Slipstream October 2018

Chairman’s Message 

By Susan Conner-Steeb
 
What’s on your checklist?
 
I’m sitting in Ohio tending to my mother after a scary medical emergency. All has gone according to plan and she is on the mend. It was only a few hours ago I was able to sit with her and smile and say out loud “Our checklist is complete!” All of the tasks within our control are in place, actions taken, confirmations made.
 
As I sit to write this article, my first thought was… I have not flown since last month, I had to cancel taking two of our student pilots to the Van Nuys fly-in. It has been a disappointing flying month for me. What could I possible write about… I welled up a little… My Checklist.
 
Early in my flying journey, I had instructors who pushed me to not only use a checklist but to create my own, one that worked with my way of managing and flying my aircraft, one that gave me confidence that both my aircraft and I were in order and ready to be airborne. Erik and I fly the same plane but work through the checklist in different ways. We update it and discuss habits and improvements. With our recent engine overhaul, it was updated again. I love that we do not just work the checklist; we own it. When I am in the cockpit, alone or with passengers, I talk it out loud.
 
As I work through my run up checklist, I touch the instrument or gauge I am checking. I speak the check or result. I verbally say “run up checklist complete”, “cruise checklist complete”, after landing checklist complete”.
 
This summer I was asked to share my checklist with another Bonanza pilot and was happy to hear how detailed and applicable it was for them. It made them think and work to personalize one for themselves.
 
This month, since I was about to fly with two student pilots, I reviewed it again. I had grand plans of walking through it in great detail as an education for them but also for me. Could I talk someone unfamiliar with my airplane through my process?
 
I have come to rely on the consistency and repetition of my checklist in flying. It has given me confidence in my aircraft and in myself. It validates completeness and keeps me safe. This month in particular that practice has served both my mother and me.
 
What’s on your checklist? Do you have one? Do you use it? Have you talked someone else through it recently or ever?
 
Chairman’s Checklist Complete! 

Erin - Becoming A CFI

By Erin Hawkes

I love hearing different people’s stories of how they caught the flying bug. For some, they have been dreaming of flight since the time they could walk, others are hit with the idea one day out the blue, much later in life. I also like to hear why people enjoy flying: the convenience, the freedom, the feeling of being master of the aircraft, the different view of the earth. I was a little slow to come to the realization that I wanted to fly, and while I love the feeling of lifting off the earth in the airplane, I have realized that what I love even more is what happens to us as individuals as we grow through flying. I have only been a CFI for a few months, but what I truly enjoy about it is seeing students achieve one week what they thought was impossible just the week before.
My first opportunity to go flying came along when I was about 9 years old. My grandpa flew sailplanes in the desert north of LA, and he was giving rides to a bunch of the cousins, aunts, and uncles in the family. My turn came, and I was so nervous that I very politely let someone else go ahead of me, and then someone else, and on and on until my opportunity basically timed out. I wanted to go, but I had heard stories of my brother going up and getting sick, and my cousin doing the same, and between that and not knowing what to expect, I straight chickened out. I still wish to this day that I had gone up with Grandpa; he stopped flying soon after, so I never got the chance to fly with him.
Everything happens in its own time, however. The years went by, and when the time was right, the bug hit me. Five years ago, I decided to pursue aviation as a career, and uncertain what my family would think of my newest idea of what to do with my life (there had been a long string of them before), I did my research for a solid two months before I told anyone about my new plan. When I finally got up the courage to tell my family, they all basically said, “Yeah, that makes sense” and were totally behind me.
Since then, it has been one big train of highs and lows, certs and maintenance problems, but through it all, I have never stopped growing and learning, and I hope I never will.

Minutes of General Meeting (9/5/2018)

By Anele Brooks

Jolie started the meeting with an announcement regarding the Cal Pilots and Van Nuys Prop 1st Annual Airport Day to be held September 14 – 16 at Van Nuys Airport. The local 99 chapter will be hosting a breakfast on one of those mornings. There will also be a Mountain Flying seminar. No admission fee for this.
 
Mark your calendars for 12/1/2018 it is the date for the annual Toys for Tots collection at the Oceano Airport.
 
The Capital Airshow will be held on September 21, 2018 at Mather AFB. The pyrotechnic crew from EAA will be putting on an airshow on Friday night.
 
October 4 – 7 is the Southwest Section Meeting at Claremont.
 
The discussion turned to the Fall 2019 Section Meeting that we are hosting. Our theme is: “Life is to beautiful to rush . . . fly SLO”. 
  • Cheryl and Mitch Cooney will coordinate the transportation between the airport and the hotel. Jolie will do whatever she is asked to do. They have an 18 passenger van lined up.
  • A contract has been signed with the Embassy Suites. The rate is $129/night, it includes breakfast in the mornings, wine in the evenings and a shuttle to and from the airport. 10 rooms have been reserved for Thursday night and 50 have been reserved for Friday and Saturday nights. 
  • The Southwest Section is rolling out a new registration site that will be fun, easy and pretty. We will be hosting the Newcomers Breakfast at the Spring 2019 Section Meeting.