Flying

Faith is Like Landing an Airplane

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

Landing an airplane is not hard. At least, it’s not hard like playing classical guitar or custom building cabinetry. It is more like a dance. Like dancing, there are two involved: you and airplane. Like dancing, there is give and take involved. Like a dance partner, the airplane wants to go where you lead. But, you need to know how to get it there.

The pinnacle of this dance is touchdown. By coordinating pitch (nose up or down) and power, the pilot works to smoothly land. As the ground gets closer, the power is pulled off and the pilot holds the nose off the ground. If he’s timed it properly, the result is a smooth landing.

I mention this because recently an acquaintance was sharing his first experience landing a C-17 (in the Simulator). Himself a high-time pilot, he was shocked when the instructor said, “Add power just before touchdown.” From his first days in light planes to his fini flight in a Phantom, he’d never heard this advice. Incredulous he challenged the instructor, “You mean pull all remaining power off?”

“No,” came the perturbed response, “I mean add a little power.”

So they commenced practicing an instrument approach into Tinker AFB. Despite believing this instructor was wrong, my friend followed his direction. After all, crashing a simulator isn’t that big of a deal. Much to his surprise, however, the instructor was absolutely right. Adding that last bit of power made for a smooth landing. “Would you ever has guessed?” he asked me with a disbelieving look upon his face.

Truthfully, I wouldn’t have guessed. Adding power before touchdown is usually a sign we’ve made a mistake somewhere on the approach. Usually the pilot allowed his descent rate get too high and the power is an attempt to save a bad landing. But, on further reflection, it doesn’t surprise me. Instead, this illustrates one of the key principles in following Christ: faith.

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:13-17 (ESV).

When Jesus arrived before John, John refused to baptize Him. John’s was a baptism of repentance. Jesus had no sin from which He needed to repent. Therefore Jesus did not need to be baptized. But Jesus insisted. As Jesus insists, John has a choice. He could trust himself, conclude Jesus does not need his baptism, and tell him to go home. Or, John can trust Jesus’ word and baptize him. Just like my friend could trust himself or he could trust the instructor.

The lesson from John is simple: real faith trusts Jesus more than self. So when there is conflict between what I want to do and what Jesus says to do, faith chooses Jesus. More often than not, having followed Jesus instead of self, I discover that Jesus was right all the time.

Perspective is Key

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

Part of teaching people how to fly is teaching them how to land.  In fact, the landing may be the hardest part of taking a new student pilot and turning him into a private pilot.  The challenges of landing an airplane are many.  Precise airspeed control, a well-flown traffic pattern, glide slope, control coordination and communicating on the radio.  I know when I first learned to fly, I felt like I was doing 20 things at once during the first few landings. Continue reading →

Making a name for myself

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

In addition to pastoring, I occasionally teach folks how to fly.  Currently I have one student I fly with, a middle aged gentleman who always dreamed of becoming a pilot.  So, we are slowly working toward the goal of earning his wings.

The other day, a beautiful, sunny, frigid day, we were honing that most challenging of skills, landing.  Once the basics have been grasped, learning to land involves many touch-and-goes.  Once the wheels touch down, you transition back into the air for another trip around the pattern.  This day being a Saturday, the air was filled with student fliers hurling here and there as their intrepid instructors attempted to teach them while not running into each other.

Into this mix you can add the lack of any form of control tower.  Our airfield is a non-towered airport, so everything is ‘announce on the radio and watch out!”  In this context our story begins.

Having completed a few successful circuits of the airfield, avoiding the numerous other bug-smashers, our student pushed the throttle forward for one more trip around the pattern before taking her back to the barn.  As he busily rose the nose and scanned for traffic, I listened intently to the various radio traffic, “08B is downwind for runway 18,” “68J is base for runway 18,” “05R is final for runway 18.”  Clearly the pattern was filling up.  As we turned to crosswind, I keyed the mike an announced, “63H in final for runway 18.”  Now, for the uninformed, I’ve just announced that we are lined up with the runway, and our landing is imminent.  In reality we’d just taken off.  Apparently my brain hadn’t caught up yet.  What should I hear next? “Brandon, where did you say you were?”  Not yet realizing the mistake I’d made, I replied, “63H is just turning downwind.”  “Oh, I was confused since I’m on final and didn’t see you,” came the response.  Following which one could hear, “I was confused, too,” and, “I’m just down here watching the parade and I was confused,” and, “Are you sure?”  Each from a different voice.

Shaking off the embarrassment, I did my level best to announce where we actually were for the remainder of the lesson.  Hopefully my student learned about the need to be clear and precise on the radio.  And as for myself, just call me Confused.

Flying With the Boys

~ brandon ~ Leave a comment

Took my two sons, 8 & 6, for their first small airplane ride today. As providence would have it, I happen to be a Certified Flight Instructor, so their first flight could also be a first lesson.
We arrived at the aerodrome a bit early, hard to keep any of us away from airplanes. After pre-flighting the Warrior (and emptying tiny bladders), we mounted up. 6 took the pilot’s seat, with me next to him. 8 agreed to ride the bench for the first half.
God blessed us with a nice day. Light winds, straight down the runway, greater than 10 miles of visibility and no clouds below 12000 ft. So, we pointed our nose to the wind and put the coals to it.
As we neared rotation speed, I told 6 to ease back on the yoke. With a little assist he raised the nose and away we went. Before to long we were above the pattern, and he banked us left toward the Big Lake.
As we motored northward, 6 was mesmerized by the vast array of gauges before him, occasionally peering out the window. We’ll have to work on that. A few minutes of straight-and-level had us at the beach, where I talked him through a few level turns–while pointing out some of the sights he might recognize.
Back over dry land, his time was up. He happily moved to the rear while 8 took his place behind the wheel. Then it was off to Nana’s house.
After a few minutes of trying to recall exactly which road Nana lives on, I pointed 8 in the general direction and he pointed teh Warrior. Soon enough we were abeam the house and I helped 8 through a steep turn, so that he and 6 could peer down from 2500 ft upon the 7 acres of heaven they love to run around through.
Before you know it, it was time to head back to teh barn. So, I pointed to where we were going and 8 took us there.
Now, once we were in the pattern, I knew I needed to be the one flying. 8 can see over the instrument panel, but just barely. And those feet? They can’t really move the rudder a whole lot. So, with him assisting me, I showed them both what’s involved in returning this wee Warrior to the ground from which we came.
Or, at least I thought I showed them both. After 3 touch-and-goes we taxied back to the ramp, only to find 6 sound asleep in the rear. I guess if you aren’t doing the flying its no different than driving.
So, all in all both boys had a blast and did a great job! Now Dad has to get ’em both logbooks to commemorate their first flight. Lord willing there will be many more in their future.