When you’re at the beginning of the runway and taking off, one of the pilot’s goals is the keep the airplane rolling down the dead center of the runway. There’s a white dotted line there. Keep your nose wheel on it, and you’re good to go.
I had a dangerous thought today while I was driving.
I had the urge to drive my CAR down the center line for as far as I could.
In retrospect, probably not a good idea.
This is from a Facebook post. Please don’t hold that against me.
Ok. I admit it. I am a bum. (“Hello, I’m Dan and I am a bum.” “Hello, Dan.”)
But on the upside, I am actually logging into my Facebook account again. I went about three or four months without so much as a peek. But here I am again.
This time, things will be different.
*nods*
As I have said before, I am really rotten at keeping in touch. I’m even really rotten at keeping in touch on facebok where it’s so easy, a caveman could do it. (Copyright 2001: Geico) But with the new year comes changes. A change in attitude. A change in weather. A change in socks. (I got socks for Christmas!)
And here. I’m going to try to log in here more often than I have been in the previous decade. (And oh yes, I know that the decade doesn’t officially start until 2011. But who am I to argue with the media, the purveyor of truth and impartiality.)
I hope that all of you had a superb holiday season and that 2010 (the last year of this decade) is superb for each and every one.
My big deal this year? Finish flight school.
And for those of you keeping score at home, you can read all about my flight lessons here:
There’s other stuff there, too, but please ignore the part about the midget and the noodles.
Be well, everyone! Stay safe. Remember the Alamo.
Dan
Ok, so I am sitting here in my cubicle, lamenting the fact that both weather and the holidays have put a crimp in my flight training. Pissing me off is more like it. So I decided today to go back to the academic side of things, and refresh my memory about all of the things I learned for the FAA written test and have probably forgotten.
But before I do that, I’m doing my own list of the ten things I like and ten things I hate about aviation training. I’m trying to immerse my alleged mind in aviation activities because I am getting far too used to NOT flying, and I want to progress. Besides, I gots me a delightful t-shirt for Christmas that defines “pilot” as the “highest form of life on Earth.”
Definitely a motivational gift! (And yes, that’s a scan of the actual shirt.)
As Casey Kasem would say, “Now, on with the countdown.”
Ten things I hate about aviation training:
10. Motion sickness
9. The lingering smell of 100LL aviation fuel on my hands.
8. Landings.
7. Interacting with air traffic control and trying to sound smooth. (Note to self: Stuttering does not come across as smooth.)
6. Weather and mechanical cancellations.
5. No flight suits for student pilots.
4. Flaps which won’t retract.
3. The 30-minute drive to and from the airport.
2. The McDonalds conveniently located on the route home from the airport. (Can’t resist rewarding myself for a good lesson.)
1. WINTER!
Ten things I like about aviation training:
10. The view from 5,000 ft.
9. Takeoffs.
8. Safe Landings.
7. Taking time off work to go fly.
6. Cool aviation weather sites.
5. The cabin heater in a Cessna 172 is awesome making winter flight tolerable.
4. Exhilarating when you get it right.
3. The McDonalds conveniently located on the route home from the airport.
2. When I get my license, I can fly all by myself from here to Kitty Hawk, NC and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. (The airfield is called “First Flight Airfield.” I get goose bumps just thinking about it.)
1. Chicks dig pilots.