yet again. What if this was God telling me I wasn't cut out for this? So of course, I called Monte for reassurance, and he was, of course, very encouraging. Have I mentioned how much I love him? As I drew nearer the airport, the sky became progressively clearer, and my worries abated. I was so ready!
When I arrived, we sat down right away and started talking about the maneuvers I'd be doing that day. Again, we'd try to keep it short to keep the pukes at bay, but I'd be learning! It was too windy to practice stalls or slow flight, but Jeff decided that landings would be doable. Landings! I was so excited to learn actual procedures, and not just theory. I had learned some of the basics through my study (traffic pattern and descents), but no specifics on what to do in the pattern or at the runway. As Jeff said, I'll always have to do at least one landing, so I might as well learn it.
We decided to head up to Greenville, and practice landing there. It's a wider runway, with fewer obstacles, plus, it's different scenery. As far as maneuvers, I didn't really learn more or even practice much, but I did use the time to really use my eyes and ears to get a better feel of the plane through turns and level flight. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped I would, but I corrected well (I think). And we made it there! I was actually able to see the runway from a distance and pulled into the downwind leg pretty easily. Then it got interesting.
First off, I had to start thinking about decreasing power, lowering flaps, adjusting trim, and keeping an eye out for traffic. All while keeping the aircraft stable in a glide path, even in descending turns. Oh, and calling each leg over the radio. Thankfully, Jeff took over the calls so I could concentrate on all the little things that would keep us in the air. He kept saying, "As long as the plane is stable in the approach, landing is pretty simple." To which I replied, "Yeah, but getting stable is the not-so-simple part!" Especially in 13 mph winds.
So all in all, I think I did OK. It was a lot to learn, and I didn't do anything perfectly, but I did get a feel for all the forces on the plane. I hope that with practice, it will all come together and I will do it perfectly! Or at least, proficiently. I just need to make sure I am practicing the right procedures. As my brother-in-law says, practice doesn't make perfect, practice makes habit. And habits are hard to break, so it'd better be right. Looks like I have more studying to do, especially review.
Friday, May 15, 2015
Weather delays
I scheduled my third lesson for Tuesday, 12 days later. I studied a ton, and was so ready to put what I'd learned into practice. So imagine my disappointment when I woke up to winds of 20 mph, with forecasted gusts up to 30 mph. That's doable for a more experienced pilot, but hey, I am not. So we rescheduled for today (Friday), which was supposed to be a beautiful day. Again, my plans were thwarted by impending thunderstorms. So we scheduled for the following week, Tuesday and Friday.
I was already feeling so overwhelmed from the studying, and not being able to do anything with the book knowledge was really starting to get to me. I was feeling so inadequate already, and the weather delays were somehow feeding my insecurities. What if I really couldn't do this? What if I was just making excuses so I wouldn't be tested? What if no else believed I could do this, either? Now I know why beginning students are encouraged to fly often - practice, of course, plus there's also no time for doubts to take hold.
Monte has been a wonderful encouragement to me. He reminds me that he felt overwhelmed at first, and that he also questioned his abilities. He is one of Jeff's best students, but he started out the same as I did. It is nice to know that I am not alone, and he gives me hope that I can do this, too.
I was already feeling so overwhelmed from the studying, and not being able to do anything with the book knowledge was really starting to get to me. I was feeling so inadequate already, and the weather delays were somehow feeding my insecurities. What if I really couldn't do this? What if I was just making excuses so I wouldn't be tested? What if no else believed I could do this, either? Now I know why beginning students are encouraged to fly often - practice, of course, plus there's also no time for doubts to take hold.
Monte has been a wonderful encouragement to me. He reminds me that he felt overwhelmed at first, and that he also questioned his abilities. He is one of Jeff's best students, but he started out the same as I did. It is nice to know that I am not alone, and he gives me hope that I can do this, too.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Studying Again
I haven't had to really study and understand anything for 20 years. Sure, I research things I am interested in, but only enough to satiate my curiosity. Not at a really deep level where I know the subject inside and out. This is proving to be challenging.
I am using Sporty's Learn To Fly DVD course, and printed out their syllabus to give myself a general idea of what I should be learning when. It, of course, is a Part 141 school and Jeff, as a private instructor, follows Part 61, but it's a good guideline. Part of the course obviously includes watching the DVDs, but there is also a lot of outside material I need to study. I love the Sporty's videos - I find them to be very informative without being too technical. And I love having visual reference. Plus, it really helps that much of the course uses a Skyhawk for training, which is what I am using. I probably wouldn't get as much out of it if I were learning on a different aircraft.
I am also supposed to read materials put out by the FAA. My word. Imagine the most boring lecture you ever heard, add bureaucracy to it, and then type it out into a 471 page document, and you have the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. Another student expressed it perfectly - it's like reading the phone book, and trying to connect the dots. Considering I have already noticed at least three errors, and I don't understand it all, I have to wonder how many errors I can't even recognize.
20 years out of a classroom has highlighted my lack of study skills. I don't know how to take notes anymore, and I don't know how to manage my time. Of course, the beauty here is that it's all on my schedule - I won't take the test until I am ready. That's also my pitfall - I may not push myself to study as often as needed to retain information. But right now, I am mostly loving what I am learning, so I am still highly motivated to keep going.
One thing I did today, and would like to build into my schedule, was drive out to GRR's observation area and just watch the planes come in and take off. I looked on Google maps for the runway numbers, and checked the weather to see if I could anticipate the chosen runway for the day's wind. Wind was 10 SSE, and all traffic used runway 8. I would have expected 17, but I found out they were repainting that runway's markings. It was really fun to watch the planes crab in against the wind.
I met a guy who comes out nearly every day with his radio and listens in on the airport traffic. It was really interesting to hear all the traffic, even though I couldn't make it all out. Monte and I are thinking that it might be worth the money to buy a radio and practice listening in on the airport frequencies, just to get used to hearing it and learning to call correctly. Not all learning is from a book :)
I am using Sporty's Learn To Fly DVD course, and printed out their syllabus to give myself a general idea of what I should be learning when. It, of course, is a Part 141 school and Jeff, as a private instructor, follows Part 61, but it's a good guideline. Part of the course obviously includes watching the DVDs, but there is also a lot of outside material I need to study. I love the Sporty's videos - I find them to be very informative without being too technical. And I love having visual reference. Plus, it really helps that much of the course uses a Skyhawk for training, which is what I am using. I probably wouldn't get as much out of it if I were learning on a different aircraft.
I am also supposed to read materials put out by the FAA. My word. Imagine the most boring lecture you ever heard, add bureaucracy to it, and then type it out into a 471 page document, and you have the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. Another student expressed it perfectly - it's like reading the phone book, and trying to connect the dots. Considering I have already noticed at least three errors, and I don't understand it all, I have to wonder how many errors I can't even recognize.
20 years out of a classroom has highlighted my lack of study skills. I don't know how to take notes anymore, and I don't know how to manage my time. Of course, the beauty here is that it's all on my schedule - I won't take the test until I am ready. That's also my pitfall - I may not push myself to study as often as needed to retain information. But right now, I am mostly loving what I am learning, so I am still highly motivated to keep going.
One thing I did today, and would like to build into my schedule, was drive out to GRR's observation area and just watch the planes come in and take off. I looked on Google maps for the runway numbers, and checked the weather to see if I could anticipate the chosen runway for the day's wind. Wind was 10 SSE, and all traffic used runway 8. I would have expected 17, but I found out they were repainting that runway's markings. It was really fun to watch the planes crab in against the wind.
I met a guy who comes out nearly every day with his radio and listens in on the airport traffic. It was really interesting to hear all the traffic, even though I couldn't make it all out. Monte and I are thinking that it might be worth the money to buy a radio and practice listening in on the airport frequencies, just to get used to hearing it and learning to call correctly. Not all learning is from a book :)
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Moving Forward
Having already had my first lesson, I felt a little better about my capabilities. But now I was nervous about getting sick again. My sick bags hadn't arrived yet, but I did have my motion sickness bands (so stylish) and some baggies. I came prepared to learn more and fly more.
I was a tad disappointed that the majority of the time was spent in the air. That's fun, but I want to be sure I know what I am doing before I go up. I thought we'd review more of what I need to work on and what we'd be practicing that day. All we really talked about was not staying up as long, and venting the cabin for fresh air. We again worked on turns, climbs, and descents, and they were much better than the week before. Maybe he was just trying to keep it fun for me, and giving me a sick-free ride so that I am no longer apprehensive about it.
I felt more comfortable on the radio than I did the previous week, and didn't even need to pause halfway through! I also was more relaxed on the yoke. And while I thought I'd done fairly well the first lesson, I noticed a marked improvement. Monte had said that he didn't even look out the window his first time up, and I didn't really get that. Until lesson 2 - I realized that I hadn't noticed anything my first time, I was so focused on my controls and gauges and horizon that I couldn't take in anything else. This time, I was able to see the wheat fields, and roads, and schools and other points of interest that Jeff pointed out. We didn't go as far, but I certainly saw more.
This one was over far too quickly. I want to see more, and I want to try more. I go up again May 12, and I am really hoping to discuss and practice stalls. I don't know if I haven't done them yet because of my getting sick or because of Monte. Maybe it's both. But I need to practice them. I don't think I will fully understand or trust the airplane until I know how it responds to critical limits.
Still excited, still studying, still worrying, still going.
I was a tad disappointed that the majority of the time was spent in the air. That's fun, but I want to be sure I know what I am doing before I go up. I thought we'd review more of what I need to work on and what we'd be practicing that day. All we really talked about was not staying up as long, and venting the cabin for fresh air. We again worked on turns, climbs, and descents, and they were much better than the week before. Maybe he was just trying to keep it fun for me, and giving me a sick-free ride so that I am no longer apprehensive about it.
I felt more comfortable on the radio than I did the previous week, and didn't even need to pause halfway through! I also was more relaxed on the yoke. And while I thought I'd done fairly well the first lesson, I noticed a marked improvement. Monte had said that he didn't even look out the window his first time up, and I didn't really get that. Until lesson 2 - I realized that I hadn't noticed anything my first time, I was so focused on my controls and gauges and horizon that I couldn't take in anything else. This time, I was able to see the wheat fields, and roads, and schools and other points of interest that Jeff pointed out. We didn't go as far, but I certainly saw more.
This one was over far too quickly. I want to see more, and I want to try more. I go up again May 12, and I am really hoping to discuss and practice stalls. I don't know if I haven't done them yet because of my getting sick or because of Monte. Maybe it's both. But I need to practice them. I don't think I will fully understand or trust the airplane until I know how it responds to critical limits.
Still excited, still studying, still worrying, still going.
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