Checklist

What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!

I wake up many mornings overwhelmed by everything that is going on. By Chanel’s imminent departure; by the legal situation; by the sale of my house.

Deep Breath.

And then it occurred to me. As usual, everything I needed to learn, I learned flying. (Some people learned in kindergarten; I was a slow learner.)

If I would pause and think for a moment, I would realize that this was just another landing. And I know how to land.

When I was flying, I had a landing checklist that I followed faithfully: UFFSTALL

Undercarriage (Putting the gear down is highly recommended)

Flaps (Short field? No problem. This plane has serious flaps!)

F (This F was for emphasis: You f*$%*$g stall, you die. Now onto airspeed which will prevent me from stalling on approach.)

Speed (A critical component for obvious reasons)

Trim (Make your life a bit easier)

Attitude/Altitude (This goes to overall awareness of the plane and it’s positioning in the sky and vis a vis the runway)

Look Out! (Don’t bury your head in the cockpit! Remain aware of your surroundings like the power plane on final trying to cut you off!)

Land (Self Explanatory)

Any landing you walk away from is a good one. -Pithy Pilot Sayings

Deep breath. It’s all going to work out. I just need to keep my eyes out of the cockpit, look out and land. The rest is set.

I remember landing one day. I was in my early forties at the time. I was getting the plane positioned on final at Minden, coming in nicely, even with a “bit” of crosswind. I always fly more by feel and touch than instrument, but on final I am always checking my instruments, particularly my airspeed, as the plane descends.

Landing is always a time of intense concentration. There are no go-arounds in a sailplane. I was looking out at the horizon as the runway moved ever closer. I glanced at my instruments, but my eyes wouldn’t refocus that quickly. I couldn’t read the information I needed!

No sweat. Just keep you eyes on the horizon and fly the plane.

Look out and land.

Everything I needed to learn, I learned flying.