Tuesday
My primary flight instructor is Sasha Marvin, Italian by birth, a glider aerobatics world champion. I hadn’t met him the day before because Monday is his day off.
To get to know Sasha better, watch him fly in Airshow Freestyle WAGAG 2012.
Check out his YouTube channel: Sasha Marvin Aerobatics
Like most of the Arizona Soaring staff, Sasha holds multiple ratings. His include tow pilot, helicopter, and most recently ATP (Airline Transport Pilot).
The dogs love him, especially Zona who regularly leaps into his arms. I take this as a solid endorsement – I’ve nearly absolute confidence in canine ability to judge human character.
We flew four times this day, logging a total of 1.8 hours dual instruction, working on speed control, turns both shallow and steep, flying on tow (something I’d found very challenging on the simulator, and no less so IRL), stalls, and even some thermalling, with our longest flight lasting nearly an hour.
The Dramamine I’d taken, including a half dose after lunch as I’d also done the first day, now seemed more precaution than necessity; but it also seemed the air was smoother than yesterday.
As I wrapped at the end of the day Shad asked, “Are you having fun?”
“It’s awesome.”
This was true. But left unsaid was my feeling a bit daunted at the task ahead now that multiple flights had begun to reveal how much I had yet to learn.
Jason was at his desk in his office, through the open door of which I’d earlier noticed shelves holding large-scale Star Wars models. A good sign. From my position at the water cooler I noted some framed art on his wall and stepped into the doorway.
“That's Shadowrun art,” I announced, referring to the cyberpunk-themed roll playing game whose first edition manual’s cover art I’d recognized. “I DM’d a Shadowrun campaign for a little while, years ago. Oh, I’m John Dancoe,” I then thought to mention. I’m sure he knew my name but we hadn’t been formally introduced.
He pulled up his mask and beckoned me into the office.
“I just got these framed,” he said, indicating the wall next to his desk, not visible from the doorway.
I stepped further in and turned, then was able to appreciate a set of large engineering drawings of two different Mechwarriors.
“Nice! Battletech is about the only computer game beside flight simulators I ever spent much time on.”
Our conversation quickly turned to back to RPGs (Role Playing Games) and especially Dungeons & Dragons. Jason had long been a D&D player and now his son was 10 years old, the perfect age to get into the game. I related how much I’d enjoyed running a D&D campaign for my son and his best friends, and how they’d all continued to play into adulthood.
I expressed an old observation: “It’s a wonderful thing that entire generations have grown up with game screens in front of their faces, yet they still think D&D is the coolest thing.”
Jason asked how things were going and I admitted I’d been popping Dramamine. He assured me it wouldn’t be necessary for long – that usually a day or two was all it took for students to get past motion sickness.
I'd assumed I’d get used to it over time, and was already planning to start weaning myself off Dramamine by taking only a half dose tomorrow, but it was nice to learn tolerance for the bumpiness would happen quickly.
My primary flight instructor is Sasha Marvin, Italian by birth, a glider aerobatics world champion. I hadn’t met him the day before because Monday is his day off.
To get to know Sasha better, watch him fly in Airshow Freestyle WAGAG 2012.
Check out his YouTube channel: Sasha Marvin Aerobatics
Like most of the Arizona Soaring staff, Sasha holds multiple ratings. His include tow pilot, helicopter, and most recently ATP (Airline Transport Pilot).
The dogs love him, especially Zona who regularly leaps into his arms. I take this as a solid endorsement – I’ve nearly absolute confidence in canine ability to judge human character.
We flew four times this day, logging a total of 1.8 hours dual instruction, working on speed control, turns both shallow and steep, flying on tow (something I’d found very challenging on the simulator, and no less so IRL), stalls, and even some thermalling, with our longest flight lasting nearly an hour.
The Dramamine I’d taken, including a half dose after lunch as I’d also done the first day, now seemed more precaution than necessity; but it also seemed the air was smoother than yesterday.
As I wrapped at the end of the day Shad asked, “Are you having fun?”
“It’s awesome.”
This was true. But left unsaid was my feeling a bit daunted at the task ahead now that multiple flights had begun to reveal how much I had yet to learn.
Jason was at his desk in his office, through the open door of which I’d earlier noticed shelves holding large-scale Star Wars models. A good sign. From my position at the water cooler I noted some framed art on his wall and stepped into the doorway.
“That's Shadowrun art,” I announced, referring to the cyberpunk-themed roll playing game whose first edition manual’s cover art I’d recognized. “I DM’d a Shadowrun campaign for a little while, years ago. Oh, I’m John Dancoe,” I then thought to mention. I’m sure he knew my name but we hadn’t been formally introduced.
He pulled up his mask and beckoned me into the office.
“I just got these framed,” he said, indicating the wall next to his desk, not visible from the doorway.
I stepped further in and turned, then was able to appreciate a set of large engineering drawings of two different Mechwarriors.
“Nice! Battletech is about the only computer game beside flight simulators I ever spent much time on.”
Our conversation quickly turned to back to RPGs (Role Playing Games) and especially Dungeons & Dragons. Jason had long been a D&D player and now his son was 10 years old, the perfect age to get into the game. I related how much I’d enjoyed running a D&D campaign for my son and his best friends, and how they’d all continued to play into adulthood.
I expressed an old observation: “It’s a wonderful thing that entire generations have grown up with game screens in front of their faces, yet they still think D&D is the coolest thing.”
Jason asked how things were going and I admitted I’d been popping Dramamine. He assured me it wouldn’t be necessary for long – that usually a day or two was all it took for students to get past motion sickness.
I'd assumed I’d get used to it over time, and was already planning to start weaning myself off Dramamine by taking only a half dose tomorrow, but it was nice to learn tolerance for the bumpiness would happen quickly.
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