Steep turns & the feelings in your stomach

So, it's time for another flying lesson. It was a 5:45am wake-up call for me. That's about as early as I've had to wake up in about 27 years of living. Though I hear that commercial pilots enjoy waking up early, so I'll have to get to that point... when pigs fly, I mean, when I fly. There is something nice about waking up that early, but I'm not sure what it is.

Today's lesson was turns. There are three types of turns - gentle turns, medium turns, and steep turns. It is the first lesson in which the exercises include a more extreme type of flying, where you're pushing the envelope of the airplanes limits, which is not done in normal flying procedures. Steep turn maneuvers are usually done in emergency situations, for instance, when two airplanes are on a collision course and pilot has to change directions immediately. Here's the thing - I didn't realize that I was going to be doing this type of flying in this lesson. I should have figured it out during reading the "Turns" chapter, but I didn't. The thing with doing the types of maneuvers that evoke load factors (G-factors) such as steep turns, is that they have effects on your body that you're not familiar with. These effects are quite hard to explain. I'm not a big fan of roller-coasters, but I have a feeling that you probably get some of the same effects falling from a peak on a roller-coaster as you do doing steep turns. It's that feeling you get when you get pushed back into your seat, as you become light-headed.

Picture taken from http://www.imfi.net
A steep turn is defined as a 45 degree angle turn. I know it may not sound like much, but in the airplane, the window on the inside of the turn is completely filled by the earth, while the window on the other side is completely filled by the sky. Across the windshield is a sight that can only be described as an uncomfortable angle of the horizon, where the earth meets the sky.

If you haven't gotten the clue up until this point, I'll admit to you that it was the first time I was a bit frightened being up there in the airplane. I felt a little uncomfortable. I wasn't soiling my panties or anything, but there was a definite timidness on my part. Regardless, I spent about an hour practicing steep turns, but I have yet to fully get comfortable with them, or perform them to an acceptable standard. I think because I was timid on the flight controls, I tended not to pull up on the steering column enough as I was making the steep turns. This means that the airplane lost about 200 feet or so, every time I performed a steep turn. I know I can do better, and I will next lesson. But it was a bit frustrating, as it was the first exercise in an airplane that really stumped me. Until then I was really catching on quickly. Oh well, it's back to the flight simulator for me to practice some steep turns.

On a side note, I got to land the airplane again. It wasn't as rough as last time, though I did almost stall the airplane on approach - not good. Over the runway, my airspeed was a tad too fast, so when I pulled the throttle to idle, and pushed back on the steering column to raise the nose of the airplane up for touch down, the airplane climbed instead of descending to the ground. When the airspeed is a bit to fast, the airplane climbs only a couple of feet, and eventually settles on the runway. It happens, but it's not a desirable quality to accomplish during a landing. In other words - amateur hour. I'm determined to perform a quality landing next lesson.

Still feeling timid after the lesson, I decided to email an Air Canada pilot that I've been in touch with for about a year now. I asked him if the timidness I experienced from practicing the steep turns is a normal thing that most pilots experience. Thankfully he sent back an email within the hour, saying that he experienced the same things while he was getting his licenses. He told me to stick to it, and persevere, and that I'll love myself for overcoming my fears down the road. It's good to have a pilot that has accumulated more than 13,000 hours give you words of advice sometimes. Captain Doug Morris has a blog you can find here. It's a great read for those of you who are interested in the on goings of a life as an airline pilot.