EAA - Experimental Aircraft Association AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH :: EAA StoreEAA STORE :: JOIN :: MEMBER LOGIN  
 
Infinite Menus, Copyright 2006, OpenCube Inc. All Rights Reserved.









Earning My Wings:

a video blog about learning to fly


Hours flown: 34.7
Days since I started: 390
Cost to date: 5,157.60


*price includes ground instruction, flight instruction, books and supplies
About
This video blog is an ongoing, live journal of my experience learning to fly. As I earn my sport pilot certificate, I will share the entire training experience with you—the ups and downs and everything in between. I will be posting videos from each flight and invite you to ask questions and write comments. read more…
Recent Posts
License to Learn
My First Passenger
Checkride: Passed!
I'm a Pilot!
Flight 31-32: Final Review for Checkride
Tough Decisions
Oshkosh Tower visit
Flight 30: Solo Review
Flight 29: Practicing Short, Soft Field Landings
Flight 28: Feeling the Heat
Flight 27: Solo Landings & Heavy Traffic
Flight 26: 1st Solo Cross-Country
Flight 25: 2nd Solo
Flight 24: On the Numbers
Flight 23: Class C Airspace
Schedules and Spring Showers
Flight 22: Short, Soft Field Landings
At the End of Taxiway Alpha
Flight 21: First Cross-Country
Flight 20: Practice, Practice, Practice
Flight 19: Crosswind Workout
Flight 18: Stalls, Slow Flight and Landings
Flight 17: Back in the Air
Just For Fun
A Thorough Look-Over
Good News!
Recording in-flight video
Under the wing of the B-17
Written Test: PASSED!
Read, Study, Sleep
Flight 16: Making Good Decisions
Flight 15: 1st SOLO
Flight 14: Gaining Confidence
A different point of view
Flight 13: Landings
Flight 12: Back in the air
What's it like to solo?
Studying
Flight 11: The Learning Plateau
Flight 10: Stalls & Crosswind Landings
Flight 09: More Landings
I'm Official!
Flight 08: Landings
Flight 07: Practicing Emergencies
The Wonders of Weather Watching
Flight 06: Talking to the Tower
Flight 05: Ground Reference Maneuvers
Flight 04: Stalls, stalls & more stalls
Flight 03: Stalls, steep turns, slow flight
Safety Seminar
Flight 02: steep turns, slow flight
It's not a do-list, it's a checklist
Flight 01: First flight!
In the Remos G3-600
First day of school
Waiting...actively waiting
I have an instructor!
Selecting an instructor
Getting started
About this video blog
I'm going to learn to fly!!

Thursday, April 16
By Brady Lane at 8:00 AM     
Flight log to date  Hours flown: 19.0  |  Days since I started: 184  | Cost: $3,169.30  

I love that every flight is different.  This time, we didn't have strong winds to contend with but instead several flocks of geese flying above the runway on takeoff.

We managed to navigate around them without a problem then proceeded to do seven touch and go's. 

This was one of those lessons I was fired up afterward because it felt so good to be flying and landing all by myself again.

note:  You may notice the scenery in my webcam is different in this video.  That's because I'm down in Lakeland, FL this week for Sun 'n Fun.  We squeezed in one last flight lesson before I left Oshkosh but wasn't able to post it until I arrived down here.  If any of you are at Sun 'n Fun this week, be sure to stop by the EAA booth - I'd love to meet you.


22 comments: View - Post your own comment


Friday, April 10
By Brady Lane at 1:00 PM     
Flight log to date  Hours flown: 18.0  |  Days since I started: 178  | Cost: $3,034.30  

Today we had a crosswind component of about 6-9 knots (gusting 12-14) and that was enough to give me a good workout.

I heard Jason say, "Aileron into, rudder away" about 600 times today.  It started to sink in and I started to enjoy the challenge of the crosswind.

Toward the end, the wind picked up a little more and I started getting tired, so you'll want to buckle your seat belt before watching the last two landings.  I learned you really have to be sharp and on top of your game when handling a crosswind. 

Flying five to six crosswind approaches is exhausting, but there will be times that I'm going to come back from a two hour flight and have to land in a crosswind when I'm tired.   So, I'm thankful for this training.

I've learned to respect the crosswind - but also enjoy the challenge.  I'm sure as I get better at landing in crosswinds, all my landings will improve.


14 comments: View - Post your own comment


Wednesday, April 08
By Brady Lane at 10:00 AM     
Flight log to date  Hours flown: 17.1  |  Days since I started: 176  | Cost: $2,912.80  

It's coming back to me!

Today we practiced slow flight, stalls, an emergency, then came back in for a few touch and go's.  The last two landings felt great!

In the video I mention that Jason and I are going to try to fly to Iola on Friday for a lunch fly-in and encouraged you to also find something like this to fly to - just for fun.  Flight training requires a lot of work and concentration, so don't forget to have fun. 

You can search EAA's calendar of events for something in your area.  Or, even better, plan a trip with your instructor to Oshkosh this summer for AirVenture.  If you've never been before, I can't even describe to you what a treat you're in for.  As far as you can see...airplanes...surrounded by hundreds of thousands of pilots and people who love aviation.  And if you want, you can camp under the wing of your plane.  There's air shows, workshops, forums...it's truly incredible.


11 comments: View - Post your own comment


Thursday, April 02
By Brady Lane at 11:00 AM     
Flight log to date  Hours flown: 16.0  |  Days since I started: 170  | Cost: $2,763.20  

After two months of being on the ground, I can't tell you how good it feels to get back in the air!  There's no doubt the aviation bug has bit me.

I was surprised with how natural everything felt in the plane.  I wasn't expecting that.  Thanks to your comments and suggestions on previous posts I learned that doing mental exercises - going over flights in your mind - really does help keep you sharp if you're not able to fly.  Once I was back in the plane, all the controls felt just like I remembered. 

As you'll see in the video, though, my landings are going to take a little work to smooth out again, but I'm sure I'll get it.   As Jason says, I have all the pieces, now we just have to put them back together again.

Hopefully I'll never have to take two months away from flying again, but if I do, I now know what to expect.  And I'm definitely glad Jason was there in the right seat on those landings.

Even with the bad landings, it's good to be back flying again!  I look forward to your comments and feedback.

 


13 comments: View - Post your own comment


Copyright © 2008 EAA Advertise With EAA :: About EAA :: History :: Careers :: Annual Report :: Contact Us :: Disclaimer/Privacy :: Site Map