Formation Flying Clinic 2013, Day 1

If you have been reading a while, you may remember me blogging my last trip to Pagosa Springs for the 2012 Formation Flying Clinic.  It is seriously and understandably, a mandatory clinic for those wishing to join the "Bonanzas to Oshkosh" flight in July.

You missed my first foray into aviation event "show and tell"?  Catch up with these posts:
Formation Flying Clinic Day 1, 2012
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 2: Flight 1
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 1: Flight 2
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 2: Flight 3
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Safety Class
Formation Flying Clinic 2012, Day 3

And of course:   Bonanzas to Oshkosh 2012

Then take another walk on the wild side with me as I recount the Pagosa Springs Formation Flying Clinic of 2013.

Not surprisingly, I had been saving my first weekend off in six months, specifically for this.  Anticipation and excitement built over several months as Mark and I registered, then sorted details of transportation and lodging, and exchanged emails with organizer Jim Lane and a few other familiar names from last year.

The day had finally arrived, and although I was gimping along with a broken foot, I knew Mark would let me take control of 303B from the right seat for some of the mountain flying.  Longmont (KLMO) to Pagosa Springs, Stevens Field (KPSO) takes just over 90 minutes.  Its not a straight line flight as you can imagine and I have always enjoyed mountain flying on a clear morning when the air is still smooth.

My flight plan was KLMO-LARKS-GORJE-LUISS-KPSO.  For the most part it gave us plenty of time to gain altitude while flying south down the Front Range, before heading south-west into the mountains.  Staying no higher than about 12,000' and taking oxygen almost immediately was my best chance at avoiding altitude induced symptoms that I seem particularly partial to.

Not to far from here lies my wee house...   Lucky girl, huh?

Does life get any better than smooth flying over saddles and around peaks, marveling at those delightfully green crop circles in dry valleys, observing the Great Sand Dunes, following meandering rivers and dropping dramatically into Pagosa Springs to the sound of formation pilots on your frequency?  Well, ok.... perhaps if I was completing the landing, like last year... But rudders and brakes require a working right foot and I conceded that handing back control to Mark when 10 miles out, was the right thing to do.

Pagosa Springs is still gorgeous from the right seat, after all.  :-)

Landing runway 19, we taxied to the end and took Bravo taxiway to the east side of the runway and to Jim and Sheila Lane's hangar.  Sweet memories were already flooding back and Boulder was now far, far away.  Dallice had hit vacation mode!

We were greeted by warm familiar faces, some not unexpected (and good natured) ribbing and of course immediate plans to get up in the air.  Yes, the first briefing had begun and just like in 2012 that warm weather was threatening a bumpy flight if we left it any later to depart.

Flight One:
Mark and Tim took to the skies in V-Tail formation for a 40 minute flight.  The promise of lunch hung in the air... as did the threat of a summer storm.

Tim's take-off roll

It takes all the concentration in the world for a wingman to match the lead and stay in position during take-off.

Airborne and casting the most magical airplane shadow on the runway.

Getting ready for gear to go up as we leave the runway together.

Positioned nicely.  I can still see him concentrating.  Good man.  

Maneuvering together, making formation flying appear easy.

The clouds start to build

Pilots are the exact opposite of storm chasers!

Just in the nick of time, aircraft were parked, chocked and pilots took cover at Jim and Sheila's hangar.
What sounded at first like hail, turned out to be big mean rain drops shed by a vicious but non-lasting storm.  Wind ripped around us as we tucked into our first delicious meal together.

The stories began (and never stopped) and smiles abounded.

Then it was nap time :-)
The afternoon gave way to air conditioned hotel rooms and a chance for me to review photos.   The first slide show would appear over dinner.

Flying was done for the day, but plans for an early start tomorrow were already formulated.

A Journey of a Thousand Steps...

When people come to me, ready and able to buy real estate... but unsure of the process and nervous of the commitment, I tell them this:

Buying or Selling real estate can be an intimidating process.  My job is to break the process down into a series of small steps. Each step is manageable and none of them is a surprise. We turn a seemingly overwhelming event into a guided, low-stress journey down a well worn path.  Of course it's hard work... but it's also fun and worth it.

Manitou Incline.  Less than a mile, but a 2000' elevation gain.  A series of small steps!
Photo courtesy of Bill Dayton

Learning to fly has been like this, for me.  As the saying goes..."How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."

Remembering back to Day 1, I thought pre-flighting the plane was overwhelming.  Its called a what?  What is that for again?  What should I checking for?

Then I got INTO the airplane.... Oh dear!  So many instruments, knobs, and levers.  Forget knowing what they do and when to use them, just show me which ones not to touch so the plane doesn't crash!

My instructor, Mark Mantei, applies the same "principle of small bites", to learning to fly, that I do to real estate.  Did he let me take off at my first lesson?  Nooo.  We began with straight and level flight, then shallow turns and other basic maneuvers.   Once I was almost comfortable with something, we added another skill.  Soon, I was learning take-offs and talking on the radio.

Then came landings... they took a bit longer.  There was one day when I watched Mark's face, perplexed, after my less-than-elegant landing and actually asked him what he was thinking.  He replied honestly. "Why doesn't she get it?"

But I did eventually "get it", and like a fledgling, the day came to leave the nest. With a little push, I was on my own.

Solo.  Another step along the road.  An accomplishment for me and an accomplishment for my instructor too.

For the next 8 months, I flew mostly solo.  Sometimes just to play in the sky, other times, to complete student pilot flying requirements.





The small steps were adding up and Mark was under the impression I was almost ready for my check-ride.  Another little push... a little further from the nest.

Ok... it was a big step and required a big push!

Not only was Mark asking me every day, if I had booked my check-ride, but he made sure to ask in front of other people at Air West.  Crap!  Peer pressure!  An old, but effective tool.  Very soon Mark had Larry, Lori, Cody and many more, also asking me when I was going to sit my check-ride.

In all honesty, I recognize that without the support and encouragement of my friends at Air West, I might still be flying solo... a "forever student".  I could not ask for a better team and learning environment.

But mostly, there were two men who were instrumental from start to finish...

Osman, who took one look at my bucket list and arranged my first flying lesson.  He found me an instructor that would understand me and he turned a blind eye to the hole I was putting in our joint bank account.  Osman covered me at work and listened to my aviation ramblings for over a year before I was officially a pilot... then he dared to be my first passenger!
(I only hope I can be as useful when it's his turn to learn to fly.)

And Mark.  The CFI that was able to take me, a girl challenged by math and physics, and turn her into someone who could convince a FAA examiner that she was good enough to have earned a private pilot license.  I swear, no bribery involved!  All it took was 45+ hours of Mark flying with me, hundreds of hours explaining stuff online with me, the patience of a saint and the ears of a seasoned therapist!
(My conclusion... CFI's don't get paid enough and must be in it for the love of teaching and flying.)

Check-ride Checklist

In my opinion, one can never be too organized. Why risk this Oscar situation?!

Photo by fractalznet

For your organizational pleasure, This is my tailored version of a list that Jeppeson suggested in its Private Pilot Practical Test Standards booklet.

AIRCRAFT

• Aircraft Documents:
• Airworthiness Certificate
• Registration Certificate
• Operating Limitations
• Aircraft Maintenance Records:
• Logbook Record of Airworthiness Inspections and AD Compliance
• Weight and Balance
• Pilot’s Operating Handbook, FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual

PERSONAL RECORDS

• Identification—Current Photo/Signature ID issued by a US or Foreign government
• agency.
• Pilot Certificate
• Current Medical Certificate (any class is OK for any checkride)
• IACRA number/login
• Computer Knowledge Test Report (original)
• Pilot Logbook with appropriate Instructor Endorsements
• Examiner’s Fee

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

• View-Limiting Device
• Current Aeronautical Charts
• Computer and Plotter
• Flight Plan Form
• Weather Briefing Print-out -DUATS
• Current AIM, Airport Facility Directory, and Appropriate publications
• Headset
• Timer/Watch
• Pen/Pencil/Highlighter
• Knee board
• Spare paper
• Pink notebook (plan B)
• Sunglasses
• Flight books
• Snack/Drink

I can honestly say I used it, both for the mock check-ride and the real thing. As pilots we have been trained to follow checklists and not rely on memory. There is a reason for this! Nobody wants to get to the exam only to find they left their foggles at home, or perhaps more of a problem, forgot the examiners fee. Oops!