Time in the Simulator

7/6/2012

This morning Jeff and I attended the partners-in-command class together. This class is clearly geared for his "right seaters" but he was interested and I was glad he wanted to participate - and he's very good at carrying stuff!

Jeff and I had to leave the class early because he had been able to schedule time at the factory in the simulator - a whole hour of pulling the chute!  The first 30 minutes or so was Jeff going through emergency procedures and getting additional instruction and suggestions, particularly if the plane stalled at low altitude.  The simulator is so real that you are convinced that you are actually flying and when Jeff failed to pull the chute in time the screen in front of you goes red - not a very good sign.

The instructor told me that for non-fliers he recommends just pull the chute and don't try to land the plane yourself.  So I practiced several times pulling back on the throttle and some other red knob, pulling the lever down and then in a chin up type of position and with two hands you pull the chute.  Then after the chute is opening, you have time to call air traffic control to tell them that you are going down and turn off all the power to the plane and then brace yourself. 

In the simulator after the chute is pulled there is a little back and forth swaying, like rocking a baby, before you begin your descent and land.  The instructor said it will feel like a small automobile crash but one that you can walk away from.  I am so thrilled to have the simulator time - but even though it's just a moving picture before you - after 30 minutes I was shaking from adrenaline. 

Our banquet dinner is tonight and it's raining outside.  Now you recall that I bought this lovely hot pink dress to wear while I was in the Bahamas and didn't.get to because of weather (in particular strong winds that would have made it difficult to keep the dress from blowing up "Marilyn Monroe" style!   Decided I would wear it tonight and now that seems unlikely..  I think it's going to be too cool and wet for a sun dress and sandals.  I'm thinking that it might be that old Mother Nature just doesn't want the competition if I wear THE dress!  On the off chance that I do wear the dress,  I stopped and bought myself a pair of heart-shaped crystal dangle earrings! 

You may not hear from me tomorrow morning as I have an entire ladies day program of touring around Lake Superior, seeing a lighthouse and having lunch and then some world famous pies. So forgive me if there is silence tomorrow - I'll catch up don't you worry.

Later, P