During a recent lesson, the only thought going through my head was that there was no way that I could be this lucky. For the last 30 minutes or so, the plane had been in accelerated stalls, rolls, and loops, and it was an absolute blast. When it was time to head back in, I heard Craig’s [Agapie, the aerobatics instructor] voice over the intercom, “Do you want to make the call upside down?”

To be honest, my inner 12-year-old was jumping for joy. But the rest of me chickened out and keyed the mic, still upright: “Fort Wayne Approach, Decathlon 109PC would like to cancel flight following.” At that point, it was time to head back toward Smith Field, and we were still at 6,000 feet and ready to descend.

Clearly, the best option was to roll inverted and lose 3,000 feet, so I rolled the SuperD over onto its back, and that’s when it felt like trying to drink out of a fire hose. The world that was all too familiar just seconds ago was now just a blur of green and brown. The lap belts were reassuringly doing their thing, supporting my full body weight. It felt like all of my blood was pooling in my head. What a sensation — just like recess and the monkey bars!

Then, on the panel, two gauges started a trend that was worrisome. The airspeed was increasing past VNO of 160 mph and was steadily pushing its way through the yellow arc toward VNE of 200. The altimeter was 4,900 and winding down in a hurry. I thought, “Wait, we were just at 6,000!” Then Craig said, “So, we’re getting close to VNE. — would you like to pull the power back?” as if he was simply commenting about the weather. A quick look back at the airspeed, and it was already past 185 and climbing to 192.

We rolled back upright, and at that moment the world snapped back into focus. We were in a nose-low unusual attitude. Well, how do you fix it? Simple, reduce power, level the wings, and arrest the descent.

It should be pointed out that doing rolls, loops, and an inverted VNE dive are not required skills to work as a commercial pilot, but simply meeting the regs has never seemed to be good enough. Had Craig not been there to snap me back to reality, I might not have figured out what was happening in time. Having the opportunity to recover from unusual attitudes in a safe way means that the next time, it might not feel like I’m having to drink from a fire hose.

And now I know that with practice, I might be able to make a radio call while inverted.

The post Drinking from the Fire Hose appeared first on Sweet Aviation.

The thing I enjoy most about flying is the flying itself. I feel truly blessed by the number of pure, unencumbered flying experiences and professionals I’ve met over my career. Picking a single favorite may not be possible, so here are a few:

• Glider flying is a unique experience. There’s something about circling quietly with the majestic hawks, sharing the same thermalling technique they have used to soar for thousands of years.
• Mountain flying in a C172 enlightened me to real decision-making, the effects of density altitude, and again, working with nature.
• My college experience was very rich with opportunity — I got to fly a Piper Arrow down to Key West, Florida, for spring break week one year and a C172 the next. We even got to take a day trip to Bimini, Bahamas, for a rather unusual lunch!  The trip was preceded by a large group flight to Oklahoma City for the FAA’s superb water survival course.

One event in particular, though, resonated with me deeply.  A professor, Vern Bothwell, took me under his wing one summer and taught me how to work on a handful of classic airplanes. He may have just been looking for free labor to help maintain his extraordinary group of antiques and experimentals, but I was more than happy to help out. Parasols (I wasn’t brave enough to fly that one!), a strange pusher he called the Beaky Bird, an Aeronca Chief, an Ercoupe, and several more rounded out his stable of ragtag, but enormously fun, airplanes.

Each day started off eating peanut butter pancakes with a lot of elderly folks at a nearby truck stop. In return for labor, he let me fly the Chief from his too-short grass field that was hemmed in by trees on both ends and one and a half sides!  This was my first grass experience, and it quickly escalated.

We flew a short distance to a public, well-manicured, obstruction-free field called Pam’s Place. After a landing or two, he hopped out and said to take it up alone, and this set off the butterflies in my stomach!  At this point, I had been teaching university students at a busy Class D airport, so flying was certainly not new, but that day felt like I soloed again for the first time. Amidst the picturesque blue sky and green grass on that September day, it felt like I was taken back to the 1940s and my grandpa was teaching me to fly and had just set me loose for the first time! No flaps, no radio or transponder, no traffic — just me, the plane, and a perfect grass runway to welcome me back. I remember it so clearly.

I worked line service during college and had the pleasure of refueling the greats — Jim LeRoy, Jimmy Franklin, Bobby Younkin, Rob Holland, Greg Koontz, and many other 100LL burners. After one air show, Jim LeRoy needed to get his plane to Dayton for the next air show. With me in a 172, he taught me about formation takeoffs and formation flying that ended with him demonstrating a head-on pass somewhere near the Indiana-Ohio border.

At one point, fellow ISU alum Billy Werth bought a Pitts S-2C (Rob Holland’s previous mount), and we got to do some formation acro with me in the school’s Super Decathlon. I got to fly the Pitts afterward, but the ceiling was unfortunately too low to do anything other than blindingly fast rolls!  These have all become memories that I cherish. I take these experiences with me each time I introduce someone to aerobatics. The sense of awareness and possibility, plus the wonderful freedom that acro brings to their minds, is a joy to see and hear from the back seat. They experience real flying.  Purpose, efficiency, utility, mission — they all fade away. Enjoyment becomes all-consuming. Old men become young, the most experienced Chief Pilots’ minds expand, teenage boys laugh uncontrollably, and young ladies gain confidence in what is too typically a male-dominated industry.

I love learning, hypothesizing, testing, and improving, and aerobatics gives me all that. I’m always excited to help a fellow pilot enjoy the thrill of aerobatics. If you’d like to learn more, you can email me at Craig@sweetaviation.wpengine.com or call (260) 267-5505.

The post What Makes My Prop Spin appeared first on Sweet Aviation.

Here’s the problem. When our amygdala reacts, it tends to do so in an emotional manner and can trigger our “flight or fight response.” In emergency situations, our brain tends to look to confirm suspicions rather than look for alternatives. By the time our conscious mind is aware of the problem, a number of autonomous things are happening that we can’t control. Circulation increases to the brain and muscles, the heartbeat increases rapidly, muscles tense for action, and adrenal glands start pumping adrenaline into our body.

These reactions are super useful for combat, fighting a bear, or surviving an overflowing river, but they can have a negative impact on our ability to think through problems. Studies show that after an initial startle, the brain may have trouble analyzing the situation for 30 seconds or more. In addition, automation and increasingly reliable aircraft have led to an expectation that things will go right, all the time, making it even more of a surprise when they don’t.

Fear not, friends! There are ways we can prevent ourselves from being overwhelmed. First and foremost is training. Practice emergency procedures regularly. It helps diminish the sensory overload in a real emergency. In a number of studies, pilots who regularly practiced emergency procedures (even if only in a simulator), reacted far more precisely and accurately when overwhelmed than their counterparts who did not. Second, hand fly the aircraft occasionally, so you don’t let yourself get rusty. Finally, if the worst should happen, remember that great advice from the beginning: DON’T PANIC! Taking a second to evaluate the situation and take proper action will serve much better than initiating an incorrect recovery.

Clear skies and happy flying!

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This year, I’ve been blessed with a few “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities.  For many years, I’ve dreamed of the possibility of someday owning my grandfather’s old 1973 F100 truck. This truck is closely associated with many good memories of my grandfather — including the days he and my grandmother would pull into the driveway with their little camper in tow. After my grandfather’s passing, my father allowed me to borrow the truck to use as my vehicle while at school in Texas. After college, the truck ended up back at my father’s farm in Missouri — and eventually simply sitting on blocks. Through a chain of a few interesting events, I was recently presented with the opportunity to purchase the truck. I’m grateful for friends and family who made it all possible, and today the truck is sitting in my driveway ready for restoration, with the promise of decades of additional memories to be made!

In addition to this personal opportunity, I’ve also had the chance here at Sweet Aviation to become rated to fly a customer’s 1955 T-28B Trojan! I never imagined that someday I’d be flying around in a warbird. However, it’s an amazing, super-fun experience, and I’ve learned a ton about a whole new sector of the aviation world.

Finally, in September, I’m scheduled to complete a jet-type rating for future business development purposes. It’s just one more awesome new opportunity that I’m extremely excited for!

So what is your next “perfect opportunity” or dream? I realize this could be a number of things, but if it happens to be a career in aviation, the time is now to get started on this incredible journey, and we’d love to help you along the way through our FAA 141 certified flight school. The industry is in dire need of more career pilots — not only for airlines, but there’s also a demand for corporate and GA career pilots as well. As far as the airlines go, the job opportunities are really improving. Gone are the days of comparing the initial years of pay to that of working for a fast-food chain. You may now count on a good, decent-paying job that will give you a strong return on your investment in your education. If you’re interested, check out this link regarding Boeing’s pilot and technician outlook for 2017–2036.

If you’d like to stop by sometime and talk about the details involved in learning to fly and becoming a career pilot, please do so! I’d love to meet with you — even if you know you want to go to a traditional college, join the military, etc. I also highly recommend that we all challenge ourselves to be on our toes, ready to seize new opportunities and challenges that could have us set for takeoff on a new and exciting adventure of a lifetime!

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