i'm just not really down to go up, you feel me?

While David Werntz was a wonderful guest speaker, I still have my reservations about solo flight.  His knowledge of the mechanics of flight was without a doubt reassuring, and I think that it is important for  us to learn about too since there are many objects or processes we rely on daily that we have a rudimentary level of understanding about at best.  All of us in the class have boarded a plane at least once in our lives, but many of us knew nothing about how they actually work before this lecture... isn't that strange?  That while we are quick to question each other about almost anything, a complex machine has the luxury of silent authority?  I'm not trying to theorize any weird conspiracies or write about how we can't trust robots, but, as evident in my midterm project, I am fascinated by how different our relationship is to machines or objects than to each other.  

 

source: http://www.aviationexplorer.com/Various_Aircraft/USA_Domestic_Airliners_Chart.jpg

This was an image we looked at in class.  While I can't tell the difference between any of these airplanes (comparing sizes, not logos) I have probably boarded a few of them and not really thought about any of their differences or how they are made...  In high school I knew a kid who would always tell me about the make and model of the airplane that he was going to get on to go visit his family in Singapore and I thought he was one of the weirdest people, but maybe he had the right idea?  Why wouldn't knowing about the airplane you were about to board for 14 hours be valuable knowledge?

Something else that struck me during the lecture was the strange element of luxury in being able to fly.  I don't typically associate leisure with flying because I don't fly too often, and when I do it is because I need to go somewhere.  The actual flight is not the luxurious part for me, but when you are flying your own airplane apparently it is!  Hearing about how the flying club will play games like the flour drop or poker was sort of surreal to me.  Call me a party pooper, but how insane is it that you could spend like $200 to literally play a game that required you to fly around in a plane you rented? And maybe I'm being hypocritical since I've spent half of that going to see some of my favorite bands, but it does feel strange to me.

I've been thinking a lot about luxury and flight lately and how absurd the concept is to me.  Take this image for example:

source: http://www.people.com/people/greatideas/gallery/0,,20960158_30402343,00.html#30402351

What I would ask upon seeing this image is: Why the hell do you need a full meal and bougie pillows with a high thread count on a plane??? Why do you need a flat screen TV??? I can respect the spacious leg room, but that's about it.  And maybe I have it wrong because I'm sure there are people who would ask: Well, why the hell wouldn't you need this?  But it does seem quite frivolous to me.  

Also, if we want to get more absurd... something that I forget about is the fact that we pay money to jump out of planes!  

source: http://cdn.skim.gs/image/upload/v1456337585/msi/4_-_GKF4_Exiting_Aircraft_mj1c8s.jpg

According to my research one jump would cost about $300 if you wanted pictures/video of it too.  It's honestly a wild concept if you think about it.  I also understand that it is fun and that we are pleasure-seeking creatures, but I still think that it is healthy to question some of what we do and why in order to put things into perspective.  Maybe it has to do with privilege, maybe I'm too much of a realist, or, if you're an optimist, maybe I'm too much of a pessimist?  And in comparing skydiving to solo flight, the second option is much less absurd than the first.  I don't think either will be in my future since I should probably spend my money more responsibly as a student, but hey, never say never.

Anyone Can Fly a Plane, But Not Everyone Should

An image of me flying a plane, probably.

Singers are often born with an innate vocal talent and ability. Many athletes are born with certain physiques that allow them to succeed in their sport. According to Certified Flight Instructor David Werntz, anyone can fly a plane. There are no special skills or any biological traits that suggest pilots were meant to be pilots. 

We can all be pilots.

Except me.

I have trouble driving a car for more than two hours without feeling drowsy. And though (according to David) flying a plane requires less active attention and concern, I'm not sure I trust myself to fly a vehicle so sophisticated and heavy and impossibly high in the air. I struggle with the cruise control feature of my SUV.

When I was younger, my great-uncle had a flight simulator on his computer. I would sit up in the chair and "steer" planes (with a poorly attached yoke) until I would inevitably crash the thing into the ocean.  I think I would cry when I crashed the simulator. I felt guilty. I thought to myself, "You're not flying a plane– that would be irresponsible" (yes, at 7-years-old I guess I chastised myself).

Totally manageable. Where's the AUX plug?

And yet, after David's presentation, each time I see a plane flying overhead I have a moment of consideration about what it would be like to be in control of a vehicle so powerful and curious. The small planes, of course... let's not get ahead of ourselves. One of the misconceptions that David cleared up for me was that when the engine fails in the plane it doesn't necessarily mean all is doom and gloom from there. Because of the amount of lift and drag (and depending how high up you're flying) you have minutes and miles to find a safe place to land. It's comforting to know, but I'm not sure this stress case would be able to make the right decisions under pressure. That was another skill that David talked about: confidence and quick decision making under stressful (perhaps dangerous) circumstances. I think that may be the ability that will hold me back from hopping in a plane and learning how to fly. There are so many instances in which crashes and disasters were avoided due to quick thinking and having the confidence to apply what you've learned immediately.

The only aircraft you can trust me to operate.

Fly Away

    For better or worse, probably worse, the act of flying itself has never ignited great emotion out of me. I have flown enough times where flying generally feels the same, only the destinations and passengers around change. I have my routine and am rarely caught admiring the art of flying, although sunsets or thunderstorms from the air are pretty rad. I also have never had anxiety or unusual happenings on a plane, so fear has never crept in. However, the one flying experience I remember vividly was in a helicopter when I was 11 years old. The mystique of the smaller carrier, coupled with the nonchalant persona of my pilot, a family friend, led to an unforgettable experience for such a naïve pre-teen like myself. The helicopter ride was roughly an hour long, but there were no doors (sides) on the carrier so the flight felt like 5 min. The experience was unique because of the personal/intimate feeling of being in such a small aircraft compared to the large commercial planes which are so standardized.

Via www.shakatourshawaii.com

    The helicopter experience was running through my mind when flight instructor David Werntz spoke about the practicality and science behind becoming flight certified. I was always skeptical of how my family friend got a flying license as he was a middle-aged lawyer who looked to have no extensive flying background whatsoever. However, through David’s description of the process, and accessibility of a license the possibility of flying in the future looks much less daunting. All I need is more time, and even more money.

Via www.traveloutthere.com

    I learned a ton from David, but one of the most interesting points I took away from his presentation was his explanation of ailerons, and how significant that invention was to modern flying as we know it. I looked deeper into the history of the aileron and there were some intriguing legal battles around the device in the early days. The invention is often credited to French experimenter Robert Esnault-Pelterie in 1904, but looking for an alternative, American Alexander Graham Bell conceived of a device similar to the French aileron in 1911. However, the Wright Brother’s argued there patent on wing warping vaguely covered any form of lateral control, including ailerons. The Wright’s sued, won and began initiating royalty demands of 20% for any airplane built with similar lateral control. This quickly ended when World War I intervened and the US Government got involved, the patent demands were dropped but the true inventor of the aileron is still up for debate (Crouch).

Via www.grc.nasa.gov

Works Cited: 

Crouch, Tom. "Oldies and Oddities: Where Do Ailerons Come From?" Air & Space Magazine. N.p.,               Sept. 2008. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/oldies-and-oddities-where-do-ailerons-come-from-40077712/?no-ist

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0103.shtml

Change of Heart

Until very recently, I was terrified of flying. I guess I still am, but a terrific sort of mystery and wonderment has now accompanied that fear. I boarded my first plane mere months after 9/11. It was definitely a terrifying experience; I was only 6 years old, and everything to me was a potential disaster or attack waiting to happen. I remember seeing a Sikh man wearing a turban and, not knowing the difference at the time, assumed he was Muslim. I pulled on my father’s sleeve and asked him if everything was going to be all right, and his reply calmed me a bit. He told me that plane crashes are some of the most rare occurrences on the planet, in terms of injury attributed to vehicular crashes. He said that airplanes are incredibly safe, and that most plane crashes are attributed to pilot error. That last part didn’t make me feel too much better.

[http://gbaa.org]

Our latest guest, however, eased some of fears. Strangely enough, understanding the intricacies and technological nuances that go into the physical, mechanical makeup of the plane itself actually changed my mind about flying, and perhaps even getting a pilot’s license. At $10,000, it’s a stretch, and a ways down the line, but it’s still a thought I’m entertaining.

[http://static4.businessinsider.com]

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During the course of his wonderful lecture, I began to think about the sustainability of manned, powered flight. Perhaps in the future, planes will be powered by solar energy, or even the wind energy that causes drag on the body. In the future, hopefully, the bulk of energy needs will be met with renewable energies, especially fossil-fuel-intensive vehicles like airplanes and cargo ships. Renewable sources have been a topic of incredible discussion in the past ten years, and it’s wonderful to see the battle of ideas play itself out in the ideological marketplace.

A Greater Purpose

Ever since I was young, the concept of up has fascinated me. Whether it was simply being on my dad’s shoulders, seeing the world from a more  “up” perspective, or building model airplanes with my cousins. I have enjoyed testing my mental and physical limits, suited in an “up” connotation as well, whether it be trying to fly off my neighbor’s top bunk or having countless lemonade stands to save money for a trampoline.

David Werntz’s talk reminded me of this young fascination which I have somehow suppressed as I have been socialized into a society which doesn’t advocate for such creative experiments in pertinence to a dangerous topic. Yet, his visit awoke in me my drive to try new things and push limits that I pose on myself, but also those which society intangibly shoves my way. Recently, I have been gearing my studies towards subjects which will help increase my chances of getting into high clearance level jobs such as the FBI or CIA. In researching this extensively, I have found that military experience is highly recommended in order to compete in such a high profile, much wanted career path.

Taking my life long love for martial arts, I decided I would investigate joining the military, keeping in mind that I wanted to possibly precede down the safest route. I narrowed my options down to the Navy, Air Force, and Marines (for sure not safe, but it would be one of the most challenging).

Going back to David Werntz’s talk, I remembered back to when I was young and enamored with planes. My dad told me about when he was in his twenties and began trying to obtain his pilot’s license, yet his dream ended as his parents persuaded him to do something much “safer”. He told me that if I ever got the opportunity to learn to fly, I should take it with no questions asked. So, as David was talking, I couldn’t help but remember my dad saying this and felt a burning desire to fly ignite in me.

Again pairing this with my career path, I decided I wanted to join the Air Force and try to become a pilot. Aware that this is a lofty goal, I have made it my mission to learn to fly while also serving my country and helping increase my chances of getting a job which greatly interests me.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the information Werntz shared, especially when he did the demonstration on drag and lift and explained the physics of flying, his talk served me a greater purpose than simply informing me. Don’t get me wrong, I was very intrigued by the mechanics of flying and the freedoms awarded to pilots such as doing SOLOs before even having your license, but rather the talk awoke in me my passion to try new things and test my limits in a way which would prepare me for my future (and not be as expensive). 

Flying 101: You Can Do it Too

The presentation on aviation and learning about the components of flight with David Werntz was an eye opening experience in regards to the practicality of flight. As I read about flight in “Into the Blue,” I could feel a sense of romanticism, especially during the era of the Wright Brothers and Amelia Earhart. It seemed as if it was a feat capable only achieved by the select few. This thought was further solidified by space travel, as only a few astronauts were selected to venture into space. However, as David Werntz reiterated today, flying, at least in the Earth’s atmosphere, is within our abilities: it is something that could be done with just a little bit of practice, dedication, and money.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the technical aspect of flight was the aileron. Although it is small in its size, it does so much in terms of contribution to the flight. The analogy in class was by putting the hand out of a moving car. If we angle our hand flat, parallel to the car, there is no lift nor is there drag. However, if we lift our hand perpendicular to the car, its all drag and no lift because the wind is directly toppling on to the surface of the hand. To find a compromise, it is important to find an angle (17º) at which there is the greatest amount of lift, and a minimal amount of drag. This is applied to the aileron: I’m amazed as how the small piece of metal is capable creating such a difference in the functions of flight. Furthermore, it also surprised me that David was able to land anywhere he wanted. As seen in movies, it always took a lot of preplanning with the flight tower to coordinate a safe descent; however, he made it seem very simple as to where he wanted to go and how he wanted to land.

Its interesting to note that one generally associates going up on a plane with losing all power since you have no control. However, Werntz proves that he actually feels more in power and more carefree. He reads his maps, takes naps, and only has to focus when he’s landing. The lack of traffic gives him a sense of limitless that is taken away when he’s driving a car on moving on land.