Views From The Cockpit

Here it is-let's hope this is the only time I post pictures of my torn articles of clothing on the Internet. Ripping the back of a shirt off the student pilot maybe isn't the most wholesome tradition of all time, but at least now we have evidence that this actually happened. I'm not sure how it was accomplished, but they now trust me enough to fly an airplane sans CFI. I have been thinking alot about milestones the past couple of days, and this is certainly one I won't forget. I can't recall what I was feeling the first time I tasted pizza, or the first time I beat Mario Brothers, but I will always remember my emotions when I looked across the cockpit and it was empty. Freedom. Euphoria. Pride. An inordinate amount of confidence. And, as the plane blasted down the runway, nervousness and a small amount of trepidation. In the face of that fear, however, emerged a focused, determined pilot, emboldened by his newfound ability to fly. After a few landings, I taxied back to the tarmac and snatched up the CFI, who was especially pleased that his airplane-and instruction certification-remained unscathed.

I've actually had these videos for awhile now, but finally have gotten around to posting them. The first is from my night trip to Oklahoma last weekend. Flying at night is even more of an adventure than I anticipated. Everything is different; that's really the only way to describe it. You rely heavily on the flight instruments. The incessant glow of cars traveling up and down the interstate is your companion. Radio instructions from area controllers are a welcomed respite from the constant hum of the propeller-and your mind's antagonistic thoughts: Where will I land if the engine fails? And the inevitable hunger strikes: it's not like you can just pull over at the next rest area and pound some chicken nuggets. But overall it was an awesome experience, especially landing in unfamiliar areas with just the runway strobe lights as your guide:

And, on our return to Arlington, we took a few laps around downtown Dallas, sometime past midnight:

PB&J Sandwiches Consumed (to date): 33