After signing some paper work and taking care of a few administrative details it was time for John and I to take flight. As we walked out of the offices and towards the plane, I felt a bit nervous. I laughed and joked with John as we walked those 10 yards towards the plane. We talked about kids, family and nothing about airplanes. These types of conversations help ease some of the nerves (at least for me) and break the ice.
As we got to the airplane he explained that we would have to do a quick "walk around" the airplane, all that means is check all the exterior components of the airplane, wings, fuel, tubes, tires etc. and confirm all is working and all the pieces are present :0) this is part of the "Preflight Process". John did the preflight walk around one side of the airplane and I did the other. Years back I worked as a Ramp agent for delta and I remembered doing the "Walk Around" with the pilots. Next, we removed the ropes holding the airplane down. Finally it was time to get into the cockpit and go over the interior check list.
Once inside the cabin IT WAS FREEZING! I joked with John and said "Man, I wish this plane had an APU I would just turn it on and warm up this cabin!" He laughed and said "I wish" An APU is Auxiliary Power Unit, it's kinda like a generator that allows you to turn on the airplane without turning on the engines. On cold days like today the APU is usually turned on for big airplanes like 747's etc. Because this particular airplane is a Cessna 172P and used for training purposes, let's just say an APU is not available for this tiny puddle jumper.
Actual Plane - I took these today.
Now, while in the cockpit John took out the planes POH (Pilots Operating Handbook) this sheet of paper is a guide to test and confirm all the interior components of the aircraft are functioning correctly. This sheet of paper reminds pilots to check things such as oil pressure, cabin lights, power, fuel etc. Luckily for me I knew how to read some of the meters. So, John (instructor) read out the check list and I confirmed. Finally it was time to turn this aircraft on.
I turn on the airplanes "Main Power" switch, turn the key, turned on a few more buttons and WALLAH! the prop is spinning and we are ready to go. John taxied the plane to the take off run way #28 while there I tested the power and oil pressure by giving the plane full throttle and tested the breaks. At that moment John took over the handles and called the tower, ready for "Take Off"
With full throttle and breaks off, the little Cessna 172 takes on to the runway like a bullet, within a few seconds we pull back on the controls and POW! We are in the air...
While ascending to 2,000 feet John and I discussed the weather, heading and the feel of the aircraft. Within seconds I took the control and began to maneuver the aircraft. Because of the heavy gust of winds the plane was jumping ALL OVER THE PLACE! I'm not going to lie, I was nervous close to being scared. At that moment, I kept my cool and tried to relax, I took a look outside my window (I sat on the left seat) to enjoy the scenery and man, it was beautiful! But, the turbulance was a little nerve wrecking.
While I looked at the horizon and got a bit more comfortable with the plane, John asked me to bank right and I did. I was very proud of the way I took the controls and banked (turned) kept the plane lined up with the horizon. After about twenty minutes it was time to head back to the airport.
As we approached runway 28, the gusts of winds knocked us left and right. The final approach was not pretty, but John pulled back on the controls and landed us safely on the ground.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I had a great time today flying the little Cessna 172, thought the weather conditions were not good and my father warned me about the gusts of winds which topped at 34 the night before, I still took on the flight. As I said to the flight instructor, "This was fun and very informative, but! It's time for me to head back to reality" lol
Jason Anthony Rodriguez - FWJ
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