Today’s flight was incredible!
After takeoff and climbing to 3500 ft, we practiced steep turns, this time trying to hold altitude. (Last time, I’m pretty sure I was all over the map). I was able to keep it within +/- 50 ft.
I then tried my hand at slow flight. I didn’t think this would be that much fun, but coordinating all the controls to perform in harmony was a fun challenge and I really enjoyed keeping us in the air at 50 mph.
Then came the really exciting action—stalls. After reading my homework, I discovered there are numerous kinds of stalls. This was new to me. Until now, I thought a stall was a stall. We practiced power off and power on stalls this time.
The best part of the flight for me was the landing. For the first time, I felt like I actually understood everything that was going on. Jason corrected for a slight crosswind (aileron in, rudder away), but let me do everything else. Wow!
It was a thrilling experience knowing I did 95% of the landing. It wasn’t as smooth as our previous landings that Jason did, but I did it and it worked!
Posted by Ernest @ 05:25 PM, November 01 Brady - Congratulations on your first stall recoveries and your first hands-on landing. I still find I have to remind myself to breath, but looks like your doing great from my back seat view. I'm a big fan and still behind you all the way... and enjoying each one of your posts...
Posted by Pat @ 09:34 PM, November 01 HI Brady,I am Jason's Aunt Pat. I am enjoying your video diary of learning to fly.It sure looks like you are having fun. Nice to also be able to see Jason in action.I am looking forword to additional videos. Enjoy, Pat
Posted by Pam @ 11:28 PM, November 01 Brady, I'm so proud of you and all you've accomplished! (Okay, that's the JMC secretary in me!) I just think you've got a cool job! I hope that the flying goes well. It's also good to hear your voice again. Cheers!
Posted by Ron @ 12:14 AM, November 02 Brady, It is very encouraging to see you doing so much so soon in your flight training. Landing the plane on your third flight! I bet you didn't see that one coming. Keep up the great work, you really are serving as a great ambassador for would-be pilots like me.
Posted by Jessica @ 07:37 PM, November 02 Brady,I was so excited when I found out about this video blog. I'm hoping to start lessons next Spring and this is helping to make me feel less intimidated by the whole process. Until then, I've been reading thing like the Private Pilot Test Prep, so my question to you is...Did you find that it was beneficial to have read the private pilot manual prior to starting your lessons?
Posted by Roger - Pasco, Washington @ 07:43 PM, November 02 Just passed my sport pilot check ride last Friday, all I can tell you is have fun and keep going even when you have second thoughts. Its great fun.
Posted by Brady Lane @ 09:47 AM, November 03 Ernest, Pat, Pam— thanks for your comments and your encouraging words.Ron— you're right, I wasn't expecting so much in just three lessons. This last lesson, it just clicked though. I hope it continues to "click."Jessica— so far the book I've spent the most time reading is the FAA Airplane Flying Handbook. I found when I have read about a maneuver ahead of time, it makes a lot more sense when we're in the plane. I'm sure the more you read, the quicker you'll understand what's happening in flight. I wish I would've started reading months ahead of time like you are. You are already doing all the right things, so I'm sure you'll be an ace in the air. Let us know when you start!Roger— Congratulations!! That is awesome. As I work my way forward be sure to drop me comments and feedback. I'd love to hear about your experience—especially what your checkride was like. Again, congrats on your certificate. Enjoy the skies!
Posted by laurie @ 08:43 PM, November 26 Only having one lesson myself and NOT feeling safe on my turns, My stumach was fluttering while you went through the stall manouvers.Can't wait to get more hours in!
Posted by Marty @ 01:56 PM, November 30 WOW! This brings back sooo many memories. I'M 57 years old now. I had my license by the time I was 17,but I haven't flown since I was 30. This website is an inspiration for me to commit myself to resurrecting my birdman status next spring. You are doing so much for wannabe pilots...keep up the great work. I can't wait to see your solo!
Posted by John rivera @ 07:54 PM, November 30 WOW That is cool how you are doing this especially for all of us want to bees.Ive always wanted to fly and never had the time but next spring I will.I almost felt like i was in the back seat.What books should I start reading? Excellent video. great inspiration to us newbies. Thanks
I'm currently in Allegan, MI where Jason and I attended my first aviation seminar last night. Fred Abrams of Abrams Aviation presented "178 Seconds to Live." (about why VFR pilots should avoid instrument weather conditions).These seminars are great opportunities for all pilots—especially student pilots.Not only did I learn more about safe piloting, I also enjoyed having an excuse to get together with other pilots. Being a student pilot, it's great to just listen to other pilots talk with each other.EAA has an online calendar that would be worth searching to see if there are any seminars like this near you.
Posted by John Kenn @ 02:19 PM, October 30 I am enjoying this adventure with you. Thanks for doing a wonderful job. Keep it up and I look forward is viewing what lies ahead.
Posted by Gary Jones @ 08:07 PM, October 30 Just found this site, from EAA hotline... keep up the good work.I had proposed a similar idea to a flying Mag when I learned in 1978...I will watch your progress with interest.Gary
Posted by John Werner @ 09:58 AM, October 31 I am just getting reading to take my checkride, and watching your videos brought back wonderful memories of my journey towarss becoming a pilot. I will watch your progress anxiously each week. I live in Oconomowoc so maybe we can fly together some day!! Good Luck!!!
Posted by Brady Lane @ 04:19 PM, October 31 Thanks for your comments. I'm having a blast learning so far, and have found that editing the videos is helping me review what we talked about. John, have fun on your checkride and good luck!
Posted by Paul Aseltine @ 03:11 PM, November 01 Hi Brady.We met @ the Allegan Safety Seminar. I was really excited to see your enthusiasm about aviation. You will get a lot of advise from different people. Before you try anything, talk to your instructor about those subjects and customize the advises to fit what will work for you. Your videos and comments from you and your instructor were very impressive. One comment I heard from you, I think on your second flight, that landings were intimidating. What helped me a lot, and I think I heard your instructor say it, while landing yor are costantly making corrections. The key to corrections is that they HAVE TO BE MADE in a SUTTLE/SMALL/SMOOTH way. You will at one point get where you are hitting a wall and can't get past it => this is normal. Don't ever give up on your deam to fly when this happens. I can't tell the feeling when you will have your solo flight. Good luck in your endavor! Paul Aseltine
Posted by Brady Lane @ 09:53 AM, November 03 Paul- good to hear from you. Thanks for your advice about landings. Like most student pilots, I appreciate all the advice I can get.
Today's flight was fun—especially the steep turns. Banking at 45 degrees is quite the sensation!Strangely enough, I also enjoyed taxiing and taking off. These are the two areas where I am already beginning to feel more comfortable. (I honestly thought it would take a little longer to get used to steering with my feet.)Jason then introduced me to slow flight (AKA sloppy flight). I'll get a chance to practice it next time. It's quite the contrast going 50 mph right after doing steep turns at 90 mph. The wind gusts also really toss you around when you're going slow.Landing is still quite intimidating. We had a crosswind to contend with this time, so it felt like we were doing a million and one things simultaneously—instead of just a million. As always, Jason made it look easy. Before our next flight I'm going to spend some time reading on stalls and will probably meet with Jason for a ground session.
Posted by Ernest @ 10:25 PM, October 28 WOW! Brady, thanks for sharing this with us... Your excitement and thoroughness is contagious. Jason seems like a very supportive and gifted instructor... good choice. And thanks to EAA for sponsoring this blog. From a person who like Brady always wanted to get his license but never did, this is really exciting. I felt like I was actually sitting behind you two in the plane... I even realized I was holding my breath a few times, and I shared your excitement, along with the butterflies. I look forward to future updates. The added info of your flight time, elapsed training time, and cost is also great information in your blog design. This has to be the next best thing to actually taking lessons myself... and maybe someday I will... Thanks Again!
Posted by John Craparo @ 01:17 PM, October 29 This is a great idea and I do hope it attracts new students. Lots of them! Let's call it a Sport Pilot "Certificate". Dogs and software are licensed, pilots are certified. Thanks!
Posted by Nick Leggett @ 01:38 PM, October 29 Hello, Keep working at it and having fun. Learning to fly is a great experience.
Posted by Chris P @ 08:58 PM, October 29 Hey Brady !I'm really glad to see you and the EAA doing this blog . I'm actually preparing to go back to flying myself . I was taking lessons for my private lic. about 10 yrs ago..... I had to give it up after my first child was born ( couldn't afford it anymore ). Now , 2 children and 10 yrs later , I'm ready to continue . I really would like to thank the ALL of the folks at EAA for their hard work on sport pilot . All of your hard work has , and is going to , make the dream of flight much more attainable for a lot of people....including me . I too have been hitting the books ( so to speak ). I bought the KING SCHOOLS get - it- all sport pilot course at AIRVENTURE 2 yrs. ago . I've spent the last few weekends watching the videos.......I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone . I'm really looking forward to following your progress . Chris P.
Posted by Leigh Ann @ 10:25 PM, October 29 I'm hooked on your blog !! Thanks for letting me go along for the ride.
Posted by Charles Luzze @ 07:31 AM, October 30 Great video. I'm a student too, now practicing stalls and spins in a Citabria (over the ocean off MA). I would love to video these maneuvers from the cockpit, with voice, like you are doing. Can you explain what video components you use (brand, model, etc) and how you have them hooked up? Thanks!
Posted by Brady Lane @ 04:47 PM, October 31 Charles—spins in a Citabria sound fun. As far as recording equipment, I am using two lipstick cams from raceoptics.com that record to a DVR. To record audio I am plugging a Edirol R-09 into the intercom then syncing it all together later in Final Cut Pro. There are an assortment of helmet cam manufacturers out there though, so shop around and let me know what you decide on. Chris P.— I am also grateful for all the people that worked so hard to create the sport pilot ruling. Best of luck to you as you return to the skies. Are you gonna be going for a sport pilot certificate?
Posted by Chris P. @ 10:10 PM, November 02 Hi Brady , I just watched the slow flight...stalls post . I'm smiling from ear to ear ....LOL , it looks like fun ! Yes , I am going to start with my Sport pilot cert....ultimately I want to earn my Sport Pilot CFI . I too am here in Oshkosh , so I assume and hope , we'll cross paths sooner or later .
Posted by Val B @ 01:16 AM, November 06 Thank you Brady! You have brought back many wonderful memories for me. I hope to go back soon as it, too, has been many years since I was learning. Keep up the info as I know there is a pilot in all of us!
Posted by Chris Hagen @ 11:28 AM, September 05 Hi Brady, This is Chris, we met at Airventure... I am the one who told you how your video blog inspired me to take lessons and I was at you seminar... Well... I did my first solo today and it was AWESOME!!! That is the only word I can think of to describe it besides AWESOME, well worth the time, effort, and money. My instructor told me the other day I was close but made it sound like Tuesday of next week was the day. Even this morning in the plane he was telling me probably my next flight will be solo. So I did a few flawless power off landings and he told me to pull on the ramp... My stomach hit the floor! It was such a great feeling of accomplishment the first time I landed... I just wanted to keep you updated and thank you again for your inspiration. I am going to try to get a link to your video blog on the airport website and also post a link on my website. WOW! I did it!!! Thanks again I'll keep you updated on my progress... Hope you and your family are well.
Using a checklist is a great thing!I found it gives me confidence knowing I've looked the plane over and made sure we are ready to fly. As a student pilot it is also helping me learn the aircraft and where all the controls are located (i.e. fuel pump, parking brake, etc.)Eventually the items on the checklist will flow more naturally and truly be a check-list, but right now, I'm still taking it line by line (more as a do-list). I'll get there though.Here's the checklist we are using (click to open PDF)...
Posted by John Kenn @ 02:15 PM, October 30 Thanks for the explanation of the difference between a checklist and a golist.
Posted by Aircrafts Design Center @ 12:17 PM, November 06 www.aircrafts-design-center.net
Posted by Henry Hurd EAA #180931 @ 04:28 PM, November 07 Thank goodnes Brady is taught FULL stalls, not like recent 'custom' of teaching only incipient stall points. I believe that is the only way to REALLY KNOW the feeling!
Posted by ray ekberg @ 03:03 PM, May 14 I found your page on flying. I founding it very exciting because that is just I am doing righ now. First I wont you to know that I too always wanted to fly since I was 17yr and I joined the Airforce and I never did except I am now 75 yrs old. And I am now finaly doing it..I have taken one check ride to see if I liked it,and the next time I will take over the controls and make some turns. I'll let you know how I make out Ray 5-14-09
I have one hour in the logbook!
Jason let me take the controls for the whole flight (except landing). When he told me I was going to do most the flying, my eyebrows raised and I gave him the “Are you sure about this?” look. It was a blast though! Here are some of the things we did... Taxi — using rudder to steer took a few minutes getting used toTakeoff — as soon as we had full throttle, the plane jumped off the runway. It’s an amazing feeling!Holding Altitude/Climbs/Descents — it felt like we were level when we were climbing. And when we were actually level, it felt like our nose was pointed way down. Hopefully, the more time I spend in the plane the better feel I’ll get for this.Turns — these are fun! You can really feel the controls of the plane in a turn.Traffic pattern — this made sense when he explained it, but actually doing it was a little more complicated. I’m glad we practiced it away from the airport first. This is another thing I hope will become easier the more I practice it.Landing — Jason took the controls here and made it look easy. There are so many things happening at once – watching altitude, speed, working the throttle, the stick, the rudder, and also communicating with the tower. WOW. Landing seems a little overwhelming right now.When we landed, I was extremely excited as well as exhausted. If I had to wrap up the whole flight it would be — information overload, but I DID IT! There is plenty to learn in coming weeks but now I know it is achievable. It is within reach and doable. Just to feel the controls at work is an incredible feeling!
Posted by Dan Johnson @ 11:56 AM, October 23 Congratulation Jason. Exciting to watch and see it happening as you did. **DanASA
Posted by Ron @ 10:41 AM, October 30 I'm a little late to this series, so I'm posting on an old video, but that was so fun to watch! This series is great for me (and many others like me, I'm sure) who plan to learn to fly someday. So was flying a real plane anything at all like X-plane, or are we flight simmers fooling ourselves?
Posted by John Galt @ 08:45 AM, April 22 Seeing you at the first takeoff brings back memories of my first flight in 2005...I got to about 54 hours and had to stop but what an amzing journey you ahve started. There is nothing like the first time you pull back and feel that lift! Enjoying the Video and getting that BUG
Posted by Steve Kickert @ 11:21 AM, August 23 I am not sure where I saw the link to this blog but I am loving it. Brady, thank you very much for doing this. What is even cooler is that I found it late so now I have a lot of video to watch. ,)I am done with ground school and am saving $$ for flight lessons so it is fun to see someone else flying. I also am using the time to enjoy simulator flying.Steve
Jason and I sat in the Remos today just to take a look and feel the plane out.Here’s what the panel looks like (ours is setup slightly different). I’m sure I’ll be spending more time with this diagram and in the plane learning what all the instruments and dials do.For such a small plane, it is amazingly roomy. We are both decent-sized guys and yet our shoulders don’t even touch. The visibility seems great too—big windows on all sides.Now, I’m really itching to get in the air.
Posted by Tammy @ 02:32 PM, November 20 References in PDF...Remos G-3 600 manualhttp://gatewaysportaviation.com/REMOS_G-3-600_POH.pdfRotax 912 manualhttp://gatewaysportaviation.com/912_Operators_Manual.pdfEFIS D-100 manual (glass display)http://gatewaysportaviation.com/EFIS-D100.pdf(Home Page...http://www.gatewaysportaviation.com/)
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