Yeah, today is a day that some dread and some embrace. I am of the latter school of thought. Today I get the opportunity to take a chunk of knowledge that I have acquired through the in class instruction and hands on guidance (pun intended?) in the helicopter, with my flight instructor and put in on paper. I really don't think of it as a chance to prove myself to anyone, but rather prove to myself that I am capable and have the knowledge to be a safe and competent helicopter pilot.
The way my school has the instruction set up, there is really no way to fail, unless you just aren't into it or don't care. Which brings up another thought that I will get into in a bit...
back to the instruction. Like I said, it's pretty dummy proof. Not to say that this stuff is easy, because by no means is it something you can throw a half-hearted effort into and expect to succeed. Won't happen, I promise. It is setup in a fashion where you are first introduced to material through reading assignments, then you cover the same material by watching a video that is created by the staff here at Guidance Aviation, as you follow along answering questions about the given video lesson. So effectively, you get the information 3 times in 3 different ways. Then to top it off, your flight instructor will have knowledge of the in class training and allow you the opportunity to put that knowledge to work in the helicopter. So yeah, dummy proof.
Back to my previous statement about not caring or just not being into it. In my opinion (we all know what an opinion is right??? k. good) you have to be prepared to enter this program. Now... when I say prepared, it is pretty inclusive. If you want to succeed, you MUST MUST MUST have your affairs in order. Financially is a big one. If you're like me and you have a rich uncle who owes you money from 6 years of indentured servitude (Veteran) then all costs are covered and you get a housing allowance and some cash for book. But, if you decide to do this thing on loans, it's probably a good idea to not dig yourself a hole so deep you cant climb out. The cost for flight instruction at my school is competitive with other schools but the instruction is where you get your moneys worth. Ill save that for another update, but in short, I am very pleased with what Guidance has going, especially after speaking with other students from other flight schools. I got off track... sorry..
So have your finances in order, and probably more important than that, have your personal life pretty squared away. This is probably not something you want to jump right into if you're going through a divorce, or a death in the family or another emotional situation. This school, this "thing" that we do every time we climb into the cockpit requires ALL OF YOU. I would venture to say that the mental aspect of flying is more crucial than if your feet and hands are wired to the rest of your body that day. This is just as big of a "head thing" as anything I've done.
Last I will say the support of your family/spouse. I wouldn't be here if it were not for my wife. She must be as crazy as I am, because she supports me like no one I've ever met. If I have a crappy flight, she encourages me and tells me to brush it off. Just this morning on my way out the door, she told me "You're an "A" pilot, fly like one" (referring to the grading for the flight). I couldn't do it without that. So get your support, involve your family and friends in what you're doing and let them follow you on your way to becoming a working helicopter pilot.
Ok, thats enough for today. I have a written stage check to study for.
No comments:
Post a Comment