Hi Again, At the end of the previous message, I was at the point in my lesson where we were sitting in the plane and I was getting a lecture on the instrument panel. After that, we went over the inside pre-flight checklist. Then it was time to put on the headsets. I may not get everything in the right order from this point on. Sorry! What was next, I think, was that Andres (my flight instructor) told me to put my feet on the brakes and start the engine. Wow! It sure started right up. I guess I'm used to cars that don't do that well! Before we started taxiing (sp?) for real, he had me try to start getting the feel of the brakes and the rudders. It felt very strange, having 2 funtions on the same pedal(s). It going to take some getting used to for me. Also, I'm not used to using both feet for brakes. I had trouble applying pressure equally and at the same time, but again, I'm sure that's just a matter of getting used to it. Everthing is so new to me. I had already asked Andres if he was going to make me take off and he said he would only have me do what I felt comfortable with. OK, give me a chance guys. I don't have to do everything the first time! So before I get to taxiiing I need to back up a bit and talk about our local airports. None of them have towers, flight service centers, or even ground weather observers. Our "largest" airport, Arcata-McKinleyville, accomodates the small commercial commuter jets but nothing larger. I'm trying to say that our local commuications are of the CTAF variety. If I understand CTAF correctly, one announces one's intentions to whoever may be listening and also monitors whoever else may be in the vicinity. Thankfully, Andres took care of communications - this time. Taxiing was fun. I was kinda wandering but I didn't go into the bushes or into a ditch so I guess I didn't do too badly. Not that Andres would let me get into too much trouble. It's a different concept, steering with my hands and feet. I think I'll get used to it pretty quickly. It's just so new right now. During takeoff I don't how how much he did and how much I did, if anything. It was so smooth and so quick so I suppose Andres was doing everything. We were off the ground before I knew it. The airport I'll be flying out of is named Murray Field. The airport layout and the usual wind direction is such that folks usally take off over Humboldt Bay. And that's what we did. We didn't go very high so it didn't take long to reach the desired altitude. I should remember the number, but I don't. It was somewhere between 1000 and 2000 ft. Anyway, Andres told me to turn right (north) when we had crossed the bay and reached the ocean. How neat. I managed that fairly gracefully. Amazing. Oh, not me, but the plane. We were going pretty much in a straight line up the coast for awhile. It was a good opportunity for Andres to convice me that I didn't have to hold the yoke in a "death grip". I didn't realize I was holding on so tight. I was more tense than I realized. He kept telling me to steer just with my left hand and that I didn't need to use much force at all. Then Andres told me to take my hands and feet off all the controls and he would do the same. That was the best thing he could have done for me. It absolutely made all the difference in the world to me, right then, and will into the future. I finally started to relax. I got it. Duh! Planes are designed to fly. They "want" to fly. I sometimes get erroneous ideas about things went I don't know otherwise. In the back of my mind, somehow I thought that if someone wasn't constantly "controlling" the airplane, it would immediately dive nose down into the ocean. I know it sounds silly, but it's ignorance on my part. The more I learn about flying, the less fear of the unknown I will have. It's not the known dangerous and scary things I'm so afraid of. If I am armed with the proper facts and the true reality of a situation, I can pretty well deal with it. It's "not knowing" that is so terrifying to me. What I imagine usually turns out to be way worse than the reality of a situation. I am so surprised about how responsive the plane is. It does take a light touch. Andres was telling me about some of his students that are high school kids raised on video games. They get their hands on the yoke and start jerking it around like they are diving a huge truck that lost its power steering. So Andres has to put a stop to that immediately. I tended to let the right wing droop slightly so he had to keep pointing that out to me. I'll have to work on that. Our coastline is so scenic from the ground and is even more spectacular from the air but Saturday i wasn't sightseeing. I did enjoy the view somewhat, but I was more concerned with the very new experience. When Andres told me, "You're flying. I'm not doing anything right now." It really did something to me. Incredible. I did look down and see picture book Trinidad Harbor. I was thinking inside, "I'm looking at one of the most beautiful scenes I can think of, I'm up in the air, and I'm actually flying this plane myself. Oh, my God!" The reality still hasn't totally sunk in. I wonder if I dreamed it all. We didn't take a long flight, only about 40 minutes. I think that was fine for the first time. We also didn't see more than 3 or 4 other planes near by. Andres talked to them, thank goodness. Oh we did pass through a little tiny bit of bumpyness. I was alarmed because it's an unfamiliar feeling and I thought either I did something wrong or the plane had a problem. Andres explained that the particular place we were going over was always that way and we would be out of it soon. His reassurance and calm manner is all I needed. I flew back all the way except for getting into the traffic pattern for our airport and then the landing. I barely remember getting out of the plane and helping Andres secure everthing. I was incredulous and dazed at the same time. Eventually we walked back to the flying club office. I guess that's when I started with my Cheshire Cat grin. I sat down at the table in the conference room. I didn't know what to do. Andres said that we were done and I could go home. I didn't want to go home. I wanted him to talk to me some more about flying. But he had another student waiting for him. A more advanced student who needed to practice his night flying. PLease see next message for aftermath. Georgia __________________________________________________________________________ ______ To unsubscribe from this list please send mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] _____________________________________________________________ Who will win the Oscars? Spout off on our Entertainment list! http://www.topica.com/lists/showbiztalk
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