I was browsing through an online community and came across this great photograph of the cockpit:

NB: See Life Lessons from Flying and For those who literally want to fly

Artwork by Temabina

Have you piloted an aircraft before? Here’s a video describing it.

I couldn’t help but compared what it was like to fly the aircraft to other situations in life – situations where you are pushed to the deep end, situations where you really do need to pilot yourself across whatever it is you are up against. I was going to write an entry about the similarities between flying and entrepreneurship but feel that this is the case in other areas of life.

Just do it.
The night after I saw the TV ad about their flying lessons, I decided to go ahead and do it. Why not? It’s been in my head for a while. My first lesson was booked in about a week later! The only other thing that I had to think about is making sure that it was set in a date where I am free for the day.

If you feel that it should be done, go for it. Look at the risks/rewards and make the decision. Don’t dwell too much otherwise it may never happen.

Find out the conditions and decide if you know that you have the capability to go ahead
It was windy and slightly grey and the instructor warned that there is going to be a lot of turbulence and the ride is going to be bumpy. I definitely didn’t mind – I actually loved the idea that my first flight was going to be more challenging compared to flying on a clear, sunny day! However, others may not be comfortable in going ahead and just reschedule their lesson and that is not a bad thing.

Find out what the conditions are that could affect the outcome of your decision. However, also understand what you are capable of and/or what your comfort level is. This is entirely a personal decision based on what you know about yourself.

Artwork by Temabina

Be prepared, ask questions, be armed with the right knowledge before taking flight

No one is going to fly without knowing where to break, how to accelerate properly, how to change the plane’s direction and so on. The same goes with new challenges – starting a new job, a new degree, moving house. Before taking flight in these new situations, be armed with the right knowledge so that you are well equipped to react and to control the situation.

As the flight instructor told me about throttles (difference in power during take-off and during flight), which controls should be used to maneuver the aircraft in the air and which should be used on the runway, and more.  During take-off, you would want to make sure that you are using the accelerator pedals rather than the breaks. During landing, you want to use the right controls so that you can actually steer the aircraft.

This is the same in other situations – use the right controls, use the right pedals. Be prepared, ask lots of questions before taking flight.

Inspect yourself, know your direct resources.
I’m not talking about inspecting sun spots to make sure that they are not cancerous (although you should do this anyway) but rather make sure that your carrier (aircaft/you) are ready to fly. After the briefing, we circled the Piper P38 Tomahawk inspecting the fuel, the antennas, engine, ailerons, and more.

Inside, we went through a checklist to ensure that everything is working properly.  Once everything was A-OK, we throttled out towards the runway. Another aircraft was landing but it went on the grass airstrip and was not in the way so we went ahead to prepare ourselves for takeoff.

Artwork by Temabina

Don’t be too caught up in the moment.
I was too preoccupied in making sure that I know how to actually fly an aircraft and it wasn’t until I felt the full force of the engine when we hit full throttle or realising the full speed of the did I realise “This is it, we’re going to fly in a few seconds!”.

What are the moments in your life, before heading 100% into a certain situation, did you feel those moments of ‘being in the know’ or moment of realising exactly what it is your doing? There really isn’t a lot of opportunity to go anywhere else – you are either 100% in or 100% out.

Don’t be too caught up in the moment though as you are seconds away from taking action.

Find out what else is in your airspace
There were two main things that we had to avoid – other aircraft and clouds. There was a helicopter in the airspace (and I also saw another plane taking off about 20 minutes before) but it was at another altitude to ours. It was a cloudly day, no it wasn’t the cute fluffy kind either, and we made the effort to avoid as much of it as we can particularly for a first-timer. Also, though the flight instructor and I had headphones on to listen to any broadcasts and I could listen in on the transmission the instructor was the one who relayed the actual meaning of the information to me.

Control the aircraft. Don’t let it control you.
I suppose I should let you in on why I was keen on the fact that it wasn’t my lesson didn’t happen in a picture-perfect baby blue sky. It reflected the kind of ‘weather’ that I was in. I have just graduated from uni, and I guess like many other recent graduates, it signalled big changes into my life. It wasn’t just graduating either but numerous other things – from moving houses (which meant splitting up with my two housemates who I have been living with for 3 years) to finally having more freedom into what I can do now that there is a big time and energy gap. I also have this mentality that the more challenging and new situations I put myself in, the better that I will be when I come out of it.

Back to the actual lesson itself. No amount of words could describe the feeling of actually flying the plane for the first time but there is one thing for sure, it was a great exercise for me when it comes to concentration and focus. The instructor was guiding me, in words, on where to go and what to try out. I had to bank in various directions, ensure that my vision of the horizon line is correct (and if it dips lower or higher than it should be, I had to pitch it lower or higher to the correct level) and so on. I had to use the right amount of force. Too light and the aircraft won’t respond, too heavy and the roll is going to be too wide (and if it’s too wide, there’s that feeling of falling down the sky because we’re tilting 40 degrees or something). The same thing for the roll as well. The turbulence made things a lot more interesting and challenging as well. The phrase which still rings with me via the instructor was “Control the aircraft – don’t let it control you” and it was absolutely true. It is true then and now.

Artwork by Temabina

Know your bearings when all is done.
We were flying around the south to south-west of Toowoomba (interstate readers that’s in SE Queensland and Toowoomba is 1.5 hrs drive from Brisbane). Most of the time I was concentrating but occasionally I did look out to really take in the view and just be in the moment of being up in the air. I see similarities to life as well – take the time to pull in the view and relish the feeling. Then go back to whatever task is at hand. Find that balance – don’t concentrate and you may soon find that horizon line below that it should be, concentrate too much and you may soon realise that you didn’t spend as much time as you wanted taking in The View and The Moment.

NB: This is a follow up to my previous post about the lesson.

I have decided to leave out some of the questions because my answers are too private.  Go here for the full list. The list was part of Mary Jaksch ’s compilation “The Ultimate Personal Growth Guide: 100 best posts”.  Let’s share some of your answers too!

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? 21
2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying because it’s a double fault – it’s a way to fail.
3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? At the moment, I don’t feel like this. I try to avoid being in this situation.
4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? I think actions will always speak much more than what is actually ’said’.
5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? It would be good if everyone could see the world from space. I think that event would be life changing and will change the way we see the world.
6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? It would be the kind of work that I would do everyday. I am already doing it and I have never felt poor.
7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? I never feel settled so it can’t be the second option.
8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? I would fit more on my day.
9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? This question relates a lot to the first time I have piloted an aircraft and I have a blog entry dedicated for that. Answer to come soon!
10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Doing the right things. If you do the wrong thing right, it’s still wrong! If you try to do the right thing, but fail, at least you tried.
11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? “She’s a friend of mine.”
12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? I would probably make faces or show interesting shapes to make the child curious about it. And hopefully they’ll respond (ie try to play with it or laugh).
13. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? I think back on my history/experiences which is different to everyone. I look forward to my goals and dreams and they are different to everyone.
14. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Not everyone is on the same space, time, wavelength continuum as you.  It’s not a bad thing either.
15. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? I would like to travel around the world. What’s holding me back is that I am not prepared (financially, career-wise, etc) for it.  Maybe in the future.
16. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No, I don’t
17. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Even if I choose to be a simpleton…anyway, this is a bit of a close-ended question because I’m not a genius either. However, if you are joyful then that is all you need.
18. Why are you, you? I am me.
19. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch because it is easy to keep in touch with someone who is far away these days.
20. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? Most recent, but not a single occurrence, was when I was listening to Worlds Converged by Midnight Juggernauts and my creative/emotional response to it has made me passionate and alive. I want to do a music video. I want to do a program for young creatives. I also feel that I can go through with the plans. It is that – the knowing that you can go through with something – that really fuels me.
21. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? It’s possible these days with sites like Facebook and Twitter.
22. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? No.
23. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? Definitely more work that I am doing. I actually don’t understand why people would want to have less work – that would personally make me bored.
24. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Yes but I think that it’s important to have a certain level of routine and a certain comfort zone in your day.
25. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? 30 minutes ago or less even. I am looking towards taking flying lessons and working myself up towards a private pilot’s license or a commercial pilot’s license but there are a lot of factors to consider. I have been looking a lot into the aviation medical examinations, in the budgets, the timelines and so on.  Or the morning of January 5 2010 when I have suddenly seemed to have found myself 3500-4000 ft above the ground!
26. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My family
27. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No – during that time I can be extremely attractive and famous.  Haha.
28. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? “Being alive” has no or little truth involved.
29. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? You should do it once you have calculated the risks and rewards. There is a difference between procrastinating and actually getting on with the job.
30. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? We are afraid that we will either not learn from the mistake or refuse to learn from the mistake.
31. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? I would keep more things to myself.
32. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? A few milliseconds ago.
33. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? I love having conversations with interesting people. Maybe 10 minutes ago.
34. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that? 5 years ago was January 6 2005 (and so on). I have most likely written about it in my diary!
35. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? I think that sometimes, I don’t make decisions for myself because I didn’t think that I can make those decisions. Also see my answer to question #9

I started writing a diary (paper) in 1999 and have done it regularly until 2008 and 2009 when things got busy for me and I was also getting more involved with blogging.  But since 1999, I have written in 3-4 different notebooks. The several Word documents that I have been writing in (so much easier to type but I remember those days getting sore hands from all that writing) all totalled to 200,000 words.

I caught up with a friend on Thursday night and realised, out of a lot of other interesting/great tidbits too, that we both want to come out with some sort of story that relates to our lives.  Eventually.  Perhaps for close family. Perhaps for everyone. I want to do a memoir of some sort and my friend’s thinking of doing a fiction non-fiction.  From my understanding, a fiction non-fiction is a piece of work that can be based on your life but it has fictional elements to it.  An example for me was when I made digital art based on my life but I have attributed song lyrics/digital storytelling so that when people see it and read the description, they will think that it’s a fictional work when it is actually non-fiction.

I definitely look forward to fleshing this out..

When I was young, I used to imagine flying up and through clouds and even in the aircraft, I could still imagine myself being there.  Did I actually spend about 18 minutes staring at clouds?  Didn’t talk much with the jumpmaster that I was with – What else do you do other than skydiving?  Have you ever jumped off a helicopter?  No, not really.  I’ve jumped from nearly everything BUT a helicopter.

There were two others with me but at about 11000 feet, they left together leaving me and my life support (the parachute and the experienced jumpmaster). On the first few minutes I was tense and then I calmed a lot on the remainder of the trip.

We were getting closer to reaching the altitude of 14000ft which is the maximum legal limit to jump.  We tightened all harnesses and goggles.  I thought to myself “This is it! We’re going to jump soon”.

Opened the door.  Met the clear blue sky.  Arms crossed.  Let go of the plane. Then JUMP!

We were freefalling down towards earth, What would you expect?  You expect to meet absolutely nothing and to let gravity do its work. The wind is chilly.  I looked around me and saw clouds and the beautiful sky.  The whole scenery looked like a dream behind the goggles. They recommend that you shouldn’t look down (because it can be frightening) but I did anyway just to see what it looks like when you are pummelling down into the earth. The view was just surreal. The adrenalin is there.  It was an exciting type, not the fearful type, because you know that there’s the parachute and the jumpmaster behind.

Eventually, that minute ends and the parachute opens.  And then you’re floating through the sky. Well, floating compared to the freefall!

Before we jumped, I actually requested the jumpmaster if we could do spins on the parachute.  So when the parachute opened, he told me to pull down the yellow cord on my right to change the angle.

Can I pull it down really hard?  Yes, you can!

And then if I really want to, I can pull down the cord on my left so that I can angle the parachute on the other side.  And I did.  The effect was unexpected -  not only did everything tilt on the opposite way, there was a fishbowl type effect in how the ground was perceived.  We were spinning! Next thing I know, I have found both of my hands  holding cords to the parachute.  Yes, the jumpmaster was letting me control the parachute.  I didn’t know how long I was able to control it but I absolutely loved the feeling.  My first tandem skydive – controlling the parachute and spinning/angling the canopy.  And then I pulled down the cord on my right (hah!) really hard to change the angle again and spin.

Of course, this didn’t last long and the jumpmaster took control of the parachute as we went down to ensure a safe landing.  Although I couldn’t help but ask him if I could pull down a cord just one more time…

The little features on the ground got bigger and bigger.  The grass no longer looked like green patches.  Then we touched ground.

Was it the flow too?

One of the highlights of the tandem skydiving was being able to focus on the experience so much that my nerves seemed to have dissipated. It was replaced with something else…the right word for it is FLOW. At some point, it was there. .

There are quiet a few things that I loved about it – the unique viewpoint and unique ’setting’ that you have placed yourself in, the feeling of controlling the canopy and the flow. Which is why I look forward to skydiving again!