Rico Sharqawi/Producer

A Pilot’s Story is a feature length documentary film that explores the mystical attraction and endless adventure that draw pilots into the sky. Exhilarating and inspiring, the story is told in the voices of the interview subjects, a gallery of noted aviators ranging from aerobatic champions and astronauts to industry innovators and Hollywood stars. Incorporating stunning air-to-air footage, the film will transport viewers into the flyer’s world to experience the milestones and the magic that are a part of every pilot’s story.

The public has long been fascinated by pilots, mystified about the world they inhabit and curious about what it really means to fly. In this feature length documentary, pilots explain in their own words their love affair with the sky, and why and how they fly. Vivid accounts of their rites of passage and flying adventures provide a panorama of the world of aviation the general public rarely glimpses. The pilots, including many aviation legends and noted entertainment figures, are interviewed in hangars and with airplanes by filmmakers who themselves are passionate aviators. The resulting interviews create a narrative that captures all the excitement, drama and camaraderie of being a pilot. Air-to-air footage featuring a variety of general aviation aircraft augments the interviews, illustrating the thrill of flying in breathtaking, visceral fashion. On-the-ground footage from neighborhood airports, air shows and other aviation events highlight the vibrant community that bonds pilots on the ground.

Shot in High Definition Video with an original music score, the overall impact is a film that is as inspiring as it is informative. Indeed, the goal of the film is to increase public knowledge of general aviation as well as demystify and encourage more people to join the fraternity of pilots.

“A Pilot’s Story” is at heart the filmmakers’ gift of flight in its own right, meant to inspire all members of the public - men and women, youth and seniors, aviation enthusiasts and the curious to join them on their side of the airport fence.

Release date: The target release date late 2010.

The film will be available for sale at Pilot Mall & amazon.com It will also be available for purchase & download on iTunes.

Trailers of the film can be viewed at http://www.apilotsstory.com.

Rico Sharqawi, Producer: A private pilot and aviation and film enthusiast

“Our goal with this film is to educate and inspire the next generation of pilots and astronauts: those kids you see on their dads’ shoulders at air shows and the kids who look up to pilots as if they were superheroes. We want to motivate individuals who dream of flying about the unlimited possibilities that come with being a pilot.”
- Rico Sharqawi

Will Hawkins, Director: A private pilot and independent filmmaker

“My grandfather contributed to aviation by designing aircraft for Lockheed like the C-130, I want to contribute to aviation through my art and inspiring others to become pilot”
- Will Hawkins

I stared at the man across the desk with a blank look, not sure if I should laugh or cry. It was my instrument rating oral exam, and I was as nervous as I always am before a test, trying to keep my sense of humor while panic closes in.

“Back in the ‘60s, when they allowed women to fly in the military,” he continued, “airplane designers had to reconfigure the cockpit just to accommodate them. They even lowered the standards so they could fly.”

“I should have been flying back then,” I joked, trying to lighten the moment. While the examiner did not laugh once during our three hours together, I did survive the exam and earned my rating that day.

The moral of the story? Hang in there, keep punching, and don’t let ‘em see you sweat. In ten years of flight training, from age 40 to 50, I took five oral exams, two which I failed the first time and had to retake.

The oral exam for my multi-engine rating began with a weight and balance problem, based on our upcoming flight. My examiner was a big man with tortoise-shell glasses who wasn’t interested in small talk. Since he left the room before I could ask his weight, I had to guess. I was certain he wouldn’t want me to underestimate it, since that could be dangerous.

His upper arms looked large, and a “bay window” hung over his belt. My husband was a couple of inches shorter and also had a barrel chest. I knew that he weighed 195 pounds stripped on a good day. His belly didn’t stick out like that, though, so I added 15 pounds and figured I was probably being conservative.

After calculating the weight of two large adults, which included an honest number from me who wishes she was ten pounds thinner, he reappeared and asked me how I was doing. I said, fine, I’ve calculated our weights and full fuel. “How much did you figure me at?” he asked.

“210 pounds,” I replied, casually, not looking at him, not expecting a comment.

“I’m 195,” he said, in an irritated tone.

“Oh, well, I’ve added lots of clothes on you and some heavy shoes,” I quipped.

“Ah, silver-tongued,” he said, sarcastically.

I kicked myself for not underestimating his weight, if only for the test. When I told a friend about this later, she said, “Always remember that weight and age are two things people never want to be realistic about.”

He then began the rest of the exam with two questions about the airplane that I couldn’t answer, although I could answer at least hundred others that I had studied so diligently.

He seemed disgusted, and I must have looked stunned. “Well, we’ll have to go over this another time,” he said.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he moved into things I knew, although, when I struggled with any answer, I think he enjoyed watching me twitch. I really didn’t like this guy.

He had said he was a police officer with “two years, five months and 22 days” left till retirement. When he blurted, “I love stress, but I’ll probably drop dead at 61,” I secretly put in my vote.

Despite the rocky start, I did pass the flight portion of that exam that day and returned two weeks later to pass the oral portion of the test and walk away with my multi-engine rating in hand.

The most difficult oral exam I ever took was for my flight instructor certificate. It began its dubious path with a short walk to the vending machines at 8 a.m. The examiner selected a cola and candy bar, and I joked, “I see you’re into health foods.” No comment.

Then, the oral exam began with a question about himself. “Do you know that I have every certificate and rating available except for lighter-than-air instructor?” No, I didn’t, but I dutifully expressed surprise and amazement at such an accomplishment.

The exam went downhill from there. I had chosen aerodynamics as the subject to teach in my simulated ground school lesson, certainly the most complex and difficult subject in the whole list. It wasn’t long before I talked myself into a black hole. Out came the pink slip.

The next morning I gave my lesson on aerodynamics. I passed that oral exam but failed the flight test, or “checkride.” More on that another time.

What I learned from these failures is that I could indeed pick myself up, dust myself off, and start over again. My goal each time was to leave with my new certificate or rating in hand, a validation of my hard work and determination. Although I may not have gotten them on the first try, I did pass the exams the second time around. I believe that, despite these hulking hurdles along the way, I became a better pilot who got the prize in the end and who knows the importance of keeping a sense of humor.

You can see and hear Laurel at AirVenture!
Tuesday, July 28, 1:00-2:15 p.m. at the Vette Theater in the Museum on Learning to Fly after 40, 50, 60…
She’ll be interviewed on WOSH 1490 radio on Wednesday morning, July 29, from 9:05-9:15 a.m. about You Can Fly!. And She’ll be signing copies of You Can Fly! on Friday and Saturday.

So, ask us what you’d like to know about learning to fly. The best blog posts come from questions asked by people like you. Just insert your question into the Comment section below.

Are you thinking about starting lessons?  Are you already learning to fly, but want additional help?  Maybe your a CFI and want to encourage us to cover some material.  Speak up, because this blog is for you.

Today, pilots fly for many reasons. Here are a number of them from aviators in the U.S. answering the question, “Why learn to fly?”

Roy Daly in Seattle, WA came to aviation thanks to his grandfather, who was a WWII fighter pilot. Stories from those times of flying all over the world inspired a curiosity for Roy. About flying, Roy says, “Freedom makes it my passion. [It’s because of] the feeling you get when you are thousands of feet about the ground, all by yourself.”

Brothers Bill and Tom Menzel grew up with aviation in their blood. Bill of Wisconsin Rapids, WI and Tom in Hansville, WA credit their father for taking them to the tiny Stevens Point, Wisconsin airport to watch planes come and go. Bill used to buy those small balsa wood, rubber-band powered airplanes for short exciting flights. Today he’s a licensed pilot and flight instructor (CFI). Tom has an adventurous spirit and finds, as he puts it, flying gives him an “undeniable sense of accomplishment and confidence that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else.” Both Tom and Bill received their pilot’s licenses many years ago, but Bill says “it continues to be a passion even as I age, keeps me intellectually stimulated and challenged, [and is] a head-clearing diversion from pressures.”

John_Meagher on Twitter has hundreds of hours as pilot-in-command of his Cessna 172, which he has flown since 2002 with family out of the Baltimore area about once every week or two. Why does John fly? “I just enjoy it,” he says, “Exploring new places, spending time with friends, beautiful views.”

Kevin Conklin and daughter Rachel “harnessing the power of nature” in a Schweizer SGS 2-33 (or simply SGS 2-33)

Kevin Conklin was a hang glider pilot for 20+ years when he joined the Valley Soaring Club at Randall Airport (06N) in Middletown, NY to learn to fly a Schweizer SGS 2-33. He says flying is like “being able to harness the power of nature for a few hours, rise above the earth and forget problems.” Kevin made flying into a family affair, as his daughter Rachel now flies gliders and began powered lessons after winning a scholarship from the EAA Chapter 1280 Build-A-Pilot program. See the January 2009 article in EAA’s Sport Aviation magazine.

Dan Thomas of Everett, WA, remembers a childhood fascination of anything that could fly—from planes to insects, and even UFOs. At 13, his passion was fed by a teacher, who introduced him to radio controlled model airplanes. At 17, his persistence earned him permission to start ground school. By 19, he obtained his Private Pilot License and purchased a two-seat Luscombe 8A. Today, Dan’s zeal for flying lights up when he gives back, now showing others what it’s like to fly an airplane. In fact, over the years he has given “many rides to friends and family, some their very first in a plane of any kind,” says Dan.

Russ Gelfan, also of Everett, WA inched his way into aviation at the age of 14 by taking some hang glider lessons. At a much higher age today, he remains still fully committed to flying. He flies hang gliders still, and teaches others, as well. For Russ, flying is about taking the human factor to the limit. “It takes most of our skills to fly. Barely physical, but you have to be in good physical shape. Barely mental, but your mind has to be as sharp as it can be for techniques and judgment.”

And, perhaps the most eloquently stated… Stephen Force of Airspeed Online answers “Why I Fly” with a big exclamation point here in his podcast and blog.

So, why do you want to learn to fly? Or, if you’re already a pilot, or well on your way, share your story of why you fly. Tell us in the comments section below.

David Diamond says…

I’d sum it up like this: What do you want to do with your license? (a) Rent planes and fly for fun, or (b) work toward a more advanced rating with commercial aspirations.

If (a), I’d say save the money and learn Old School. The basics of learning to fly are the same, no matter how shiny the airplane; only the navigation particulars are affected. (I’m assuming that “new planes” means it comes with GPS and autopilot.)

If (b), I’d say learn in a “glass” option. (Again, are the “new” airplanes considered “technically advanced”?) If someone plans to fly in modern airplanes regularly and also get “glass cockpit” training from the get go, then the newer plane can really help cement them in the Zen of those advanced systems. (This option would also apply to anyone buying his or her own “glass” airplane.)

The only other concern I can think of is maintenance. If the old airplanes are really old, they might–might!–be prone to more downtime, which can adversely affect the momentum of his training.

More importantly than new vs. old, I’d choose a school based on:

• Reputation — Are they reliable? Good?
• Availability — Are the airplanes always booked, or can he get one when he needs?
• Cost of training — Does either offer a much better deal?
• Location — Far away flight schools are visited less often, in my experience.
• Traffic — My brain was far to fried after training sessions to stomach traffic!

Paul Hamilton writes…

It seems like the question is similar to asking whether one should teach their kids to drive in a more difficult stick shift or automatic equipped with GPS. I could not decide too easily, but the way to approach the answer in an airplane is similar.

Regarding where one should take their training? No easy answer. I would take an introductory flight with both and see what feels good as a start. Both count as legal training hours.

And, Greg Brown has this to say…

From my perspective it’s a no-brainer. As long as the older airplanes are well maintained and the instructor(s) is good, by all means take the closer airport. Driving 3x farther is just another impediment to an already challenging endeavor, another reason to cancel lessons, and another excuse to quit after a discouraging lesson. In wintertime the length of drive could determine whether lessons can be scheduled after work without going after dark.

As an aside, there are growing questions among some CFIs as to whether mastering glass panels actually distracts from learning fundamental airmanship during primary training. Certainly there’s no evidence that learning glass panel after mastering steam gauges has any downside except being an additional learning step. But the drive to the airport is the biggie, in my opinion.

In short, the older aircraft for learning purposes, seems to be the preferred advice. Once you know the older aircraft though, you can easily enough jump up to the newer aircraft with training. That advice would change if you have additional goals that would be more directly served by learning in the newer aircraft right away.

I’m Dan Johnson, sort of the “blogmaster” around here. If you are thinking of learning to fly or already working on your pilot’s license, this site is for you. We’ll cover a multitude of topics around the subject of learning to fly, including …

• Why learn to fly?
• How do I begin the process of taking flying lessons?
• How do I make the most of flight training?
• Tips and suggestions that will help throughout the whole process.

Our featured bloggers are each highly respected aviators and ASA authors. This group of experts includes Greg Brown, Laurel Lippert, David Diamond and Paul Hamilton. Each of them are ready to share their knowledge with you here on the Learn to Fly Blog. For details on their background, check out the Authors page at anytime by clicking the Authors link at the top of any page in this site. In addition to our featured ASA authors, contributing bloggers will appear now and then.

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Now, onward with the blog.

Have a good one and keep aiming for the skies.

**Dan