Ground school tomorrow night! Apparently we're covering Aerodynamics, so I'm studying up tonight. Bought "Learning to Fly Helicopters" the other night; it's really great - reads more like a book than, say, the FAA's Rotorcraft Flying Handbook.  Going to also read the Aerodynamics section in the Jeppesen Schweizer Helicopter Pilot Manual.

Oh, and Vertical Magazine is incredible. Barnes & Noble had the December/January edition in stock. Beautiful photos and great articles!

Well, this journey is definitely a test of my patience. I was supposed to take the AFAST tomorrow, talked to my recruiter earlier today and everything to finalize stuff...only to get a call about 10 minutes ago saying that he forgot to do the projection paperwork. No AFAST tomorrow, in other words. Rescheduled for January 6th.

Trying to look at this as a blessing in disguise. At least now I'll have more time to study, although I really just wanted to get it over with and done.

Welcome to the Army, folks!

LASIK

Just got home from a LASIK consultation in Portland - my surgery date is set for January 21st!! I'm stoked - ready to not be blind as a bat.

Oh, and my eyesight is within the Army's pre-op requirements! This means I won't end up needing an Exception to Policy (ETP), which is a major relief.

ASVAB

Erm...all I know is that as I sat in the waiting room after I'd received the envelope with my scores (not allowed to open it at that point), I was thinking about retaking it. The electronics and mechanical sections really screwed with my nerves, even though I knew they didn't count for the AFQT or GT Scores.

Anyway:

99 AFQT
139 GT

I still can't believe it.

AFAST on Wednesday the 16th...going to study my butt off for that one, definitely.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. I was supposed to have it on Monday, but due to a paperwork mix-up, was turned away. Will update afterwards.

Pressure

Holy mother of God, it's December. When did that happen? All of a sudden everything becomes way more pressing and urgent; deadlines are fast approaching, and the amount of studying I have to do the first half of this month isn't even funny.

I've got a little whiteboard in my room that has calendar markings. I wiped November clean and filled in everything that's going on for December...

A brief summary:

The rest of this week (Dec. 2 - Dec. 5) 
Class all day Thursday, with three papers due (and this is without procrastinating...)
Two Letter of Recommendation interviews

Next week (Dec. 6 - Dec. 12)
ASVAB on Monday - need to study like hell for that
Class all day Tuesday
Class all day Thursday + 2 finals
Drive down to Portland on Friday to get another LASIK consultation
Volunteer at the USO on Saturday

Week of Dec. 13-19
USO on Monday
Final on Tuesday + Research Paper & Extra Credit due
AFAST on Wednesday - also need to study VERY hard for this test
Final on Thursday
Friday - ideally, I'll get LASIK on this day, but this is dependent on a number of factors.

Not to mention the studying I've been doing for Helicopter ground school. I'm aiming to complete at least the PPL and Commercial written tests before I apply for the May/June WOFT boards. Why not?

Also working on the previously mentioned AOPA ASF Courses and FEMA Courses. I need to figure out a way to scrounge up some money so I can convert the FEMA courses to college credit; around $300 for four courses.

I also have a goal of completing my "Why I want to be an Army Aviator" Essay and Resume by Christmas. My present to myself = less stress. :)

The good news is that by the end of December I'll have completed a lot of things on my WOFT To-Do List. After that it's just waiting for the LoRs to roll in, wait the 3 months after LASIK for my MEPS physical and Flight Physical, take the APFT (need to get in better shape...), and (*gulp*) go before the Battalion Board.

Sorry for the rambling!

Online Courses!

I love online courses, especially free ones. I was informed about the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's (AOPA) Air Safety Foundation (ASF) Program, which is a series of online, interactive modules on the AOPA's website that focus on pilot safety, weather, GPS technology, runway safety, etc. After the completion of a module, it shows up on your ASF Course Transcript, and you can print off a certificate if you have a current pilot's license.

Unfortunately, I haven't yet obtained my Student Pilot's License, which I don't need until I solo, but I think I'll go grab it anyway. At least then I can start accumulating these certificates, which can then be used for the FAA's WINGS program, and is another WOFT resume-builder, hopefully. At any rate, these courses are extremely interesting and I've learned a lot so far.

Completed:
1) Runway Safety
2) Do the Right Thing: Decision-Making for Pilots

Next step: take my 3rd Class Medical exam so I can get my Student Pilot certificate!

Been teaching myself "The Flight Environment" out of the Schweizer Pilot Manual. For the most part, extremely interesting. Even airport lighting was interesting once I re-evaluated it after a good night's sleep. :D

Working on Airspace (Class A, B, C, D, E, G) now...some of it is interesting but at the moment it is just confusing. Not as straightforward as I was hoping...

Minor Updates

Just got off the phone with my recruiter, and I now have dates set to take the ASVAB and AFAST.

ASVAB: December 7
AFAST: December 16

Also, if I get my LASIK done in mid-December, it is quite likely I'll be able to board as early as May.

More Pics from the Mountain X-Country

Except these were taken by my CFI (Flight Instructor), meaning I was at the controls!

College

Just thinking out loud at this point...

After this quarter, I am 50 credits (10 classes) away from graduation. June is two quarters (Winter & Spring) away, so I have two quarters to knock this out. Basic math = 5 classes/quarter. Now, my school dictates that a "full-time student" is 12-18 credits per quarter, i.e. ~3 classes. Highly annoying, since I am not allowed to register for more than three classes, and I'll have to add the others the first day of class for that quarter, severely limiting my options. 

I think I am going to apply online for a local Community College so I can knock out some of those credits via online courses. Being in five classes per quarter while trying to work on WOFT and flying and everything else is a little bit too much, but taking one of those five online will really help offset the workload. The amount of homework isn't the issue; it's sitting in class all that time. Each class is just over two hours long, so it gets a bit tiring. Online courses will really allow me to work at my own pace (i.e. knock it out faster). 

So, it looks as though for Winter quarter, I'll be taking:

Intro to Political Values

Intro to American Politics

International Economics

Media Globalization 

+ 1 Online Class

Spring quarter schedule isn't out yet, but I'll need to take:

PPE (my major) Seminar

Another Economics Course

Elective 1

Elective 2

+ 1 Online Course

I'm also toying with the idea of taking two online courses during Winter quarter (6 classes total) so as to decrease my Spring quarter workload. I suppose if it becomes too much, I can always drop one of them early on, no big deal. Hmm...I'm just glad I decided to knock out my really tough, upper-division classes early on at Reed. Already for Winter quarter I'll be taking three lower-division classes as a result, so that's a relief.

My major is PPE: Politics, Philosophy & Economics with an Economics "Track."

LASIK

Forgot to mention that on Wednesday I found out that I am indeed a candidate for LASIK, which is incredible news. However, my eyesight is hovering around -6.00 diopters, the cutoff for the Army's pre-op requirements. So I'd need to get an Exception to Policy (ETP). Apparently it's not unheard of, and the decision to grant an ETP is usually based on post-op results. Either way, I'm going to another place in the beginning of December to get another consultation. Maybe they'll read my eyesight differently. *Crosses fingers*

Doesn't matter, in the end. I know if I don't get LASIK, then I'm not a candidate for WOFT, no doubt about it. At least with putting in an ETP, I have a chance.

Ground School Lesson No. 1

AEROMEDICAL

I think it speaks volumes about my CFI that I was able to pay attention to this material. He even made it interesting. Yesterday, I was in class literally all day, 8am-8:30pm, then headed to the airfield immediately afterwards, and after BSing a bit, dug into Aeromed.

We just covered the basics, and are finishing it up in a group ground lesson on Monday, but it was clearly a valuable and critical topic. We covered the different types of hypoxia and the symptoms, hyperventilation, some FAR/AIM regulations that pertain to that, and other physical & physiological symptoms that should ground pilots, such as congestion, medications, etc. 

Also went over "I'M SAFE," which is an acronym for basically a preflight checklist of yourself, the pilot. Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Eating habits. This was all very straightforward and mostly common sense, but the value of the lesson is clear.

Of particular interest to me was the section where we discussed what happens to the ear canal during ascent and descent, especially to higher altitudes. I've always had excessive ear pain in commercial flight, particularly on descent (I had ear tubes put in when I was 2, probably why), so it was very informative to see diagrams of what is actually occurring inside your ear. 

Mountain X-Country

Wednesday, November 18th was my second flight in a helicopter. In short, it was absolutely breathtaking. 

We began by practicing some hovering for the first time, which was very demanding but fun at the same time. He said I caught on fairly quickly, and expects me to be able to hover relatively soon. What a compliment! The winds were beginning to pick up, though, so we taxied and headed out to the East...towards the Cascade Mountains.

On the way there, he had me take the controls (all of them) quite often, teaching me how to keep the Manifold Pressure at a certain point, and how to move the cyclic aft when decreasing MP, and forward when increasing it. It was a neat experience trying to apply just the right amount of forward cyclic when increasing manifold pressure so as to keep airspeed steady, especially since the winds were getting fairly bad. 

Unfortunately, I only had my phone camera and was too "in awe" to take a lot of pictures, but I did snag a couple of when we got up into the mountains and landed on one of them. This was...unbelievable to say the least. At this altitude, the peaks were all covered with snow, and the lakes were completely frozen over. It was like we were in a movie. Anyway, we landed in the snow, and my CFI snagged a few pictures. When he climbed back in and reassumed the controls, I grabbed a couple myself:

My side of the cockpit:

His side:

Then we took off again and continued flying through the mountains, over Snoqualmie Pass, waved to some hikers, and circled one of the most beautiful peaks in the area while at an altitude of 5,000', then descended a bit and followed the I-90 back out into the valley and headed back to the airfield. I flew very often on our way back, and even quite a bit while we were still in the mountains. It was a great way to practice situational awareness while simultaneously flying. You've really got to pay attention when you are in the mountains, there are powerlines way below you, and you've got to watch your airspeed and manifold pressure. 

At this point, the winds were really picking up. He let me continue flying, and said later that he was gauging my reaction to what some deem is an unnerving situation, where the helicopter is really being tossed around a bit by the winds. Apparently he's had a student completely freak out on him and let go of the controls. What?! Anyway, he said that he was impressed with how I stayed calm and handled it, and I just looked at him and said "Really? I just think this is fun!" The ironic part is, I really don't like rollercoasters...yet this didn't bother me in the slightest. 

So far I have logged a grand total of 3.8 hours. This mountain flight was 2.5 of those hours, and man, I couldn't believe how exhausting a flight that long can make a person! It makes sense, especially with the cold temps, altitude, gusty winds, and just sheer mental concentration it takes to fly a helicopter, particularly when you are just beginning to learn. 

My CFI and I get along incredibly well, and it's very neat to talk to him because he used to be an Officer in the Marines and we talk about that a lot, and he is the one person in my life who supports me going WOFT, which is refreshing, to say the least. 

I hoped to keep this blog a little bit more up-to-date, but have really just been way too tired to do so, especially with classes.

Taking the Plunge

Several Updates.

WOFT

I have moved beyond the research stage of the WOFT (Warrant Officer Flight Training) packet, and into action - written up a schedule of deadlines for myself for each stage of the process, and located an awesome recruiter who has so far been helpful and hasn't pulled a lot of the BS that I have been told to look out for. Keeping my fingers crossed. 

Been taking practice ASVAB and AFAST tests and studying up on the areas I need to work on. So far, I have been doing pretty well, but want to study more before I go into MEPS and take the real ones. 

Also have set up LASIK pre-op consultations at several Puget Sound LASIK centers to see if I'm a candidate for LASIK, and if so, to figure out which place I trust my eyes with the most. At this point (assuming I'm a candidate), I'm excited to get it done regardless of WOFT. 

Next step: finding out if I'm a candidate for LASIK, clearing my medical files, and seeing if my seasonal allergies are a problem.

I've been thinking about what I'll do if WOFT doesn't work out - if I'm not a LASIK candidate, if I'm not selected in the first two boards, if if if. I'm definitely going to follow through to the utmost, never falter, never quit, but some things are out of my control and I like to have backup plans. Not devoting a ton of brainpower to these at the moment, but I certainly wouldn't mind enlisting as a 68W (Combat Medic) then going for the F6 identifier (Flight Medic), and reapplying to WOFT later. My second option is to turn the WOFT packet into an OCS (Officer Candidate School) packet, and if selected, become an Officer in the Military Police branch and branch transfer to Aviation later in my career. We'll see, I guess. Hopefully I never have to make this choice and WOFT works out well. Either way, I'm hoping to be in Basic Training by September 2010, ideally. 

Flying

I haven't flown since the last time I posted here since my CFI has been so busy, so I went out and bought flight simulator controls and software and have logged a grand total of 6 hours on that so far. It's pretty fun, and a great way to learn the controls without worrying about crashing a real helicopter. I flew from SeaTac to PDX in an hour - that was fun. :P Still figuring out how to hover properly - it's certainly harder than it looks!

School

Just registered for my second-to-last quarter of college this morning - damn it feels good. In order to graduate in June, I have to take four classes per quarter for the next two quarters (overloading) and then I'll have two electives remaining. Apparently I can take these at UW over the summer and still graduate in June, but at this point I think I'd much rather just take them online via a local community college during these next two quarters and be completely and totally done at the end of Spring quarter. Trying to flesh out the details as to how that would work and what classes I can take. GRCC offers a couple online Aviation classes - would be wicked cool if I could take those and have it count for UW credit. We'll see!

On a personal note, I'm mad tired and this coffee ain't workin'. Oh well, tea time!

Yes, sorry. I realize it's been a LONG time since I've updated this...but now, finally, the title of the blog has some relevance! Since I've last posted I transferred from Reed to 

the University of Washington - Tacoma, immensely cheaper and since I have more free time, I am able to pursue the things I've always dreamed of: like flying helicopters.

This is what I've been up to:

I emailed all of the local helicopter flight schools in the Seattle area, asking if any of them had a job around the schoolhouse where I could just sweep floors, handle phone calls, clean the helicopter, ANYTHING that would fund an intro flight (and possibly more). Well, I got a ton of emails back saying "because of the economy, we currently have no positions available" etc etc. Except for one. One CFI emailed me back (I won't say who and for what company, because I don't want people to bother him for the same deal), and said that while he has no paid positions available, he completely understands the situation I'm in, how he was in this same situation when he was my age, etc. He said he would give me an intro flight on the house. Obviously, I couldn't (and still can't) believe my luck. Sure gives truth to the saying "Where there's a will, there's a way," doesn't it?

Anyway, my intro flight was this morning. 10:00am, did a quick preflight (said he'd go into deeper detail later), showed me how to warm up the helicopter, and then we got light on the skids. First, you should know that I was inwardly VERY worried that I'd get air sickness. Not because I thought I would, but because if I did, it would sure be a pain and another hurdle to get over before I could live out my dream. It was a nagging concern in the back of my mind. But anyway, we got light on the skids, and all nervousness completely disappeared. At that second, I was absolutely CERTAIN that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Then we went into a hover, and my cheeks still hurt from grinning so hard. Then we taxi'd to the runway and away we went. 

Oh sweet Jesus, I've never done ANYTHING as cool as that. We took off from the local airfield, then went closer to the mountains and dropped down to ~30ft above a river and followed it for awhile, popping up and down over falling trees, flying OVER a diving bald eagle, and make a random landing on the riverbed because he wanted to adjust his pedals. At this point I thought I was going to die of sheer glee. I kept waiting for the point where I'd feel sick, but I never did. He was surprised too, since there was quite a crosswind and it was making us yaw quite a bit. So after the river, we headed north to downtown Seattle. Flew over his house (his wife waved from below! So cool!), then over the sports stadiums which were both busy, over some cruise ships at the waterfront, over the Seattle Center, and then looped around and headed back. There are no words to describe just how incredible that was. He let me work the cyclic and pedals quite a bit, actually. At first I was wobbly even though I felt I wasn't gripping the cyclic hard (I'd read a lot to know not to do that). My problem was that my movements were more jerky than smooth and I kept watching the speedometer since he wanted me to keep it at 65 knots. Then he instructed me to watch the blade tips and their relationship to the top of this one cloud, and to keep it there. That sure helped - I improved immediately and he said I was doing very very well. All of a sudden I was keeping the helicopter steady and at a nearly constant 65 knots, without even looking at the instrument panel that much. That was very exciting. Especially with the crosswind, as I felt I had to really apply a lot of left pressure on the cyclic (I say pressure because that's the way he described it - it's more pressure than really swinging the cyclic around). 

Anyway, he took us back to the airport, back to the landing pad, and he had me use the pedals to keep it steady in the crosswind. Took me a bit, but I eventually improved. We landed, cleaned the helicopter, and went back to the hangar to schedule our next flight. 

Overall, it was probably the best two hours of my life (we were in the air for exactly 1 hour 13 minutes), and I am so incredibly lucky and IMMENSELY thankful. My message to those who don't think it's financially plausible - just ask, EVERYWHERE. It is highly unlikely you'll get the same deal (damn near impossible, he said) but you never know. At the very least, you might get a discounted intro flight or even a job at a schoolhouse that is doing well in this economy.

- Lindsey

More will come soon.