• A Chronicle on Learning to Fly, by Aviation Photographer Max Haynes • Sponsored by Full Motion Flight Training and Twin Cities Aviation •
• Home
• 1 - And So Begins A Journey
• 2 - First Things First
• 3 - I'm 'Fliming!'
• 4 - In The Air Junior Birdman!
• 5 - From The Ground School Up
• 6 - The Hang Of It
• 7 - Hot Dog!
42nd
Day of Training
- Current Anxiety Gauge Reading -
If you have a comment about my quest, or a memory of learning to fly, send it in via email. I may post it here, subject to editing.

• Hey, Errol - nice uniform... (he's so cute as ROBI(Y)N Hood)
 
Thanks so much for Flogging - you manage to convey the fun and excitement of taking on this challenge while also pointing out that it ain't the least bit easy so having the passion is really key.
 We "artsy" types do often have challenges when it comes to math, numbers, detail - we like to create, not sweat the small stuff.  If it helps, remember that you have a lot of people pulling for you - envious of you for pushing yourself and empathizing with you because we remember how we felt when taking on something that was so hard for us to do.  You have good instincts - that and your book learnin' will serve you well.
- Robyn Feld

• Congratulations on embarking on the journey from a ground bound wan-a-be to kitty hawk in a ‘few easy lessons’!  I’m thoroughly enjoying reading your flog each week…often with a smile and a nervous gut…and it’s not even me doing the flying!  If I had the cash to do what you’re doing I would be there right beside you. Best luck Max and happy landings (You’ll get on to them in less than 100 hours!)
- John Beyl
• Home
• 1 - And So Begins A Journey
• 2 - First Things First
• 3 - I'm 'Fliming!'
• 4 - In The Air Junior Birdman!
• 5 - From The Ground School Up
Entry #6 February 11th, 2010 • The Hang Of It
Paul Ehlen
Sculpture at the Naval Aviation Museum
Dick Knisely
Bruce Olson
Hand Flying--
I decided to take a break from ground school on Friday to catch up on work. Pilot friend and mentor, Bruce Olson, came over. (The picture to the right is of Bruce looking back from the cockpit of his T-6. It was taken on my first real air-to-air mission.) He wanted to get some images cut out to create vinyl art for his truck. So, while I made the images, we talked about flying. We talked mostly about doing touch-and-goes, and did lots of hand flying. That's what I call it when you use your hands to talk to another pilot about flying. It was very nice to talk to Bruce as a fellow pilot. I'm a long ways from what my friends do in their T-6s, but I'm getting the hang of it.
In The News--
John Hanson of the TV program
Twin Cities Live, stopped into TC Aviation with his cameraman Seth to take a discovery flight with Chief Pilot Torben Kiese. Here's a link to the segment that aired this week.
It felt odd to know I was
beyond this stage. It felt good.

To find out how you can
give your sweetie a
Discovery Flight, Click Here.
And Now For The Weather--
The weather here hasn't been as terrible as it has out East, but we have had our share of bad flying conditions and it has made scheduling the airplane a bit tricky. On the other hand, it is always warm and sunny over the FMFT's simulator and I've been very grateful to have that resource to keep me sharp between flights. I love flying the simulator, probably as much as I'm sure I'll someday love flying the airplane...
Sword Swallowing--
Remember the 'five flaming swords' analogy from Entry #5? For today's flight lesson, my instructor, Chris Dunn, took four of them off my hands and doused the last one in water before turning it over to me. This is me preparing to enter the plane. Sure, I still look concerned, and I have no pants on, but I'm happy to report I waved the sword around with some success and actually had fun! Chris handled all of the pre-flight duties, the tower talk, the taxiing and even the take-off. I got to take over and do some work flying an imaginary rectangle in the sky and coming in for a landing at 1000 feet over a U-Haul place just off the highway. Then it was time for some real landings. We only got two in before time was up, but I'm happy to report they weren't that bad. I'm starting to get the hang of it. 3 hours of lessons down, 97 to go. ;^)

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