Day before Thanksgiving Checklist

....Allright here....let's get this thing started up...

2 gallons of 2% milk...........Check!
1 gallon of skim...................Check!
Butter...................................Check!

Oh wait! wrong checklist! I'm looking at the grocery list instead of the checklist to Jordan Moore's Bell 412 that I wanted to start up.

Thanksgiving break is here, I'm I'm glad it is...I'm ready for Turkey, football...and the best nap of the year, the one right after lunch! We're having 20 people over (sounds like alot...but it's actually less that half the family!) And 3 out of the 20 will be talking about aiplanes! I've told you about my Grandpa being a pilot, but my Uncle is also a pilot. He's owned and operated everything from a C404 to a C210, to his newest Piper Seneca V. He's even looking into a homebuilt challenger to put on floats for the lakehouse! :- D I'm sure I'll have some good talks at the table about my future career, heck...they might even want to see the sim! (The little ones always ask..."Ross....can I go fly?" I can't resist seeing 6 year olds flying an Extra 300 doing uncontrolled flips in the air...it's very amusing!)

Well, my work for the day is done...groceries are taken care of, I'm off to go get some stick time in on my newest helicopter!

Ahh....Saturday Morning!

After a long hard week full of wierd, imaginary numbers...as well as radicals that don't make any logical sense whatsoever, I'm ready for some flyin!

I took my PMDG 747-400 up for some approach work. I'm glad it's a sim and I don't have to pay for operating costs. Last nights main objective was mainly approaches, and setting up the FMC for a proper one. The FMC is fairly new in FS, and it's spankin new to me. I've only used the ESDG's FMC that is in the Citation X, and it is far from fully functional. The 747's FMC is a work of art. I almost feel like I could hop in a 747-400 and preflight it (I think the FAA/CIA/FBI/NTSB wouldn't like it though!)

3 round trips from Oke City down to Dallas using the "BOWIE 2" (8 is now current, but my FSNAV is old ;-) ) definatly got me in some good approach time. I think I'm almost ready for one of those long flights...where you go to sleep once you reach cruize altitude, then you wake up and the sim is perfectly paused at your TOD. But I think I'll wait a bit. "Virtual United Airlines" might not be happy seeing one of thier prized aircraft being flown so badly!

Now it's off to my other training objective....Cleaning my room...."If you cant keep you room clean...then how will you be responsible enough to fly planes?" I'll give you one guess who I'm quoting....yep....My wonderful mother.

I will leave you with this though. It's a Podcast, and the author is an airline captain that brings his recorder with him on flights. He cover's the commercial airline industry from the pilot's and FA's point of view...it's pretty cool!

Fly With Joe

What's Goin Down

So I've known I've wanted to start training for a couple years now. But now I get a chance to actually do it. I'm only 16, so the age limit was really the only thing holding me back (FAA Regs say you have to be 17 to obtain a PPL, and 16 to get your medical). My flight school advised me to wait till I was about 16 and a half to start training, this would give me the right amount of time to effeciently (both in the air and finacially) pass my checkride.

My Training:

If you look at the site of the school, You'll see that I'm training on some sweet, new(er) C172's. I'll be using CBI (Computer Based Instruction) for my ground school cirriculum. In other words, instead of the traditional, take a class for gound school...all of it at once, then go flying 6 months after you took the classes, I will be taking, on my computer, a lesson or two each week, then when I'm done with that lesson I'll go in the air and perform the manuvers that were covered in the lesson. This is much quicker (and less expensive) than traditional training.
Speaking of expensive, you're probably wondering how much this is gunna cost, and how I'm paying for it. They say it will cost in the ballpark of $6,000. This depends on how effeicent I learn everything (That's where FS comes in). My awesome parents will aid in the finance section, as long as I be a good little boy and keep my grades up. I'll be paying for as much as I can, but school comes first, which means I can only have a job in the summer. I have a feeling I'll be turning into a "ramp-rat" (like Mike!) to help pay for some flights!

Meanwhile, While I paitently wait for January to roll around, I'll just keep flying on the sim and keep those grades up! Hard work pays off!
Hard work isn't just for school, I'm actually trying to work hard in the sim as well. I'll only be flying VERY realistic flights from now on. I'm trying to cut down on the helicopter flying, don't worry, I'll still fly helos, just not as much. Right now I'm having fun flying my PMDG 747 around the world. This thing is SICK!!!! It's so real! Yet I do know that I won't be flying 747's for a while, so I'll be doing many flights in the pattern with my Flight1 Cessna 172 (I gotta find it again...it's on one of these disks!)
No matter what I fly, the important thing is to keep it as real as possible. I'll be working on setting up my flight's BEFORE I turn on the sim, and look into airport information, as well as weather and TFR's (virtual ones...of course!)
That's all for tonight, I think I'm gunna take my 747 up for some touch up's with the FMC and approaches. I got it into Oke City a couple of night ago, had to do it "Iron Knuckes" though, I think I messed up the FMC!

First Things First

Let me introduce myslef. My name's Ross, and I'm a sophmore in highschool that loves aviation. I'm a born and raised Oklahoman...and I love mexican food.

I created this blog to share my experiences while I travel through probably the most memorable time of my life....No...not my adolesence, that would bore you, I'm talking about training to become a pilot....a real one.
I've wanted to fly as far back as I can remember. My Grandpa was a Piper Cub pilot in WWII (battle of the buldge) and later he owned a C172 that he used for his buisness, He's been a big influence on my life. "I miss two things in life. I miss jogging, and I miss flying airplanes" is a popular quote that I hear quite often from my 83 year old Grandpa. I can't wait to take him up with me!
I really began my urge to get in the air when I first heard about this little "game" called Microsoft Flight Simulator. Most of you have heard of this game, due to the fact that most of you know me because of this game. Flightsim has brought me closer to real world pilots, as well as real world aircraft. Aircraft like the DODOSIM Bell 206, the PMDG 747, and the Flight1 Cessna 172, just to name a few, that have gone past normal flightsimming, and into a virtual reality where you can mentally do everything just like the real deal, but you still miss out on the physical feeling.
This blog will help you see how I get past the simulator and start my career. No doubt, you will see how the simulator and the connections that I have made with the simulator will help me in my training.


Please keep in touch with this blog. I'll be updating everytime I get into the air (or when I feel like it)

Until Next time...