Getting Current

After deciding to commit to flying again, I returned to my original flight school. After 18 years, that is an interesting experience. Images of the flight school, the equipment, and the aircraft were very different. I recall a beta video player those many years ago, where I spent hours viewing videos of the training program. Of course, as a certificated pilot, the process is much simpler. Sitting down with the instructor to determine what you remember and spending an hour in the aircraft quickly sets the pace for getting current. I was very surprised how much I remembered about operating the aircraft.

Of course, I did some study prior to tracking down an instructor and jumping in the Skyhawk. I pulled out my old ppsel books and purchased some new training programs on eBay. Studying up on the changes in regulations, reviewing the principals, and getting a refresher helped get me much more comfortable for that first visit and flight. I also spent a lot of hours envsioning the flights. I would sit and mentally walk through all the procedures, seeing every step of the flight as though I had never been away. When I finally went to the airfield, I was ready to go over everything with the instructor and take the aircraft for a flight.

The ground time and the air time all went very well. I felt prepared for the questions and for the flight. I was still nervous since I hadn't flown for 18 years. But it was amazing how easily it all came back. A little rusty, but the skills were all still there. Unexpectedly, the instructor signed me off after the first hour (or so). He advised I get a lot of practice and would make himself available for more time if I desired, but felt I had the skills and was making safe decisions. I was confident in what I was doing and knew I had a lot of practice to come. I made my next reservations and checked my logbook a second time for all the right entries. I was flying again!

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posted by Shawn @ 10:49 AM 3 comments

Flying Post 9/11

It was 18 years between PIC flights for me. I learned to love flying very early on. Perhaps even from the time I began taking lessons in December of 1980. From the time my training began, I considered how to fly for a living. In short, the circumstances, requirements, and finances wouldn't allow for it. Young flyers today should consider themselves lucky for all the opportunities that are available to train for commercial pilot careers.

In the early '90s, I found an aviation club in Connecticut that met and conducted events around flying. Although not a flying club, some members had their own aircraft and some rented. Meetings always had interesting aviation topics and speakers. On occasion I joined a PIC for a flight. Finances still precluded getting my currency and flight time. It was enjoyable, though, to join the other pilots and participate in the aviation events. There would be more pressing life obligations for about another ten years.

By Y2K I had found my way back to another passion from my college days. My first motorcycle since 1983, I bought a friend's BMW K75s. It was my first BMW and first bike in a very long time. By the end of the next year I had sold the K75 and had two more BMWs in the stable. I was daring to pursue those old passions again.

Throughout this time, I had been traveling regularly on the airlines. On 9/11 a group of us were at a southwestern airport when the towers were struck. We were lucky enough to acquire rental cars and the eastern group drove 42 hours, nonstop, home. As everyone knows, the experience of flying the airlines has never been the same. I avoided it for a few months before I was back on regular flights. Let's just say I didn't enjoy the new experience and being a regular "random" inspection subject. This, led to an "enough!" and the determination to get current and buy my own aircraft...

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Do you have a story about your first lesson or aircraft? Feel free to leave a comment and share your aviation experience.

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posted by Shawn @ 11:05 PM 0 comments