Jaime's Flyin'

  The Sim... So today (because of weather) I was in the simulator again.  Ignite Flight actually has two, but I was on the "real" simulator today.  It's kinda crazy how real it actually feels.  The sim takes up an entire room and I can hook up my headphones to talk to my instructor and practice pretty much everything here that I do when flying.  The programs they run are even for the Lincoln Airport.  So all the runways, ramps, and taxi areas are just like LNK.  The picture above is what I was "flying" on today! Matt (my instructor), had me doing turns again like we did the last time we were able to fly.  I'm getting those better.  I'm understanding how to use my rudder in a turn.  I'm even understanding slow flight better. I don't like it, but I'm understanding it.  And then today --- TODAY I LANDED!!!  Now, I get that I landed in the sim, but, it really does feel real!  And what's cool is that I can keep repeating landin...

Today we talked about air medical factors that can happen when flying.  One thing I have noticed about all this training is that they truly do try to point out all the ways you can die in air to make sure you're cautious and not overlooking things on your pre-flight check and so many other areas.  But then follow it up when you're in the air with stuff like "the plane wants to fly -- let it."   And they say women send mix signals... So one of the "fun" things that can happen to you when you fly is hypoxia.  Do you know what that is?  It's when your body doesn't get enough oxygen, but you can have several different forms of hypoxia.  One is due to altitude, one due to carbon monoxide poisoning, one if your body is slightly intoxicated and therefore the cells themselves are not taking in oxygen like they need to, and one is due to actual circulation (either due to something like pulling gs -- g force or like when your leg or arm fall asleep).  In fact,...

 Yesterday I had yet another ground school lesson and while I always love it when we fly, we covered some pretty cool stuff in regards to maps and air space that I found fascinating!  (Plus, the weather was absolute crap so we weren't going to fly anyway...) First of all, the maps we looked at are called VFR Sectional Charts.  VFR stands for how I am being trained to fly with Visual Flight Rules.  (If I go on I will be trained in IFR which is Instrument Training Rules...like your jets and bigger air craft).  Anyway, this sectional chart is like a map for the sky.  You can see some of the identifiers of the ground, but it gives you so much other information that as a pilot you need to know.  Here are a couple of examples....one from the town I currently live in and the other from Stafford airport -- the one I used to fly out of with my parent's friend Terry: Let's start with Stafford because it's small and simple.  You'll notice that Stafford is in...

Today I got to be in the air again, which I ALWAYS LOVE, but it also showed me how much my old brain forgets SUPER FAST!!!!  There is so much to check in my pre-flight check list and though I have an actual list in front of me, there are items on the list that I still don't really know what they are and can't check them since I have forgotten what they are, where they are located and why they are important and needing to be checked!! UGH!!!  I'm reminded of the Wendy Bagwell "Ol' Ralph Bennet's Volkswagon" comedy bit.  If you haven't heard it click here for a good laugh! (You will find it much funnier if you've ever driven a 70s style Volkwagon bug...but it's still pretty good if you haven't!) Anyway, he talks about how all the knobs in Ralph's Volkswagon have pictures not words.  To quote, "If you didn't know what them pictures was, you didn't know what them knobs was! Me, ner Ralph, ner Da, knew what any of them pictures...

It seems like I have done more than just 6 lessons overall.  I think that has a LOT to do with the amount of information being thrown at me. (And the amount of time I spend doing ground school and practicing things).  It is all so foreign and yet interesting...well, at least I find it interesting. For instance...I'm learning the phonetic alphabet (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta...etc) which though I know it, recalling these items in an instant isn't second nature to me yet.  I'm learning how to contact, Clearance, Ground, Tower, Departure -- all different contacts that must be made (in an airport the size of Lincoln) before I can take off.  Again, these are just the contacts BEFORE I leave...not once in the air and then when I desire to come back.  It's like learning a whole new language but though I'm frustrated I'm not grasping it faster -- I love it.  It's so crazy because you have to get a TON of information to Clearance, Ground, Tower and Departure with ...

Lesson 2 and 3 did not become less overwhelming.  So much to learn and soak up.  Although I do feel like despite only having three lessons-- things are making some sense.  Kinda.  At least, becoming more familiar.  And to me, that is a plus.  Everything here is SO DIFFERENT, so I instantly recognize when something seems familiar! I have learned many equations to figure my weights and balances and my air density.  Not hard math, but sometimes confusing as to why I need to know the numbers when we figure them up.  (I feel like my students in the past who asked me "why do I need to know this?")  I have learned how to do a pre-flight check, and I have taxied, turned and rolled.  Funny thing is, in the middle of learning I feel so lost and yet when I am done and reflect, I feel like I have learned more than I realize especially considering I have only had three lessons!  My instructor Matt, really does make me do things immediately. ...