Flying to Naples

Naples, the beautiful city of Florida's west coast. I went there for a short visit on my last cross country, and experienced very good service starting from the airport. The "follow me" guy promptly appeared to help us park the airplane, a crew car waited for us to go eat in the city while they refueled the plane for our flight back at the same night.

The city is so cool, you can spot some old-style buildings and european-like coffee shops everywhere downtown. Not to mention the peaceful beach and the huge fancy houses and cars.

Me and my instructor had dinner at Tommy Bahamas, an expensive cafe in town, great music and atmosphere, but not sure if it was worth my $30 plate of food. Well, who cares, after a flight that cost me more than $1000 who is counting more 30.... sad for the money but happy for the experience, we had a great time!

Piper Seneca on Multi commercial

Who says the Senecas are old, ugly and bad to fly? Well, there might be a little truth on the first adjective, old. But that's all, the old ladies are beautiful and so nice to fly!

I am lately working on improving my flight skills - doing things I've done before, like visual approaches, steep turns, slow flights, VMC demos, Instrument approaches, single engine patterns, diversions, and more. Yes, it looks like a waste of time and money but it's actually good I guess. First of all you improve your skills. Second, you get more experienced with the plane and with VFR flying, as you are applying for a commercial license with just a little more than 120 flight hours. Third, you get confident, so confident! Yes, experience makes you confident, point. I feel lately that I finally "got used to flying", it looks normal and so natural for me now. I don't get nervous anymore during a simple take-off or a controlled stall, or during bumpy conditions. I don't get anxious before the flights and I can sleep well the night before. The cockpit environment, during my private was so full of mixed feelings like tension, pressure, fun, joy and even fear at sometimes, now starts looking more comfortable, like your new office.



Yeah, I am starting to like this idea.... waking up, having your breakfast, taking your flight bag and heading to the airport, checking the weather and W&B at dispatch, going to the plane for another flight, and another and another.... Sounds too good to be true!
Even simulated emergencies are handled almost automatically, you perform the checklist items like a robot. Yeah, it's becoming a profession, I guess...

Have a nice week, and Pessach Sameach!

Instrument movie

I made a new movie about my Instrument Course in Daytona Beach, finished on february 2008. Enjoy it!

Flying commercial

Yeaaaaaahhh, finally after 2 long weeks of waiting, I got my temporary license and started flying the Seneca again, this time for commercial!
Looks pretty much the same, some maneuvers, some VFR navigation and diversions, actually you feel like having a "deja-vu". The difference i think is the approach to flying the plane, the responsibility, the decision-making, the subtle way of flying, having people paying you in the back.

Mostly, pretty much fun flying VFR freely again!!
Hope to post more pictures soon... peace in the skies.