How Do We Get This Thing Upsidedown?
Background: Recently I started flying boy scouts ranging from 10-17 around in aircraft at Rocky Mountain Airport (formerly Jeffco). By flying with them for 30 minute flights one at a time and letting them do some basic maneuvers like turns, climbs, and descents, then teaching a two hour group session on basic aerodynamics, instruments, flight planning etc., we are able to fulfill the requirements the scouts need to get their Aviation Merit Badge. It started out as a small task and has turned into something entirely different, filling at least 8 hours per weekend. That can kind of be an annoyance since my 'days off' don't really feel like days off anymore, but every few flights I walk away with a good story that makes it all worthwhile. Case in point:
First flight on Sunday: Wind 230@27G35. In layman's terms: there was a strong crosswind sustained at 27 knots (about 31 mph) and gusts at 35 knots (about 40 mph). That made for a fantastic landing in a Cessna 172. Yeah right.
Second flight: I was talking and looking one direction while walking a different direction and ran (really hard) into the wing strut. Though I've hit various parts on an aircraft with my head many times in the past, I'm pretty sure I've never hit anything that hard, and now I have a sizable bruise and huge knot on my forehead. I'm not being sarcastic when I say that it nearly knocked me over backwards. I hit that thing soooo hard. I cant believe these people trust me to fly their beloved children.
Third flight: The scout brought a video camera and recorded everything from start to finish. Every time I would say something to him in flight, he would yell it at the camera. Like I'd say "Now I'm pushing the rudder pedals left and right which controls the yaw of the aircraft" and he would yell "THE PILOT PUSHES THE PEDALS AND IT MAKES THE PLANE YAW." Then I'd get clearances he'd yell "THE PILOT HAS RECEIVE CLEARANCE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. WE ARE NOW LANDING THE AIRCRAFT." It was a pretty sweet landing if I might say so myself. I was pretty nervous....all that pressure! I'm sure he has good footage of my swollen forehead too.
Anyways, those are my priceless moments with the boy scouts. A lot of work yes, but combine the enthusiasm of pre-pubescent boys around aircraft at 7,000 feet MSL with a good laugh at myself, and it becomes worthwhile after all.
First flight on Sunday: Wind 230@27G35. In layman's terms: there was a strong crosswind sustained at 27 knots (about 31 mph) and gusts at 35 knots (about 40 mph). That made for a fantastic landing in a Cessna 172. Yeah right.
Second flight: I was talking and looking one direction while walking a different direction and ran (really hard) into the wing strut. Though I've hit various parts on an aircraft with my head many times in the past, I'm pretty sure I've never hit anything that hard, and now I have a sizable bruise and huge knot on my forehead. I'm not being sarcastic when I say that it nearly knocked me over backwards. I hit that thing soooo hard. I cant believe these people trust me to fly their beloved children.
Third flight: The scout brought a video camera and recorded everything from start to finish. Every time I would say something to him in flight, he would yell it at the camera. Like I'd say "Now I'm pushing the rudder pedals left and right which controls the yaw of the aircraft" and he would yell "THE PILOT PUSHES THE PEDALS AND IT MAKES THE PLANE YAW." Then I'd get clearances he'd yell "THE PILOT HAS RECEIVE CLEARANCE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT. WE ARE NOW LANDING THE AIRCRAFT." It was a pretty sweet landing if I might say so myself. I was pretty nervous....all that pressure! I'm sure he has good footage of my swollen forehead too.
Anyways, those are my priceless moments with the boy scouts. A lot of work yes, but combine the enthusiasm of pre-pubescent boys around aircraft at 7,000 feet MSL with a good laugh at myself, and it becomes worthwhile after all.
posted by carlymarie | 8:15 PM
1 Comments:
Why don't you just fly that little plane and your boy scout slave across the Atlantic and come visit me??? Huh?
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