Life In Flight Levels

"The moment you leave the ground is the moment at which you become alive again." Corporate pilot and Freelance Flight Instructor. I like planes and oddball station wagons.

[sasquatch0777]

One of my favorite overnight spots.

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Guys, I forgot how to tumblr.  I’m sorry.

So here is this photo I took from 410.  I know it doesn’t make it any better, but it might be worth something.

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Oh yeah guys, meet Amelia - my new best friend. She's been here for a couple months but I'm terrible at updating you all.

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This is my "I didn't wreck it" face.

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Over 100 hours spent in this airplane now, and she still finds new and exciting ways to teach me that I'm not hot shit. Which is good because I need those kinds of women in my life.

[popmech]

In a recent survey of airline pilots, those operating Boeing 777s reported that they spent just seven minutes manually piloting their planes during the typical flight. Pilots operating Airbus planes spent half that time.

Planes Without Pilots » New York Times (via popmech)

In the past 4 months I’ve shot probably 20 instrument approaches. Maybe three of them were hand-flown. Made it a point today to fly one with raw data - no autopilot, no flight director, while I had a second pilot on board.

Modern automation technology makes aviation safer, but pilots still need to be able to do it on their own. It’s amazing how quickly perishable piloting skills are, and though my approach today went well, I want to continue polishing… Not just to make things more shiny, but to keep the rust away.

Here’s to raw data and stick and rudder skills...

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Seven passengers plus a really humid day = foggy windscreen. At least now I can say I've had to turn the windscreen heat to "high".

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Pretty girl. She's biting me on landings today though. Wonder what I did.

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Ready for her closeup. Annual complete with a clean bill of health and some freshly shined boots.

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Couldn’t resist, she looked too pretty to not take a picture before our departure this morning.

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Ice, ice, baby.

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This airplane is officially my new best friend.

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Dear Tumblr,

I apologize for not keeping you updated like I promised. The last few months have been a whirlwind of activity and I now have a new job (unexpectedly). And bought a house (unexpectedly). And moved (unexpectedly). And did I mention a new job?

A new job with a shiny new chariot. See above.

(Words words words words shiny airplane excitement)

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Yesterday was pretty awesome.

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Sometimes aviation grates on your nerves. The never ending pursuit of hours, the money it takes to get those hours, the miniscule income of a CFI... But every once in a while, you're completely fulfilled. Today we took four planes and helped over 140 Boy Scouts get their first airplane ride, and on the way home, we raced in the most comically slow air race ever devised, with a gorgeous sunset forming in the background.

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Had another student pass her Commercial checkride the other day. Congrats Summer!

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I like taking pictures on all my flights. Maybe someday when I'm gone my grandkids will find them with my logbooks.