Wings on High.

Updates

Looking over the pages, after being prompted by a comment (thanks Rand!) it’s been a while since I’ve written anything.  There have been a number of reasons behind that, but lack of interest isn’t one of them.  Shortly after my first flights, my (former) company sent me out of town on a project for a month, so I spent May living out of a hotel, and not my FBO like I’d hoped.  After returning, I then changed jobs (coincidence?  maybe…), so I’ve been getting ramped up and online, and buried in a few projects with my new organization.  Between that, and some family illnesses, time for flying has been nonexistent.  I have, however, managed to squeeze in enough time to join a local CAP chapter, and attend a couple of meetings.  I also found that a post I’d written in April never got posted, only drafted!  LiveWriter for the win.  I’ve since fixed that. 

A hobby I’ve picked up over the last couple months is kite flying down at Marymoore Park.  Admittedly, it’s a very distant second from personally being up in the air, but it certainly does help one feel a bit closer to flying.  What I’ve found most interesting is how I’m feeling more at ease with wind.  I don’t intend to go gliding anytime soon (though I’m not ruling it out), but certain concepts about powered flight, like why you take off into the wind, are making more sense.  Personally, I’d always felt the idea was backwards – why wouldn’t you want to take off away from the wind, to gain a tailwind to give you more of a push when getting airborne?  But the first time you successfully launch a kite, it makes perfect sense.  I think that’s mainly because you feel the tension on the string as it’s gaining power, you can feel when the wind is giving the kite better flight, compared to being inside an enclosed cockpit, trusting your instruments and the feel of the stick.  I’m sure I’ll begin to feel those sensations more instinctually, to know what they indicate as I’m flying, but meanwhile it’s helping me solidify the concepts and the ideas in my mind.  I don’t advocate replacing flight time with kite flying, but if you find yourself on the ground with some time to kill, and a nice day down at the park, I highly recommend taking some time to feel the way it responds to the air, to your controls. 

If you have access to a computer with speakers, or better yet a headset, I also suggest spending some time listening to Air Traffic Control (ATC) online (there is a link on the right to LiveATC).  I tune into the KSEA composite, which includes the Departures, Arrivals, Seattle Tower, and the Final approach.  They don’t mention this, but I believe it also includes Seattle Ground, and Boeing Tower.  Whenever I get the chance, such as sitting in a WiFi hotspot, or in a high-rise office, I tune in and follow flights with FlightAware.com (although its regional radar scope sometimes leaves out flight details, or planes entirely).  Spotting planes as they announce their turn to final, or as they begin descending from the clouds is helping me comprehend approach and departure patterns into KBFI and KSEA, as well as grow much more accustomed to radio calls and conversations.  Check it out for your local airport, or pick up a scanner from Sporty’s or Radio Shack and tune into your local hobby field’s frequencies and watch the planes coming and going from there.  You may find yourself surprised at what you pick up about patterns, traffic, and the radio.

I have a number of photos from our second flight, which I’m going to put up in a general photoblog on this site, which I’ll link to as soon as I get it working.

So in the mean time, I’m hoping to carve out some time ahead to get back to training, and I’ll keep writing as I do.  Keep checking back, and thanks for reading!

Update (07-28-08/12.52pm): I have the gallery up now, I just need to start adding and referencing content.  And, I’ve added an OpenID.net plugin that will allow readers to comment with their OpenID account (which can be as simple as your blog address, or your Yahoo account), so you don’t have to sign up for yet another web identity.  Follow the OpenID.net link to find out more.