We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and we are at the beginning of a new week, which should be a busy and exciting adventure as always. We are in for a hot spell in North Carolina this week with temps nearing 100° every day. It looks like the entire eastern US will experience much of the same.
As we continue upwards on our Trek today, the beautiful blue sky calls us higher and higher. As I look at the cloudless sky, it makes me desire to take up flying again to be able to soar above all the terrain and obstacles of life.
I obtained my private pilot’s license when our oldest son Harry was in high school. If fact, we had the blessing of taking lessons at the same time, and Harry was able to receive his private pilot’s license even before he got his driving license.
I went on to get my instrument rating at the time, both for my peace of mind and for safety’s sake. It was enjoyable, and I do miss not flying currently. But, with my current responsibilities and workload for this season of life, it is not a priority at this time. It does take a lot of commitment, in both time and resources, and my commitments are focused elsewhere for now.
Similar to flying, if we decided to set out on a long and difficult trek such as hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, which runs through the mountains of North Carolina, one of the first items that would be required is a complete checklist.
Every step in the process from flight planning, pre-flight inspection, flying, landing and safely parking the aircraft, is driven by a detailed checklist, even as private pilot. If these checklists are not followed exactly, it literally could be the difference between life and death.
One of the most important elements of flight training is safety, and one of the most essential safety procedures is the preflight checklist. There are as many checklists as there are models of planes because the preflight checklist is of utmost importance. A good pilot knows that having a preflight checklist can avert a disaster.
Even with the most detailed checklist, though, pilot training includes always expecting the unexpected. The electrical system malfunctioned and we lost all lighting and communications with the tower during one flight when I took Paula with me. Fortunately, we flew out of a small regional airport near Marietta and were near the airport, so we were able to land safely and call the control tower after landing to explain the situation. The extra training we received on how to handle this type of situation came in very valuable that day.
Let’s get back on the ground and continue on our Trek. Imagine if we were going to hike the Appalachian Trail. What would be on our...
