Flight of Life's Adventures

Greetings Friends! As I write this I'm sitting in a waiting room while my wife, Lynn, has a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery for breast cancer! The longer I fly the more I realize how much life and flying are alike. We train and practice and train some more. Eventually we are given a Pilot's license and aloud to go off on our own. We try to learn all the ins and outs of the ride that we are taking and most of the time we fly VFR. It's an on going process of learning, growing, practicing and learning some more. Every once in a while we wind up in IMC and we seem to handle it some how. Our experiences help us grow and we keep on flying. Then along the way we gain even more training we find our selves in IFR. The more we fly the more confidence we gain and really start to believe that we are completely in control. Sometimes we fly along with the auto pilot and just enjoy the ride. Other times we hand fly it buy the seat of our pants and even get a little dare devil and try something different. Then just when we think we have this flying thing down to a science we find ourselves one day deep in the soup and suddenly things start to go wrong. Many times it is completely out of our control and we have to remember those most important words of my flight instructor Durand, "Just Fly the Plane". I remember flying for the first time in actual IFR with Durand. We were doing the GPS into N87 and upon going missed, we were suppose to head back to the Robbinsville VOR and then do the VOR 26 back into South Jersey, KVAY. The problem I didn't realize is that on the GPS approach the missed approach is not the Robbinsville VOR. After going missed and thinking all was good, Durand questioned me about not going back to Robbinsville! I couldn't answer him. I started looking and scanning the instruments and then Maguire Approach started asking me to change frequencies and the plane started going up, so I adjusted. Then we started going down and I couldn't find the track to the VOR. Suddenly Durand looked over and saw the sweet coming down my fore head and said, "how about I take the plane"! I was never more flustered and more greatful to have my CFII in the plane. He had to take the plane all the way back to the airport. That's when I realized the one difference between my flying and my life! In my flying I don 't always have my CFII in the cock pit with me, but in my life that's different. Over the past two months, I've come to trust more and more my ultimate CFII. I've known him for a long time and we talk often. My relationship with him is strong and I have the utmost confidence that He has what's best for me in everything He does. Most of the time I live my life like I fly. I believe I have it all together and thatI'm in control. Sometimes I just put it on auto pilot and enjoy the ride. Sometimes I try to fly it on my own. But every once in a while, I find myself in the soup and things start to fall apart and it's at those times when I know with total confidence that I can just let go and let God take control! It doesn't mean the ride won't be bumpy and that there may be times when I'm scared, confused, and don't understand. But when God is in control my faith has taught me that, "all things work for the good of the Lord for those who believe and those who are called according to His purpose"! By the way, Lynn is out of surgery now and is cancer free! We still have a long journey ahead of us as she recovers, but it is sure a comfort to know that I always have life's ultimate CFII with me every day and all the time!

IFR Approaches

It's Friday, December 2, 2011, a beautiful day with a little wind and it's my birthday!  An email out to the Crewdawg Flyers the night before spurred an interest from a friend and fellow pilot Don Berliner to go up and fly some approaches.  So, we meet at South Jersey Airport at 10:00 AM and by 10:30 I had N916GZ preped ad ready to go.  We took off on 26 and climbed up to 2500 as I contacted MaGuire Approach for the clearance.  The plans were to do the ILS 6 at Robert Miller, KMJX, then to the missed approach point, then over to Robbinsville, N87, for the VOR 29 approach, missed and then back to the Robbinsville VOR and finish with the new RNAV GPS 26 back at South Jersey Airport, KVAY.  McGuire approved me and gave me the sqwak and began giving me the vectors for the ILS.  After a couple of turns we were cleared to intercept the localizer and begin the approach.  I felt really good as we decended to the 282 DH.  Once there I began the missed approach climbing to 600 and then continuing a climbing right turn to 1900 and back to coyle.  After a little confusion on switching the radio to bring up MaGuire we were cleared to Robbinsville.  A little wake turbulance from a C130 and a turn to the right to avoid the active restricted R5001, we were on our way to Robbinsville for the proceedure turn.  Auto Pilot made the trip and the turn a nice smooth occurance and then we were inbound 29 and heading down to the 800 missed approach.  Again a nice climbing right turn to Robbinsville VOR and a few moments to imput the RNAV GPS for 26 into KVAY.  An interesting approach, the only concern we had was that the final brought us right off the 01 runway for Flying W, N14.  Down to 460' on the RNAV was nice and then a smooth transition to a pretty nice landing.  1.3 hours for the log book along with 3 approaches, one hold, an interception of the radial and I even found the time to check the VOR's.  All in all and great day of flying.  Until next time, fly safe!