by Clay | Nov 27, 2017 | Manned Flight
When I was a student pilot on my first solo flight, the biggest comfort I found amongst the butterflies of being alone in an airplane was to talk myself through everything – out loud. It gave me a sense of normality, but there is also something very solidifying...
by Clay | Nov 15, 2017 | Manned Flight, Simulated Flight
One of my first flights was at night. I was a passenger in a Cessna 172 on a hop up to Chattanooga. The pilot was my friend and future instructor. I was still a little uneasy about flying – something that a few hours of flight training helped to take away. Every...
by Clay | Nov 10, 2017 | Manned Flight, Simulated Flight
It’s a common practice for a checkride examiner to try to distract the pilot applicant. Ah yes, the old “drop the pen” trick. Here’s how it goes. You’re a student pilot taking your checkride to become a certificated pilot. In the right...
by Clay | Nov 2, 2017 | Manned Flight, Simulated Flight
If I were, for some reason, unable to ever fly again, I’d still have the simulator. It may not be not the real thing, but it’s a passion and an experience in itself. And I guess I could still go for a hundred dollar hamburger. I’d load up thr sim...
by Clay | Oct 26, 2017 | Manned Flight, Simulated Flight
I usually love to read manuals, but not GPS manuals. I find them to be a better reference after you figure out some of the basics rather than a guide to learn the GPS from scratch. Sometimes I look for quick reference guides and I end up getting a month’s worth...
by Clay | Oct 19, 2017 | Manned Flight, Simulated Flight
You’ve just finished washing your hands as you step over and wave them in front of the paper towel dispenser. It remains motionless. You wave again, but nothing happens. Maybe tap on it? That didn’t work. Ok, now you step back, walk forward again and try...
