Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Baron B 58 Story



The Baron B 58 Story 



Flying...the most exotic journey, challenges to do a little more better with each flight.

This was my first cross country after achieving my private pilot license.

I was very excited about this flight, as now I will be able to explore more airports 
then previous monotonous flights.

I decided to take my friend Rahul along, as a passenger as well as my safety pilot 
for my cross country.

So with all the energy and enthusiasm I and Rahul planned a long cross-country, 
covering four airports. We had long distance to cover.

With perfect planning and briefing, we were ready to go.

Weather was good; we had calm winds and clear skies.

Night flying here in Texas is generally what I find the best time of flying

As we hardly get any air traffic and thus we rule the sky.

We departed in our piper Cherokee that’s a light aircraft designed for flight training .
We took off from Arlington my base airport, at 22:00.
It was pleasant weather, and view of our city from 8000 ft at night was simply 
breathtaking. So enjoying the ride, we landed to our first destination Stephenville. 
It has a small uncontrolled airport. We decided to halt there and enjoy some time in 
famous barbeque located close to airport, which also provide golf cart in airport to 
reach barbeque.

After landing we taxied to parking, it was dead dark, there was a beechcraft baron 
parked in there.

Parking my plane next to beautiful baron seemed a good idea.

It was hypnotizing, the sleek baron, Was in my own fantasy world while passing the 
baron on my right. Hitting it with my wing tip woke me up.

Banggg....!!!. I freeze but managed to quickly cut the engine power, it was too late 
though, we looked at each other in astonishment, thinking where to start from. 
At last we came to life and took some vital steps before examining the damage.

After shutting down our plane, we pushed it at proper place, and parked it.

 Then we went to baron, and examined what I have done to it.

It was a deep dirty dent in its left propeller governor unfortunately given by me and 
we could feel some deformation inside by touching it.

 We were speechless; all the excitement flees away!!

We headed back to our plane and were sitting inside, wondering what to do next.

Silence took over.

All the excitement was gone, I was wondering, Ohh...I have just banged my plane 
into another plane double in size of my plane. What my instructor will say, my friends
 think of me, above all what if I have to pay for it all.

 In this moment of dilemma I see Rahul suddenly smiling, I couldn’t stop myself 
punching his nose but before I can do that he said-Hey ,at least our plane is alright, 
look at our super duper wing, it’s still shining after hitting the baron. I saw my plane 
and he was right, under that stress it felt nice to feel good about something.

By now my brain was stabilised, and we started thinking what can be done. 
There was no one in vicinity, no plane, no person just nobody other then four 
of us. Yah me, Rahul, our Cherokee and angry baron, it felt as if he was staring 
at me like a wrestler who just got his nose broken.

Anyway it would have been very easy for both of us to escape from there as nobody 
saw us.

Still none of us had strength to just leave baron like that.

Because inside I knew it was a blunder, my conscience couldn’t allow me to run away
 just like that.

Finally we together made a decision to leave a note mentioning my name, contact details, 
apologizing and specifying what I have done. 

We took off and came back to Arlington. As we knew the tail number of the plane we 
wanted to know who does it belong , and how much new governor of baron can cost 
us in case owner ask us to pay.

We thought not to tell this incident to anyone and pay the owner for governor so 
nobody in flying school will come to know, and we will be safe from their anger.

We came back to Arlington, our flying school was locked.

But we have a broken window their big enough for a person to get in.

We got in through the window like thieves, switched on the computer and searched 
the owner of plane .It was a private plane owned by Mr. Donald, who lives in 
Stephenville itself.

And the cost of governor for that plane started from 2000 $.

T-W-O  T-H-O-U-S-A-N-D D-O-L-L-O-R-S!!  It means 92000 Rs.

Cost of a second hand car or .... new apple laptop!!

What will I say to my father...:-(

 Quiet disappointed we headed home from flying school.

One day passed but we didn’t receive any call from that man.

I thought maybe he won’t call ever.

But still somewhere inside I was guilty and I told Rahul that I want to tell everything 
to Mr.Miloud, who is our school director and owner, and also our examiner.

He is supposed to know everything happening with his planes and I will feel relived 
too.

Thus we went heading to sir and narrated entire incident to him.

I could see his burning anger. He explained me how important it is

To taxi slowly, and explained me in detail every step to be kept in mind while taxing. 
Those things became my guideline and I clearly got a lesson for life long.

At the end he appreciated me for being honest to him and said he is proud of it.

Wow...These instructors know it, how students feels, those magic words by sir in the
 end changed everything.  All the guilt was gone and we were fuelled back with 
energy.

However it didn’t end up here.

After two days when I was doing my pre-flight check for my flight I got a call from an 
unknown number, and not really to my surprise it was an old angry man on phone 
and said –I am Donald calling, Is it Rita?

I said yes.

He said-What have you done to my plane.

 Are you a Cpl holder?

I said-No sir, I am a private pilot.

Which school are you from; I want to talk to your instructor.

I gave him Mr.Miloud’s number and he kept the phone.

Phew..!! This man sounds so disturbed ..he will definitely not leave me like that

It would have been impossible to deal with this man alone. Thank god I said everything 
to sir already.

He called my sir and was asking more than $ 5000 to pay him for his loss.

Sir has been in aviation for more than fifty years, he knew it he is asking way more. 
Sir said him that he will get broken part of the plane for him

My flying school got a new propeller governor for the baron for 1800 $, out of which


He decided to pay 600 $ from his side as gift for my honesty, even Rahul wanted to 
contribute and he did. I had to pay 700 $ from my pocket.

I myself along with Rahul took a flight to Stephenville with new governor for his 
plane. On my way I was wondering this guy owns a Baron worth $ 1320 000, still 
he wanted to make money out of me.

Rahul, clearly reading my mind said-It’s always about money.

I nodded my head.

He said-Don’t think much, just keep doing well.

Good things happen to good people. I smiled back to him.



Soon we could see the runway. We landed at Stephenville airport.

 There we met this man Donald.

I introduced myself to him, and he asked me about his part.

We handed it to him.

Then he said us his part of story that he didn’t read the note we left at first.

He was just about to start his plane when he saw the note attached to windshield .
When he read he checked his governor and came to know about it.

It felt as shockwave ran inside us. This man missed dented governor in his 
pre-flight!!!!

 If we had not left the note there he might have departed with defected part

And there might have been any problem up in the air.

If anything like that would have happened I throughout my life would have not been 
able to forgive myself.

I felt so fortunate and great for the right decision I made.

Following your heart gives the satisfaction and the ultimate power to move on.

I was so proud of myself and I turned to Rahul and said.. It’s not always about money.

Listening to your heart, being honest with yourself can give you joy which no 
money can buy,

I was amazed by the fact that how each flight not only makes us a better pilot but 
also a better person.







Happy Landings ...........










Capt Ankisha Awasthi






Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Dear Fellow Pilots,











Dear Fellow Pilots,

If you'd like to help us tell this story and continue our quest to create our vision of the finished Book " Be an Aviator Not a Pilot" , you can do so by contributing to this project. Please use the email id this page. We greatly appreciate your support.

Read more about our production on the "Be an Aviator Not a Pilot" Blog.

The story of flight is a sweeping saga that has exceeded the imaginations of even those
who first dreamed it. And yet it unfolds (as all truly special stories do) in moments,
places . . . and people. Always and ever in people.

Just above the heads of most of our brothers, sisters, coworkers, and neighbors there
hang gossamer cathedrals of piled cotton below the cobalt dome of a perfect sky. But
fewer than one in 500 will ever experience this through the front window of a flying
machine. A Be an Aviator Not a Pilot Story seeks out the special few who have answered the call of the skies, those with the discipline, aptitude, and courage to become pilots.

Be an Aviator Not a Pilot in hangars and homes, at restaurants and on ramps,
A Pilot's Story tells the story of flight in the words of pilots themselves. What it means
to fly an airplane all alone for the first time. What it means to fly an airplane for the
last time. The easy rapport one can have with a person who is a complete stranger
but for the shared experience of flying.

And the excitement that consumes pilots at the opportunity to share this world of
aviation with non-pilots, airport communities, community leaders, and anyone else
who will listen.

Be an Aviator Not a Pilot is a book for anyone who has sat all alone in an aircraft, firewalled the throttle, charged down the runway, and rotated. And especially for those who might
if given the chance. For most people, the sky is the limit. For a pilot, the sky is home.

This is the story of the journey home. Be an Aviator Not a Pilot.



Contact Us :







Contact Us :


Capt Ankisha Awasthi
capt.ankisha@beanaviatornotapilot.in 


Thursday, September 2, 2010

Be an Aviator Not a Pilot

Be an Aviator Not a Pilot
by
Shekhar Gupta
Capt Ankisha Awasthi

» Synopsis

Be an Aviator Not a Pilot is a story of  Pilots in Aviation who are unable to cope.
This is not a book to teach you how to get into an Aviation School or even how
to live like a Pilot.  In fact, it describes how one can become a Successfull Aviator
not just an Airplane Driver [ So called Pilot ] with very small changes in life.

Also Why abroad trained Pilots are better Aviator and Why FAA, CASA, CAAP,
CAA are better civil Aviation Authority then DGCA.


Your feedback welcome at feedback.book@aerosoft.in
or  capt.ankisha@aerosoft.in

http://beanaviatornotapilot.blogspot.com/

Capt Ankisha Awasthi




Flying,  is something so unique in itself .No two flights can be same.


Everyday is different , and that’s the thrill of it.


This is an incident when I was being trained for my Private Pilot License.


Flying was good , instructors were great and supportive.


However as we used to discuss our daily progress among our buddy trainee Pilots,


I realized I was going slow irrespective of seeing how different their training was from mine.


Some time a thought is enough to break you and comparison can be the worst enemy,


It came into my mind and was set , that others are  better performers.


I stand somewhere behind among all .A only thought enough to break me! and anybody.


Irrespective of great efforts from my instructor as well as my side , things were not improving


My flying performance started deteriorating .As this little negative thought made a room in my mind.


I tried ,I practiced and I flied ,practicing , chair flying , studing..everything was done,


but response was still poor..


The little negative seed was buried deep inside...


Finally one friend tried to help and asked me to sit in a plane and chair fly with him.


He said that he will give me all the situations of flights and I have to react as if I am flying.


I agreed to try..


It was late night we drove 13 miles to flying school , saw an plane parked,


and we hopped in.


Now he quized me to begin with very first step to last ,to pre-flight ,to taxi ,to just touch all the instrument,make all the RT calls..and  feel it like as you really making it to fly..I did ,I assumed it right..and was following step by step.


Under procedure ,before starting an engine we got to say it loud –“PROP CLEAR”.


In order for proximity planes and people around to know that we are starting the engine..and they need to clear the propeller area.


I said prop clear , he asked me to say it loud


I again said prop clear ,he said louder.


High pitch was just not coming in.


It seemed as it was just not present in my throat. There was something stoping me to shout.


My own fear ,my own belief that I just can't.


He said and made me say it like 10 times ,pitch still remaining low


At last  rather then being so hard on myself ,and blaming my own self.


I thought to just shout it out once


Now this was the first time I thought ...hey shouting is not the big deal..I can,,


and I did shout...PROP CLEAR..it was loud...so loud.


That very act brought energy infact reservoir of energy within.


It generated the thought that I can make things happen..


it was like a ray of hope...the light .the shifting of mind...the ignition of fuel inside..


the rusted mind ..was shining again.


 I thought ..hey why on earth I was stopping myself


I m no less...


the very thought..change in outlook..different perspective ..changed everything.


After that every flight went well ,performance raised and there was no looking back.


I came among top student..the only competitor was my own self.


and underestimation was gone.as the doubt in my abilities went forever.


That day I realized how strongly can belief , positive thinking ,confidence can effect a flight or rather entire life.


After that I made more then 100 Safe n smooth Landings at various Airports of America.


I won, Got my Commercial Certificate with Flying colors..


and Today I am a USA trainind Comercial Pilot .....


Happy Landings.........




Capt Ankisha Awasthi
CPL  [ FAA, USA  ]
capt.ankisha@aerosoft.in
http://captainankishaawasthi.blogspot.com/