Still Grounded

What can I say.? Over a year since my last post and so much has happened yet so much remains the same. I keep the blog just in case. Or maybe I should just find another use for it.

Same old same old

I sit with tears rolling down my face as I just logged in here nearly a year since my last post. A part of me so angry at the person who ruined it all for me yet at the same time thankful to be rid of him. There is always a price to pay for everything. I sometimes wonder with the ailing economy if I will ever be able to finish my training and earn my wings. This summer it will be two years since my initial medical exam. Since I'm (ahem) over 40, it will expire. (Big siiiggghhh.) It's been 15 months since my last flight. So much has happened and sometimes life seems to move at the speed of at least sound lately. All I can do is wonder...

Grounded

A lot has happened since my last blog posting. Details will be spared, but in a nutshell life started becoming unstable and progressed in a downward spiral to a huge change on Christmas day. For those who know me personally, you know what I'm talking about. No details here. But, I DID finally solo on August 28, 2007 with (or really without) a new instructor, Nora. She was awesome and we really clicked. She was able to take a botched situation and make a soloist out of me in a matter of two lessons, I think. I'd have to check my log book to know for sure. (It's been awhile.) I continued lessons with Nora and did my first dual cross country to Shenandoah (SHD) That was fun to really fly "somewhere." We were planning a big X-C to Charlottesville to do the whole towered airport thing, but the weather wouldn't cooperate and then she had to run off to some airlines job. Soooo, my next instructor, Leslie, was great also. I only had a few lessons with her and I remember doing a solo flight to the practice area one day. Winter weather was being stinky and I didn't get anymore lessons in after about the middle of December. I've been grounded ever since because the money has run out. On beautiful 70 degree clear days, it's all I think about. I try to figure out how I can finish and where the money will come from. And then I wonder how I'll pay to stay proficient. Sighhhhhhhh.......

"New" Wings

This is "new" plane I'm flying - a Cessna 172P. (Uh - the date on the photo is just a little off. I hadn't reset the camera after it had been out of commission for awhile for repairs.)

More Landings...What else is there these days?

Today's lesson went very well. I'm much encouraged. I saw just another inkling of progress on my landings. I think I'm getting the level off a little better. I concentrated on controlling airspeed (but probably still need more work on that.) I haven't checked my logbook to see how many landings Justin gave me credit for, but yesterday was the first time I didn't have to do a single go-around. Yeah! That's progress. I'm hoping on Friday I'll finally get the flare totally by myself. Then I'll put the polish on the landing and then I'll solo...maybe, just maybe on my birthday.

A Few Lessons Later

I hate to admit it, but my lessons have become a little boring lately. All we work on are landings - but for good reason. I'm just not getting that last 30 seconds with the level off and flare. My progress is so slow. I only see teeny tiny increments of progress with each lesson. I've actually had 4 lessons since my last post. One of them was with Nora - a different flight instructor. Justin thought it might be helpful for me to fly with her and see if instruction from a different perspective/person would be helpful. I would say it was marginally helpful but it also served to confuse me. Not that I'm confused about what to do where, when, how, etc. It's just that my brain was programmed for Justin's way so it took most of the lesson for my brain to reprogram. Then I flew the next two lessons after that with Justin. Yesterday's lesson went better than the previous one. After my lesson on August 7th I was so frustrated with myself I wasn't sure I wanted to go back. But this is too much fun and I've come too far to quit. So... my lesson yesterday (8/10) was better thanks to some electronic coaching. (Thanks, Jay ;)
I think changing airplanes has had advantages and disadvantages. This is so silly, but the thing I like most about the "new" plane is the flap switch. The "old" plane just had a toggle switch that had to be turned on and off and you had to count three seconds to get 10 degrees of flaps, etc. It was easy to overshoot or undershoot the flap setting. Not a good thing on go arounds - of which I've done many. The new plane has the lever that moves straight down in increments for different flap settings. Much easier for me...except that I keep forgetting that second notch of flaps on base. I can't figure out why I'm forgetting such a routine thing. I think I've now had enough lessons in the new plane to have a better feel for how it handles. I'm hoping to see some significant progress during my next lesson. All I can do is hope....

Perfecting the Art of Go Arounds

Thinking about my last lesson on Thursday (7/26) still makes me laugh. Once again, all we did was pattern work trying to perfect the art of landing. I had other plans, though. I seriously perfected the art of go arounds. I DID manage one good landing. The rest were balked or (the few times I actually did touch down) were really bad. I even got the ultimate compliment from Justin, "That was your worst one yet!" What can I say? It was good for a laugh. If I don't laugh at myself (and keep trying with all due seriousness) I might quit. Quitting is NOT an option. I think I'll keep my sense of humor if Justin will keep his sense of bravery and patience.