Flying
I'm a licensed Private Pilot and an avid flight simmer. On this page, I plan on adding any stories or pictures about trips or experiences I've had flying, as well as give some reviews on Microsoft Flight Simulator add-ons and maybe even write some articles.
I learned how to fly in Juneau, Wisconsin, and continute to do most of my flying out there. It is a great small airport run by Wisconsin Aviation. It is uncontrolled and generally quiet, but has enough business aviation traffic to justify the county spending the money for good runways and other improvements. I've also been doing some flying out of Fond Du Lac and West Bend with West Bend Air who operates the FBO at both locations. These guys are also a first rate operation. I mainly fly with these guys because they have a fleet of Cessna 172s, and although I prefer Pipers overall, the 172s have some advantages also.
Background
After 20 years of dreaming to be a pilot, I finally took lessons and obtained my Private Pilot license. I took my checkride (and passed!) in September 2004.
I have wanted to be a pilot since before I was 10 years old. My parents took me to airshows and military base open houses all the time and flying looked like a good way to make a living. Every kid knows that. My desire was confirmed when my Dad put me on a helicopter for a sight seeing flight over Niagra Falls as a kid. I was hooked.
When I left High School for college, I joined the Air Force ROTC program and began my 4 years of study for Aeronautical Engineering. Department of Defense spending cutbacks in the early '90s convinced me that I was more likely to end up as an Air Force librarian than as a pilot, so I dropped that program after only a few weeks. It just never felt right. But, it never felt right NOT being in the military, either. My sophomore year I joined the Army ROTC program knowing that I had a very real shot at getting into flight school for helicopters. Upon completion of my engineering degree, the Army decided they would prefer me to be an Ordnance Corps officer where I would be managing mechanics.
The Army knew I wasn't happy with the job they had chosen for me, but I decided to make the most of it. What else can you do? I ended up enjoying my time in Army logistics and gained priceless experience that you just can't get in many other places. However, to focus on the task at hand, I basically suppressed my dreams of flight. I had met too many others who were so focused on getting out of their current job and into their desired job, be it as a pilot, Special Forces, or just back to any combat arms branch, that they really did poorly in their assigned position. I didn't want to be like them so I focused on being the best Ordnance Officer I could be. But, I knew I didn't want to do it for the next 20 years, so I became a civilian again after 4 years.
I had done such a good job of suppressing my dreams of flying that it wasn't until a few years after the Army that they surfaced again. I applied one last time to several Air National Guard units, but now I was getting close to the upper age limit and still had no flight experience. I'm sure my applications didn't get a second look, but at least I tried.
As my 30th birthday approached, I realized there was only one way it was ever going to happen: do it myself. So, after 20 years of dreaming, I took my first flight lesson.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004
My instructor thought I was nuts, but I found that spending time on Microsoft Flight Simulator really enhanced my learning process, and it helps me with recurrency training. I invested in CH Products yoke and rudder pedals and purchased the Dream Fleet Piper Archer add-on. The add-on closely resembles the aircraft I trained in (a Piper Warrior) and allows me to practice procedures in my home office much cheaper than real Hobbs time. I frequently use it to refresh myself if I haven't flown in a while which really saves time in the cockpit. During training, I would also fly my upcoming lesson in the simulator before I showed up for the real lesson. The rehearsal really helped get my mind ready and was especially helpful when flying into new airports. I'm also already getting ahead of myself and flying ILS and other instrument procedures in FS2004 and am really looking forward to moving on to my instrument instruction.