Kickin' the tires. Lightin' the fire. (Airplanes)

[Mahnarch]

I'm finally getting back into flying (for real, this time) and I've been re-reading my old books and what not.

A lot of it refreshing my memory on things I've forgotten over the years and it's nice that I can take a 300+ page book and flip through it, since, once I see a chapter I know what it's all about.

What got me back into it (I haven't left the ground since June of '05) is that one of my co-workers just finished ground school and he's cleared to start his flying segments of his flight training.

I told him to let me know when he's cleared to solo so I can 'sit right seat' with him.

When a student is signed off to 'solo' it means that he can fly by himself, or with another licensed pilot BUT(!), if he flies with another PPL (Private Pilot Licensee) he can't log the flight time since I'd be PIC (Pilot In Command).

BUT(!),,,,,,if there ain't no one lookin'.......*wink wink*

We could both log it, helping him near his required hours of flight time and helps me near my minimum flight hours to be eligible for 'Wings of Mercy' - a volunteer pilot program that flies sick and disabled people to, say, the Mayo Clinic for free (Airplane owners donate their craft, pilots donate their time - it's a churchie thing but, I do things because it makes me feel good.)
And, we'd be able to split the rental

On the plus side, I can take over if he gets in over his head - so it's a good safety net.

He won't have to worry about landing before 'Civil Twilight' restrictions.

He'd be able to practice take offs and landings at different airports.

Both of which are prohibited to student pilots until they reach the 'Cross Country' stage of their flight training.

Plus, I'd be able to show him what a Cessna 172 can 'really' do that his instructor won't show him.....yet.

(I can make a Mountain Dew 20oz bottle float above the dashboard for a few seconds in a negative 0.1G dive - it also lifts you and whatever's not tied down up, also. ;D )

Since everyone likes airplanes, here's some airplane stuff:

First, some links to sites:

GA Serving America
FBO Web
Muskegon Airport Diagram .pdf

Pilot weather is different than Fox News weather:

KBIV 212153Z AUTO 24008KT 10SM CLR 23/13 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP132 T02280133

Translated:

KBIV ('K' denotes a U.S. airport - coded for Tulip City Airport) 212153Z (on the 21rst at 21:53 Zulu - Greenwich Median Time) AUTO (Automated reporting system) 24008KT (winds are 240 degrees - out of the west-southwest - at 08 Knots - a knot is 1.15 miles per hour) 10SM (visibility is 10 Statute Miles) CLR 23/13 (Sky conditions CLeaR Temp is 23 degrees Celsius Dewpoint is 13 degrees Celsius) A2993 (Altimeter setting is 29.93 - Sea Level) RMK AO2 (ReMarK 'Automated with Precipitation Reporting ability) SLP132 T02280133 (This is all Military stuff that I ignore)

If anyone wants to hear a 'live' read off of an ATIS report you can call: 1-616-394-0190

It's a computerized system, so you won't have to talk to anyone.
You'll just dial it up and it'll play.

My ride: A Cessna 172 Skyhawk. Commonly known as a C-172 or just 'Skyhawk'.


Me in a Cessna 152 (C-152)


Another one of my rides: A Piper Warrior (PA-128 or, 'Warrior')


Flight controls of a PA-128:
There's a little bit more there than "speed, gas, water temp and oil" ain't there?

The 'Park Brake' lever between the seats is actually the 'Flaps' lever (or, 'Air Brakes' - like in that Bugs Bunny episode)

The pedals (black) on the floor are for the rudder control/steering wheel on the ground and the gray part at the tops of those are the 'differential brakes' - each wheel brakes independently.


If anyone has any questions about GA (General Aviation) I'm pretty sure I can handle them.
If not, I know where to look.

[Phil]

It looks like you're right at home in that plane.

That has to be awesome to be a licensed pilot. I like flying for the view of the ground but that's a fraction of what it would be at the helm.

[Classicblast]

Its in my contract that I can't board a private plane without the consent of the management of the organization. The players union has it that they can't forbid players to buy or ride motorcycles they're not encouraged.

Not that you really care about that, but I threw that in there.

How long have you been a pilot Mahnarch? Is that something you would want to do commercially? You moved goods by ground why not by air?

[Mahnarch]

Phil:

It took me about 6 'flight hours' to get comfy in the left seat.
After that it was like...flying an airplane.

As far as the view, I find that the majority of people I take up - with all that grand view of the distant horizon out the windscreen - tend to look.....straight down!

I've only had one 'almost puker'.
I was on short final (the most critical part) and she grabbed my arm and covered her mouth at the same time.

I preoccupied her mind by having her open her window and look at a distant water tower - since air sickness is all in the mind.

In fact, if you ever go up with someone and, when you're at the main desk, your pilot asks the clerk for 'some bags'......they're 'Vomit bags' BUT, we don't call them that in front of passengers because it sets the 'seed'. If you know what I mean.

Being at the helm:
Flying is very different than driving. You do everything in stages.

Let's say. You were planning to stop at the store on your way to work.

In your truck you just drive up. Let off the accelerator. Push the brake, lightly. Turn on your blinker and pull into the parking lot where you shove it into 'Park' and get out.

In an airplane:

15 miles from the "store" (airport) you tune in to the local ATIS (weather thing I mentioned in my OP).
You listen.

You tune in the local tower or CTAF.
You listen.

You call in and report your location.
At an uncontrolled tower that's all you do.

At a 'Controlled' field you have to respond to 'Approach Control'. Tune in your transponder (Squawk code). Take vectors/altitude/runway clearances.

You line up to the runway (standard traffic pattern - 'downwind/base/final') or just 'long final'.

On landing you:
Find the airport (harder than you think, sometimes)
Judge your distance and height.
Reduce throttle and pull the nose up, slightly.
When the Airspeed Indicator reaches the top of the white arc, you pull on the first set of flaps.
You tune your secondary radio to 'Tower', ready for Approach Control to hand you over for 'Clearance to Land'.
Approach hands you to Tower.
Tower forgets about you for a bit.......

You're an inch above the pavement and remind Tower to give you a clearance (you can come within an inch of the pavement but, you can't legally land until the Tower clears you and you read it back - and you though a Speeding ticket was bad....)

Tower clears you to land.

You land.
You taxi 'off the active' (the runway)

Approach tells you to contact 'Ground Control' (always "121 point something". Tower says, "Contact Ground on '5'", which means 121.5Mhz)
You get instructions to parking ("via taxiway Alpha, Delta, Juliet")

You pull up to a guy with an orange vest and/or orange cones who does the waving of lighted cones things - crossing his cones when you're good to stop and shut down.

That's a lot to do just for a 'quick Coke' or potty break.

***

Classic:

They won't even let you mount a hog?!!

Jeez! You need a new job, bro!

I ride a '77 Kawasaki Kz1000 to work and jump into an '06 Volvo 53 footer.

Talk about extremes....

Just tell your contract guys that if you ever lay the bike down you'll just jump off and start running really fast!

.....eh?....

.

I got my PPL in the winter of '02 with a total time of 54 hours.
The FAA minimum is 40 hours (per FAR Part 61) but, the national average is 65 hours.

My 12 years in the automotive field helped, immensely!!
To me, an airplane is just a lawn mower with wings, really.

I was grounded for 3 months after 9/11 and had to relearn a lot of things.
I could've had my PTS (Practical Test - or, 'Driving Test') in February of '02 if it weren't for that.

I've been nudging my bossman in order to convince him that our company needs a corporate jet or, at least a regional light twin.

I'd even do a regional single but, my total capacity would be about 800lbs.


***

See?! A fully loaded C-172 weighs less than an empty Ford Escort but, 'Terrorist Fearing Liberals' would have you believe that a C-172 is a danger to Nuclear Power Plants.

Pfft! Please!!
A C-172 wouldn't even dirty up the paint on the outside of the cooling towers.

[Blastgirl]

Mahnarch, the Players' Union (which is the same for Major League Baseball right down to a entry Rookie League) has blocked the contracts from forbidding motorcycles.

Because of the potential troubles they prefer you don't have one but they can't stop you. But Private Air Planes are different they do have the right to block that.