Plane Conversations

I haven’t written a blog in some time, and that really goes to show I’ve been busily trying to finish up my private pilot.  A few weeks ago I was studying fanatically for my written test.  Not being one who likes to “have my head in the books” (I learn better by doing), I pushed myself to put in the time to study. It paid off, because I easily passed, which was a huge relief to me.  It seemed at the time just before the test that it would be the biggest step in my path to becoming a pilot.  (I understand that would not be the case for everyone, but for me, takings tests is nerve-wrecking and makes me entirely anxious.)  But now that it’s done, I realize it wasn’t the hardest step. 

Now I’m of the opinion that my solo cross country is going to be the big one.  But wait a minute!  Wasn’t my first solo supposed to be the big one?  What I’m getting at here is that I’ve discovered that the path of becoming a pilot has challenges the entire journey – once I got over the hump of my solo, I then had the written test hump.  Now that I’ve done the written test, I’ve got the solo cross-country.  So, I can now see that once I’ve done the solo-cross country, it will then be the check ride and oral that will likely give me a few sleepless nights.  And after that, well, after that I have my license to get out there and REALLY learn how to fly!  I just need to relax and enjoy the feeling of achieving my goals.

So in a few weeks, I’m hoping to be ready for my check ride.  This is what’s left:

              
DUAL NIGHT X-COUNTRY      
          
LOCAL SOLO TIME 4 HOURS 
                  
SOLO 50 MILE X-COUNTRY 
                
SOLO 2 STOP 150 MILE TOTAL X-COUNTRY

CHECK RIDE PREP 3 HOURS

Am I still anxious about any of this?  Yeah, but my past accomplishments help me every day.   There really is no better feeling than that of accomplishment.  It is a motivator and a confidence builder, and with the highs and lows of learning to fly, it is as satisfying as clear blue skies.

 One more noteworthy comment:  having a great instructor helps.  Kirk has been invaluable in my progress.  He has pushed me when I’ve needed to be pushed, been patient when I’ve stumbled on the radio, praised me when I’ve done a great landing, and slapped my hand when I’ve taxied too fast!  Thanks Kirk.  I promise to slow down for my check ride!

www.wingsmqy.com

“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward. “ Amelia Earhart

In college, I took a class called International Strategies and Security.  I believe that I may have been the only non-military student in the class which, for a civilian, turned out to be like a Tom Clancy novel – only it lasted for a whole semester.  We discussed technology that just blew my mind.  I had no idea the things that were possible and I’m sure that what blew my mind then is Stone Age compared to what is possible now.

So yesterday, we talked a little bit about test flights Alaska Airlines is conducting to be greener both environmentally and economically.  I think that there is a lot to celebrate with that.  My one concern with their reliance (and more, with NextGen’s reliance) on satellite technology is the increase in solar storms projected over the next few years.  I am curious to see how the technologists will handle it.

Since the systems do rely on satellite communication, they will be vulnerable to solar flares and storms, the kind we discussed back in March, which brings me back to the same concerns I expressed then.  With so many new pilots being trained using only glass cockpits and satellite approaches, what happens when those systems are compromised?  Worse, what happens when those systems are compromised and the pilots don’t know it?  NextGen, RNP, OPD and RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum) are all designed to increase efficiency by tightening up the airspace.  This precision puts more aircraft into smaller spaces.  Well, if a pilot was flying along a flight path ten years ago, he might have encountered another aircraft along the same path; but, since neither of them was flying with today’s degree of precision, there was still likely to be a safe distance between the aircraft.  However, with todays’ greater precision, the space is greatly reduced.  If all systems are operating as advertised, that’s no problem.  In fact, it’s positive situation.  However, if solar flares contaminate the positioning information, an aircraft may be hundreds of feet off position and not know it.  If two aircraft are in the same situation, but are separated by only a few hundreds of feet to begin with, well, you do the math.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded $125 million to Boeing and other companies to develop greener aircraft, fuels and technology.   As aircraft become more advanced and the Gee-Whiz factor in them increases, by definition, they get further away from the simple, stick-controlled Stearman.  I love the advances, don’t get me wrong.  I just know that a great many young pilots are learning on advanced equipment and may not be learning some of the manual basics of their predecessors.  For now, the young group still has access to pilots trained without all of the gizmos.  Those pilots are available to act as mentors and assist the younger generation of aviators in gaining some wisdom, an invaluable asset, as Billy Minkoff pointed out last week.  His example of the new, accessible very light jet and microjet is perfectly appropriate here.  As precision flying gets more precise and pilot training gets further removed from non-precision equipment, without mentoring, how do we avoid the dangers of corrupted satellite data?

What technology and training do we develop to slow or halt the current trend as expressed by CFM Director of Operations Dwayne McMurry, “It used to be that the last words on a cockpit voice recorder were ‘Oh, (explicative)!’  What you hear these days is, ‘What’s it doing now?’ “

In the New York times bestselling book, Delivering Happiness, Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh (pronounced “Shay”) chronicles the rise of Zappos .com from obscurity to profitability and finally to its now infamous  1.2 billion dollar acquisition by Amazon.com .  He outlines Zappos’ legendary focus on customer service and corporate culture.   As I read Hsieh’s book, I couldn’t help but imagine the possibilities and implications for those of us who love flying and aviation related businesses.

In the introduction, Hsieh, takes us into his thoughts as he prepares to announce to Zappos’ employees that Amazon was acquiring the company.  While the media was focused on the sheer size of the deal, Hsieh’s thoughts were elsewhere:

 “To all of us in the room, we knew it wasn’t just about the money.  Together, we had built a business that combined profits, passion, and purpose.  And we knew that it wasn’t just about building a business.  It was about building a lifestyle that was about delivering happiness to everyone, including ourselves.”¹

There are several things noteworthy in this quote.  One is the sense of team that you feel.  Hsieh speaks in terms of “us”  and “together”.  Clearly the focus is on something more than the bottom line.  Words such as “passion”, “purpose”, “lifestyle” and “happiness” all speak to the company’s core values and goals.  Hsieh notes later that, “We decided that we wanted to build our brand to be about the very best customer service and the very best customer experience.” ²  What Zappos discovered was that by creating a culture centered on these values and expectations,  profitability developed.  

 Zappo’s Rabid Dedication to the Customer & Employee

As I read, I would often seek out my wife to read her passages (some guys read poetry to their wives…so much for romance!)  I would begin with saying, “Can you believe that a company would do this?”   Here are a few examples: 

• Customer service that includes free, unannounced upgrades in shipping.  You place an order for shoes that should take 4 days to arrive and without warning –for free—they’re on your doorstep the next day.
• A reward system for employees for pursuing personal development.  A lending library of the best personal growth books was created in the lobby to do just this.
• Free shipping on all orders…and if the shoes don’t fit you can send them back for free!
• If they don’t have the shoe in stock, they will research three competitor’s websites and will direct the customer to the competitor.
• In 2008, Zappo’s was faced with making a round of layoffs.  Instead of the standard 2-week severance, they offered to pay each employee through the end of the year (which at the time was about 2 months).  They paid an additional amount for those who had been with the company 3 or more years.  They reimbursed laid-off employees for 6 months of COBRA payments.

This made me want to buy shoes, just to have the Zappos experience.  Which is exactly the point- the experience.

 The Zappos Experience- Happiness

In 2009 Zappos inserted a simple statement into their vision that reflects the underlying core value that is at the heart of their company.  It says, “Zappos is about delivering happiness to the world.”³

Hsieh and Zappos are not talking about some “fuzzy” notion of happiness, which many people equate with silly giddiness.  Instead, Hsieh studied the concept of what makes people happy and investigated ways to integrate his findings into his company.  In his book, he offers several frameworks to consider, such as our need for perceived control in our lives (having a say in our future and in our work), perceived progress (we can see that we are going somewhere—don’t we all hate “dead-end” jobs?), connectedness (being in relationships that are truly fulfilling) and meaning/vision (being a part of something larger than ourselves that we believe in). 

This type of corporate emphasis helped develop a company culture that focused on amazing customer service, which aimed ultimately at customer happiness.   While Zappos was certainly concerned with profitability and bottom line, they managed to never lose sight of the crucial importance of what they were delivering, but how.  I think this begins to intersect and have application for the aviation industry. 

What if a flight school moved into the realm of radical customer service?

As an industry it simply doesn’t appear that we’re asking the customer experience question.  And yet, in some ways, flying is all about experience.  It’s built into the act of flying.  But what isn’t built in is how we attract and retain customers by giving them an experience of service.  

For instance, let’s consider flight training.  How do we attract and engage the customer before they officially become a customer?  What could we do to serve them before we’re asking for their money?  

• How about having a pleasant lobby area and facilities that are well kept?  (Seriously, the urinal that overflows regularly should be fixed. Gross.)
• How about having snacks available for free?
• Coupons (have any Flight Schools tried Groupon.com) for flights?
• Free airplane rides.  Publicize well, donate a couple of hours on a Saturday to give rides to the community.
• Flight training material professionally produced and ready to be given to the new student.
• Aircraft that are clean, up-to-date, and well-maintained.  (If your preflight involves duct-tape, think again.)

 As a customer, what kind of experience might we give our customers if we:

• Randomly chose a student to receive a free hour of instruction?  They come in from the flight line only to discover they owe nothing. 
• Instead of having them buy more and more books and videos, develop a lending library
• If you have access to a twin or jet and space permits, let your student go for a ride
• Quarterly celebrations for new solos and new licenses.  Could be as simple as a cookout at the airport in honor of these new pilots. 
• Encouraged lifelong learning by giving seminars and offering guest speakers to the larger aviation community

What about instructors?

• Incentives for recruiting (Bonus for giving 5 or more discovery flights…extra for each one who begins training) 
• Bonus for each student who successfully receives their license
• Reward for longevity (create a stable base of instructors)
• Instructor dinners and socializing
• Opportunities for adding new ratings at reduced cost and free recurrency training.

These are just ideas, some of which might be difficult to employ.  How refreshing it would be to potential pilots and employees to discover a flight school with a culture that was geared to providing the best possible service and create what Hsieh calls a “WOW” factor. 

Whether we’re talking about flight schools or maintenance departments or FBO’s, I believe there is something to be learned from Zappos.  Imagine, tomorrow, what it would be like to be “WOWED” by your company in its relationship with you.  Imagine what it would be like to WOW your customers and the transformed relationship with them.   Imagine the impact of those combined experiences, the word of mouth that would ensue, and the absolute fun of being in the flying business.  

It begins with a commitment to developing or changing the culture and embracing a foundational shift towards clearly defined values and competencies that will shape the entire organization.  It is about delivering an experience that is first class and recognizing that our happiness is found not only in profits (which is certainly needed) but in living with passion and purpose. 

If Hsieh and Zappos can do it with shoes,  I believe we can certainly do it with airplanes. 

Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose, Tony Hsieh, Business Plus, New York: NY, 2010

 1. Page 11

2. Page 121

3. Page 177

As I said yesterday, both the Phenom 100 and the 300 are single pilot certified and are designed to be flown by professional pilots, as well as owner pilots. The latter present a challenge as they are generally a group with little or no pure turbojet time.  Many have flown complex turbo prop aircraft but most owner pilots have spent little time in “fast movers” and lack a complete understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the ATC system. The solution lies in training and competent mentoring.  Embraer includes two “entitlement” training slots for pilots with the purchase of an Executive Jet. The training at ECTS is a thorough introduction into the Phenom and an accurate assessment of acquired skills and knowledge.   The problem is that training ends with the check-ride and subsequent type rating.   And, in any sphere, knowledge without wisdom is incomplete.

A typical type-rating oral exam consists of knowing aircraft systems and limitations along with the immediate action items associated with specific emergency procedures.  A more thorough oral drills deeper with questions involving the working relationships of systems and an understanding of why things work the way they do. The rating-ride is a carefully choreographed series of events that test specific learned procedures such as the loss of an engine on takeoff, the“V-1 Cut”, as well as single-engine approaches and landings.  The entire check ride is given within the confines of a single airport and is an accurate assessment of skills and accomplishment. The FAA oral and rating-ride are excellent tests of pilot preparedness for the unexpected problems that seldom (thankfully) occur in real life.  What a rating-ride can’t do is impart experience and judgment to a first-time jet pilot.  With experience comes wisdom and the safest way for the first-time jet pilot to get that wisdom is with the assistance of a mentor.

Slow down, you move too fast.
You got to make the morning last.
Just kicking down the cobble stones.
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy.

 (59th St. Bridge Song by Simon and Garfunkel)

Up until recently, Air Traffic Controllers could logically assume that everyone in a jet “kicking down the cobble stones” was a pro-pilot or at least performed like one.  The advent of the personal jet has changed that.  Now anyone with a million dollars, or even less with financing, can buy a jet to look for fun and feel groovy hanging out with the big boys.  Herein lies the problem. The old instructor adage of “slow down and make yourself time for the approach” only works at the cabbage patch, but these personal jet aircraft aren’t staying in the cabbage patch.

A gap has developed between those who understand ATC and fly accordingly and those who feel as if ATC will accommodate their lack of skills and judgment. The saner parties have been the insurance companies who have insisted upon some level of supervision for low time aviators. Insurance companies, at a loss for how gauge skills and judgment, have resorted to insisting on a certain number of hours (usually 25) of supervised flying.  Typically those hours are flown in the course of business for the newly minted personal jet aviator.

Perhaps a better way to ensure the safety and success of the owner-flown community would be to adopt the commercial aviation technique of mentor flying for newly type-rated jet pilots by creating a private IOE (initial operating experience) process. Airlines have long recognized that meaningful mentor programs consist of more than the supervised “drilling of holes” in the sky.  A truly effective mentor program imparts a higher level understanding and competence to the new pilot.

With training fresh in the mind of the newly typed pilot, the mentor reinforces good technique and emphasizes the “real world” application the newly learned skills.  And it takes both training and experience to protect your Phenom investment.

After 23,000 flight hours, I’ve just added my 7th type rating. 300 of those hours are in the Phenom 100.

The math reflects my propensity to stick  to an airplane when I find a good one and the Phenom 100 is a great airplane that does everything asked of it. My affinity hasn’t waned; so, what, then, would lure me away?  The siren song of the Phenom 300; Embraer’s latest Executive Jet offering.

I mentally questioned the ability of Embraer to improve upon the value proposition of the 100, and I was somewhat skeptical that the engineers from Brazil could score two home runs in a row. Duh!  Now I wonder what the gang in Wichita must be thinking. (Option 1: Look for a new job, or Option 2: add more sand to bury their heads deeper?)  I intend to keep flying the 100: but, to anyone out there with a 300 – you go guys!

Flight training is evolutionary. 

You go the first time to initial training and then you go back every year for recurrent training.  You don’t expect to add much because they are just getting you through the paces; but, maybe you learn something new in year two because there is something going on with the development of the aircraft. 

Last summer, I attended Phenom 100 initial training at Embraer CAE Training Services (ECTS), a joint venture between Embraer, a world-class aircraft manufacturer and CAE, a world-leading provider of aviation training.  In spite of the impressive pedigree, the venture experienced quite a few teething problems with the rollout of the first Phenom and I experienced them first-hand.  When I returned to the facility, my expectation was that my second experience would be much the same as my first one.
I was totally surprised when I arrived at CAE Simuflite in Dallas for Phenom 300 transition training.  Arriving on a Monday morning, my colleagues and I were greeted in the front lobby by no fewer than nine bright-eyed and effusively cheery CAE employees. Just after checking in, one of the greeters asked me if I needed directions to my classroom.  Since the schedule handed to me had been printed on a handy, pocket-sized card that wouldn’t get lost in the paperwork shuffle, I replied that I couldn’t miss it. I introduced myself to one of the greeters, Walter Slazyk, and in the course of conversation found that Walter was the CAE Center Leader. 

Different?   I’ll Show You Different! 
Aircraft transition courses typically focus on differences between the “old” airplane and the “new” one. The object of the training program is to prepare you for your check ride, rather than to just impart knowledge to you.  After all, this is a business.  My course was scheduled for one day of ground school followed by three days of simulator instruction and a check ride. I expected a mundane recitation of facts and figures, which I would have to regurgitate during my Friday oral exam. Instead, I was met by Steve Ford and Steve Simpson who both plowed into the whys and wherefores of aircraft systems and flight characteristics – so much more useful than the dry facts and figures.
During my Phenom 100 training process, delays in the certification of the simulator necessitated that my training be accomplished in the airplane.  Times have changed, though.  The new Phenom 300 sim has excellent fidelity and clearly mimics the feel and performance of the airplane. (Turning on the radar and taxiing over runway centerline lights are two great examples.)  On the whole, my expectations were exceeded, by a long-shot.
Both the Phenom 100 and the 300 are single pilot certified and are designed to be flown by professional pilots, as well as owner pilots. The latter present a challenge as they are generally a group with little or no pure turbojet time.  All of these pilots go through ECTS and get the best training the company has to offer.  The training is great, but how do these pilots get the experience they need to form sound judgment?  Join us tomorrow as we discuss the importance of good mentoring programs.

Being Australian, July 4^th was more about fireworks and grilling out than commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, as Americans do each year.   But as of now, Independence Day is exactly that for me.  It’s the day I took my first solo flight in the Katana DA-20.  It’s the day I independently flew an airplane, solo.  It’s a day I will never forget.

I wasn’t one of those people who grew up dreaming of flying.  I am just a girl who found herself one day working in the field of aviation.  Each and every day I would look out of my office window (which overlooks the ramp at KMQY) and see a multitude of large and small airplanes taxi up and park in front of my wall of glass windows.  It was bound to happen one day…..the day I decided I wanted to fly one.

It has not been an easy journey for me, getting to the stage of soloing.  I’ve had to overcome some discomfort of learning maneuvers which had me feeling as though I was about to fall out of the sky.  I didn’t.  I’ve had to bring an airplane down to land, fishtailing down the runway and trying to get it back on the center line.  But I got it down.  I’ve had to make myself put my head in the books when everyone else was out enjoying the gorgeous Tennessee weather.  And I’ve had to overcome the fear of flying the Katana without my instructor Kirk in the right seat, there to assist if needed.

I knew I was going to be soloing on Sunday the 4^th of July.  I made sure I was there early so the air was smooth and free of “bumps”, so the winds were calm, and I could just concentrate on flying the pattern and bringing her down for nice soft landings.  I thought I would have been more nervous.  I was much more nervous the weeks before when I knew my solo was coming up.  But honestly, on the day, while driving my car to the airport, I was relaxed and excited.  I was even singing in the car as my favorite song came on.  It was definitely the day!  I was feeling good.

So, Kirk and I took off and flew around in the pattern for three touch and goes.  All fine.  None messy, so that was a good sign.  He then told me to taxi and park in front of the FBO.  That was it!  That was the queue that I was about to do this all on my own.  I didn’t really even say much, I just pulled up and halfway heard him say to go and do three take offs and landings.  I was thinking about everything I’ve learnt, and how I have to do everything just as I had done many times before.  So I did.

When the wheels left the ground on my first takeoff, there was no going back.  I just kept talking my way through everything I needed to do.  “Pitch for 65….pitch for 65….flaps out….pitch for 75……right turn out…..power back at 1500ft….”.  And everything just happened as it was supposed to.   My first two landings were fine.  Not perfect, but pretty darn good.  Coming in for my third I was thinking I was going to nail it.  Three great landings on my solo flight!  Um, well, I was coming in a little fast, landed, then bounced back up to fly for a little more.  “Ok, power’s on idle right?  Yep.  Ok, well, just flare again Rachel”,  I told myself as I came back down onto the runway.  My third landing wasn’t so hot, but I didn’t care.  I’d just done something which only weeks earlier I thought I’d never do without Kirk being beside me.  It’s quite liberating, and for all the times I thought I couldn’t do, I was elated to have just proven to myself that I could.  I was proud of myself, and even happy to have Kirk cut the back out of my t-shirt (an American flying tradition).  It meant I was one step closer to being part of the club.  A pilot.   

I was told the other day that it’s all downhill from the solo.  NO WAY.  There’s still so much more.  There’s the solo cross-country, the 10 takeoff and landings at night (the first one of those was not so hot), the written test and the check ride.  Sigh…..I guess there’s a few more blogs coming then, eh?

I’ve been flying the Katana DA20 for about 17 hours now, and I finally feel as though I have gotten over the hump of the directional control issues I was having due to the differential braking steering on the airplane.  It hit me one day when I was explaining to a colleague that I was pushing on the right rudder pedal as though I were applying brakes on a car.  I’ve been driving for 19 years, so I obviously know you have to apply the brakes gently.  Not so with rudder pedals on an airplane.  It’s an even pressure, but it is HARD pressure, especially when the rudder becomes more effective with increased speed.

During each and every take-off my instructor Kirk was telling me “right rudder, right rudder!”, with my response of “I am, I am!”.  Well, I was, but it was too gentle pressure.  Thankfully, after a few swirly take-offs, it has now clicked in my head about the amount of right rudder  I need to apply in order to maintain directional control on the runway roll and landing roll out.  (The right rudder is to counteract the left turning tendency in an airplane due to the torque of the engine and a number of other factors).  I’ve also overcome my fear of talking on the radio, unusual attitudes, and power on stalls.  I feel as though I am getting over the humps that always seem to appear on the  road to achieving a goal.   But the end result wouldn’t be so sweet if it were easy, right?  And like everything, the more you do it, the better you become. 

I like this quote by Cardinal Newman – “A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he has done.”

So, where am I at now?  After a successful stage check ride with another instructor today, I realized I’m past the hurdles which were nicely set up in front of me, and now ready to tackle my next.  My solo flight.

I’m almost certain that the next blog you read of mine will be of my solo flight.  Stay tuned. 

In the meantime, here’s a video of me flying the pattern and landing at MQY (Smyrna, TN) with my instructor Kirk. 

Want to learn to fly?  Wings of Eagles (MQY)  and Wings of Eagles, JWN

I have been asked to serve on the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) Aerospace (www.mtsu.edu/aerospace/)  Advisory Council. This is a newly formed group created for the purpose of assisting the Aerospace Department in developing and implementing long term goals and strategy, as well as helping with financial support.

Over the last 28 years our company has employed hundreds of MTSU aerospace students and graduates in all areas of our company including flight operations, maintenance, line service / FBO management and accounting. Today we have around 40 students and alumni of the program working with us including my business partner and several key members of our management team.. MTSU has been a great partner with our business in providing a resource of educated and skilled people to help us grow our business.

As I listened, in our first meeting, to the professors who are in charge of the various disciplines within the department I was impressed with all that is going on at the school. I guess over the years of being close to MTSU I did not realize how far the program had progressed.

MTSU offers bachelor’s degree programs in professional pilot, maintenance, dispatch. air traffic control, technology and administration and a master’s degree program in aerospace administration. The department has around 700 students as majors from 32 states and 16 foreign countries making it one of the largest aerospace programs in the country. The biggest concentration of majors is in the pro-pilot program but the other programs are growing every year.

More impressive than the numbers are the developments on the near horizon that will propel the aerospace program to new heights.

Coming in the next 12 months is a state of the art Air Traffic Control Simulator lab that will be the best in the country and the only one if its kind in the world. Not only will this lab be used to train future controllers but it will also be used to test new technologies developed as part of the FAA NextGen system being developed over the next ten years.

The simulator will include a 360 degree wrap around Control Tower, automated scenario systems, realistic DSR, ARTS, and STARS, and Dual enroute TRACON simulators.

MTSU has one of the most modern fleets of trainers utilizing the Diamond Star DA-40 all glass cockpit single engine aircraft as the primary trainer. Last year MTSU competed with the nations top programs and was awarded a $800,000 grant from the FAA to train FAA inspectors on Technologically Advanced Aircraft.

There is much more to brag about and I hope to have more for you in future posts on MTSU and the exciting things going on there.

I am proud to be a member of the advisory council and look forward to playing a small part in a big success story that will do a lot to keep the aviation industry in the US competitive on a global stage. It all starts with world class education institutions like MTSU.

After a six month hiatus from flying, I am finally back in the left seat!  And the one thing that has become apparent to me since starting up again is how the end result of some things we choose to do is worth enduring discomfort or hard work.  And this pertains to everything we choose to do in life.  If you don’t enjoy it, then why do it?  Well, of course sometimes there are things we have no choice in, but with flying, this is something I choose to do.  It can be uncomfortable at times  – like the first time Kirk pushed my head into my lap, put the plane in an unusual attitude and said “your airplane.”  He then gave me controls while I was wearing a hood which didn’t allow me to see outside of the cockpit; so, I had to use only the instruments to regain control, returning to normal and level flight.  It can also be hard – like when I have to spend my weekends studying for a ground school test, while everyone else is out having a good time in the gorgeous Tennessee spring weather.  But if you love something, all the other “stuff” becomes worth it. 

During the time I was not flying, I studied only a little (because I hate to), but then ramped up my efforts as the time I knew I would be back up flying again drew closer.  On Monday of this week, I took my first flight in the Katana DA20.  Now you might remember I was flying a Cessna 152 last year, but due to maintenance issues, I had to change to the DA20.  The switch was what took me so long to get back to flying; but, now I’ve done it and and I’ve jumped back in. 

I was nervous about flying again after so long, and especially because I had never flown this type of aircraft before.  But let me tell you, I love this airplane!  All the line service staff at CFM told me I would, but I still had a soft spot for the Cessna 152.  Well, now that I have flown this airplane a few times, I think it is just wonderful.  The canopy allows for a better visual, and it is a very easy airplane to fly.  Steering with brakes is the one thing which has me a little rattled.  Because the nose wheel of the DA20 is not linked to the rudder pedals, turns while taxiing must be made with differential braking.  I was a little swirly on the runway the first time I had to takeoff, but thankfully, Kirk was there to keep me on the runway.  I know in a few lessons I’ll have that down.

I’m somewhat starting all over again lesson-wise, but I’m okay with that because I’m excited to be flying again!  And all the study and discomfort that I know I will sometimes experience in this learning process will pay off with the fact in all the fun I have flying.  I guess the one thing I’m saying here is that sometimes we have to do things we don’t like, but look at what you get at the end.  What do they say?  No pain, no gain?    

I’m going to be blogging about my experiences on a regular basis again.  So follow me along the path to becoming a pilot, because I am definitely going to be sharing some interesting stories, on life in the left seat, and life in general.

When we started our flight school, Wings of Eagles, ten years ago, we were looking for a new trainer that would be efficient, safe and fun to fly. We wanted to do something different and reach a different market of people interested in learning to fly by offering new aircraft with the latest technology.

At that time, most flight schools were using 20-year-old Cessna 152s and 172s as their primary trainers. I learned to fly in those aircraft and there’s nothing wrong with learning to fly in a 20 year old trainer; but, it is not the most inspiring sight.  When you are thinking about learning to fly, you’re not looking for an aircraft that has a worn down paint job, a ratty interior, and radios from a different era of electronics.  You’re looking for an aircraft that looks like the future, which is why we chose the Da-20 Katana because it represented just that – the future. When the Da-40 Diamond Star came out we were in line and bought one of the first ones made – serial number 42.

Through the last ten years, these aircraft have proven to be great trainers: so, we have kept Diamond Da-20s and Da-40s in the mix, even  as we have upgraded the fleet.

Like all general aviation aircraft manufacturers, Diamond has had a rough ride in the past two years, but they have hung in there, and now it looks like they are on the verge of some new, innovative aircraft that will keep them in the future game of private and general aviation. 

A post on Flight Global this past week written by Flight International’s Kate Sarsfield of Flight International says that Diamond Aircraft has secured an investor to help them complete the certification of the D-jet.

This is great news for the industry. There is room between the high performance piston aircraft (Cirrus) and the new light jets (Embraer Phenom and Cessna Mustang) for a single engine jet primarily focused at the market of owner-flown aircraft buyers.  

At a price of 1.9 million, which is roughly half of the Phenom 100, and nearly 1 million less than the TBM850, this aircraft would be positioned well in the market to sell.

Kate Sarsfield also mentions other innovations and product offerings that Diamond is working on:

Dries (CEO of Diamond) admitted at the show that Diamond has been forced to diversify its product line and widen its target market to “survive the economic downturn.” A number of projects are in the works, including: 

• Designing wing spar boxes for the Russian MC-21 airliner, which is set for service entry in 2017.
• Building a Mercedes-based V-6 turbo diesel engine for the DA50 DiamondStar piston single
• Designing and building a “future small aircraft” powered by twin turbo diesels. The six-seat variant will have twin 270hp (200kW) engines, while the eight-seat model will have two 400hp engines. Both aircraft will have fly-by-wire controls, an automatic landing system for use in case of pilot incapacitation and be available in pressurised and unpressurised versions.

• Developing two new V-8 turbo diesels – one with 350hp and the other with 550hp.
• Developing a light aircraft driven by a hybrid combination of a 55hp Wankel rotary engine and a 40-50kW electrical motor. Dries said an aircraft will make its debut at next year’s show.

Meanwhile, Diamond has European approval for its 170hp AE300 Austro engine powered DA40 piston single – now called the DA40NG.

Much of what is mentioned has to do with diesel engine technology for aviation. The diesel technology will eventually catch on in a big way for two reasons:

1. The supply of aviation gasoline is limited in most parts of the world and will probably not get better, but here is always an available supply of jet fuel and eventually a bio jet fuel will be on the market.
2. The diesel engine is more economical and eventually will be more reliable.

 So, hats off to Diamond for being forward-thinking and innovative.

 I look forward to seeing the D-jet and diesel variants of the Da-40 and Da-42 Twin star flying here in the US.