• 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!
• 8 - Banking Toward Success
• 9 - Ground Pounding
• 10- Back In The Saddle
• 11- Plain Brain Plane Pain
• 12- Covered in Gleim
• 13- Soloing!!...the sim
• 14- Plane Picnic?
• 15- If They Can Do It
128th
Day of Training
- Current Anxiety Gauge Reading -
- Current Approach To Solo Chart -
I've decided to shut down this feature for now. There is no point in putting pressure on myself to solo, I'll do it when I'm good and ready and I'll let you know afterwards.
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.

Soloing is an amazing experience. Mine was 28 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday!  Don't put any pressure on yourself.  When the time is right, it's right.  I've seen so many guys invite their families, etc.; then have to cancel or embarrass themselves with bad landings.  Savor it...mine went much too fast!

- Steve Spaanbroek
• 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!
• 8 - Banking Toward Success
• 9 - Ground Pounding
• 10- Back In The Saddle
• 11- Plain Brain Plane Pain
• 12- Covered in Gleim
• 13- Soloing!!...the sim
• 14- Plane Picnic?
Entry #15 May 6th, 2010 • If They Can Do It
This past week I flew with TCA's chief instructor, Torben Kiese. Torben is not a scary guy, and it's great to fly with a different instructor from time to time to get new perspectives, but still, every new thing in flying brings a spike of anxiety for me.
Each flight starts with a walk-around to make sure the plane is ready to fly. But what about me? Am I ready to fly? Ready or not, I slip into the aircraft and fasten my seatbelt, check systems and fire it up. Each time there is some anxiety, each time it is a tiny bit less, things flow better. Others have been here, doing what I am doing.
Over at Crystal Airport,
Club Cherokee had an
open house a few weeks ago. These folks all came from where I am, they were once students. Now they have formed together to own airplanes as a club and fly all over. They did it.
Whoever owns this airplane hasn't flown in quite awhile. Why has this airplane become a very expensive bird roost? Dunno, maybe he had his medical go bad, or his business keeps him away, or he had a scare that keeps him from using his very expensive airplane. Dunno, but I don't want it to happen to me.
Over in St Paul. where TCA keeps an office and planes, there is a powerful twin-engine King Air, and some sleek jets. These are flown by professional pilots. Pilots that were once students like me. They did it.
As I look over my controls, I keep in mind I need a flow and I need to not forget anything. So much to remember, even when you use a checklist.
We flew a cross-country to Eau Claire and took a quick inspection of the facilities there before going over to the terminal for lunch. The mechanics were working on a couple of planes from the Wisconsin Civil Air Patrol. These are the folks that come looking for you if you go missing. Like... say...
if you missed something important
on your checklist.
These Cessnas use the old "steam" gauges to keep you on your course. The SR-20 has the three most important ones, just in case the glass display fails. I need to learn how to use these too. Much to learn.
As I gauge my progress, I realize that I know so much more about flying than I did when I began, I've learned enough to know that there is so much more to learn! But it's coming. If they did it, perhaps I can too.
I've found a kindred spirit in Dan Kaplan. He is also learning to fly in a Cirrus SR-20 and he is blogging about his adventures as well. There is some great stuff on here for fellow travelers. Click on the image below to go to his blog.