Finally, my first legal buck!

I had been meaning to write this post for some time. Life just got thrown into high gear between deer season and the holidays. Most of the readers of this blog probably already know how fortunate I was to bag a nice 11 point buck during gun-deer season this year. But I thought I would get my account of the blow-by-blow on my blog for all, particularly myself, to remember.

Although, I was quite lucky to have this big guy visit me, our camp and throughout the state this was a very poor gun-deer harvest. The DNR reported that the state wide deer kill is down 20%, and in the northwest region where we hunt, it was down over 30%. Last year, our group killed 6 deer, this year as a group we only saw 3 deer, 2 of which we got.

Last year, since it was our first on the property, we intentionally hunted on the more easily accessible interior of the land. We weren't sure what to expect both from deer and other hunters, so it was a reasonable place to start. With no blaze-orange incursions, I figured this year was a good opportunity to expand the land usage and hunt closer toward the boundaries. Well, long story short (it really is long, so I will be brief), I had some competition from another hunter, and this gentleman was hardly friendly. So, Saturday and Sunday morning were "investments" in establishing a presence on our southern border. Sure enough, once I was alone on Sunday evening, I had a doe moving in from the marsh on the west. Unfortunately, I misjudged how close she was and got out of position and was unable to get a shot. That evening, Todd shot a nice doe in the northern clearcut/meadow. We won't mention Todd, Jake, and my attempt to retrieve his game that night, needless to say, we were unsuccessful.

As we began the hunt Monday morning, Todd and Dad went back out to find his deer, the rest of us assumed our normal hunting positions. As I got in, I was delighted to see I was alone again (and it stayed that way the rest of the week). The weather was nowhere near as frigid as Saturday and Sunday, but after a few hours of boredom, I started feeling the cold. After listening to Todd and Dad's efforts, I was getting a bit restless, but decided to stick it out to 10 am as usual.

Fortunately, the bitter cold made the woods very noisy. The doe that came in the last evening I heard from far away before seeing her, actually it was that noise that made me misjudge her position. I was determined not to make the same mistake again. So, just before 9 am, I heard some crunching coming from the southeast, the other side of the marsh. Long before the deer came through, I got the gun up, popped the scope covers, and waited for an animal to emerge. I was not disappointed, for a second, I saw a large deer heading straight for a doe-pee scent bomb I had setup earlier. He moved through an opening rather quick, I saw horns for just a second, and then he stopped behind a large pine tree about 40 yards from my stand. It happened so fast, I was confident it was a buck, but realistically had no clue how big or how many points. This actually worked in my favor, for if he had strutted broadside in front of me in all his glory, I most likely would have had to deal with a major case of buck fever.

However, this was no dumb deer, he froze behind that pine tree and didn't move, he knew something wasn't quite right. As I had my gun up, peering through my scope waiting for him to step up, I began to tire. It seemed like an eternity, but most likely was just a minute or two. Without his appearance, I began to wonder... did he sneak around a way I hadn't seen? Did he double back? With the woods as noisy as it was, I should have heard his movement, but I began to doubt myself. So, I lowered the gun slightly to widen my field of vision and give my muscles a rest. I scanned the area all around with my eyes, desperate to see if he attempted an escape, but nothing! He must still be behind the pine tree, but I couldn't pick him out. Then, finally, he took one more step, he was still behind the tree, but he'd stepped into about 1x2 ft hole in the tree. I could see his brisket and lower neck, but no more. I slowly got the gun back up and watched him, telling myself... "be patient, let him come out, you don't have a great shot yet, don't rush it, don't screw this up". And then, he forced my hand. As I watched him, willing him to take another step, he looked like he was going to do the exact opposite. He twitched like he was about to bolt, at that point I felt I had no choice, I said to myself, "take the shot you have, take it now or say goodbye." Without another thought, I put the cross hairs on the only part I saw of him, at the base of his neck and squeezed. Not since my very first deer have I had a deer drop immediately, except for the deer I hit this fall with the truck! But this time, I was rewarded, the big guy dropped right in his tracks, not a single step. Of course, he was still behind the pine tree, so I struggled atop my stand to determine what I just dropped. From a distance I could see a single horn, so I was relieved to think... ok, I at least got a 1 pointer!

Next came the radio call. I knew I was jazzed so I figured to at least call in to let everybody know I didn't shoot off my toe and to standby instead of blabbering. It didn't come out so eloquently... "Ah this is Dennis, yes, I have a deer down, give me a second while I calm my nerves." Yeah, nice, that wasn't at all obvious you were now suffering from post-buckfever. So I took advantage of a few minutes to "calm my nerves," but honestly I don't think it worked too well, I still didn't know what I had shot. I had to get out of the stand to figure that out, but I wanted to radio in an update. So, after a few minutes when the excitement began to clear, I let everybody know I was pretty sure I shot a buck, and I was going to get out of the stand to take a closer look.

As I unleashed my harness, and slowly came down the stand, I started to downplay my hopes. "It's probably not that big..." "I bet I shot that little fork on the gamecam pics" You know, trying to shield yourself from getting your hopes up too high. Well, fortunately, as I approached the deer, it got bigger and bigger. When I finally was standing next to the deer, I was so excited, I miscounted the points. I got on the radio... "Dad! Wow, this is a nice buck, I got a 9 pointer!" Then I took another look at the horns and couldn't count the same number twice. So, I slowed down, took one horn at a time. Then I got radioed again ... "I miscounted! I actually got an 11 pointer!!" I am sure everybody had a good giggle, and expected me to come back on the radio a few seconds later claiming it grew another few points!

To add to this wonderful memory, my Mom and brother Bryan came out to take pictures and help me dress him out. You can see this picture was snapped before we got started, largely because I was still too excited to hold a knife still. As we finished up, Todd also came by to help, we dragged him out to the main path. Todd also had some good advice on carrying him out on the ATV instead of dragging, just in case I was thinking of putting him on the wall. Hehe, no thoughts there!

Well, it won't break any records, we estimated the score at about 129 7/8, he had a 15 1/2 inch spread with one split brow tine, but he could quite possibly be the biggest deer I ever shoot, so it's certainly a trophy to me! The rack was very nicely symmetric, except for that split tine which added some nice character. My only regret is that Laura had to return to teach on Sunday night, so she wasn't in camp when I got him. I called her up Monday afternoon, it went something like this... I started, "Hi hon, I think we need to revisit that discussion about me putting a deer head on the wall." "You got one!!?" she replied. "Yup, an 11 pointer!" I responded. "Congratulations!!! Oh, that is going to ruin my decorating!" Laura has graciously allowed me to mount my achievement, downstairs, but it will look very nice next to my gun cabinet and woodstove.

I expect the taxidermist to be done in February! Thanks all for reading and sharing in this unique joy! After 22 years, I finally bag my first legal buck!

The cast of Deer Camp 2008

One final check of the game cams before deer camp was quite revealing. We finally caught on camera the monster that Todd downed, including a video! The other nice 10 pointer is clearly still around and is frequenting a large area including Dad's, Mom's and Jake's stands, so everybody has a legitimate shot at him. We are also seeing some new arrivals, smaller bucks moving into the area. Without further ado, here is the stars of the show....

Our first new arrivals, a smaller fork...

Our next contestant, possibly a 6 pointer, from the size of its snout its a bit younger, but given the rack has the potential to be a big boy in a few years if he survives...
Our old friend has hung around, here are two recent pics from Mom, Dad, and Jake's stand. His rack hasn't changed much from last year, so he's definitely ready to be mounted on a wall!

Finally, Todd's monster. We FINALLY caught this beast on camera once on 10/24, the week before Todd shot him.
And, seconds before Todd shot him, we got this picture AND video!

The Long Wait...

As you have no doubt noticed, I have not updated my flight blog in a while. Part of it was frustration, the main part was... there simply was nothing to update! In short, I submitted my application for a medical certificate back in June and I got to witness first hand the complete inefficiency of the FAA. I FINALLY received word back on October 6th, they have received all the information previously submitted, but "based upon our review...we are unable to establish your eligibility to hold an airman medical certificate..." Grrrrr! You have got to be kidding me?! I submitted my complete medical history and that was not enough. Basically, they want me to return to my normal doctor and receive a current update on three specific "issues", i.e. migraines, GERD, and GAD.

Oh, and the letter was dated September 29th (it took a week to get to me), and if I don't respond by October 29th, I get auto-denied. If I get denied, then I got a big hole to dig myself out of. There is an appeal process, but if I thought the application process was fun, I am sure an appeal would be fantastic! Apparently, my normal physician is more popular than Barack Obama, I couldn't even get into see my her until way past the deadline. I have been attempting to get lucky with a cancellation, calling basically everyday, unfortunately unsuccessfully.

So, I requested an extension, which I was told was granted and I will receive written confirmation. Meanwhile, I have an appointment scheduled on November 11th, hopefully to get the magical piece of paper that says I am "eligible to hold an airman certificate."

In the meantime, my Dad, my brother Bryan, and myself are heading to Colorado for a week long elk hunt. Please pray for our safe travel and safe hunt!

See you all later!

Still Grounded

Well, we are past the 14-16 days since I was promised a resolution. Surprise! Here we are 18 days, and no medical. I traded a number of phone calls with the nurse just to find out today they still haven't heard anything from the FAA. They insisted they haven't forgotten about me, but I am no closer to even estimating how long it will be. It could be next week, next month, or even perhaps next year. There doesn't seem to be a way to nail down anybody to a deadline. So, I continue to keep myself engaged by flying virtually and reading all three major online pilot forums:

• Red Board (AOPA) http://forums.aopa.org/index.php
• Purple Board, http://www.purpleboard.net
• Blue Board, Pilots of America, http://www.pilotsofamerica.com

A thanks to Marty, I had primarily been reading Red and Purple and forgot completely about the Blue board.

Anyway, a Happy Birthday to my wife Laura, she turned another year younger on August 12th. I have to work a bit this Saturday morning, but afterwards we are going miniature golfing!

Stay tuned, although it may be a long wait...

Tell me this isn't a government-run operation...

A short update here. Well, on Thursday I got a call from the doctors office, they wanted a ton of paperwork from my medical history. OK, so I get on the horn to my normal MD, arrange to have the info faxed to the AME. I get a call from the doctors office this morning, apparently the regional AME doesn't want to make the call, instead now the folks in Oklahoma want to see the documentation, so they faxed it down there. So more waiting continues, the nurse said to expect another 14-16 days, before a decision is made. This is starting to sound suspiciously like a special issuance to the medical certificate. Special Issuances (SI) typically require extensive documentation and decisions are made on a case by case basis. Now I really think I made a wise decision to get the medical first before investing any more time/money in flying, because if I am correct about the SI, that means my medical certificate application was disqualified. I still think I will get the ticket, but its likely it could come with some stipulations, for example limit the duration of the certificate (normally 5 years), condition the granting on more test results, etc.

Patience...

Well, despite 5 days in NY visiting family and attending a wedding, followed by a 3 day business trip, finally getting back into a routine. I was hoping that maybe the medical would be waiting for me when I returned, no such luck, and yet another message left with the AME.

I did get a chance to mosey on down to the FBO and meet Chad the soon to be CFI, he just passed his commercial checkride and plans to take his CFI checkride next week. The visit was quite exciting, besides talking with Chad, he took me on a longer, wider tour of the FBO and its planes. I got to sit in the C152, despite being a smaller plane than the C172, it had quite a nice interior. Since it hasn't been flown as much, it seems to be in better shape despite being several years older than either C172. Chad also took me around to see the jets they flew, now that was a really neat experience sitting in those seats. Both were corporate jets designed to transport about 8-10 people, one of them even ferried Colin Powell. He even took me to see some private aircraft including one with a fractional ownership interest for sale, look pretty nice, but not the right time for something like that. :)

Even though I'd like to wait for the medical, I am still in a holding pattern for lack of an instructor. He also mentioned that he has several people lining up for lessons, so it appears his time will be just as limited as Chris's time (the other instructor who took me on my discovery flight and endorsed my written exam). So, I patiently wait. This waiting though is not helping... June and July has not been very good for general aviation, several fatal accidents are starting to get to me a bit, including two recent Angel flights which are very sad. Although general aviation is still remarkably safe, there is some inherent risk that you simply cannot fully escape or ignore. Most of the accidents occur in circumstances I would never intentionally attempt like flying too low (despite what my future passengers want), flying in adverse weather, or poor decision making (like overloading the aircraft on hot humid days).

I hesitate to share this since most of my friends and family are worried about these exact events, but I want to remind them I am not ignoring the risk and what can happen if you become complacent or unprepared. I actually needed a bit of a pep-talk from Laura to remind me of this, is general aviation as safe as commercial aviation? No, but with proper aircraft maintenance and solid ADM (Aeronautical Decision Making), it can be. Accidents will always happen, and a recent statistic I read said 1/50 pilots who fly for 40 years will be claimed by a crash (which is a bit alarming, I don't even think fireman share these occupational odds), but 1/22 of all people will die from an accident anyway. So flying only marginally changes your odds. Its tough to admit, but we all will die, but do we have the courage to enjoy the life God gave us doing the things that make us happy?

So, I remain resolved, and I hope to start flying within the next two weeks. I am nervous, excited, a bit scared, but overall filled with anticipation! Hopefully, my next post will be either my first lesson, a medical in hand, or both!

Cheers!

Passed the Written Exam!

Well it is with elation that I can report that I have passed my Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) written knowledge exam! Over a month of studying paid off, and I did very well, I only missed 4 questions out of 60, yielding a 93% pass (I needed a 70% or greater to pass).

Laura came with, which was great since I was a bit tired from the night before and she did her level best to distract me on the way there so I wouldn't stress out. We had to go all the way into Minnesota, it was the closest testing center, even Marshfield would have been a longer trek.

Laura had a good time too, the test administrator was an FBO in Lake Elmo, MN called Valters Aviation. She watched the planes take off and land and they took her around the hangar to see the type of airplane I would be flying. She was astonished how young the pilots were flying, some as young as 21. Actually the minimum age required to be eligible to take your private pilot checkride is only 17. After I found out I passed she admitted how worried she was for me.... she kept on saying "please let him pass, please let him pass..."

The exam was pretty much what I expected, I had seen almost all the questions before, although there was about 3 I had not seen before and was genuinely uncertain, I reasoned them out and I got 2/3 of those correct. After starting the test, I got myself a little flustered trying to organize my test taking rhythm. I got worked up when I looked at the question and it was only #6 and I remember saying to myself that this is going a lot slower than the practice tests. Eventually, I finished the test in about 1:20 minutes, well within the 2:30 limit.

With the results, you are told what topics you missed. Being the perfectionist I am sometimes, I honestly wanted to figure out which questions I got wrong, I had a pretty good idea which ones tripped me up. So here are my stumbles...

• PLT014 - Calculate distance / bearing from/to a station.
  (Refer to figure 30, illustration 2.) Determine the approximate heading to intercept the 180° bearing TO the station.
  A) 040°.
  B) 160°.
  C) 220°.
  I got pretty good at calculating distances and bearings and there were several on the test, but this one I had a brain fart. The illustration they refer to is a movable ADF with an airplane heading of 315 and the station bearing 190. Somehow I managed to rationalize the 160 degree heading, I even drew a picture. I have no idea how I managed to do that, you turn 160, you'll never hit the 180 radial of a station to the south, the answer is obviously 220, don't know how I let that one slip by.
  
  
  EDIT: I had a question posed by a reader to explain this a little further, here is a diagram that should help! Please note I am slightly vague in the diagram, when I say the station is bearing 190*, I mean the station has a MAGNETIC bearing (from magnetic north) of 190* based on my current position. Do not confuse this with a fixed ADF which would give a RELATIVE bearing, this is not the case! On a side note, I find this topic on the test to be amusing, most planes that new pilots would be training in wouldn't likely have an ADF!
  
  
  
  
  


• PLT161 - Recall airspace classes - limits / requirements / restrictions / airspeeds /
  equipment.
  The normal radius of the outer area of Class C airspace is
  A) 5 nautical miles.
  B) 15 nautical miles.
  C) 20 nautical miles.
  This was one I hadn't seen before, I remember trying to measure the Savannah airspace on an example sectional chart in the supplement, and I was getting 6 nm, but I knew that wasn't correct. I guessed 15 nm. Bzzt!! It's 20nm.
  
  


• PLT366 - Recall regulations - accident / incident reporting and preserving wreckage.
  Which incident requires an immediate notification to the nearest NTSB field office?
  A) A forced landing due to engine failure.
  B) Landing gear damage, due to a hard landing.
  C) Flight control system malfunction or failure.
  I got caught in my practice exams before on this one and it just didn't stick. I incorrectly answered A, it was C. A force landing due to engine failure might not result in any damage, but a flight control problem, that is something the NTSB really wants to know about. Duh.
  
  


• PLT414 - Recall regulations - general right-of-way rules.
  Which aircraft has the right-of-way over the other aircraft listed?
  A) Glider.
  B) Airship.
  C) Aircraft refueling other aircraft.
  This is probably the one question I am most annoyed at myself, its a trick question. I answered C, because an aircraft refueling any other aircraft has right of way over any powered aircraft. They threw in glider! Obviously gliders aren't powered, and they have right of way over everything unless its head-on collision course, I knew this!! Grrrr.
  
  

Well, I understand my mistakes, and I am wiser for it. They say the art of flying is the balance between your luck and experience. The key is to accrue enough experience before you run out of luck. I'll go a step further, I'll be happy to add to my experience without having to draw upon luck!

Thanks all for reading, next up will be getting that medical and beginning actual flying. Laura and I have a vacation to NY next week to attend a wedding, so I don't anticipate any lessons until after that!

Endorsed for the written exam!

Yesterday evening after work, I swung by the FBO to meet my CFI. You see, I am somewhat of an anomaly. Most people who want to learn to fly want to immediately jump in the plane and deal with the necessary evils of FAA testing later. Now, there have been oodles of safe and competent pilots that have taken that learning path, but statistics have shown that HALF of student pilots quit their training, and a big contributing factor is the task of passing the written exam. So, being the methodical, logical person I am, I decided to get one of the big hurdles out of the way first.

Anyway, the objective of this meeting was to review my practice test scores and go over the necessary sections of the FAR/AIM (Federal Aviation Regulations / Aeronautical Information Manual). Now, I didn't study FAR/AIM directly because it is a dense reference manual of regulations and topics, rather I used home study courses and test guides because they prepare you for the actual test questions. But the test questions are derived from FAR/AIM and my CFI wanted to review FAR/AIM because as I progress through my training, I will be spending more time with it, rather than the test guides.

We than did some impromptu oral quizzing and some discussions on some areas I think I am weak on. I am pretty good at most of the regulations, aeronautical knowledge, weather, weight/balance and course planning. I am a little weaker on radio navigation and airspaces, primarily because of the pure memorization involved. I also learned a valuable lesson, the test guides and home study courses frame your mind around passing the FAA test, but there is so much more to understand in the FAR/AIM.

Finally, we went over a couple test taking tips and what to expect on the exam. The test is on the computer, but you are given some charts and figures to interpret to answer questions. I was very surprised that we cannot write on the written supplements given during the exam. My CFI suggested using a blank page overlay. I am thinking of picking up some transparencies, and use a dry erase marker, you frequently need to draw lines, especially when answering questions on course planning and interpreting sectional charts. Fortunately, you can pretty much bring anything you want into the exam so long as it doesn't have any actual test questions or answers written. So that means, I can bring my flight computer, straight edges, basic calculator, scratch paper. Even the etched formulas on my flight computer is legit. Also, just like any other test taking technique, he suggested once you start the exam, before beginning, do a brain dump on a scratch piece of paper of any aides you will need later. i.e. if you memorized VFR minimums, write it down on a scratch paper so you don't have to keep it upstairs throughout the exam.

Ok then, I plan to schedule my test probably for Thursday evening, the closest test centers are over an hour away, so I have to see if I can talk them into staying a little later in the evening. I want to get this done with while all the knowledge is rolling around in my noggin, of course all the core information will need to be retained for my flight training and checkride!

UPDATE! I have scheduled my exam for Wednesday evening, July 2nd, wish me luck!

Songs I hate I love

Well, in response to my sister Lori's challenge, here is a list of songs I am embarrassed to admit I like. I am not much of a music fan anymore, I am more of a talk radio addict, so I am sure most of these songs are far outside current pop culture. I list these in order of relative "embarrassedness," the most embarrassing being last.

Anything Def Leppard did. While others were hooked on GnR and Metallica, I for some reason was a decade behind still 'pouring sugar on me.' Had to give respect to the one armed drummer.

Mother by Danzig. Old college thrash song, not terribly embarrassed, but awful taste in music. :)

Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. Had to be the catholic school uniforms in the video. Laura note that I liked this before I met you.

Informer by Snow. Ok, no teenager on the face of this earth in the early 90s couldn't help but "get jiggy with it" (my wife is rolling right now) when they heard this tune, but to this day, I find no one that can understand a full sentence in this song.

Wannabe by the Spice Girls. I couldn't hide this even if I wanted too, Laura would call me on the carpet. I think I even still have the poster I got as a gag gift in grad school.

Almost Ready!

Well, I have stuck true to my word, I have been really studying hard these past few weeks, I have completed my review of all the ground school materials in preparation for the written exam. I am also finally scoring in the 90s on my practice exams (a 70 or higher is passing), many of the answers come immediately now, usually only a very few of the questions I have to contemplate deeply. I am using multiple study guides, and reviewing all the possible test questions in the FAA examination bank. I am working to schedule a ground lesson with my instructor early next week so he can make sure I am ready for the test, and then hopefully have the test scheduled right before the holiday. I tell you what though, its been about 10 years since I was last in school, and boy am I rusty, things just don't stick as easily as they used to. I figured this would be a little bit easier, but its proving to be quite a challenge. Granted, there around about 1000 possible questions they could ask on a 60 question test, but it ranges significantly in topics from basic aerodynamics, weather, airplane systems, FAA regulations, and navigation. I suspect it will be even more challenging to learn the mechanics of flying.

Still no word on my medical, I have another message into the AME about the status of my application, its been about 2 weeks since I last checked, no return call yet. Still no rush, but it will delay my actual flying since I don't want to invest too much money in this venture without knowing for sure I can fly.

So, I expect my next post will be after my lesson with my CFI, cheers everybody!

Slow Progress

Well, only a few minor points worthy of mentioning. I got an update from the AME, and the status hasn't changed. Not much of an update, eh? Doc said the big boys from the FAA haven't called him back yet, so I am still waiting on that.

Other interesting update is that I called back the flight school and informed them of my intentions to begin flying in mid July or so with the intention of getting my written done before flying. My future flight instructor Chris was very supportive. He is going to loan me some DVDs to assist in my home study, and I plan on swinging by the FBO to pickup my ground school "kit." Another interesting tidbit is that my timing to start training in July is "fortunate", they have another instructor coming online. This new CFI will be a freshly minted instructor, so I am little nervous at that prospect, but we all have to start somewhere. Chris mentioned that should help scheduling availability immensely. However, when I mentioned training in the C152, he said I would definitely have to train with the new instructor since he weighs less. Chris said if he trained me in that plane our combined weight would only leave room for about 6 gallons of fuel. I haven't fully decided on the C152, but it certainly would save money, but eventually after I get my PPL, I think I'd prefer the C172 so why not get trained in it? I dunno, I got a month or so before that decision has to be made.

So, I am going to make a real effort these next 3 weeks to sequester myself and get through this material so I can schedule my exam during early July.

Congratulations to Marty for passing his checkride, sky's the limit!

Turn your head and cough please

Well the exam went very well. The AME was very friendly, was a pilot himself, and we had a great conversation afterwards about training in different planes. Since I didn't have a pristine medical application, he wasn't able to issue the certification on the spot. Actually the one thing on the application that I thought wasn't a big deal may drag this out a bit. I was on Paxil for a number of years, but got off it in 2006. The FAA gets all paranoid about applicants with any history of depression/anxiety. Their objection is not with any side-effects of the medicine, rather they prefer a "cover your ass" mentality and feel if you've ever had a struggle that warranted medication, you shouldn't be flying a plane. He said he personally doesn't agree with the FAAs stance on this, its ridiculous on a number of levels. If you are that disturbed enough to be suicidal, you certainly aren't going to spend the time and energy to learn to fly, just to become a kamikaze, there are a lot simpler ways to off yourself. Not to mention this is a very good medicine that has helped many people get a hold of their problems, why penalize them in this way, especially if its long since been dealt with? Anyway, he said there seems to be signs that the FAA might loosen these requirements. Until then, I get to play the paperwork game. He is checking with the regional flight surgeons if they need additional paperwork, he said its 50/50 and sometimes they let things go you'd think they'd want to know more about, and other times they send you through the paperwork maze for trivial ailments. I should find out later today or next week if I have to go back to my primary care physician and get a statement saying I am "stable" enough to fly.

Anyway, any potential delay doesn't bother me, I am still working on ground school materials, and even if this drags out for weeks, I technically don't need my medical certificate until I am ready to solo, which realistically month's away (I would guess October-ish time frame). So, I got time and I am not going to worry about this, it will get resolved soon enough.

In a somewhat related topic, the other night I was flying online, and we had a number of people in the traffic pattern which makes it a lot of fun. Somebody was able to get a screenshot, and you can see me in the pattern if you look close in the upper right. I am the one person clever enough to use my actual first name online.

This weekend, Laura and I are off to Madison to celebrate Aayla's first birthday with Jake and Ruth. Happy 1st Birthday Ayla!

My Plan - Medical and Written First!

So, what is my overall strategy? Well, from what I've read, about half of student pilots quit because they fail to pass the written exam, either because they physically fail, or they can't muster the energy to study for it they eventually give up.

But even before the written, I need to get my medical certificate out of the way. I have my FAA physical scheduled for June 6th. I started with some concerns on this, my CFI mentioned it should be a breeze given my age, unless he said "you have a heart murmur or something..." Uh-oh. In 1997, I had what I believe a hypercautious physican declare I had a heart murmur. So I went through a battery of tests including an EKG and ECG. The result was the cardiologist couldn't find a murmur, and decided to classify it as a "benign" heart murmur. I consulted a AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) and told him my situation, he said I have never been diagnosed with a real heart murmur, and hence should not indicate that on my application. The FAA tends to err on the side of extreme caution, so if you say you have a condition, they assume you have the worst kind until supporting documentation proves otherwise. That means my recent treatments for migraines and GERD will need to be substantiated, but no worries, I have the statements by my doctors that my GERD is under control and my head MRI is clear, so I should have no roadblocks left.

So, back to the written. I have been studying the material at http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/, wow the material is exceptionally complete for a free resource. After fully digesting all this material, I plan to either rent some exam prep DVDs and/or an interactive ground school endorsement service like this one. My goal is to pass my written exam by the end of June, perhaps mid July. By then, the rearrangement of some finances should be in order, and I will be ready to begin flight lessons. If not, no rush! I am in no hurry, aviation will always be there, and I am committed to getting the written portion complete before spending any more money on flight lessons.

Once complete, I plan to dedicate 6-8 flight lessons per month. I expect this to fluctuate slightly with funds availability, shifting priorities for the month, and weather restrictions. At this rate, I can expect to finish as early as 5 months, but more likely 6-8 months depending quite frankly on my aptitude for flying.

Thanks!

Lesson 1 - Discovery Flight

I hesitate to even call this a "lesson," but since my instructor signed my pilot logbook, I suppose it counts towards my 40 hrs required. Honestly, instead of this truly being a lesson, this was a test. A test to myself whether I fully mastered my fear of flying. In truth, I still have some work to do, but looking back I have come a very long way. But rather than rehash my prose on my fear of flying, let's look forward to this interesting adventure.

I finally decided to do it. I've become comfortable flying virtually with FSX on FSMP, and I recently bought airline tickets without an ill feeling, but was I ready? Well, no use paralyzed in anticipation, let's just get on with it.

I scheduled a 30 minute discovery flight with my local FBO for Tuesday, May 6th at 6:00 pm. For the days before, I was watching the weather forecasts like a hawk. I've mused at my past discomfort with turbulent flying, so I really wanted clear weather for my first foray into flight in a single engine piston propeller plane. God instead thought it as an additional trial, as I saw the weather developing for Tuesday, it looked fine for the morning, but deteriorating in the afternoon. About mid afternoon, my CFI Chris gave me a call and wondered if we could move up the flight to 5:15 pm. Due to weather (and his daughter had a soccer game that evening), he wanted to make sure we got off the flight without having to reschedule. Ok, I thought, great! we are going to be racing bad weather, not the start I was looking for.

Finally, the time came around, I raced out of work, eyeing those darkening clouds to the west. I marched myself into the lobby of the FBO, there was Chris waiting and asked... "Are you Dennis?", I replied "Yup!", he said, "Ok, let's go!" Honestly, I was anticipating some more buildup, some time to prepare myself a little more, I didn't expect to walk straight through the lobby and 40 feet directly into a Cessna 172R. I was beginning to freak out a little bit inside, and I wasn't sure if I was experiencing anxiety or excitement. As I started walking to the right side of the plane expecting to be the "passenger," Chris quickly said "Nope, you are the pilot, get yourself in on the left side." He showed me how to open the door, adjust the seat, put on my seat belt, put on my borrowed headphones. Chris explained he already did the pre-flight checklist, and did a very brief introduction to the instruments and controls.

Before, I knew it, Chris was yelling "Clear!" and we were taxing to the runway. Still a bit unnerved, we sat at the run up point short of the takeoff runway. Run up is basically when we hold the plane in place with the brakes and rev the engine, checking to make sure things like manifold pressure, temperature, and RPMs are within tolerances. He also did this check with each of the magnetos (basically spark plugs) running solo. Chris did the final pre-takeoff checklist, we taxied on the runway, and off we went down the runway. Chris explained all propeller planes have a natural tendency to turn in one direction, something I am learning about in ground school study: two I can remember off the top of my head are spiraling slipstream and by newton's laws, when the propeller turns in one direction, the airplane wants to rotate back in the opposite direction. It's amazing I was able to hear anything he was saying since as we began to lift off the ground he said "Ok, you are flying the plane!" I was what!!?? At the time I had probably the most mixed emotion, intense fear trying to overwhelm me as I looked at the departing ground beneath us, but also exciting disbelief, I said to myself two things: "What the heck are you doing up here?" and "I am really doing this, I can't believe I am really doing this!!" Despite Chris said I was flying the plane, I really didn't feel like I was in control, sure the plane rolled when I turned the yoke, and it was climbing with the back pressure I was applying, but it really felt like the plane was flying itself.

So, then Chris said, "Ok, let's head for those rain clouds." Huh!? But! Wha? He explained, when you fly long enough, you will be able to recognize dangerous weather, and it was much wiser to put ourselves between the airport and the rain storm. If we found the weather was rougher than we expected, we simply turn back to the airport. It's much smarter than letting the storm chase you away from a known landing spot! Now we practiced a few turns, which was really neat. My FSX time was prompting me to focus on the instruments instead of looking outside the plane, I have a feeling that is something I will need to work on. After some standard rate 20 deg bank turns, Chris said "Ok, this plane is capable of a lot more." I think if Chris knew me better, he probably would've know that my first discovery flight wasn't the best time to show me the performance limits of the airplane, but as I've learned, that's exactly what my flight training will be focused on. He had me do a 30 degree turn, which I did but I lost some altitude, and he showed me how to compensate with some back pressure on the yoke. Again, all these things should've been very familiar to me from FSX, but there is just too much stimulus coming at you, I forgot most of that stuff. Chris prodded, "Oh, this plane can do a lot more, do you want to try or would you like me to show you?" I timidly replied that he should take the reigns. Chris proceeded to do what seemed to be a 60 deg turn, Wow! The confidence I was building got a little eroded, its an ominous feeling looking straight down at the ground when you are turning, and the G-forces! I actually didn't know what the feeling was and I thought it might be a panic attack or something, when I groaned, Chris replied "Yep, you can feel those G-forces!" Alright, that wasn't my imagination, I was feeling something real!

About now we started hitting some rain, so we turned back toward the airport and starting descending for our first landing. We were a little high, so pitched down, wow is that an intimidating sight, seeing that ground getting closer and closer! We came in for a crosswind landing, which on a high wing plane like a Cessna requires some attention. It felt weird! We dipped our wing into crosswind, landed with the left main wheels first, then let the wind push us onto our right main wheels, then lowered the nose. Wow! But we weren't done yet, he reconfigured the plane for takeoff (adjust trim and retract flaps), and gunned the throttle again, and we were quickly back in the air. We circled to another runway that was more directly into the wind, which changed the landing signficantly, it was much easier. Without having to fight a crosswind, it was a matter of flaring to get the main gear down together first, then lower the nose gear. Chris let me tax back to the FBO hangar; the brakes, rudder, and nose wheel control are all down with pedals on the floor. I didn't have to worry too much about rudder control on this first flight, but its essential to keep your turns coordinated in the longitudinal and vertical axis planes. But I got to work the brakes and nose wheel control to steer the plane on the ground... baby steps!

So, 30 minutes of flight history are behind me. Chris explained that the next logical step would be for me to get my medical certificate. It would be a waste of money to continue to take flying lessons if I have some medical condition that would prevent me from soloing and hence bar me from getting my PPL. I bought a pilot logbook, and he signed it. I plan to put my logbook online too, watch for that shortly.

How did I get here?

Fear and anxiety has shaped too much of my life, it's amazing how a simple aspect of life, like flying, has helped me change my perspective. As I start this blog, I wanted to begin by briefly discussing how flying, family, a book, and God helped change my outlook on life.

I've had a tumultuous relationship with flying. Like most folks, I started off with a fear rooted in ignorance. In my early twenties I'd began to fly frequently enough to get comfortable. My girlfriend (future wife) was in school in Lexington, Kentucky and I was working in Green Bay, WI, so I was getting accustomed to a monthly flight to visit her. It was right about that time, circa 1999, I was seriously considered going for my private pilot's license. Since I was just starting out, cost was a significant deterrent, which delayed my entry. Shortly thereafter, a routine flight through rough weather was all it took to dash my budding interest.

I recall taking a turboprop flight from Detroit, MI to Green Bay, WI. It was an extraordinarily turbulent flight through a thunderstorm, with deep drops and lifts. Now, I am sure everything was completely safe, but it was the first time I'd witnessed the captain order the flight attendants to their seats, they stayed there for the rest of the flight. For some reason, that flight really freaked me out, and I would struggle with any kind of flying for almost 10 years. So much so, I begin to experience panic attacks while flying through any light turbulence. I begun to worry that my worked up state might trigger a more serious medical problem, so my doctor prescribed Alprazolam to calm me down. Despite the effectiveness of the drug, I know I was still inhibiting my family's ability to travel because I would look for any reason or excuse not to fly. My wife and extended family were very supportive, but I couldn't help but feel I was letting them down. I couldn't even conceive why I ever wanted to get my private pilot's license. Despite the overwhelming statistical facts supporting that commercial flight is simply the safest means of travel, I was still convinced that they were death traps and the moment I stepped onto a plane I was destined to die in a fiery crash.

I know a real cheery thought, heh? So, how did I snap out of this? To be honest, it still takes work, because I've found part of my problem is inherent in my personality. For those that know me well, they know I am a very logical and intellectual person, but this is also was my weakness. Despite my best arguments to myself, I would find myself constantly obsessing over those minute, tiny chances in life. This heavily influenced my perspective on flying. Instead of being comfortable in the huge majority of thousands of flights that operate safely everyday, I was dwelling on those freak accidents.

It was no accident that this obsessive thinking coincided with, what I would call, a deterioration of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Whoa!? I just threw you a curve ball, didn't I? What in the world does faith have to do with flying? Well, I understand that almost all of us have a fear of death, it varies in degrees between us, but for most its there, no matter what religion or creed you subscribe to. Ultimately its a fear of the unknown. I am no exception, in fact, at times in my life, I would be up there with those that had an almost debilitating fear of death. For most of my childhood and early adult life, I had that fear, but I managed it well because I thought of it like this.... "If there is a God (hopefully the one I worship), I would take solace that deep down I know I am good person and try my best to do what is right. I would fail a lot, but I would keep trying to do my best. Now, if there wasn't a God, and after death there was ... nothing ... then I suppose I would be in the same position as the rest of all humanity. From the greatest among us, we are all a temporary spec on this vast expansive universe."

Although the latter was still a very scary thought, I found some comfort in that I still wouldn't be alone, I would experience the "nothingness" with all of the rest of world. What I found that, although that approach had its roots in logic, when tested it utterly failed. Whenever I was hurting, I found myself instead of turning to God, I turned to nothing. Sure, I still prayed for help from God, but I let the fear of this "nothingness" overwhelm me, which sapped any comfort my faith would provide.

It was at this point in my life, I experienced my first true providential miracle of God's love. My wife Laura teaches collegiate mathematics, out of the blue she had a student one day hand her a book. He explained his dad wrote it and was giving away some copies, why in the world this student decided to give her this book, I have no idea, but the book was titled "In Search of God", by Warren Henderson. She brought it home, knowing my current struggles with faith and anxiety, she said "a student of mine gave me this, I think you should read it." Not knowing anything about the book, she gave it to me. In a nutshell, this book explored the convincing evidence of God. Now, the book is brutally honest and fair by admitting we will never be able to prove God's existence, nor was it a deep theological examination of the Bible. Rather, it went through some of the common sense arguments that had eluded me for so many years. This exposition was exactly what an obsessive, intellectual person needed to help convince him of not only the scientific plausibility of God, but to return to my church and rebuild the foundation of my faith. I am convinced, that only through God's intervention that a book of this subject managed to find its way into the hands of somebody who truly needed a course correction in life.

Matthew 6:27 "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. "

Although with this perspective, I have been able to rebuild my faith and find a happiness I didn't know was missing, I still had this fear of flying. It did help immensely to surrender my fears and anxiety to Jesus, but I still wanted to be comfortable flying.

Flash forward to a trip to see my brother Bryan and his wife Jackie in Savannah, GA. My brother also felt uncomfortable on flights, I wouldn't go so far to say he had the kind of fears I had, but he'd rather his two feet on the ground. He explained and showed me how he was able to address his fears. He played Microsoft Flight Simulator X! My brother told me how he got over his discomfort of flying by becoming a virtual aviator and familiarizing himself with the realities of flight: the sights, sounds, procedures, redundancies, etc. Admittedly, FSX is obviously not the same as actual flying, but it gave him knowledge that really helped him gain confidence in the safety of modern aviation. So with his encouragement, I bought a copy of FSX and soon thereafter began to fly on FS-MP. FS-MP is an online flying community that provides a REALISTIC flying and Controlling environment. They have coordinated flights with manned ATC to provide a darn close simulation of flying and interacting with Air Traffic Control. They have many real life air traffic controllers and pilots that fly and help create a very realistic experience. They are really a bunch of top-notch folks who really welcome anybody willing to put forth the earnest effort in learning to fly in a complex environment.

Suddenly things weren't so scary anymore, and I decided to put my fear to the ultimate test and go up in a Cessna 172 with a CFI. I can't say I wasn't nervous, in fact for a few moments I was still quite scared, but soon that turned to a calmed excitement (and slight disbelief, I remember at one point asking myself: Dennis! What the heck are you doing up here!?).

I document my discovery flight experience in another posting, but I wanted to extend my sincere thanks to all in the FS-MP community. Even if I never take another flight lesson, the experiences and fun had at FS-MP has helped me tackle a lifelong fear, and that has truly been invaluable. I am also indebted to my brother, Bryan. You've managed to provide a shinning example of determination and courage, thank you.

So, it is through faith, community, and family I am strong enough to break through my fear. Now the realities of modern day insurance and fuel costs make learning to fly a not-so-cheap challenge, consequently, I am not going to a school for two weeks and coming back a pilot. Through some rearrangement of finances and a few small sacrifices, I am able to free up enough money to take 6-8 lessons a month, which means it should take me about 6 months to finish. And if life throws us another curve ball and I have to put flying on hold, I will have the satisfaction that I tried flying, and I am rid of my fear.

Another important note, I have no desire to become a career pilot. Although I have read many stories of career changes in their 30s & 40s ditching their jobs to pursue a dream of flying everyday, the lifestyle is just not for me. If being away from home constantly wasn't enough to scare me, the prospect of having to sink $40-70K into training at the hopes of landing a first officer position at a regional airline paying $18K/year is more than enough deterrence. I sincerely respect those that have the courage to make such a drastic move to pursue their dreams, but I'd rather not sacrifice my plan to retire in my early 50s and enjoy life with my family.

So, please stay tuned, this should be an interesting ride. I plan to document each of my lessons to share with my friends and family and to reinforce my own learning. I hope to include as many pictures and details as I can.

Deuteronomy 31:8 "God is striding ahead of you. He's right there with you. He won't let you down; he won't leave you. Don't be intimidated. Don't worry."