LESSON #7

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 was!" I do have words on my knobs, but I can't remember where they are all located and why I'm checking them.  Like, what's the pitot tube again??  Where is it and what's it's function?  I mean when I check the gas gauge on my car, I know I want it to read full or pretty full, but when I check all this stuff, some of it is obvious and other items I just don't understand their function enough yet to recall what looks good and what looks bad! Channeling my Wendy Bagwell I feel like saying..."If you don't know what them knobs do, doesn't matter if them knobs have words on them or not!" So, I'm learning, but I just don't know everything yet!  Plus I have lots of time between my lessons which makes it so easy to forget!  The last time I was in the air was over a week ago.  That's over seven days worth of forget time for me!  

On the runway, I made calls to the clearance and tower.  Though I am great at starting the transmission, I'm still not used to hearing all the information they vomit back at me.  I think this is punishment for all the years I vomited science facts on poor, unsuspecting 8th graders.  Karma you and I both know what it is....  Hopefully this too will come with time and experience.  I have found an app that has helped me get better at talking to clearance, ground and tower -- but again, my old brain has a hard time processing what they are saying to me and repeating it all back.  It's not as bad when we are on the ramp, or runway, but when we are in the sky and still talking -- holy crap!  I can't fly and talk at the same time.  It's MUCH worse than walking and chewing gum...and if you know me....well, I fall down a lot

You know when you try to pat your head while rubbing your stomach and then you switch?  Flying plane is a lot like that only also while using your feet too.  You're tapping them back and forth while managing the controls and adjusting the throttle constantly.  Then you're also supposed to be pushing buttons and talking to Lincoln Tower or Omaha Departure.  Like balancing and juggling while talking!!

I was happy with my progress today though....I still suck, but I'm sucking less at taxing on the runway (score!) I suck less at CONTACTING clearance, ground and tower but still amazingly retarded at carrying on a conversation with them.  I am getting better at maintaining my altitude, but during turns either have my nose too far down or too far up.  

Do you remember your first days of driving?  Remember how it was hard to maintain a speed without thinking about it?  Remember how it was even kind of hard to stay between the yellow and white lines?  I'm there and then some....maintaining altitude, maintaining air speed, keeping level...

But today I sucked less.

Martin Luther King Jr is known for saying "Never discount progress no matter how small" -- I embodied that today!