Soulmate A soulmate ( or soul mate) is a person with whom one has a feeling of deep or natural affinity, similarity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul, which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate. In New Age spirituality, the ultimate soulmate is the one and only other half of one's soul. However, not everyone who uses these terms intends them to carry such mystical connotations.

Bashert, (Yiddish: באַשערט), is a Yiddish word that means "destiny".[4] It is often used in the context of one's divinely foreordained spouse or soulmate, who is called "basherte" (female) or "basherter" (male). It can also be used to express the seeming fate or destiny of an auspicious or important event, friendship, or happening.

The idea of soulmates comes from statements found in classical rabbinic literature. A proverb that "marriages are made in heaven" is illustrated by a story in a midrash collection.
-wikipedia

Let it be noted ... I personally do not believe the notion of soulmate is true,
not even possible I think. As I have said here before, I believe the idea is ridiculous at best and undoubtedly manipulative. Maybe the idea is sweet ...  for novels and movies ... Not a thing to pretend is possibly true in real life. That's not some jaded mid-life observation, I've never believed in soulmates or fairies ... .

I am a big fan of C. S. Lewis' work. This morning I reread this little quote and it's good just as an idea, but then I thought about the notion of Jesus returning to God so that the Holy Spirit could have a turn with humanity. I believe the HS helps us through this earthly journey helping "build" us for eternity. 

Suddenly this morning I wondered ... That place that Jesus went to prepare ... could it be a place where many mansions, in the CSL context, will "be"?  Heaven, with it's street of gold, a place of many mansions ... Where God lives?  It would be so ironic if we think we'll show up and "get" a house, or new container of some sort, only to find that without that crusty earth shell, or souls expand into the shape God had in mind when He thought of us ... Less tent more mansion!  I know I feel the Holy Spirit at work with a sledge hammer etc in my soul!

What I am thinking about today ... quotes ~Elizabeth Gilbert (" Eat Pray Love") a couple of thoughts then ~C.S. Lewis

"Faith is walking face-first and full-speed into the dark. If we truly knew all the answers in advance as to the meaning of life and the nature of God and the destiny of our souls, our belief would not be a leap of faith and it would not be a courageous act of humanity; it would just be... a prudent insurance policy."

"I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on the water."

"There’s a crack (or cracks) in everyone…that’s how the light of God gets in."

"When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely, Liz. Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own yearnings."

"A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave."

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life."

"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts."

"You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control."

"When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go."

"Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water."


I liked the book ... the movie, not as much.  These quotes, pulled from the book out of context, stand alone well. The author has done an admirable job of thinking about her stuff I think.  I like how intentional she was about the bit of her journey that she chronicled ... I like the courage she expressed with her willingness to expose her layers.  I like that she went in after her oowies ... she put her self out there for healing. 

Some one sent a story from this site to me and after reading the story I subscribed to the blog ... I am not promoting the blog ... just noting it here to say, it is hard work to tell your story.  It is hard work to live one's own true story because we seem to get swept along sometimes by the stories of others.

A Deeper Story ... Tales of Christ and Culture
What if? What if we could actually toss aside the brutal blunt force of our cemented opinion and engage the senses instead… painted pictures with words and ignited imagination?
What if story became the vehicle?
It’s easy to tell someone your opinion. It’s hard work telling them your story.
And this place, where we put stories to issues close to the heart of God, was birthed out of the darkness.
http://deeperstory.com/

I know  it's true that our stories overlap ... and especially with those people with whom we love and live our lives ... . It seems true to me also that eventually we may see our story through God's eyes.  I like stories.  It fascinates me to see a well written movie (few and far between) ... or read a beautifully written account of one's life experiences (read a lovely account of a 96  year old mother just yesterday ... the author/son made the story precious with its telling ... or Captain Dave's weariness expressed by mustard stains right before he was able to cut through some crap with the help of his road razor) ... my favorite stories are the stories I get to see unfolding right in front of my eyes ... right here in my own little life. The real value of this blog for me is that I sit with myself and discover my story.  Recently, I have wandered in front of a mirror where I saw a slightly different me then then person I thought myself to be.  And ... I was given an opportunity to step out of that old, too tight, restrictive "skin" in to a stronger ... more compassionate/forgiving ... next gen version of myself. I do not dread birthdays ... I like the patina of maturity ... I will gladly trade the physical agility that drives me to  bungee jump from one adrenaline rush to the next ... for the sitting still enough to wander into the adventures of my soul. 

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body." ~C.S.Lewis 

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable."~C.S. Lewis

I am not saying that I am great at loving either God or people,but my soul doeswant toreach towards that ... love ... what love really is. I am able to love at least just a little ... before my wants ... my ego ... self looking for a rush ... begins to intrude.  It's that dichotomy thing ... I really really want to do good ... to do right ... every once in a while though, naughty looks pretty appealing.


"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." ~CSL

I am a canvas tent ... There is a lot of work to be done here yet ... This is the adventure ... . Under construction ... 'cuse the mess!

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."CSL

I remember ... I recently specifically implored God to show up and do His best ... . And I am truly humbled and amazed ... .

"Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." ~CSL

Love ... protect, trust, hope, persevere ... love.  Maybe we were created to love ... I know I'm off trackwith that vision most of the time! Selfishness so twists  love into something unrecognizable as love.  There is a lot to it ... seems simple, but selfishness laces through love distorting it ... I say distorting, really I mean ruining it ... it'snot love when it becomes self-serving. 

"It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased." ~CSL

Now we are talking!  I think this is spot on ... and of course the whole holiday at the sea resonates ... lol.

"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."
~CSL

God, He knows that and everything else about me ... and He still likes me ... I cannot comprehend why He cherishes me, but just recently, I have come to see that He does. I am blown away by that.  He can even use my stupid days (and even the stupid days of my buddies who I get to do little bits and big bits of life with) to do His stuff in me. Amazing! Wow! I am delighted and amazed and if it's not too irreverant I will admit that I am amused by how cool ... clever ... man, I don't have the right word ... God is doing some of His best work in me recently/lately/nowish  with some "material" that I just woulda never seen being useful as part of a restoration process ... I mean, God is beyond genius! I am unable to describe the process ... I thought I had a basket of broken pieces and it turned out that nothing was broken at all ... any energy spent pushing those pieces around was ... I quess ignorant is the word, because I am  starting to see that God really does know what He's doing.  I know. That sounds goofy.  If I believe that God is God it would seem that I would automatically believe that His Godness is Godlike.  But, I have actually been thinking He was busy being God elsewhere ... . It is probably shameful to admit it, but the truth is, I have actually asked, "God,are you looking at this shit here? ... ."

It's good.  It's a little bit painful somedays, but it is freaking amazing too.

"Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart."~Nash/ABeautifulMind 

thoughts/feelings ... desires ... choices ... actions 
Souls are being built here in this thing we call life. 
I'm liking it ... it's hard work getting fit for eternal life ...
http://bible.cc/1_john/2-17.htm

goodbyes

The other day I said I don't like goodbyes. Does anyone? Are we creatures of habit? Do we just get comfortable with what's routine, what's normal, what's predictable? I think I like some things to stay pretty close to the same ... shampoo there where I can find it even with my eyes shut against the shower ... white plates stacked beside the other plates, but not mixed (who would mix them?) ... I like some things to stay the same, but I like new ideas and challenges. What I really meant by I don't like goodbyes is I don't like to say goodbye to people I don't want to miss. People I don't want to miss seem to be few and far between in life.
There are people who I like and don't see as often as I would like to ... had fun with H today ... I'll have fun with her every once in a while for the rest of my life I bet, and she is one of the only people who can and does say "Uh ... you might wanna rethink that ...", that's not fun to hear, but she was on track and I needed to hear it.
Most of the people who come and go ... I don't miss.

I am not sad about these goodbyes coming up ... I enjoyed teaching my class very much, now someone else can have their turn.

PS 10 May ... I am currently looking through my blog storage for a quote that I would like to use in a post I am currently thinking about ... yeah, sometimes I do actually think about them before I start typing thoughts out on the screen ... anyway, I saw this post from back in December 2010 ... don't know why I didn't tap publish post. Goodbyes ... I love the idea of a good bye ... it seems to imply that all "good-byes"  might be good ... good as in well executed like a good departure climb ... so many degrees nose up ... we all know what that should look like.   Some kid today bombed the first part of his oral ... insisting on a number in the normal cruise range (airspeed) for his climb speed ... it messed the time to TOC up considerably ... then, he just wouldn't back down.  These little dinky dog planes are lucky to get  cruise speeds in cruise ... on a lovely day, they climb up off the asphalt at about half that speed.  These little planes don't eat altitude like shrimp cocktail ... .Anyway, what was I thinking about ... oh yeah, hunting down a quote. And good goodbyes ... well sometimes goodbye really and truly is all you've got to work with ... and that is good enough.

see what I mean ... spongy

http://www.photographyserved.com/Gallery/Your-beautiful-eyes/428809

I'm writing this up from my little bitty phone keyboard, but later I'll come back and post a picture by Suren Manvelyan. I think his microscopic photos of irises are very interesting. The texture really surprises me ... It looks like sea sponge to me.
I started thinking about how really every bit of our bodies looks like that ... Under a microscope. Nerves don't really look like that ... Well, all that got me to thinking about ideas or thoughts and feelings ... I was thinking about this the thinking/feeling connection the other day. I think one thing but then I feel entirely differently on the same topic. Know what I mean? And how in the world do all those ideas and all those feelings transfer around ... How do they travel along from conception to action? How does all that sponginess walking ever get from here to there ... How does it ever find it's way through that tangle of thoughts and emotions? It's pretty weird ... Pretty cool. This flick of the wrist or toss of the hair ... Thought or emotional impulse

I'm going to have to do some reading on that ... I know thoughts make a physical ... I could see it ... Kind of change. Feelings ... Are they chemical ... Hormonal?

Today was a fun day. My three daughters and I drove over to Atlanta ... Two was to leave on a trip ... Like a long flight. It was her first time to fly without family. I told her to figure out a way to get a window seat so she could take lots of pictures. She ended up in between two strangers ... Aerial views she is familiar with ... Like an old friend. The man sitting next to her had a serious seizure 30 minutes before the landed at LAX ... She held on to him to keep him from falling in to the aisle. I really wish I had been there ... She was one of the last PAX off because they needed a wheel chair to help him from the plane ... She was texting back and forth with me. I'm sure she didn't take one bit of my advice!

walking...waiting...timing out

I really wanted to get a few examples of the work of Terje Sorgjerd posted here ... to share, and to look at myself. Wow ... there are so many amazing ... soul nourishing ... pieces of creation to see.  And how cool is it that this guy has the opportunity to go find these spectacular sights and record them ... and share them. 
I live in the middle of a huge forest. In a few minutes when I walk my dog, I can can head out in one direction and be on a major university campus within ten minutes ... Sammy prefers that walk because strangers stop us to admire him ... there are bunches of interesting smells in that direction. Or, I can walk two minutes in a different direction and be in a flowing creek bed.  Sammy likes that direction because I might let him off of his lead ... but then there is wet waggly tail dog to pay ... he taunts me when it's time to get back to the walk. Though we weigh approximately the same, his four feet give him a definite edge on the slippery moss  covered rocks.  We see rabbits, raccoons, little foxes, deer ... all kinds of birds ... chipmunks (they are very cute) and squirrels ... I wouldn't be too surprised to see just about anything. Snakes ... we see snakes occasionally ... well, I do (I have always thought of snakes as on the ground ... here, they are liable to be in the tree branches too ... stealing bird eggs and scaring me!). Sammy is for the most part oblivious.  A friend, who I was visiting with on the phone the other day said it sounded like our walk had a sounds of nature CD playing in the back ground.  Yes, that is exactly how it sounds here ... you can hear ground traffic and the occasional airplane, but those sounds are overlays to the birds chirping. These past several days the wind has been blowing strong enough to push my dog's long fluffy coat around  ...I think he likes the way it feels ... he seems to be laughing about something.  Normally he walks with his ear grazing my hip ... he is a good walking buddy ... but, yesterday something, I think a cat ...  I never saw a thing... caught his attention when I was zoning ... he yanked me right in to a lamp post where a bicycle was chained ... he does still "puppy out" every once in a while.  It amazes me that he can sense when I am distracted.

I thought I would do notes on certificate privileges, limitations ... maybe paperwork to be found in the airplane ... .
I don't think I can sit here and do that today though ... yesterday the FI who I like so much called early in the day.  He is timing out, out there and cleaning out his office.  He had a folder of stuff  for me to pick up.  I did.  As badly as I want to flight instruct ... as long and as hard as I have focused on that particular goal ... it was depressing to be out there yesterday.  I was able to keep my game face on, but afterwards I couldn't help but think how fortunate I am that I can chose to walk this way or that way rather then spending my days stuck in the mess out there ... it's still a mess. I could fly out of it a few times each day, but that is where the airplane lands.   I am pretty sure working with a few students plus all the responsibilities I handle in my "real life" wouldn't offset the downsides of working there.  I just hate to accept that fact ... it hasn't always been that way, but it sure is right now.  I just don't have the heart for making notes about aviation things right now.  
I'm thinking about spin recovery because of something I read yesterday ... not analogy, the real deal ... but I think I better do that while I am walking.  I better go see what the wind will blow off of me today. 23016G20 earlier but 35010 now ... hmmmm.

Terje Sorgjerd Milky Way

61.105 Aeronautical Knowledge ( for Pvt Plt. Certif.) and Eligibility 61.103

(a) General. A person who is applying for a private pilot certificate must receive and log ground training from an authorized instructor or complete a home-study course on the aeronautical knowledge areas of paragraph (b) of this section that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.
(b) Aeronautical knowledge areas. (1) Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations of this chapter that relate to private pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;
(2) Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;
(3) Use of the applicable portions of the “Aeronautical Information Manual” and FAA advisory circulars;
(4) Use of aeronautical charts for VFR navigation using pilotage, dead reckoning, and navigation systems;
(5) Radio communication procedures;
(6) Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight, wind shear avoidance, and the procurement and use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;
(7) Safe and efficient operation of aircraft, including collision avoidance, and recognition and avoidance of wake turbulence;
(8) Effects of density altitude on takeoff and climb performance;
(9) Weight and balance computations;
(10) Principles of aerodynamics, powerplants, and aircraft systems;
(11) Stall awareness, spin entry, spins, and spin recovery techniques for the airplane and glider category ratings;
(12) Aeronautical decision making and judgment; and
(13) Preflight action that includes—
(i) How to obtain information on runway lengths at airports of intended use, data on takeoff and landing distances, weather reports and forecasts, and fuel requirements; and
(ii) How to plan for alternatives if the planned flight cannot be completed or delays are encountered.
[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61–103, 62 FR 40902, July 30, 1997]

Copied and Pasted directly from the FAA web site.


Alright back to ground school notes ...
61.105 specifies the scope of aeronautical knowledge which will/must be received and logged in pursuit of  the certificate.  I am not going to address all of those topics here.  I decided that last night.  I am going to post notes on the topics that I want to.  I like reading the REGs ... I know, quite a thing to fess up to ... I am either a rules nerd, or an insomniac ... but I don't want to write my interpretation of the regs ... I'll leave that to the FAA and/or aviation attorneys.  My intent here in these postings about private ground knowledge is to brush up my own knowledge as I veg out waiting ... waiting for a CFI slot to open up here locally.  I don't consider myself an expert on any of this, and I can already see that it will be a lot more difficult to transfer my knowledge here in print then it was in a class room setting.   What I am saying is, this is not Ground School.  These are the incomplete notes of someone who is trying to stay out of trouble while I twiddle my fingers and try to keep my hands to myself.  I saw the movie Fast Five this past Friday evening ... my first Fast and Furious movie experience ... I came out of the movie with an epiphany:  I really should have finished undergraduate school and gone straight into stealing fast cars in Rio ... I woulda liked hang gliding around the Christ statue when I wasn't working/stealing.  I don't think it would have been a more treacherous choice then casting my lot in the aviation community ... plus, as a young woman I could shoot a tick off of a dog ... (nah ... just an expression) ... if my early "career"  had gone well, there is no telling  ... wait a minute!  Notes! Back to it then.

The Jepp syllabus and the PTS areas of ops have something in common and we will start there.

Private Pilot eligibility requirements: found at 61.103
To be eligible for a private pilot certificate, a person must:
(a) Be at least 17 years of age for a rating in other than a glider or balloon.
(b) Be at least 16 years of age for a rating in a glider or balloon.
(c) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. If the applicant is unable to meet one of these requirements due to medical reasons, then the Administrator may place such operating limitations on that applicant's pilot certificate as are necessary for the safe operation of the aircraft.
(d) Receive a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor who:
(1) Conducted the training or reviewed the person's home study on the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in §61.105(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought; and
(2) Certified that the person is prepared for the required knowledge test.
(e) Pass the required knowledge test on the aeronautical knowledge areas listed in §61.105(b) of this part.
(f) Receive flight training and a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor who:
(1) Conducted the training in the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought; and
(2) Certified that the person is prepared for the required practical test.
(g) Meet the aeronautical experience requirements of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought before applying for the practical test.
(h) Pass a practical test on the areas of operation listed in §61.107(b) of this part that apply to the aircraft rating sought.
(i) Comply with the appropriate sections of this part that apply to the aircraft category and class rating sought.
(j) Hold a U.S. student pilot certificate, sport pilot certificate, or recreational pilot certificate.
[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997, as amended by Amdt. 61–124, 74 FR 42558, Aug. 21, 2009]

That is the answer to "What are the eligibility requirements for the private pilot requirement?"   The inspector may ask you an opening question like ... "What makes you eligible to seek this certificate?" Yes ... that is a real ice-breaker!   I have been asked that question.  Tab your FAR/AIM at 61.103 ... 61.102 is the beginning of the Private Pilot certification requirements.  Get out you highlighter and underline the specifics ... the inspector doesn't want you to waste his/her time reading the REGs instead of giving an answer. 

a/b...Your valid US driver's license is proof of age ...if you don't have a driver's license bring some other government issued proof (and ask yourself why you don't have a driver's license ... that may be something to look at before this interview) because it will be required. Hop over to 61.3 for the specifics on acceptable photo id.

c...English is my native language ... English is also the International language of Aviation.  (I have no idea why the font changed ... I like this one better though ... the other is the FAA's site font and I am having technical difficulties detaching the above text from it ... so we will just go with it.) I have heard some pretty funky English being broadcast over the airways ... I guess the examiner will make the call on the quality of English being spoken.  My Southerese has been acceptable thus far.

d...the instructor will endorse your logbook at the appropriate time ... if your knowledge "sucks" they are not going to want to provide that ... duh.  The instructor's rep and possibly ticket is on the line with student endorsement's. I sure wouldn't want to be called on the carpet because I endorsed a slacker. I gotta save possible carpet dances for my own potential screw-ups.
e...a document will be issued to you noting among other things your score on the knowledge test ... have that with you for the show and tell portion.I'm going to give an opinion here,because some people say it doesn't matter what you make on your written test ... as long as it is a 70 or better, it's a pass.  I've even heard people say anything above a 70 is wasted effort.  Uh ... I really hate to hear that attitude floating around ... it's like saying any landing you can walk away from is a good one ... uh ... no ... not so much.  There is a balance here on testing ... do as well as you reasonable can given the constraints you're working with. If you "screw the pup" on an area within the knowledge material ... say you didn't do well with the NDB questions ... brush up on that before your check ride. Your test results expose your deficiencies ... .  I hear that NDBs are being decommissioned except where they are used as an outer marker ... people are blowing off understanding how NDBs operate ... But the FAA written has 18 separate questions relating to ADF/NDBs in  study unit 10 of the question bank (Gleim).  There are 3 questions relating to GPS ... satellite questions.  AND ... one of my newly airline employed buddies is now flying in the Midwest and I heard he said all the approaches are NDB ... maybe he is pulling some one's leg!  18 of the 33 Navigational systems questions are specifically ADF/NDB and ... I know I'm several degrees off course with 61.103 but ... .
f...like d above
g...check and check again on your aeronautical experience ...61.109 is specific.  There should be a book out on all the near misses towards hitting these marks!  The examiner will not be pleased to find an indiscretion here.  Just last week someone flew to what was remembered as a class C airport but had recently become a class D airport ... and found that the tower was closed for the day.  Bummer ... out of pocket expense for the student ... .  This is a fine tooth comb area if there ever was one.
h...the practical test comes after the oral portion ... you are there for that next! 
i...comply
j...a student pilot certificate is basically a valid medical certificate. see 61.19 If  you're under 40 years of age, it's good for 60 mnts ...+40, shelf life decreases to 24 months. Just an opinion here, but if you're intending to earn a commercial or ATP certificate, why not go ahead and make certain you can pass the first class medical?  61.23 duration of medical ... and medical standards are over in part 67

Introduction to the textbooks and Manuals for Private Pilot Knowledge

This is what the Jeppesen Sanderson Private Pilot Textbook looks like ... and the syllabus.  It is copyright protected.  No part of it may be stored or transmitted without prior permission by Jeppesen Sanderson, Inc.  I will not violate their copy right, but may refer to specific pages within the book in these notes.  The "Jepp" material is widely used in training ... .
It is the material that was used in the program when I began my private ground training.  Jepp texts are available for every level of certification and I understand they produce review materials that are widely used in the industry.
The book is easy to use. I've taught  a Pvt. Ground class many times relying on this text as the primary source for fundamental information.  Chapters are broken down into sections and at the end of each section, you'll see a "summary checklist" ... bulleted items of key points. There is also a list of vocabulary words which are listed in that section. And finally, a few questions that you should be able to answer as a review of the section.  I tell students to read these three things first ... the summary, the vocab or terms, and the quiz questions.  That is the information that you are supposed to acquire as you read the material.  Knowing what you are supposed to learn will help a lot with the reading.  One of the things that beginning aviation students figure out pretty fast is there is a ton of  info to absorb.  I have heard this process compared to trying to take a sip of water from a fire hose.  So ... it's important to have some guidelines otherwise it can seem pretty overwhelming.
This is my opinion: The Jepp Pvt. Pilot material is very polished.  It is perfect for beginning student pilots.  The graphics are clear and the material is ... how do I say it? ... kind of dumbed down.  Major concepts are in bold print and important terms are in red ink.  FAA test questions are even inserted through out the book.  It is a very user friendly presentation. As I said ...it was the material I began with and I don't have any complaints about it after teaching the course with it many times.  I prefer the FAA's approach to the material though ...

Again, my opinion:  Flight schools use the Jepp product because the curriculum is already approved by the FAA for training purposes ... it's a package.  But guess what?  The FAA puts out their own texts ... they are very consistent through out their presentation of the material ... from introduction all the way to both the oral and written test segments. Jepp doesn't want to copy the FAAs wording ... and sometimes something is lost in the  "re-wording".  Let me put it another way.  The PVT pilot knowledge exam is an FAA test. The Oral will most likely be administered by a FAA inspector ... or a person designated by the FAA to administer the oral and the flight portion of the certification process. AND ... The FAA textbooks are available for download in PDF format from http://www.faa.gov/  They are generous about not copy writing the material ... government publication baby ...  and if I make a direct quote here ... it'll be from their material.  I like their matter of fact presentation of the information ... they don't pre-highlight the concepts or terms so ... get a colored pen of some kind.

FAA-H-8083-25A (2008) supersedes FAA-8083-25 (2003)
The PHAK (Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge) provides basic knowledge for pilots.  Except for the REGs, most of the essential knowledge areas are presented in the PHAK. The book is golden.  It's great for beginning pilots as well as those pursuing more advanced degrees.  This handbook is available for download, in PDF format, from  http://www.faa.gov/



 you'll also need the
                                                                       FAA-H-8083-3A

The Airplane Flying Handbook is a technical manual designed to introduce basic piloting skills and basic piloting knowledge.  It was developed by the Flight Standards Service with a little help from their friends, and conforms to pilot training and certification concepts established by the FAA.
This manual is available for download from the Flight Standards Service Web site at http://av-info.faa.gov/

The second segment will look at the REGS and the Aeronautical Information Manual.  This book provides the RULES and PROCEDURES for General Aviation, Sport Pilots, and Instructors.

This specific book is published by ASA (Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.) and contains current regulations as of  30 July 2010. The AIM portion is current through 26 August, 2010.  They note: visit www.asa2fly.com/farupdate for regulation and AIM changes released after the printing date. Something I didn't know, and really appreciate is, ASA provides a free Update service with email notification when the rules and procedures change.  Nice.  I also really like the iPhone apps for this material ... the search feature totally rocks.  Inside this manual, on page xii, you'll find the Private/Recreational Suggested Study List .  The word suggested always cracks me up when I read it in FAA publications ... You might want to substitute the word minimum or maybe even slacker here.  If a suggestion is being made, I encourage you to interpret that as : Here's the list of regs and information that the FAA sets as your minimum standards ... they suggest you study them ... that's my interpretation.  The FAA says applicants preparing for the FAA Knowledge Exams should have full understanding of the following applicable regulations and AIM paragraphs:  ...then they provide the pertinent suggested study list.
A definition for "should" is not given in the REGS Sub chapter A definitions, but I'll say it again ... the FAA writes ... interprets ... administers ... enforces ... . When they say "should" I listen up. Staying current with the info provided in the FAR/AIM is important.

I'm going to go ahead and put this excellent book by Richie Lengel here.  I wish I had had this when I first started looking at the REGs.  It makes a great companion book ... in my opinion.  I like the excruciatingly detailed plain English explanation of everything essential for every pilot aspect of this book!  It's published by Aviation Press and can be found at http://www.amazon.com/ or http://www.aviation-press.com/  I paid 59.95plus tax, at a flight school counter for mine and I gotta say ... it was money well spent.    ... recommended.


And the third segment will be about aviation weather and weather products
These two books supplement weather info provided in the PHAK:

I particularly like the Aviation Weather Services manual (AC 00-45E).It is published jointly by the FAA and the National Weather Service.  It explains weather service in general and the details of interpreting and using coded weather reports, forecasts, and observed and prognostic weather charts.   The AC in front of the number on this publication notifies us that this is an Advisory Circular ... I do not know if it's available as a PDF download or not, but ACs are available at the http://www.faa.gov/   site. I have several three ring binders of ACs that I've printed off ... we'll talk about that a little later.  Uh oh!  A quick look at http://www.amazon.com/ reveals that there is an update ... AC 00-45F.  Oh, foxtrot.  I will look in to acquiring the latest and greatest version of this AC before I start the weather notes here on True North.  The other book pictures here, Aviation weather, was revised in 1975 and is still disseminated as generation "A". It is jointly published by the FAA and the NWS and is a weather theory manual  providing basic weather information for pilots.  Part I is titled: What You Should Know About Weather ... they print that in all caps. Notice the word should there.


Let's see, what other books will we need?

Ah hah!  The Practical Test Standards (PTS) for Private Pilot ASEL and ASES.  If you intend to actually become certified, this is a very important book.  And it surprises me that student pilots are largely unaware of just how helpful this little jewel can (should) be as they work towards certification. Every student pilot should at the earliest possible time ... asap ... go through this booklet one page at a time.  Page 3 provides a list of publications that the FAA expects you to be conversant on.  They write,"These practical test standards are based on the following references."  The list includes (other then the Jepp material) what I have listed here for you.  There are several ACs that I will look at individually here ... probably. FAA-H-8083-1 (aircraft weight and balance handbook) and FAA-H-8083-15 (Instrument Flying Handbook) are also on the list ... .
Page 5 has a section on Special Emphasis Areas ... areas considered critical to flight safety. Uh ... I think they will emphasize those areas during the student evaluation process.  An outline for the AREA OF OPERATION begins on page 1-1.  Those areas that the practical test may include are spelled out AND within that list of possibilities, shall evaluate this task and that task is right there in black and white.  Wouldn't it be great if you had a pretty good idea at the beginning of this what standards will be used to evaluate your proficiency level ... knowledge and stick stuff.   Seems like most students who want to fly are physically able to perform ... it's the knowledge portion that is generally lacking ... so I hear.  I recommend that a serious student pilot  figure out how they will answer those questions provided in that outline.  The first question is:  Explain private pilot certification privileges, limitations, and recent flight experience requirements.  I have heard students begin their answer on this very first question with, "What do you mean by limitations?" I promise that isn't what the examiner wants to hear!
No body thinks a private pilot applicant will show up knowing everything ... but showing up prepared is a big should.  The PTS  provides a way for the applicant to know what to expect ... and what is expected.

This is the Question and Answer bank for the Private Pilot Knowledge Test. Yes ... they give you all the questions and all the answers in a multiple choice format.  Uh ... thanks guys ... no one has ever made a test so simple ... all the possible questions and all the correct answers all in one book ... broken down into units of study ... for my ease and enjoyment! Oh ... by the way ... there is an app for this too ... shake for the next question!  There are many different theories on how to "study" for this test.  Your learning style should dictate how you work your way through this material. I can't imagine a good excuse for not doing well on this test if you know to start looking at it early and often. The actual test consists of 60 questions and you are given 2.5 hours to complete it.  There are 11 different study units and I haven't counted the actual number of possible questions in the question bank, but there are about 900 - 950... some of them are duplicates (duplicates become very likely questions to be seen in that test of 60 questions - right?)  I tell my students to put this book where ever they will see it every morning first thing, and every night last thing.  Put it on top of the swimsuit issue.

The materials list for Private Ground School

Tonight I uploaded pictures of the books that are on the basic book list for PVT ground ... also pictures of a couple of supply type items.

And, those are at the top of my Blog page. Under "Home" you will see "Private Ground Notes" ... I learned how to create a separate "page"! So click on it and we can get started.

I frequently type up my notes ... what I post here ... on my iPhone.  Then I edit on my laptop where I have full function on font's,  screen size, spell check etc.  This morning as I edited the previous post ... changing if to of ...  and fir to for ... then to than ... I saw something I really hadn't realized before, but I think I better think about it.

Well, two things,but one at a time.... what's important ... where I become "pot-committed".

One:  ... but it makes me guarded about what I allow to become "important" ... where I become "pot-committed".  I can see that in my notes here on True North.
I thought about what I allow to become important to me ... I decide those things with my head.  I make my decisions thoughtfully.  What is important to me? ... I'll do some examples without getting too personal.  Anything I stamp with a promise is important to me ... like a marriage vow ... I made promises there ... that's a big one.  I made promises to each of my children when I first held them ... five more really big ones.  I thought about those ... I am specifically guarded about letting people become important to me because ... why?  Those people ... my people (and there are a few others) are important to me ... they are in my heart and will always be.  Sometimes they run through my heart like ... hmmm ... like crazy wild cats ... spitting and clawing ... probably a better analogy somewhere, but not close at hand as I type this out.  I made a conscious choice to love them ... I think love is a choice ... it feels like a feeling, but it is really a choice ... a thinking thing ... or as the country music songs goes ... a thanking thang. 

Flying is important to me ... that one snuck in before I knew to think about the costs ... but I did eventually learn to think about my commitment before I took on another challenge there. I remember when I stopped what I was doing to watch a Navajo takeoff.  It was nice ... sweet little climb out.  That moment I started to say, "I will fly that" ... and I stopped before I promised myself that I would ... because I had learned that decision cost ... something ... and I couldn't make a promise without weighing the costs.  I am passionate about flying, but I have learned to hold the reins on that horse!  That horse would love to run wild carrying me away from other promises.  I did promise myself that I would do everything within my ability to earn the privilege of instructing someone else towards ... flying.  Flying is more than driving metal up off the ground. 

People, in general, and more so specifically as I chose,  are important to me ... but I keep those relationships compressed in to little workable commitments.  I make those promises very tiny.  That love is more like little Hershey's kisses ... they come out of the bowl one at a time ... when the bowl is empty ... no big deal. I do those relationships with very little expectation of my bowl being replenished by them ... .

This notion of relax ... wait ... be amazed ...
The idea expressed by protect, trust, hope, persevere ... love

That stuff is more than an thinking thing ... it's a feeling thing too ... together.  This hurts my head. hahaha ... I may have to let this sit a while.

Two: "Trust can't be tossed out there like a picnic blanket.
She's talking about close relationships ... intimacy. This is what I think ... this thought originated in a place that should just feel but now it thinks first. Intimacy is like an oasis in the dessert ... maybe they exist ... lots of times they turn out to be a mirage ... me? I'm going to carry my own water. That may sound a little bitter here in black and white ... I don't think it is ... I think it is just practical."  I said that. 
Intimacy ... should just feel? 
That day I wrote about ... Monday ... my husband was pretty enthusiastic about my vibe that day ... I was too, because I felt fabulous ... . I felt.  Alive.  Alive on a cellular level. But ... and this is a huge but ... BUT, had I given any thought at all to what/where that/those feeling(s) was (were) generated by ... I would  never have allowed it.  My determination would have kept me from that feeling ... it snuck up on me!  I'm glad I got to feel that way, I was intentionally unguarded.  Maybe there is room for more unguarded experiences ... .  I will have to think about that ... lol. 

 "The cost of a thing is the amount of what I will call life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run" ~Thoreau

In life we don't pay all the costs out of our own accounts. We pay our own way sometimes ... sometimes payment comes out of joint accounts ... you gotta be careful not to steal payment from accounts that aren't yours ... . 
Ultimately, the cost of eternal life was paid for by Christ.  He paid it because we couldn't.  All this stuff I get to do here during life looks towards that ... one way or another.  Alot of people say we humans were created to be in an intimate relationship with God.  Some say it was supposed to be like a friendship (my few real friendships are intimate and increasingly so). The bride of Christ analogy sure sounds intimate.

There is a lot of other stuff I'm thinking about with in this context, but ... blogging time is short.

The Pearl

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
US essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)

Some interesting stuff has been happening around me lately ... other then walking my dog on longer and longer walks I've been ... Well, kinda vegging out. As I said, oldest son departed for law school ... We were at beach for a few days ... always bunches of home making magic to be concocted after time away. We were planning a trip that would be taking place right now. My husband does week long seminars for engineers several times a year ... usually at kinda cool places. I was going to go along on this trip because it is ... Today is our 30th anniversary. While he worked I was going to ... walk some beautiful trails ... ride a horse for awhile ... maybe spend a morning sailing ... and ... someone told me about a place near to where we would be staying ... unclaimed baggage from all the major airlines ... even as I type it, I grimace ... I'm a minimalist and there's also the thought ... "If the owner's don't want it badly enough to pick it up ... Why would I?" Apparently, this place is famous ... Oprah shops there and A-dores it ... never heard of it until a chance encounter after the sunrise service out along the shore on Easter morning ... Some one from Alice, Texas was on her way up there to check it out ... Then my friend H was like, "Uh yeah ... You are out of the loop girlfriend!" So, I was thinking about it. I do secretly want the black leather Coach backpack. Maybe someone left one of those revolving at baggage pick up ... . Then that epic storm system worked it's way through the State. I kept on thinking his deal might be rescheduled, and eventually his guy called and said, "No power up there for now." Trip cancelled. On Saturday my husband, who always works Saturdays ... Came home and asked,"What would you like to do for an anniversary thing instead?" ... Yes, very romantic. I kinda feel sorry for guys, to tell you the truth. Y'all are supposed to know without even asking, but if it's not just right ... you shoulda asked!. Just the right gift is so difficult ... Especially in a case like ours when there have been 30 years worth of just the right gifts!
Remember that pearl thing several months ago? Okay ... I did look at pearl rings (just in case) and when I finally saw a ring I like well enough to try on, I asked the jeweler how the ring was constructed ... Wondered how the pearl was set, because there were no prongs securing it. He told me something ... It started sounding a lot like blahblahblah ... I looked at the price and, holy guacamole, pearl rings are expensive. And the guy said, "You can't wear a pearl piece like an everyday ring ... This is a special occasion piece". Seriously! I told him if I paid that much for a ring not only would I be wearing it 24/7 but I would expect it to grant me a wish at least everyday! It was really pretty ... but ... uh ... I'm sure I would have felt really bad when the pearl fell out in to a fuel tank during a preflight! I very sweetly let my husband know that the traditional gift of pearls seemed kinda silly for me ... Maybe a pearlized finish on a new car ... .
Anyway ... Plan B ... I stunned my husband by saying (and meaning) that what I really really wished for for our thirtieth anniversary gift was an electric edger (edge envy was making me feel guilty) and a new gas blower. We went to Lowe's. I was very happy. I have time for yard work ... I like working in my yard ... new tools rock.
Today, he surprised me ... stunned me really (He is an Engineer ... acts if spontaneity are frowned upon ... ).
He came home with a beautifully wrapped little gift. I love beautifully wrapped little gifts!
I opened it ... It was very sweet to see how excited he was about the present ... It was a silver bracelet. I love silver bracelets!
It was engraved with a quote ... You know how I am about quotes ...

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."RWE

I've been pretty bummed out lately. This flight instructing job hunt is pretty frustrating ... After all those years of working towards that goal of instructing ... I really wanted a job instructing. And there have been other important things that haven't resolved well lately ... seems like I'm feeling max load on a lot of different bundles. I'm struggling with the idea that I really really need to ease up a little on "determined" ... I am used to making things happen and ... Well, once something becomes important I commit. Not a bad trait ... but it makes me guarded about what I allow to become "important" ... where I become "pot-committed". I can see that in my notes here on True North. This waiting is killing me! Determination has been a very successful life strategy for me ... It's hard to relax in to something else.

My husband is being supportive of the notion of trying something other than ... he likes the idea of me stretching myself towards other than what I can make happen on my own ... by waiting ... by other means. For thirty years he has watched and maybe admired my all-in spirit. Better than anyone else he understands the cost to me of letting something that has become important to me ... go (ouch, that is hard to write!). I am not a let the chips fall where they may kind of girl.

"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Emerson
that is this:
"The future is not a result of choices among alternate paths offered by the present, but a place that is created ... created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not found, but made, and the activity of making them, changes both the maker and the destination." - Richard Bach
Determination is not the only way to create though ... I am an artist, my heart knows that is true. Determination alone is a limited pallette.

New music Monday!  Yeah ... some of' 'em are oldies even to me ... my husband has asked me not to play AC?DC in the house! Hahaha ... okay. I can not do that!

Sometimes I come across a book ... or a story ... about near death/ life after death/"I died for a minute and went to heaven and ..." every one of those things about heaven has music in common.  I think that is interesting.  That speaker/ researcher, Daniel Levitin, made a statement ... he said something like music is able to transfer complete messages more completely then mere words.  Hope I didn't mess that idea up too much!  That's what I think he said, here, several weeks after I heard him speak ... uhhh, maybe he should have sung the important parts of his talk.

So, back to that music in heaven idea.  Every one of those accounts say that all kinds of music is "put" together ... streaming concurrently ... and that the meter seems to be suspended. Beat would be a measurement of time so, it makes sense to me that in a place where time is not a factor ... measurements would be mute ... idk, just thinking.  It is impossible for me to imagine a place without time.  It is impossible to imagine all the genres of music that I enjoy hearing being played together.  I like the scripture in Revelation where a man, John, describes people from all ethnicities ... every group is represented ... together worshiping the Creator ... and Christ. It makes sense that they would bring all different types of music with them.

Monday 4 April, at the beginning of this month, I made a note about recycling those broken pieces that we collect in our souls ... pieces left from broken dreams ... broken promises ... broken hearts maybe. 


Somewhere along the way the concept of broken pieces had evolved to include more then what is actually true for me ... in my soul.   I'm not talking exactly about my "ability to trust" ... as I journal here, but, I am able to see that some of the "thinking about" that I do here has helped ... I really like the way my trust is functioning now.  A lot of women have trust issues ... guys seem to do trust one hand shake at a time ... or at least trust is not so all incompassing as it seems to me to be for women ... (with apologies to my more enlightened sisters).   Well, that may not be a defendable stance, and I'm not trying to convince anyone here ... just saying, in my opinion, whatever one's perception of what "trust" is, trust seems to me to be an important part of our operating system ... and understanding the glitches in "our personal take on trust" seems to me to be ... a big deal.  I thought my ability to trust was ... shattered ... and ... that what was left of those pieces was beyond repair.  For a long time, I was okay with that idea.  I figured I would be fine trusting no one with anything truly important.  I figured it would minimize the big disappointments in life events.  I figured it would keep me from becoming bitter ... if one's expectations are adjusted, the opportunities to have the rug pulled out from under you are also minimized ... all trust related surprises become pleasant ones ... that's what I thought.  Along with that idea, I also believed myself to be ... trustworthy.  I've been pretty careful about saying what I mean, doing what I say ... making a few promises and keeping  them.  So ... my  "truster" was out of harmony. And ... I wanted to be able to trust God.  I figured I should work on trust as I journey towards God. 

A coupleof years ago, a close friend suggested that I Corinthians 13 would be a really helpful part of the scriptures for me to focus on as I went through "a time" in my life. I paraphrase those verses to this:

Protect,Trust,Hope,Persevere - LOVE

A lot of the journey journaled here on True North is viewed through that filter.  I am trying to do my walk with especially those words written in to my ways. 

Persevere has always been my forte ... I can see it as far back into my life as I can see.  You might even call it ... stubborn ... lol ... I am realizing that lately.  I am realizing that determined to persevere can be as detrimental as giving up.  Again ... probably about finding (through God)  appropriate balance.
Trust has always be my weakness.  I trust myself.  Lately, I have been sorely tempted to break a few promises.  Fortunately, I don't lean towards judgemental, but it has been an eye opening experience to see "there but for the grace of God go I", up close and personal.   


It has occurred to me recently, that determined is about what I can do for myself ... even as I say Christ strengthens me ... . I have noticed in all the religions I have had an opportunity to look at,  that even good people have a tendency to do their own stuff and call it God's stuff.  It's pretty hard to stay on track when the track is unknown and the guidance system is ... invisible.  Yeah, I know it comes with a manual, I call it the Bible, but even that Holy Book seems open to interpretation ... and we have all seen how messy that gets at times. I am methodically searching for the squelch on that "still small voice", surely it is co-located with the volume control!


Trusting myself seems to me to be ... okay ... a place to start ... a benchmark maybe.  I have some control over my actions and can at least remain trustworthy.  Right?  I've busted my butt standing on the trust rug where other's actions speak so much louder then their words ... not whining ... we've all been there.  Not always that big a deal.  But for me ... over time ... my trust became so busted that I couldn't get the pieces back together good enough to even trust God ... who I know is ++worthy of trust.  

It seemed to me that ... for me ... a right relationship with God hinged on ... trust.  Trusting God takes the "I" and the "Myself" out of the relationship. Our relationships with the people in our lives distort and/or enhance our ability to experience a right relationship with God ... .  I know what I mean ... maybe I am not expressing it well.


I've had a few wonderful experiences lately with what it feels like to me, for me, to trust.  I like it ... I like how it feels a lot.  It makes me feel safe.  It makes me feel ... protected.  It makes hope ... a foregone conclusion ... hope is a piece of cake when trust is operating ... protected, persevering ... not a problem when trust is in sync.  It radiates little golden pieces of cherished through me.  It's a little bit like having a buddy offer to scrub that spot on your back that you have never been able to reach ....  That was what made that day feel so amazing last week.  I had a little tutorial on what I feel like when stuff lines up.  Real world circumstances don't often allow stuff to line up though ... .  Life has a lot of catch 22s.  I am very very happy to have had the opportunity ... however ephemeral the experience. 
It gave me an opportunity to see myself ... unbroken.  New even ... .  me ... sleek ... airworthy.  It felt like my soul was flying. It was a surreal experience with practical applications.  wonderWings  (see blog list if you're interested) has been looking at I and II Corinthians, and is thinking there about some of the same things I've been thinking about here. It's interesting to see different perspectives on parallel processes. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NLT)
We are human, but we don't wage war as humans do. [4] We use God's mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.
(Here's where he was on Wednesday this week.)

That's where I am also ... .  Our spiritual journey (and I believe we are all on one whether we acknowledge it or not) is out here in the human realm ... where flesh and blood  ... human reasoning and false arguments ... selfish wants ... human frailties ... all that stuff we deal with on an intimate level ... Where all that stuff seems more real then what is eternally real. 

My friends read this blog and then they call ... I know they will ask me if I am okay after reading this.  I am okay.  Don't call and ask that.  I am right in the middle of one of those things that we all go through ... a catch 22 ... that spot on my back that I can not reach is calling out to me!  I would really like some stuff to line up! I would really like for God to ... give me a break. It's been a rough several months. I feel like I am learning bunches of awesome stuff, but I am tired ... I feel those human frailities and I want what I want!

I'm not even going to re-read that right now ... .

I was at the beach earlier this week ... perfect place at the perfect time.  I kept my shoes on inside the house and showered rather then the big soak baths that I love ... the abrasiveness of the sand was minimized by those choices. 
Yesterday, my oldest son, One, hugged everyone goodbye and drove off with my brother and my sister -he-chose-for-me towards law school ... I told One I was really hoping for a dentist as I parented him ... lol, he knows I was teasing ... it's very rewarding to see them finding their own way to the lifes they will live.

I have enjoyed - much - that kind of enjoyed that feels like sunshine is shooting out of every pore of my body ... like that last scene in an 80S scifi movie. Can't remember the title of that movie ... Maybe it was a Star Trek movie but I don't remember Kirk or Pichard ... A beautiful bald headed crew member was abducted from the ship ... She later reappeared as a "probe" with a blue light implanted in her forehead. Bald was quite daring at that time ... At the end of the movie a male crew member who loved her and could still see the essence of her in the probe ... Yeah it's scifi chicflic-alicious ... They stand near a Voyager space craft gazing in to one another's eyes and light begins to encircle them like a tornado ... They dematerialize I think in orgasmic splendor ... And the movie ends (as I recall) with the captain saying "a new life form is born". I remember liking the special effect ... That's how I have felt recently. It's sorta like a happy that colors everything ... Better. It made the crooked straight and the rough places plain. That is how I want to feel. Now that I know I am capable of that ... That's how I want to feel. I'm not sure how to make that happen. That felt ... Totally alive ... Like shimmering with life. It actually felt better then flying an airplane which is shocking to me. I personally feel more like myself when I am flying then anywhere else. Hope that doesn't upset my husband to read that ... No offense intended.

That feeling ... It's very interesting to experience a better version of yourself. I am thinking that may be how God would like for me to experience this wonderful gift of life that He gave me. So amazingly alive. Peace ... Joy. I know I am capable of that now. That's pretty cool. I'm going to figure that out ... .

"Far better to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, then to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the grey twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

I believe this is my view. Live large ... Careful not to slam in to others, mindful that your actions can reach beyond your intentions in both helpful and detrimental ways ... . Live large and learn much ... Don't be afraid to color outside the lines.

261335Z 18011 10sm BKN 008 OVC12 A2992 ... here @ 777MSL
261344Z 17007 10sm OVC 011 21/18 A2994 ... +/-50 miles E @ 396MSL
here's the money ...FM261900 20012G20 P6sm BKN050CB
...with a low cig forecast for later ... hmmmm
station to the W has data that is 63 minutes old ... their forecast for 1900: 17014G20 P6sm VCTS BKN 035CB ... here we go
261353Z 16009G17 10sm SCT015 OVC250 24/21 A2989 @ 219MSL

Well now ... Radar images show a line of pink and red wrapped in a band of mostly green 3/4 as wide as the state ... with winds pointed right at me and moving at as much as 45 kts ... hmmmm H over OK ... L up by the Great Lakes ..

I usually take a quick look at the weather. How will this info help me today ... I am not flying today. It is 1416 UTC right now. I need to walk my ginormous dog today ... but when ... he is a big baby about LTG. I do not care to smell like wet dog.

I have several chores to catch up on ... in and out of my home all day.

We left my brother at the coast for a day of fun in the sun before he drives the four hours N to our home ... bet he is packing his truck as I type ... bet they arrive way before dinner as I expected. Bet I better re-think my track through this day! My ten year old requested potato soup with dinner tonight ... I said that would be to heavy for the end of a hot day ... day not so hot now ... soup may be very pleasant around 2300Z. That adds a ton of potato peeling ... .

The thing about the dog ... he knows the weather is deteriorating ... I better go do my errands. And keep an eye out for tomorrow's weather ... my brother was hoping I would take him up on a little fly around.

That chair ... the super duper comfy one out on the balcony ... I accidentally fell asleep in that chair.

 Now I am sporting a very itchy sunburn on my legs ... yes they were resting on the rail while I snoozed ... and dang ... I am way too old for sunburns!

Looks like I am two weeks behind on my photo a day blog.

I took a few pictures at the beach that I think are interesting, and I am

going to spread them outto fill in for those days that I did not post a picture.

It's just pretty impossible to get everything done and when something suffers ... it's easy to chose to not snap a picture that day ... I did want to put the red flag ... danger photo here to go with the song ...

I am no mermaid.

I asked the flag guy ... why half mast? and he said the winds were so high that the flag at the top would pull the pole over. The waves were definitely surfable.  I do not surf.

The temperature of the water was - perfect. The rip tide was unrelenting.

"Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." ~ African Proverb  

It's almost two o'clock ... A time when I am normally awake ... But this night is special. I am back at the coast. Every one else in the whole wide world is asleep and it's just me ... Sitting out here on a third floor balcony not fifty yards away from where the water breaks and rolls back under the incoming white foam. From where I sit, in the most comfortable low swung chair ... really, it feels like a down filled easy chair ... I'm reclining with my feet up on the railing ... looking at what is suddenly complete cloud coverage ... just a few keystrokes ago I could see Orion's two bottom stars. The three quarter moon is bright enough to light the waves and the sand. I drove in tonight ... my husband was atleast half exhausted from his busy week away from home. Everyone was so quiet on the drive down ... they were dropping in and out of sleep, while I totally enjoyed zooming in and out of the coastal fog. I was singing very softly along with Enya ... and looking for airport beacon lights ... and airplanes high overhead. No joy. Orion will have to watch them by himself tonight.
It's nice being in a condo closer to the ground ... the sound of the surf is so present. We usually rent a condo near the top of the tower ... They are nice too ... up where the banner planes and tour helos fly ... up where the seagulls laugh at the silliness below.
I can already see what tomorrow morning's walk should be ... Pier Park is about a mile and a half from here ... I should be able to earn some real cream in my coffee with a walk down there early in the morning.
What a wonderful night ... here in this very comfy chair ... kicked back ... listenning and feeling ... enjoying the sounds and the cool breeze. I love the black and white photo quality of night at the beach. I shoulda brought a nice camera ... If there is a next time like this, I will. I wish you could see it ... it's going to be a memory worth saving.

Thinking about this love grace and gratitude thing. I like it ... I like it a lot. You could even say it's one of my buttons ... My green arc, so to speak. And love, grace, and gratitude are awesome but ... Well, I'm thinking about accountability and consequences ... . We had a pastor who had an affair with a woman in his former congregation ... Big mess. Split that church ... Then he was hired here. The idea was ... Well, God is forgiving. God is all about restoration. We ended up leaving the church after he had been in the pulpit for awhile ... All the problems that took him to an affair became active in our church. I had forgotten about that. The deciders who hired him wanted to be all about grace and love and before long many of the members in the church were making very poor choices because grace ... Forgiveness ... Second chances were the only ideas in the air.

Hmmm

"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude." - Denis Waitley

That's what I'm talking about.

Sunday ... Monday ... I felt fabulous. Tuesday ... Not so great. Wednesday ... Thursday ... I can hear the birds singing, but I have to prompt myself ... birds calling to each other is a really good thing ... Something to enjoy. My husband has been out of town these last few days ... He is very puzzled by my "ups" and "downs" ... Until recently I have not been a moody person. Mostly, I've disciplined myself to focus on those things I can be so thankful for ... And there are so many. Now, it's like everything is in black and white, and I'm just too unable to try to retune for color ... . Today, I'm going to the beach ... I'm thinking about how unpleasant the sand that invariable gets tracked in feels underfoot ... Or lingering in the bathtub ... The abrasive aftermath of those strolls in the surf that I love so much. "Remember Monday?" my husband said on the phone last evening "... Whatever that was on Monday ... Go back to that". After all these years of being so steady ... I am having a few ups and downs. He calls it "cycling". "Why are you cycling?", he asks. We've been married for thirty years now ... Short one week. He really doesn't want to know what's up and down with me ... He just doesn't have any idea what to do with his up and suddenly down wife. It is so unlike me. I don't know quite what to do with myself ... Which is totally new territory for me. I'm one of those people who knows what to do ... And does it. "Monday" is gone. I do not mourn that. It was a really good day but I wouldn't want to get stuck there. You can't do all your living in one day.

My lap top is acting weird. ... The back up laptop has a sad case of someone accidentally spilled water into the keyboard. Yesterday morning I got everything ready to do a post on the materials list for PVT ground. I'm not so far away from "determined" that I have forgotten the value of just putting one foot in front of the other and walking with my head up towards what comes next. On the other hand, I'm not so familiar with "amazed" that I can really know how to live it ... On this little iPhone keyboard it's impossible to open a tab and find that quote I like about happiness can not be traveled to ... It is the product of living in a state of grace and gratitude. Something like that. I truly don't want to look back at "Monday". Monday is over ... I'm a looking ahead kinda girl.
I'm looking for a little "amazed" ... I am certain that it is swirling nearby. I'm doing my best. That in itself is amazing because it's so true. I'm asking God to do His best too. You gotta have a little help when you set aside your "determined" and dive headlong into "amazing". I need a little amazing grace. I deleted the monday app ... Don't know the password to reinstall ... I knew that when I tapped the X.

I didn't know what else would be really right to do ... So I just started falling backwards ... And I am absolutely certain that God will catch me ... It's the sensation of falling that is so terrifyingly unfamiliar.

Beach ... Visiting family ... Anniversary trip.

PVT Ground Lesson 1 - informal intro

I said I was going to post notes for Private Ground ... .  I've been thinking about how I want to format those and haven't reached any solid plan for these ... so today, we will experiment with the "here goes" option.

I am unsure about where to start.  If we were in a classroom, I'd introduce myself ... hi, I'm DeAnn, and frankly, I would then start looking around the room for the deadheads, because ... certification is a lot of work.  It's time consuming ... expensive ... addicting ... frustrating ... exhilarating ... the list goes on and on.  I have been amazed at the depth and breath of information that is mandatory for just this first little certificate ... the Private Single Engine Land (PSEL) ... aka, Your License to Learn ... first heard that expression right after my certification ride, and I thought ... I know a lot more then he ( the check pilot) thinks I do ... I am like a rockstar with wings now!
Ha ha ha ... that was a long time ago, and to tell you the truth, I have never gotten in to that seat without ... seeing things I either didn't see before ... not enough knowledge to know what I didn't know (and at the beginning of this, ignorance is both bliss and potentially ... ummm, problematic) or experiencing new (and this is huge part of the fun) challenges.  What I'm saying is: Flight is a very dynamic and rewarding venue.

So, you think you want to fly ... or maybe you just want to see if you can cut it in ground school.  I have had many student's show up for class with no intention to fly ... usually they are AeroSpace majors looking for an easy A ... and omg are they awesome at the aerodynamic material ... systems, performance ... they get it!

... Let's do a course overview here:  The FAA provides a detailed list of Aeronautical Knowledge requirements in FAR 61.105
Our stated objective is to provide a general introduction of information in preparation for the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) private pilot written exam. Topics covered will be:
1. Fundamentals of Flight ... basically, airplane systems and aerodynamics
2.Flight Ops (Operations) ... the flight environment, for example, safety, airports, charts and airspace and communications, such as radar and ATC (air traffic control), radio procedures and various sources for flight information.
3. Aviation Weather (huge topic)  BASIC weather theory ... patterns and hazards to flight, and fundamental info on  acquiring and interpreting weather data.
4. Airplane Performance ... and weights and balances ... E6B basics, and Navigation ... flight planning, and how to track your performance during a flight.
5 Aviation Physiology ... aka: Human factors, and Aeronautical Decision Making
and the best for last ... with a drum roll please ...
6.The Regs which are the Federal Aviation Regulations ... rules and procedures for General Aviation.
In a classroom setting, I always introduce the Regs as soon as possible.  What I think I have noticed, is ... a lot of pilots don't like rules. No, not quite so ... more accurately stated; I have observed that a lot of pilots don't want all the rules to apply to themselves, they are usually fine with all the rules applying to most of their pilot buddies and in fact will sometimes make up rules that they wish to apply to ... maybe not their buddies is the best way to say that. So, usually someone asks ... innocently ... who makes the rules?  And this is as good an answer as I can give ... a lot of "stuff" goes in to deciding what the rules are but the bottom line is the FAA decides ... regulates ... interprets ...and enforces.  Somebody has got to do it ... and they are "the man".
Knowing and following the REGs is the way to get on the same page with other citizens of the aviation community and ... protect your investment (time and money and uh uhm, butt).  There is a "suggested" study list for the Private/Recreational  student in the FAR/AIM ... btw ... always use the most current material, stuff changes that's why a new publications come out. A lot of aviation publications have a "shelf life".  Updates to the Regs. are routinely dispersed via http://www.faa.gov/  and there is a wealth of interesting material provided there free of charge.  Check it out.  I encourage ... strongly "suggest" ... that a beginning ground school student start reading and understanding the list of regs and the material in the AIM (Aeronautical Information Manual) as soon as possible.  This is best done on a daily basis ... not even kidding here ... learn the REGs ... follow the REGs ... don't try to bend them if you want to keep flying. Wow ... that's a lot on the REGs to start with.  I buy the book every year ... still ... I read it often.  And I absolutely love the iPhone app for the FAR/AIM.  Students invaribly ask me for the titles to some of my favorite aviation books ... blogs ... non-classroom material.  Honestly, read this primary stuff first ... it will give you a stronger perspective to appreciate the other stuff from ... .
I mentioned the Aeronautical Engineers ... they usually do not "like" weather information ... and the REGs just seem like punishment for thinking this material will be  ... an easy A.  Some of them do well ... the really smart ones drop the class early ... this material should support the quest for a Private Pilot Certificate ... it's just too much work otherwise!  That's what I think.

There are several excellent syllabus' ... syllabi (sounds itchy)  available.  I'm going to use the Jepp (Jeppesen Sanderson) syllabus here.  I understand that even the airlines use Jepp to support ground review.

I'll post a list ... the list ... of reference materials on my next Ground School Post.  The real truth is: private ground is basically "directed reading". It's tedious ... extremely time consuming ... some of it ... maybe even a lot of it, you won't "get" if you're not flying too.  I love it.  Really ... there is so much cool stuff to learn ... and that's before you even get to put it to practice!  The actual written test which is required for certification is easy ... becomes easy ... if you study.  The FAA generously provides the questions and the answers that they want. We'll talk about that on the next post.