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Back in a Small Airplane

Other than two rather meaningless flights a little over a year and a half ago, I took my first flight in a small plane in about four years last night.  This was the first flight in my journey to become a CFI, and it went quite well.

I actually felt much more comfortable than I expected to based on how those other two flights went.  As I think about it, there were a number of factors that made that so.

The first thing I really appreciated was an excellent instructor.  He is a very experienced instructor that has a presence that I really appreciated as well as a simple way of explaining things.  I also really liked how he gave me very precise parameters to hit, which always makes the maneuvers so much easier to execute.

Another factor was flying in an area I am much more familiar with.  Having done my private pilot certificate in this area, I was used to being in a small plane here.  I have also flown extensively for work in the area, along with flying directly over my house which just adds to the comfort level.  There is just something about flying where you feel at home that makes it all feel better.

It also was simply stunning weather.  Spring evenings in the high desert can be so beautiful.  It has been really windy here recently, but gratefully it calmed down and it was a smooth and beautiful evening.  Sunsets are always more beautiful from the air.

When I was first talking to my CFI about working on my rating I told him I would rather do the loops and split-s that we did at pilot training than basic maneuvers because that is what I had done more recently.  I was pleasantly surprised with how easily I got back into the private pilot maneuvers.  It’s amazing how quickly things like that came back, even after a few years.

The one area that is going to take some more work is getting back to landing a small plane.  The sight picture is pretty different from a C-130, and the feedback of the controls is a little different as well.  It will come with time though.

For the next flight, we will be going through the commercial maneuvers, which will be a little different for me.  As part of military training, we don’t do chandelles or eights on pylons, and lazy eights are a little different in a T-6.  I am excited to do some new stuff, and make sure I am actually ready to go and teach these maneuvers as well.

I am so glad I finally got this next step done in the process of becoming a CFI, and with how comfortable I actually felt.  It will be a couple of days before we get to fly again, and I am anxiously waiting to keep going.

May 5, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Patience is an Important Part of Being a Pilot

Sometimes I forget how much patience is required when being a pilot.

Like so many others, I went out a few weeks ago full of excitement and ready to attack my CFI.  Then the weather decided otherwise.  All it took was some pretty good wind, and I was grounded.  Wind gusts in the 30s are manageable in a C-130, though not always fun, but in a 172 in the mountains, that is not only not fun, it is generally unsafe.

This was reinforced the day after my cancelled 172 flight when I was flying for work in the C-130.  We heard a guy on the radio talking about encountering mountain wave turbulence and being unable to maintain altitude.  Apparently he got through it and reached his destination, but that is the type of scenario that no pilot wants to encounter.

The Sierra Nevada Mountains around Lake Tahoe are stunning with their views, especially this time of year with the snow caps and everything turning green.  But, they are unforgiving when it gets windy.  The very first time I ever flew in the area in a C-130 I experienced an instantaneous drop of 300 feet.  Having only really flown in low terrain in the Central USA it was not something I was familiar with.  It can be easy to underestimate mother nature, but she doesn’t care what you are doing, she is going to do her thing.

I am scheduled to fly again tomorrow morning, and it is forecasted to be windy by the afternoon.  Here’s hoping I am able to beat the wind and get a flight under my belt.  I am super excited to be getting back in a small plane and moving one step closer to my CFI and starting my flight school.

May 1, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Becoming a CFI

Patience is not always something that I am very good with, but I have had to practice a lot of it these last few months while I wait to have the time to finish my CFI.  Unfortunately, I still have to wait a few more weeks, but at least I have a few things to keep myself busy.

I completed the written tests a year and a half ago but was simply too busy to get the flying in and prep for the checkride.  Over the next three weeks I get to go to some interesting Air Force Safety training, but that also means that I have nights free to buckle down and do the ground prep so that I will be ready to fly when I get back.

I have already read through most of the things I could find suggested online, so now I will be prepping my lesson plans and building my CFI binder.  I plan to build it in a digital format that will make it easy for me to update as well as transfer them to students.  I also think it will be a valuable way for me to refresh myself on the things that could come up on the checkride.

I do have a few things that I am worried about on the checkride.  The ground eval is always a stress for me on any checkride.  There is simply so much information that could be covered.  You can know 90% of the information, but if they ask you about the 10% you don’t know, then you look stupid.  On the flip side, you can know 10% of the information and if that is what they ask, you look like a genius.  All I can do is study and prepare with confidence that I will study the right stuff.  I also think my previous experience instructing will make a big difference.

However, I also know it will be different instructing at the controls as opposed to standing behind the pilots like I did on the C-130.  I still feel pretty confident that I will do alright as I actually had a tendency in pilot training, including my private certification, to talk my way through the maneuvers I was doing.  I was told to never do that on a checkride, but I prefer to demonstrate what is going through my mind as I fly.  I think this is actually going to help on this checkride.

I do have a couple of concerns when it comes to the flying.  The first one will be remedied with time.  I only have two hours in a small plane in the last four years since I finished my private, and as you would expect, it is a little different than the T-6, T-1, or C-130.  Putting in some hours in a small plane will get me back to being comfortable again.

The other concern of mine is performing commercial maneuvers that I either haven’t done at all, or that I haven’t done in a small plane.  A lazy eight in a T-6 is a little different than a lazy eight in a 172.  The thing that makes me the most uncomfortable is the lack of a buffer in performance, but I am probably just psyching myself out.  Everything that I did in the T-6 I could get out of by putting in the power and climbing away, but mentally it isn’t the same in a smaller plane.  We also didn’t do stuff like eights on pylons or chandelles.  I would honestly feel more comfortable doing loops and a split-s, which makes me laugh as I think about it.

Finishing my CFI is kind of an important part of starting a flight school, and one that I am increasingly excited to finish.  It has been three and a half years since I left to start pilot training and one of the things I have missed the most about being a navigator is the chance to instruct.  Having the opportunity to teach somebody something you love is so incredibly fulfilling, and something that I miss terribly.

If I am being totally honest, a side motivation is to build hours to be eligible for the airlines, but I am also not sure if that is the path I want to take.  I will have my C-130 flying to get my low-level/airdrop fix, just not nearly the number of hours I would like.  That is one of the awesome things about aviation.  There are so many different paths you can take that will get you where you want to go.  You don’t ever have to settle on just one, you can keep trying new things, keep getting new ratings, and always work on being a better aviator.

I am super excited to have the opportunity to help people who are just starting on this incredible journey.

March 24, 2022 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Starting a Flight School

So, yeah, I’m going to start a flight school.

I realize that is kind of a cavalier way of putting it, and I don’t want anyone to think I am not taking it seriously, but it just seems like the right thing to do at the moment.  I am super excited to be going after this, and at the same time completely mortified about all of the things that I could potentially miss and completely screw myself.  Not to mention the things that I could do completely right, but then have uncontrollable things like weather really make it challenging.

At the same time, I think the challenge of it all is part of the excitement for me.  I don’t feel like I have challenged myself enough for quite awhile and I need new things to get excited about.

The other thing I am really excited about, is being able to teach, instruct, and mentor.  This last fall I had the opportunity to help coach my son’s little league football team and it was so much fun watching those boys learn and grow and develop new skills.  It had been something like 15 years since I last coached, and it helped me to remember how much I missed it.  There is just something incredibly fulfilling about watching someone start from essentially zero and a few months later have improved so much.

As an instructor in the Air Force it was equally fulfilling to watch new navs come in with little experience, and watch them grow into proficient aviators.  Coming back from pilot training I was able to see one in particular who is now an instructor herself and has become a bit of a go to for many of our navs.  I am so proud of her and can’t wait to have similar experiences as a CFI.

Part of the reason I am putting this on here is to log my journey, but I am also hoping that people much smarter than me will help me see the holes in my plans, and help prevent me from missing anything, but in particular the small things I don’t even realize I am missing, but that will kill the whole thing before I start.  Please also feel free to tell me I am insane with any part of this.  I would rather have someone point out my follies now than after I drop thousands of dollars into the whole thing.

In no particular order these are the things I have been working on.

The first big one is finishing my CFI.  I have completed all of the written tests, but simply ran out of time with moving and deploying so this will be completed in the Spring at some point.  I’ve been reading through all of the different pubs and regs that I could find recommended by others, but would gladly accept any guidance on what other areas I should focus on to prepare for the checkride.

I am a little concerned about learning some of the commercial maneuvers since we either didn’t do them in the Air Force, or they were done in high performance turbine powered aircraft, which are a little different than a single engine piston.  That being said, I am sure it is like most things and I just need to get back in the small plane and practice and it will work itself out.

Just to be clear, I realize the CFI is not a gimme, and that I have a lot of work to do, but I also realize there are other things I can work on while I finish that up so I am ready to go once it is complete.

Which brings me to the next big hurdle.  The airplane.

I have considered buying one to complete my training in as I feel it would be great to start to get comfortable with it for the checkride itself, but I am also not sure that I want to start worrying about the financial side of ownership until I am closer to being able to receive income from it.  Though I guess as a commercial pilot I could start offering some other services while I finish to help with the payments.  Sorry, just thinking out loud here.

In terms of which airplane to buy I am leaning towards a Cherokee, and probably a 160.  A 180 or 235 would be even better at my altitude, but I just don’t think I will be able to find one at a price that will suit my needs.  Even a lot of the 160s I have seen are outside my range, but I have seen a few that I think would work.

I am thinking the Cherokee because that is what I did most of my training in, and I feel the most comfortable in it.  I took a couple of flights in a 172 last spring and I just felt completely out of place.  I realize I would get more comfortable with time, but I also have come to like the low-wings better.  Not to mention I have had an even harder time trying to find a 172 at a reasonable price.

My goal is to find something between $30-40k which I realize is not going to be an incredibly easy task.  But based on my searching, they do pop up on occasion.  From what I can tell I think I am looking at getting one that probably has about 1000 hours since it’s last engine overhaul which would give me some time before I would need to overhaul it again.  In running my numbers I have decided I need to fly it about 300 hours a year to be able to rent it out at a somewhat reasonable price.  Not that any rentals are reasonable anymore.  So that would give me about three years before I would have to undertake that major expense.  I would obviously much rather find something even lower than 1000 hours, but don’t think that is very likely at the prices I am considering.

I am curious to hear if people think there are better options of aircraft, or if I am out of my mind with what I think I can get.  The biggest limiting factor for me is that I live at 4,000+ feet so I need something that has at least a little more oomph.  I would love to get something with a lot more oomph, but that just isn’t in the cards right now.

My plan is to base my school out of Reno-Stead Airport, KRTS, also the home of the Reno Air Races.  I have made a couple of contacts up there and intend to pursue them more thoroughly when I get home from my deployment.  I really feel like the people there are going to be my key to being successful, especially at the beginning.

The two biggest things I see as challenges at the airport are securing a hangar and finding a good, reliable mechanic.  I realize a hangar is not necessarily an absolute must, but with the winter weather, wind, and heat we have in Reno I feel like I will reap the benefits of keeping my investment well protected.

Having a reliable mechanic also seems critical.  Obviously to ensure that my airplane is safe, but also so that when something does break, which will inevitably happen, the plane is not down for months waiting, because that is time that I will not be making money.  I have read it is a good idea to have a back up plane just in case, so that is something I plan to keep an ear open for, but am not going to wait on to get started.

I am aware of the additional inspections required with using the plane as a trainer such as the 100 hour inspection.  Another reason I am leaning towards the Cherokee is that my instructor said his 100 hours were essentially the same cost as an Annual so he got a fresh Annual every 100 hours.  It seems like a good way to ensure a little more safety and reliability.  I also intend to do my own oil changes, and as much owner maintenance as possible.  There will be a little learning to do there, but I know it is well within my realm of learning from what I can understand.

Insurance is one area I feel like I am a little more in the dark.  I haven’t reached out to any companies yet since I felt I was a little far out from executing, but will do so upon my return.  I hesitate to even guess what it will cost and I realize there are a ton of different variables.  I put $3,000 a year when I was estimating costs, but I also know insurance has been going up significantly recently.  I would love to hear who you go with, or places I should start my search.

From the business side itself, I feel like it should be relatively straightforward.  I intend to create an LLC to hold everything in and protect my personal assets.  I also know I will need to get a business license and a tax number and all of that fun stuff.  I’m sure every state has its unique quirks and Nevada is no different.

As for how to attract students, I have a few already that I have talked to that are interested in learning that I work with in the Guard.  I feel like there will always be a relatively steady flow of students there, but I also think I will need more than just that to sustain the operation.  One of the other football coaches expressed some interest so I may have another opening there.  I also intend to increase my social media presence, and maybe even take out a few targeted ads there to create some buzz.  Word of mouth seems like my best friend, though I know I can’t always count on it.  That is why it is incredibly important to put out a solid product and provide the type of training environment that people want to come to.  There are surprisingly not very many flight schools in the Reno area.

From a cost perspective I am planning to charge slightly less than the one major flight school that is at the international airport, about 20 minutes away.  This is not to undercut them, but I am aware their planes are newer and have more bells and whistles.  Things that I would love to have someday, but are also not necessary, especially with my focus being on new pilots.  I also will charge slightly less for my instructor time.  Again, not to undercut them, but because I don’t have as much experience.  I also don’t have a lot of the same overhead costs as them so I can afford to be a little more generous in my pricing.

Now you may be asking why I don’t just go work for that flight school and eliminate a lot of the hassle, and that may still be an option as I continue to research and determine what this is actually going to take.  Probably the biggest reason is that I want the flexibility to do this on my time.  This will not be my full-time job for the time being, and I need to be able to work around my work schedule, and not have to also work around the schedule of the flight school.  Not working for them also gives me the opportunity to save the people I work with some money on their flight training.  It will not be $100 cheaper per hour or anything crazy, but if I can save them a few hundred, or maybe even $1000 over the course of their training that seems like a good thing to do.

I also really want to own my own airplane.  I want to have the freedom it provides, and weirdly enough I want to have to learn the more frustrating sides of aircraft ownership.  I see it as an opportunity to further my understanding of one more facet of the industry.  I would love for this to be a part of my life for as long as I can still fly, but also realize I don’t know what my future holds.  This just seems like the right time, and a great opportunity to chase one more dream, and help other people in chasing theirs.

So, what am I forgetting?  Where am I being delusional?  What pitfalls should I look out for?

If there is one thing I know about the aviation community it is that we are not afraid to share our opinions, and I welcome your thoughts on anything I talked about, and more importantly, the things I am missing.  I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

December 18, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

My First Flight as a Pilot in the C-130

Aviation is a really funny industry.

For so much of my life so many aspects of the industry have felt completely out of reach.  Even after all of the experiences I have had and people I have met, I still feel like there are so many things I will never get to see or experience.  The reality is that there are so many experiences I would like to have that there is no way it would be possible for me to experience them all.  I have made the mistake of ignoring the cool things I have done because I spend so much time looking ahead to the things I would really like to see and do.

In some ways that is what I did a few weeks ago when I didn’t take the time I should have to enjoy a moment that I waited almost a decade for, and which less than two years ago I would have told you would never happen.  Despite my delay I would like to share just how special an experience it was for me.

I have about 1600 hours as a navigator on the C-130H, and I enjoyed every single one of them.  To stand on that flight deck in countries all over the world, to airdrop supplies to people who needed them on the ground in Afghanistan, to deliver patients to hospitals where they could get the care they needed, or even to return them home, to dangle my feet off the ramp flying low over the islands of the Pacific and see what has to be the bluest water on earth.  All of these experiences were life changing in their own way, and I fully anticipated making more of the same memories over however many years I remained in the Nevada Air National Guard as a navigator.

But then the opportunity arose to attend pilot training and ultimately take the controls of the C-130.  As I look back on what it took to even be given that opportunity I am overcome with gratitude for the willingness of leaders to support me, and others, in that pursuit.  I am forever indebted to a family that continues to sacrifice every day so that I can chase my dreams.  None of it would be possible, nor would it be worth it, if I didn’t have their love and support.

This is the first C-130 that I ever got to fly as a pilot and it was life changing.

After about 21 months of training, I finally got to sit in the pilot’s seat for a flight on the C-130.  The first time I got that chance was honestly less than exciting.  For various scheduling and training reasons, I only got in the seat for the second half of the flight, and I didn’t actually get to manipulate the controls once.  That being said, it was still incredibly memorable for me, and in some ways is still a little surreal that it actually happened.

A few days later I was able to get in the seat for the entire flight that was actually based around pattern work so I got a ton of takeoffs and landings.  Some people may be surprised to learn just how much time Air Force pilots spend working in the pattern and doing takeoffs, approaches, and landings.  Those are skills that remain important no matter what level of flying you get to.

As I took the runway for that first takeoff at the controls I felt like my whole body was smiling.  In a less professional environment I may have squealed like a child with excitement, but I kept all of that inside.  Logically, the sights and sounds of that takeoff were not significantly different from any of the thousands of others I had experienced from six feet further back in the plane, but I will tell you that it felt like the first time I had ever experienced it.  It is amazing to me just how different it feels in that seat compared to the one I used as a nav.

The rest of the flight was spent working on landings, and the weather was certainly giving me a hearty welcome with a significant crosswind the entire time.  (It made future flights seem much easier when the winds were significantly less challenging.)  As the flight progressed it was exciting to watch myself get better with each landing.  Slowly putting the pieces together of how to apply rudder, aileron, elevator, power, trim, etc. to set that plane down where it was supposed to be.  I still have tons to learn, but even in those couple of hours it was exhilarating to see my improvement.

Sunsets from the air are just so much more beautiful for some reason.

I have since had a handful of flights spent mostly on tactical flying, and they have been a lot of fun, but nothing really compares to that first time you take the controls.  As I finish up my training here in Little Rock I have so much to be grateful for.

I don’t think I am alone in sometimes feeling that as I approach 40 it is easy to forget about my dreams and feel like the time has passed to chase them.  You tend to resign yourself to the life that you have.  Don’t get me wrong, I have been really happy with my life.  I have a job I love, with an amazing wife and stellar kids.  I have had incredible experiences with my work, and my family, and I know that those will continue, but I still have moments where I feel like there are so many things I want to do that I never will.

At times like those I have to remind myself how many dreams I have already successfully achieved, and that if I stop chasing new ones I have only myself to blame.  Being realistic, my dream of playing professional baseball has sailed, and that’s okay.  I still love the game, but it was probably never realistic anyways.  However, other dreams, like getting my tailwheel endorsement, teaching my kids (and maybe wife) to fly, and backcountry flying, are all still very much attainable.  They aren’t even that far from my reach if I just make them a priority.

Like so many other dreams, they are not just going to fall into my lap without effort.  I will likely have to make sacrifices and not pursue things I would like to do if I am to accomplish the things I really want to do.

When I was a kid living under the approach/departure path to DFW I vividly remember having the dream of becoming a pilot, but I never thought it was a realistic possibility.  I had no idea what the path was to get there.  When I enlisted in the Marine Corps I thought I had started on that path and would reach my goal in just a few short years.  Turns out it was more like 18 years, but dang it, I got there.

I think I have confused my own impatience with something being impossible.  It is easy to compare yourself with others and say they just got lucky or they have the right rich parents, and some of that is true, but who cares what someone else’s path was?  If you really want something bad enough and continue to focus on it, you can get there, and make it a reality.

It is really fun to be able to say now that I am a C-130 pilot, especially because I never thought it would happen.

June 21, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

C-130H Training as a Pilot: Academics and Sims

If you know anything about me you know that I am a little obsessed with the C-130H.  This is somewhat ironic when you consider that at the beginning of nav school I had said that I would be happy with any plane, as long as it wasn’t a C-130.  For the life of me I can’t remember why I had such a negative perception of the plane I now love, and the only answer I can come up with is that I was just uneducated.  When I did drop a C-130H at the end of nav school I was incredibly disappointed, as I had really wanted the B-1, but it was my second choice so I got over it relatively quickly.

During the time that I was a nav on the C-130 I had the opportunity to fly it a couple of times in the sim, but it was always just a landing or two.  It was fun, but nothing super memorable.  Going through pilot training, and knowing I would be going back to my beloved C-130 gave me a lot of motivation to do it right as well as something to really look forward to.

We learn some basic procedures on stuff like this that is worse than the flight sims many people have at home. lol

I started my training on the C-130H last November which followed the same pattern as all flying training in the Air Force.  There was a lot of academics, executed either through CBTs or classroom training from an instructor.  After the initial academics they start to mix in some procedural trainers where you learn checklists and some of the basic procedures like starting the engines.  Then you get in the full motion sims, which are always fun, and relatively realistic, definitely better than the stationary stuff at pilot training.

The first checkride actually takes place in the simulator.  Your instrument/qualification checkride is a handful of approaches, circling, holding, a few landings, and three-engine work.  It was not overly stressful as they prepare you very well with more practice sims than may be really necessary.  It was pretty awesome to have that first checkride done and be qualified to fly the plane I love so much.  It is a little weird to be qualified to fly a plane you have never actually flown, but I guess it is no different than airline pilots who get their first flights with passengers on board.

This is one of the full motion simulators that we use for most of our initial training. We do 36 sims in these to make sure we are ready before we go to the flightline.

After that checkride you move on to more sims that are focused on the tactical side of flying that we do, which is the more fun stuff.  This involves flying low levels, formation, and airdrops.  There wasn’t as much for me to learn in this phase since the job of the nav is actually much more in depth than the copilot.  The copilot is more of a backup for the nav and pilot when we fly tac, but it was still fun to get back into the more enjoyable part of our flying.

It has been really interesting going through this training from a different crew position.  You wouldn’t think it would change that much from standing behind the co-pilot’s seat, to sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, but it really is a significantly different perspective.  You don’t see as much of what is going on outside because of where you are sitting, and the fact that you are stuck in one place.  As a nav I walked back and forth between both sides of the flight deck on a regular basis to get a better view of whatever I may have been looking for, but now I am left craning my neck and body to try and see things.

My crosscheck of scanning instruments and outside is also much different because as a nav I would often look at certain data on the pilot’s side versus the copilot’s side just because it was more easily seen based on the yoke or where they were sitting, or just because of where I was looking at any given time.  Now the only reason I even look at the pilot’s side is because on the H2 only the pilot has a radar altimeter.  It will be nice having that on my side as well when I get back to our H3s in Reno.

Ultimately, all of the training made me even more anxious to get back on the plane I hadn’t been on in almost two years.  My last flight before leaving for pilot training had actually been giving a checkride, so I wasn’t even in the seat.  It is a little disappointing looking back, but the fact that my next flight would be in a pilot’s seat makes it a lot easier to tolerate.  After fives months of training I was super ready, and super pumped, to be getting back on the C-130H for a real flight.

June 12, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Is Money Really the Reason People Don’t Learn to Fly?

Money was always the reason I said I didn’t learn to fly, and I know that is the reason most other people give. Some say time and that is a valid reason because it does take a significant time commitment to get your ratings.

The more I think about it, and the more I hear other people talk about it, money should never be the reason someone doesn’t learn to fly.  If someone says money is the reason they can’t learn to fly, I think the real reason is lack of education or understanding, which I think is the only real reason people don’t learn to fly.

That may seem abrupt or too short sighted, but at the heart of most reasons is a lack of understanding.  Let’s look at money first since that is the most common reason.

Money can certainly be a stumbling block, and make it take longer to earn a rating, but there is no reason it should stop anyone.  Most of us could find things to eliminate from our lives and save money.  We could not go to Starbucks as often, or not eat out everyday for lunch.  We could even sell our car and ride a bike where we needed to go or take the bus.  All of these things can be done if someone wants it bad enough, and if you don’t, that’s fine, it just means you would rather have your coffee than fly, as long as you understand it is a choice.

Beyond that there are a lot of different scholarships out there designed to help people get their ratings.  You may not get the first one you apply for, but if you keep trying then you will eventually find a way.  Like many things it is not just a matter of trying one time if you truly want it.  You have to keep trying and you WILL find a way.

While I don’t recommend it unless you intend to make flying a career, there are even loans you can take out if you decide that is right for you.  Take great caution though because you don’t want to end up with more debt than you can handle.  This was originally my plan, but after more than $3,000 I had only logged 7.5 hours and I knew that wasn’t sustainable.  So just make sure you are staying very aware of what you are spending and what you are actually getting if you decide to take out loans.

Now what about time?

I have very quickly learned that the older I get the less free time I have.  Between work and family I have to be much more selective of how I spend the other time I have.  But, when I am honest with myself, I waste a ridiculous amount of time watching TV and playing video games.  I enjoy doing those things, and have come to realize that it is a choice I am making, that I am trying to change within myself.

Not everyone wastes their time away on meaningless entertainment, and some people genuinely do not have any extra time to pursue a license.  The question there is if they could afford to work a little less and possibly live a less extravagant lifestyle?  Could they sacrifice a huge vacation and instead get their license?  This is not always the case as some people genuinely have to work that much just to survive.  But the vast majority of people could find something to sacrifice if they really wanted to fly.

I guess what I am getting at is that there are opportunities out there if only people knew what reality was.  Some people think that the military is the only way to become a pilot.  This may seem ridiculous for someone in the industry, but for someone who doesn’t actually know someone who is a pilot they may not realize the opportunities that exist. 

They may not realize that sometimes you can trade labor like plane washing for flight lessons.  There are also jobs to be had at the airport fueling planes and moving them around.  I for one thought there was some experience to be had to get a job like that.  Come to realize most of those people are in their late teens and early twenties with no experience whatsoever when they start.  It can be a great way to meet pilots and find opportunities to fly that you can only find through meeting people.  Not to mention making some money to spend on flying.

There are programs like EAA’s Young Eagle where you can get into a small plane for a flight to see what it’s like.  There is Civil Air Patrol if you want to learn more about aviation and maybe get some flying in as well.

Honestly, when you are young is the best time to learn to fly if you can be disciplined about it.  You don’t have a lot of bills to worry about other than maybe a cell phone and some sort of transportation.  You also don’t have a lot of other responsibilities to take up your time.  You just have to decide if being on five basketball teams is more important than learning to fly, and if it is for you then awesome!  Just don’t complain about not becoming a pilot.  You can make it happen if you choose to, but you have to be disciplined and really want it.  Otherwise, you may put off your dream for 20 years like I did. 

I know it’s a cliche phrase, but it really is true that “where there’s a will there’s a way”.  It likely will not come easy, and will take significant time and effort, but it can be done.  You can find a way if you have the guts to do it.  You will likely have to ask for help from others, but don’t be afraid to ask, and just do it.  So many people are willing to help in aviation that if you don’t ask, you have only yourself to blame.  That doesn’t mean to just ask people for money, but they may be able to give you advice or point you in the direction of a scholarship or job opportunity. 

I’m not writing this to judge people for their choices as much as I want people to realize it is possible, something I didn’t realize until I was in my mid 30s.  There are opportunities all over the place.  If you are in the industry you can help by talking to people about it.  You can tell them your story, which was likely just as full of sacrifice along a winding path as most other pilots.  You can help someone get into the military if that is what you know.  We can all do more to help people follow their dreams, and I know almost all of us are willing to do so.

If we can only educate people of all ages about the options they have we can grow the community which will only help all of us.  Then we will have more people to share this thing that we love.

If there is anything I can do to help please let me know and I will do all I can.  Helping other people learn and grow is one of my favorite things to do.

January 9, 2021 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Musings After Completing Air Force Pilot Training

Do you ever feel like months or years at a time go by and you know that a lot of things have happened, but when you stop and think about it, or sit down to write about some of the cool things you have done, you really just don’t know what to say?  That’s kind of where I am at right now.

As you are likely aware, I attended Air Force Pilot Training over the last year or so, which I completed back in September, earning my wings, and furthering my lifelong dream of being a pilot.  I still count finishing my private certificate back in 2008 as when I became a pilot, but this was a big deal and an even bigger step on my career path, wherever that may lead.

There is no reason to give a play by play of everything that happened at pilot training, especially since I am sure someone else already has, and they probably did it better, but I figured I would put some of my own thoughts and experiences down for my own benefit, and maybe it will help someone else in the at the same time.

One of the things a lot of people ask is how they can best prepare for pilot training.  The reality is that every single person is different and would benefit from different preparation.  The one thing that I feel is universal is getting as much aviation experience as you possibly can.  Ideally that means spending as much time in any flying aircraft you possibly can.  There is simply no substitute for time in the seat and in the air hearing and seeing and smelling and feeling all of those different inputs.  That may not be feasible in many cases, but beg, borrow, or steal your way onto any flight in a cockpit you can get.  It doesn’t have to be formal training.  It could be bumming a ride for a $100 hamburger, or just beating up the pattern, but any time you can get in the air will help you.

All of my experience in the Air Force flying was a definite advantage in many aspects of the training.  If nothing else I was familiar with many of the terms and expressions that made me feel more comfortable in the environment as a whole.  I am not saying you should spend 8 years as a Navigator before going to pilot training, though honestly it is not a bad way to go, but

Right before I took the T-6 solo in formation. What a ride!

I am saying that every little bit of comfort you can gain from experience is worth it to help you get through what will inevitably be an uncomfortable year.

In the theme of the Thanksgiving season, I am incredibly grateful for the chance I had to fly such a dynamic plane as the T-6.  I realize what a special opportunity it was to fly an fully aerobatic, complex, turbine, bad-A airplane.  I even got to fly it by myself, which is even more cool when I look back on it.  The one part I was really not looking forward to was the formation phase because frankly it is uncomfortable being that close to another plane doing the maneuvers we do.  By the time we finished the phase and I had the opportunity to solo in formation I had a little idea what I was doing and I actually really enjoyed it.  It was a huge confidence builder for me, and just a great time in the air.

All of that being said, I am perfectly content never flying the T-6 again.  That probably sounds a little contradictory, but it is just not my type of flying.  Sure it would be fun to go out with a buddy and range around for an hour in the mountains with such a high performance aircraft, but having to fly with an instructor with syllabus items to accomplish would not be as fun.  I’m also old and grumpy and having to wear all of that extra gear is not my style anymore.

View from the backseat of the T-1 enjoying my time with a crew.

Moving onto the T-1 after the T-6 brought me back to my type of flying.

I LOVE flying with a crew.

I love being able to interact with other crewmembers.  I love that we are there to back each other up and keep each other safe.  I love the more laid back environment where we get the mission done, but we can also have a good time doing it.

The T-1 is a massive pig compared to the T-6, but it was still a lot of fun to fly.  I had to keep reminding the people in my class how lucky we all were to get this training.  Not many people in this world get the opportunity to fly a business jet with less than 100 hours of experience, but that’s what we were doing.  It is not the flashiest plane, and like I said, it flies like a pig, but it was still a great time learning a more complex aircraft and adding to my skillset.

It is worth mentioning the importance of the people you go to pilot training with.  I had the unfortunate experience of being at pilot training not only during Covid, but during massive class shifts at UPT.  Shortly after starting pilot training my class was split up into multiple classes with me personally rolling back three classes.  Over the next year or many of those people changed classes again both backward and forward.  As it turned out I ended up graduating with only 2 of the 22 people that I originally started with.  No one graduates with the exact class they started with for any number of reasons, but it was a real bummer having the whole thing blown up like that.

One of my last flights at pilot training. Enjoyed getting back into the low-level environment.

At the same time, all of the people I had the chance to interact with were exceptional people.  We had great laughs, and worked hard, and got through to the end together.  It was truly a pleasure to work with such exceptional people, and I look forward to following them all through the rest of their careers.

UPT was also a unique experience for me because of my own personal circumstances.  I have mentioned it previously, but being 38 when most of your classmates are in the early 20s made for a slightly different dynamic.  I also was married with three kids, one of whom is almost a teenager, added to the dynamic.  I am also a winged navigator with a fair amount of experience.  Not to mention that I am also a Major which meant I outranked almost all of my IPs.

Some of these things people said were a disadvantage, and others an advantage, and they are probably right.  There is no such thing as a normal UPT experience, and everybody has their weaknesses and areas that require special effort.  At the end of the day, getting through UPT is all about your attitude and your effort.  Anybody can be taught to fly, and anybody can be taught to fly the Air Force way, if they are willing to put in the time and the effort.  It was amazing to watch the effort that some of my classmates put in to become pilots.  Like anything in life it was easier for some people than for others, but at the end of the day we all walked away with our wings, and we all get to have one of the coolest jobs in the world: pilot.

Hello again beautiful!

This last week I got to start my C-130 specific training back in Little Rock.  It felt a lot like coming home since I was stationed here about five years ago.  We still have some friends that never left, and others that we got to know during our time in Japan that have since moved here.  It is so awesome going somewhere that you already have friends.  On the first day of class we went out to walk around the plane, and it was a beautiful reunion to be back with my beloved C-130.

I will spare you the love story which you can read about in previous articles I have written (here, here, and here), but suffice it to say I am thrilled to be back here on the plane I love.  There is still a lot of work to be done to learn a new job on the same plane, but I already feel so at home in so many ways.  I think it is one way of knowing you are where you are supposed to be, doing what you are supposed to be doing, when it feels like coming home after far too long apart.

Hopefully, I can do a better job putting my thoughts down because I know it is good for me, and I hope that others can benefit from it too.  I have said it before and I will say it every time I write.  If there is ever any question I can answer, or anything I can do to help you in your aviation journey please don’t hesitate to ask.  We are all a part of the best community in the world, and it is the people that make it that way.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving, and get the chance to get out and fly as much as possible.

November 22, 2020 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

Overcoming the Mental Side of Flying

It has been an interesting week of flying here in beautiful Del Rio, TX.  The weather was forecast to be pretty crappy, and the forecast proved to be quite accurate.

That really sucks when it comes to pilot training, because a lot of the things we do require VFR conditions.  Outside of the training arena, the weather would not have been that big of a deal, but for all of us newbies it was less than ideal.  It was also a great learning experience for me of just how important it is to keep your mind ready when it comes to flying.

Early this week I was scheduled for a simulator session in the morning, and a flight in the afternoon that was not looking real promising when the day started due to crappy weather.  As the day went on I started to check out on flying because most of the flights had cancelled for weather.  I got my paperwork ready to fly, but I was really just going through the motions and wasn’t putting in the effort that I should have.

We got to brief time and I sat down with my IP already convinced we were going to cancel, but even then I knew better.  I personally said we should probably still brief because you never know what will happen with the weather.  We went through the brief, and as we did we heard updates that the weather was improving and it looked like we would be able to fly.  I now found myself in a bad spot because I had already started to checkout, and now needed to go fly.

I won’t go into all of the details of the flight, but suffice it to say it was not a very good flight.  I missed a handful of small things that were not terribly critical, but were things I should not have missed.  I got behind the plane, and while I eventually caught up, I wasted training time because my mind was not in it.  I also got spatial disorientation, which did nothing to help the situation.

By the time we landed I was pretty down on myself, with only myself to blame.

Fast forward two days and I was in almost an identical situation.  I had a simulator session in the morning, followed by a flight in the afternoon.  Pretty much everyone had cancelled their flights due to weather, and right up until the brief I thought we would cancel too.  The difference yesterday was that I forced myself to stay in the game mentally.

As I prepared my paperwork the weather actually kept getting worse but I just kept telling myself that I was not going to let the same thing happen again. We were still going to fly and I was going to be ready.  With the weather as crappy as it was I was honestly at a loss of what I was going to do even if we did take off.  It had been cloudy for days and the people who had flown did not bring back great reports that would allow for the aerobatic training that I really needed.

But I just kept running through ideas in my head.  I could just go and do some instrument approaches, but then the nearby airports were also below minimums.  I could also go up into the MOA and practice some of the instrument maneuvers in actual IMC.  That would be better than nothing, but I really needed pattern work, and that just wasn’t going to happen.  I also didn’t want to get stuck in the air and have to divert to San Antonio for the long weekend, but that was just my mind trying to find reasons not to fly.

It came time to brief and my IP wasn’t even in the room so I was further convinced we would not fly, but I just kept telling myself we were going flying.  Even after we sat down to brief another student walked in and my IP told him he would likely have to weather cancel, so I was sure I wasn’t going flying.  But we kept briefing.

Halfway through our brief an announcement came out that the T-38s would not be flying as long as expected so there was a larger time slot for us.  What happens here when the weather is marginal is a status referred to as alternating instruments.  Essentially, when the weather is bad we set specific times for the T-6s and T-38s to recover.  Because we fly at such different airspeeds this is simply a safer situation when the weather doesn’t allow for a VFR pattern.  The fuel capacity of the T-38 also makes this a smarter solution.

It wasn’t until that announcement was made that my mind finally started to convince the rest of me that I was actually going flying.

We finished our brief and got suited up before going to the step desk.  That is the last stop before we fly and the last chance for someone to stop us.  Because of the weather, we were the only ones up there waiting to fly.  Even the other flights that had been scheduled from my class had cancelled for weather.

While we waited to get approval to go my IP made the comment that, “When I’m the only one stepping to fly it makes me question my decision of whether I should go or not.”  This is a very true statement, and is something every pilot should remember, but ultimately proved to be not true on this day.

After some reassurance for the weather shop, the Operations Supervisor cleared us to go and fly.  We got out to the plane not in a rush as the weather was only supposed to improve at this point.  We taxied out to the center runway, which is not what we normally use, but had much less water and was thus safer.  We ran our pre-flight checks, and took off, going into the clouds within the first few hundred feet.

We ended up climbing to near the top of the MOA in the hopes the sun had burned off some of the clouds because they were not super dense, but as we got to 21,000 feet we were still in IMC.  Instrument maneuvers it would be apparently, and that is just what we did for the first fifteen minutes or so.  We had noticed some VFR layers on our climb up and decided to drop down and see if we couldn’t find a gap.

A brief aside on the super fun capabilities of the T-6.  Needing to descend about 10,000 feet my IP suggested I try an idle/speed brake descent just to see how fast this plane can drop when you need it to.  It sounded like fun to me, and I pulled to the PCL to idle, extended the speed brake and pitched the nose down.  I can’t tell you what our actual descent rate was because our VSI pegs out at 6,000 ft/min.  Let’s just say about a minute and a half later we were at 10,000 feet and that was with pulling in the speed brake a few thousand feet early because we broke out of the clouds and seeing the ground rushing towards me that fast was intense.

As luck would have it, there was actually a pretty substantial area of VFR conditions, and we were able to get a bunch of good training in.  I did my first split-S and aileron roll.  I also made great progress in some of my other VFR maneuvers.  I was shocked at how much we got done on a day when I didn’t think we would even take off.

To cap off the flight I also got to hold because there was so much traffic coming back in at the same time, and then flew an ILS (poorly), back home to a pretty nice landing if I do say so myself.

All in all it was a much better flight than earlier in the week because I forced myself to stay in the game.  Even as I looked for safety concerns and reasons why we wouldn’t be able to fly, I just kept telling myself we were going to fly, and it paid off for me in the end.  I got fantastic training, and continued to move towards the ultimate goal of getting my wings.

I expected the physical action of flying to be my biggest challenge at UPT because I already have a lot of experience in the air, but this was a great reminder of just how important the mental aspect of flying is.  I didn’t do much that I hadn’t already seen, but I did it so much better because I was mentally ready for it instead of quitting like I did earlier in the week.

Flying is challenging under the best conditions, but it is even more important to be completely on your game when the conditions are not ideal.  There is a time and a place to call it and not fly when the conditions are bad, but I am grateful I listened to my IP and pushed through (the second time this has happened with the same IP) because I would have missed some good fun, and some valuable training.  There is just so much to learn in this industry and I am grateful for all of the lessons I continue to learn every day.

January 18, 2020 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.

What a Year 2019 Was

I know it is completely cliche to write a post about the last year on New Year’s Day, but I am nothing if not socially trendy.  So here we go.

As I look back on the year, my first thought is simply that I don’t know where the year has gone.  I started the year deployed to Kuwait where I was able to fly to Iraq, Iran, Oman, Jordan, UAE, Bahrain, Afghanistan, and Qatar.  As much as being away from family while you are deployed sucks, being able to just fly and not worry about all of the other stuff at work is awesome.

On the way home from the deployment we got to spend some time in Greece, Northern Ireland, The Azores, Canada, and Minnesota before making it back to Reno.  It was so fun to decompress on the way home and make some good memories.  I also had one of the scarier events in my career when one of the panes of our windshield shattered halfway across the Atlantic.  In hindsight it was not as big of a deal as it seemed at the time, but it was still not very comfortable.

A few days after getting home I was lucky enough to go with my family to Hawaii for the first time.  It was nice to just relax on an airliner for a change after the deployment.  It was also some much needed family time after four months away.

A few days after that trip I was back on a plane heading East to Ohio for my flight physical as I continued the process to go to Air Force Pilot Training.  Even though I am pretty healthy it was quite the nerve wracking trip as a bunch of doctors and nurses would determine my Air Force future.  Fortunately, everything went off without a hitch and my package was submitted a few weeks later.

Before I knew it, I was back to work and trying to get caught up after five months or so away from the office.  It didn’t take long for me to miss the flying from the deployment, but it was still good to be home and settled again.

Spring training for the MAFFS season ended up being a weather mess in Colorado Springs with some unseasonably late snow that delayed a lot of the training.  We ended up getting almost all of it done, but as luck would have it, we didn’t get called out at all this year to fight fires.  As much as we love doing our jobs, it was a needed break for everyone after the crazy fires we had last year.  Here’s hoping our Aussie brothers and sisters get some relief from their fires soon.

I had a fun little trip with a great group of guys down to Mississippi to drop off a plane for some upgrades.  There was nothing special about the trip, but sometimes it is fun to just have a simple trip with great people that equals a great time.  It would also prove to be my last trip before leaving Reno.

In late July I gave a checkride, not realizing that it would be my last flight on the C-130 as a navigator, and possibly my last flight ever on a C-130H.  Just a week or two later I got word that I had gotten a fallout slot at UPT and within a week was headed to Del Rio, Texas, and Laughlin AFB.  It was a whirlwind of events that included packing everything we owned, and driving halfway across the country.

It bears mentioning at this point how lucky I am to have the family I do.  My wife has come with me all over the world pursuing my dreams.  She has done it all with minimal complaint and always with the utmost support.  My kids are also amazing troopers as they have had to change schools, make new friends, find new dance studios, and they have done it all with a deep love for me that I can never fully repay.

Pilot training started off as rapidly as advertised, but due to some unique circumstances I ended up with almost three weeks off about a month in.  Things started to pick back up through my simulator checkride before I once again had a long break in training.  During that time my class and I have stayed busy studying and practicing in the simulators, but all of us are anxious to get out and actually fly the T-6.

Barring any crazy unforeseen circumstances, which can happen when it comes to flying, we should all be flying next week, and may be wishing for a little more of a break.  I am super excited to get up in the air again, and continue on this long journey of becoming a better aviator.

It has been more than six months since I was last able to fly, and it pains me a little every time I think about that.  I often think about what my passions are, and what the most important things in life are to me, which is pretty much standard for everyone at this time of the year.

I count myself incredibly blessed that I actually get to do what I love most for a living.  I get to spend my time in the air doing something that is completely unnatural for a human being to do.  I can’t think of anything more liberating and calming than flying is for me.  It is where I feel most at home, and it is where I feel most like myself, whatever that may be.

As I look forward into the new year many of my ambitions will be dictated by the Air Force and the rigorous training schedule of UPT, assuming there are no more delays.  Sometimes I get disappointed when I think about that because I would love to go to Airventure, or the Reno Air Races, or any number of other awesome aviation events around the country, but they will all have to wait for future years.

So now I am trying to focus on the other awesome things that I will get to do.  I get to spend the next three months or so flying the T-6 Texan II.  I don’t particularly enjoy pulling G’s, but it will still be so much fun spending pretty much every day at the controls of an extremely powerful and nimble aircraft.  It is an opportunity that not everyone gets to have, and I count myself blessed that I get to experience it.

Then I will move onto the T-1 for about 5-6 months after that.  While it may not seem exciting to spend so much time learning to fly what is really just a business jet, it is more time I get to spend in the air, honing my craft and learning the skills I need to safely operate in the air for years to come.  It is also a good reminder to me of all the different skills that there are to learn in aviation.  You should never pass up an opportunity to broaden your skill set because you never know when those skills may come in handy.

A year from now I should be back in Little Rock, Arkansas for my C-130 specific training.  I can’t wait to get back to my beloved Herk, but it remains to be seen which version of the old girl I will be training on.

The National Guard is set to announce this month which two units will be converting from the C-130H to the C-130J.  That conversion will then take place over the next few years.  It is hard to tell what will happen when it comes to the politics of such a decision.  There are about 10 different units that could make the change, and Reno is one that makes a lot of sense from a practical perspective.

Ultimately, I have no say in the decision and will simply play the hand I am dealt.  If I did have a say, I would hope we stay with the H.  Having flown on both, I really enjoy the crew dynamic of the H better.  With all of the new modifications they are making to our old planes, they get much closer to the performance of the J, and once they do all of the avionics upgrades, they will be closer in that arena as well.  At the end of the day it is probably mostly a nostalgia thing for me.  It is the plane I grew up on, and I hold on to tradition as long as I possibly can.  They are both incredibly capable planes and I will be happy to fly either one.

It’s funny as I think about my love for the Herk now compared to how I felt when I first joined the Air Force.  I really thought I wanted to be on the F-15E and go fast and pull G’s, but a bomber would be an adequate place to land if I couldn’t get on a fighter.  I clearly remember thinking that as long as I didn’t end up on the C-130 I would be happy with whatever I got.

Now I can’t imagine being anywhere else.

It has been a fun year of flying, and even fun with some of the time I haven’t been flying, but this year will be even more fun as I finally fulfill my dream of becoming an Air Force pilot.  I am having to delay some of the other things I would like to pursue in aviation, but that is part of the deal.  You can’t do everything in aviation all of the time, because it just isn’t possible.  You have to enjoy where you are at right now, and then keep working to experience as many of those other things as possible.

So wherever you are in your life as an aviator, because it is a life and not just a job or a hobby, keep enjoying the moments you have, and always look for new ways to spread that joy.  It is a great aviation family we are all a part of, and I look forward to getting to know more of you, and enjoy watching your adventures in the coming year.

January 1, 2020 I Written By

I'm Dave and I am a proud Avgeek. It goes way beyond liking airplanes. It is a passion that cannot be subdued.