Happy (Aviation) Birthday To Me!

Eight years ago today... June 4, 2010 was the first time I was onboard a light aircraft with a CFI and flew the plane. I was scared to death... I really wasn't that interesting in doing it. But I wanted to get over whatever my problem was and be willing to go flying with my spouse at the controls.

Eight years ago today, I took the flight controls and felt the wind beneath metal wings... to feel the reason for the bumps and jolts of turbulence. The pure joy of controlling a flying machine all on my own. I still had fear but I fell in love that day, fell in love with flight.

Today, my 8th aviation birthday, I've logged over 1570 flight hours in my logbooks, and I'm still learning. Today...

• I started my day working with a new commercial candidate on his 2nd flight in a complex aircraft. We did a normal take off, manual gear extensions, emergency descents, power off stalls and a normal landing. 
• After that I saw my private pilot candidate off on the continuance of his check ride. He performed extremely well in strong wind and strong up / down draft conditions and passed with flying colors. 
• My next flight was supposed to be a multi-engine training flight for me. However, we decided not to do it with the bad drafts they experienced an hour before. 
• My last lesson was an instrument lesson for a private pilot seeking his instrument rating. 

On my 8th birthday I touched four aspects of aviation.. private, instrument, commercial and multi-engine. Not a bad way to spend my aviation birthday.

Friends don't Let Friends Drive

A friend of mine, Steve, was taking his commercial check ride today. I was thinking about him. Wondering how it was going. Around 2PM I got a phone call. It was Steve.

Steve asking 1455X, "Why!?!?!"

His voice had a smile in it when he said hello. I was hoping it would be good news. Then he said, "Guess what I did on my check ride?" I said I hope he passed. He said, no.. he didn't pass. He was taxiing out to start the flight portion of the check ride with the examiner and the plane was backfiring. At first he tried to believe it didn't happen. But the backfiring continued. He reluctantly discontinued his ride. Which was good because he would have failed if he took off with the plane in that condition!

Steve was calling me to see if maybe I could come pick him up from Salinas Airport, only 40 NM away from Reid-Hillview. I was happy for an excuse to do something on a weekend day. Luckily a plane was available so I flew down to get him in a Cessna 172. It's been a long time since I flew left seat in a 172 but it was fun.

We returned from Salinas and shared a drink, chatting about his day and other random stuff. While chatting I sent this picture to our mutual CFI. The CFI replied that his wife said I was really nice to fly down and get Steve. Then he, the CFI, told his wife, "Friends don't let friends drive!".

Ain't that the truth?

Reflections on a Picnic Table at 1500 Hours

The picnic table in front of Magnum Aviation, E16 Airport

This rather unremarkable picnic table is tightly associated with the most challenging moment in my aviation life so far, honestly one of the most challenging in my life. While I’ve been to/from that airport countless times since, I’ve not seen this table since that fateful day. 

When I last saw this table I had roughly 480 hours in my log book and was working on my commercial certificate. I was sitting at this table as the sun went down, ego shattered, devastated, embarrassed and shaken to the core. Working to pull myself together to fly myself home from what I saw then as a huge defeat. 

Fast forward to today. 4 years and 5 weeks after that date. I have 1501.8 hours in my log book and that Commercial Single Engine Land certificate. I’m Certified by the FAA as a Flight Instructor, Instrument Flight Instructor, Advanced and Instrument Ground Instructor. I’ve successfully taught people how to fly planes from scratch, commercial pilot candidates and now pilots working on their instrument ratings. I found out today one of my early students who I taught through first solo passed his check ride (woohoo!).  

I’m giving back to my aviation community and working on my multi engine commercial certificate now. Hours, certificates and ratings are all cool but what’s more important is this: I believe I am a competent and safe pilot, the pilots I sign off will also be competent and safe, and, maybe, in 20 years I’ll still have a little airport to fly in and out of that’s local to me. 

Something inspired me to snap a picture of this table today and in doing so I recalled how devastated I was that day. That made me appreciate where and who I am today. I’ve come a long, long, way from this picnic table. Am I where I want to be? Who knows…. it’s the journey that’s important.. not the destination. I don’t think I’ll ever be where I want to be. But I can be pleased with the progress I’ve made and what I hope is a positive impact on the world around me. 

Enjoy the journey folks... you never know when it will end.