Head Spinning Perspective

It's been a bit since I last posted (the obvious problem with blogs) and a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. But recently I got my Spin Endorsement (which simply means that I have practical knowledge on how to recover from a spin) and thought I would use that event to catch up on my posts.

The spin training itself was pretty good and you can see part of the video of that training here: https://youtu.be/KTci4r69tmo

We did a few turns before this video, which shows us doing a 7 1/2 turn spin! What was amazing to me was how disorientated I was after this spin. You can actually kind of see that I am drifting off to the left after the recovery of the spin because I'm dizzy!

So this got me thinking...I love, LOVE the Citabria and want one but I also think about the idea of doing acrobatics. But, hmmm...I seem to suffer a small bit with vertigo. Now there are ways to minimize it and in fact the more acrobatics I do, I believe the less vertigo I would suffer but I don't know if I want to experience that right now.

However as I turn my gaze and look back at this spin experience and all of the flights and training I have recently done, I am amazed at what I have accomplished and want more, please! As I’ve said in other posts, taking 10 years to get my Sport/Pilot Private Certificate may not be the most efficient way to get a certificate but with all of the time and hours I have accumulated, I am now progressing at a more dizzying pace working towards my Sport Pilot CFI!

I've flown and landed Cessna 172's in Texas having met a great new friend and CFI, Victor Vela Perez at the Texas Flight School. I got to go fly the Remos with the doors off (yes, it can do that) with another new friend and CFI, Jordon Pierce, who instructs at The Flying School. What a blast that was! Hanging out with new CFI wannabe's, (like myself) for two weeks with Jack Taylor teaching us how to be CFI's (all passed!). The man’s breadth of knowledge is beyond compare! Landing and taking off on the grass strip at Yankee Field with Art Hoag! And getting to fly around that beautiful field in a trike (weight-shift control) with Dave Lundahl! Oh the intimacy of flying. And on the horizon, just barely out of a view, getting my Sport Pilot CFI and flying and teaching in trikes!

And what does it all mean? Well, maybe like the rush of the spinning earth in the video, it is a bit of a blur and a bit disorientating but when I look back at the slow-motion frame in mind, I am amazed at the beauty, the fun, the freedom and passion I have for flying and want more please!!