Monday, July 07, 2008

Getting There

lookout. there's a new guy in the sky. APAC 1168 is officially online so look up!

i finally went on my first solo flight today. and it was simply amazing.

running up to today, i was more worried about my solo check than the solo itself. 'solo check' is basically a test where we do take-off and landings above the aerodrome, and the instructor will decide whether or not to clear the student and send him for solo.

so yesterday i saw my instructor, and he's all happy and just tells me 'well tomorrow morning just make sure you shave, shower, and shit. remember those 3 things!'

he is quite unpredictable la basically.

anyways during my solo check i screwed up quite a bit. really dumb stupid atrociously silly mistakes, like not maintaing height/speed/power. and boy i thought i wasn't gonna pass the check.

thank God my landings made up for that. prior to this, my landings used to be horrible. once, in the early stages of learning how to land, my instructor yelled, "are you trying to kill all 3 of us in the plane?!"

it was NOT funny.

surprisingly, even to myself, my landings today was good. i didn't baloon, landing wasn't hard, or even out of control (which usually IS the case).

so he cleared me for solo, but not before a few questions:

him: can you MAINTAIN yr height and speed and power?

me: yes sir.

him: are you SURE?!

me: yes sir.

him: are you confident?

me: yes sir.

him: ok, i'm clearing you for solo. do your pre take off checks and don't forget to...

it was more than just music to my ears. it was unbelieveable. and i started to fumble with my checks. always rechecking if the fuel pump was on, lights on, fuel correct tank, etc etc..

finally i said:

"kota baru ground, APAC 09Siera ready for taxi", and there was no turning back. i started to freak out. taking off isn't so hard, landing is the worry. as they say, "taking off is optional, landing is not".

then i lined up, did my checks, got clearance for take off, advanced to 2000RPM let go of the brakes, and advanced to full throttle.

so far so good.

40 kts. 45 kts. increasing rather slowly.

and i checked my rpm, and it was stuck at 2100, when in fact it should have been somewhere around 2600.

should i freaking abort? THINK THINK THINK SHARMAN!

so i did what an engineer once did, reduce power a little and advanced it back to full power. luckily it worked and the power increased steadily. reached 65kts and i rotated. maintained an attitude for 80kts, trimmed the aircraft, and carried on as usual.

i don't know why but my speed was too high, or i was gaining height, which i started to freak out coz i was suppose to start descending soon, even though my power settings were normal for cruise.

luckily i made some adjustments along the way, reached finals at the correct height, maintained my rate of descent and speed, which was the most important thing. staying on centreline wasn't so difficult with the light winds.

everything went well. i reached above the runway threshold, pulled back on the control collumn to straighten the aircraft then cut power. and the aircraft didnt balloon! to my amazement! ballooning is when you increase the aircraft's nose too high that it starts gaining height, and you do not want it to happen.

flared out nicely and the aircraft just sinked so smoothly on the runway. it lost height, wings were level, and slowly just touched the runway with the main wheels and then i lowered the nose wheel to get all 3 wheels back on solid ground. best ever landing i had ever done. it was amazing. i couldn't believe i did it.

i did not kill myself, or even damage the aircraft. i friggin flew a plane by myself, and landed it all alone. my instructor thought me well :D i friggin landed the aircraft!

during lunch he came over and congratulated me on my first solo. he smiled. it was satisfying to know i didn't disappoint him, like how i usually do.

sometimes its not hard to feel tiny in this massive industry. it still freaks me out that i'm actually here. it feels like its too big for me. more than i can grasp. but today just proved to me how in love i am with the industry when you actually realize with time and guidance, you can do it. may take a lil longer, but its worth the wait.

its really hard to put in words what i'm feeling. its like that itch that you just can't seem to scratch. the smirk you can't seem to wipe off. you just have to experience it yourself to know what's it all about.

might not be about landing an aircraft for you, but there's just something in your life that's gonna leave a psychotic smile on your face. and when you do find it, you just wanna live off it and suck all of its every tiny essence of euphoria it has.

for me, i'm more-than-words-can-describe happy that today went so well. it wasn't perfect, but it was perfect to me. and you know what?

i live another day to do it again and again and again..


signing out,
APAC 1168.


- The difficult takes time, the impossible just takes a little longer -

35 comments:

TKDaddict said...

fuuuuuyoooooh....
sounds so cooool....
captain sharman *salutes*
at this rate i'll be enjoying my free plane rides soon lah rite ;)

AdrenaLynn said...

I dun mind having to pay for the flight..air asia...not expensive.. I just wanna use the cockpit... for..umm..personal reason..muhahahahha

sharman said...

atta: lol yea it WAS cool. it was simply awesome.

hahaha captain?! long time to go la atta..u get yr doctorship first one.. hehehe airasia so cheap stil wan free tix?? lol :P :P :P

SIL: we'll c wat we can do abt it..bt u do know the cockpit isnt very big...then again, thats the excitement/challenge kan? hahahahaaha

AdrenaLynn said...

ya lah..but hey... airplane toilets aren't that big either ,ah..n ppl still do it there..I just wanna go one up..haha

sharman said...

i tink i mite kena buang kerja la..lol...

TKDaddict said...

eh my pay as a hseman not that great lah ...every dollar counts...hahaha...free still better than having to pay riite ;)

sharman said...

hahahaha sumtimes i feel like im taking over air asia... with all this 'gratitude' lol

sharman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Congrats on ur 1st solo flight...

Anonymous said...

U really deserve it...

sharman said...

lol thx...bt whos this?

Anonymous said...

...and i don't want the world to see me...
...cause i don't think that they can apprehend...
...for some thing's are meant to be broken...
...One day u'll understand...

... I want u to noe me, but guess time will tell...

sharman said...

interesting... time will tell? hmmmmmm

sharman said...

interesting... time will tell? hmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out... It's all about timing.

U back home?

sharman said...

yes im back at home.

Anonymous said...

Dun really understand how ur blog link came into... Juz when I was browsing for keywords searching for new guy in the sky... Luck or coincidence..? Do the math... Urs was an interesting blog page with lots of anticipation in life... After means of soul-searching, I juz realized that ur linked to sumone im close to as well... Ohh well... anyways, im a guy in search of a new meaning in life... Cheers to our new link... which I hope it will not solely be on this blog... lol...

sharman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
sharman said...

new guy in the sky? hmm interesting...are u in the aviation industry as well?

lots of anticipation in life. i think ive done a good job blogging about not sad storiesss

Anonymous said...

As much as I want to be in aviation, Im not... So-called grounded... Anyways, u can say dat u've done a good job bloggin abt not sad stories... lol... Noticed that u have hidden agendas whenever u try to blog ur life... Guess derz certain twists here & der... Or izzit juz me thinkin or analyzing too much... Well, not here to judge anyway... As I only judge people by the question they ask me.., not by their answers...

sharman said...

you're not in aviation but u searched for 'new guy in the sky' looking for??

yep i do like underlying certain stuff in my posts, never knew i was so blunt though.. i guess i have much to learn

Anonymous said...

Itz a diff kind of 'new guy in the sky'... e one dat u may also call 'high-class servers amongst the clouds'. A totally different dream compared to urs...

People always admire what we really dun understand... thus the audaciousness and impudence of us wanting people to know oneself or vice versa is certainly another question mark... There's no wrongs to it thou as it always felt right...

sharman said...

ic ic... u wanna do 'high class serving'?

i do agree the admiration part. its some kinda mysteriousness or alieness, something we can't really understand, seems so bizarre yet near, something just not us.

doesnt mean it feels right, it isn't wrong.

Anonymous said...

Bizarre yet near..? hmm

I've read a wise quote thou..,“The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong..”

"Doesn't mean it feels right, it isn't wrong".., guess itz a separate thing altogether.. Maybe you can enlighten me on dat..

U leaving hm again soon..?

sharman said...

yea bizzare coz we hv no clue wats it abt, and yet we wanna know about it...get close to it... coz its so foreign and full of... adventure? intriguing i guess. an interest for the unknown ;D

nice quote i say. sense and nonsense.

its all a matter of perspective i guess. what do we use to measure something is good or bad? what's the yardstick... just because it feels right to us, it may be wrong in the eyes of others... ahhhhh no logic!

yes im leaving, about to leave actually as i'm typing this. still not telling who u are? dunno how long this gonna last tho...

Anonymous said...

Intriguing and interesting indeed.. Getting close only means getting acquainted... & getting acquainted to something foreign only means ur getting familiar w something beyond ur horizons..

The term "yardstick" you used also used metaphorically in reference to anything which serves as a standard of comparison or judgement.. Something I juz knew.. Frankly to me, in life there's no such gauge.. Itz true dat itz a matter of perspective plus on how u perceive
it.. Not on how others see it or judge us..

No logic? Maybe..
Nonsense.. Yes..

Datz how life is so mysterious I guess.. There are some people who leave impressions not so lasting.. True too dat first impressions usually does not last.. I hope dis is not applicable to us thou.. All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out.. Imagination is more important than knowledge.. U agree.?

sharman said...

i guess getting acquainted to something foreign is what ppl want.. like a separation from the ordinary? u know a get away...

so basically we shud live how we perceive somethin, rather than bother what others think? hmm...tats true

i cant help but to have a lil more fondness/attraction to imagination. its more fun. but to compare the two, imagination n knowledge? both are important, in their respective rights. i dont think either is more important. but whatever you said before the question, was something interesting to ponder.

"all meaningful and lasting change starts first in your imagination and then works its way out"

life is mysterious, but u could help me make i LESS mysterious :D ... its not that i dont want to, but i dont know how often i'll come online now that im back in hostel. the internet is a treasure here.

and sometimes i wish not to imagine.

Anonymous said...

Get aways are nice.. I've always liked to get away with just a little bit of what I'm not supposed to do or become.. No restrictions & no resentments.. & yes, separation from the ordinary indeed..

Uncertainties and mysteries are energies of life.. Don't let them scare you unduly, for they keep boredom at bay and spark creativity.. I noe dat mysteries are not necessarily miracles too & im juz being unfair to u.. Wat dya want to noe abt me dat can help to ease ur curiosity itch.? I juz hope u wont be disappointed thou..

Each nite has been a religious routine for u & me to view this link.. If u want, I'll email u my email address at ur sharman23@hotmail.com address.. wat say u..?

u said earlier.,"and sometimes i wish not to imagine.."

Wat r u imagining if I may ask..?

sharman said...

i guess if we knew everything, life would be a whole lot dull eh? well for starters i wanna who u are la? who am i linked to thats linked to u?

dont mind u emailing me at tat address, but i need to remind that i dont come online as often anymore

i wasnt imagining anyting...just that sometimes, instead of imagining, if we have the option to know the truth, i'd rather have the truth/reality than to imagine of what would-be

Anonymous said...

Time to wake up.. Is it really time..?

If someone asks, I might be able to answer.., but den again if no one asks me, I might not know what it is. If I wish to explain it to myself., I'm misguided.. As time is what we want most, but.. what we use worst..

..U might not realize that the time you think you're missing.., misses you too..

Randomness from me again.. Hi..

sharman said...

this has been a long absence.

the time i'm missing, misses me too? thats something new for me to think about...

so, I shall ask you, is it time for you to wake up? what do u like about this place? being anonymous??? coz u know thats itching me with curiosity.

Anonymous said...

Indeed it has been long.. Spendin time to recollect myself..

Dun u think itz true dat when ur missing sumone u juz wish dat someone will miss u too.. & e time u lost r e ones you wish u hadn't.. anyway, who was that blog for?? "time to wake up.."

I would luv to wake up but e worst thing is about being broken again.. juz like going to sleep and knowing you're going to wake up and nothing has changed..

sharman said...

hmmm thats true. i guess we all just wanna be 'important' to someone. or be thought about. so we don't feel so neglected??? hehe

that post was about me. just things going around my head.

whats breaking u up?

Anonymous said...

Hmm.. "To be thought abt".. it has been a while..

I should say ur post has a deep meaning ., u alright?

Well not much to discuss thou.. Itz juz strange how often we have to be broken down before the years can make us wiser..

sharman said...

deep meaning? maybe. the post has its sides. theres always many angles to look from, but dont worry i'm fine.

i guess we only learn from our mistakes, once it hits us and totally breaks us down. then we build ourselves up again, and hope we don't make the same decisions. but sometimes, even the years don't make us wiser. foolishness eh?

well u never know when you're being thought about. thats a consolation thought rite?