Right. So, I have been sick for the past five days or so with sinus congestion. Nothing else. That makes this that much more annoying, because sinus pressures are enough to keep me from flying. It’s so bad, I notice the slight variations in pressure just driving up and down Maryland Route 100. I can only imagine what 2000′ would do to me. Even if I felt OK enough to go up, the medications alone would keep me from flying. The FAA has a tight grip on what types of medications pilots may take, and how long one has to wait after taken them. For instance, I was prescribed antibiotics today for my sinuses. The FAA requires me to wait at least 48 hours after taking them to ensure no adverse side effects occur.
I spent much of the day in ground school again today. After discussing most of the [outside] parts of the airplane last week, we touched on the engine this morning, before moving on to the flight instruments, types of airports and charts. I feel like a mechanic now, although I don’t think you want me working on your airplane. 🙂 We also delved into the “six pack”, or the Airspeed Indicator, Heading Indicator, Altitude Indicator, Turn Coordinator, Vertical Speed Indicator, and the Artificial Horizon (Attitude Indicator). Not only did we learn what they do, but HOW they work. This is important for when an instrument fails, you know not only why it failed, but how to either a) fix it or b) use another instrument to do the [generally] same job. As I have learned so far, there is a lot of redundancy in airplanes for that reason (Magnetos are another example). After the flight instruments, we talked about the various types of airports (towered and non-towered or controlled and uncontrolled) and how to interact with each. We ended the day talking about airspaces: A, B, C, D, E, G. This is a beast in and of itself, which I really need to understand.
Next week, prior to jumping back in to instruction, we will have a quiz on the last two weeks of material. There will be a total of two quizzes and of course the final exam (on February 27th). Anyhow, I hope to be back in the cockpit next Saturday after school, but I will have to play it by ear. Get it? Sinuses? Bad joke. I know…
Runway 18 
Hi sweety, hope you get well reaal soon!
By: Christine Pearson on January 24, 2010
at 6:35 am
Hey, fellow student pilot at Freeway! Hope you feel better and can get back to flying soon.
Dont know if you listen to them, but Uncontrolled Airspace had a shout out to your blog on their latest podcast.
Good luck on your lessons and hope to see you around the field sometime.
By: John Conway on January 28, 2010
at 3:24 am
John, thank you for the heads up! I listen to a lot of podcasts out there, but hadn’t heard of them. I will be sure to add them to my links on my blog.
I am feeling better as of late, now I just hope that the weather will play along. Supposed to snow Saturday, so we’ll see.
When did you start your training at W00? How many hours have you logged? I do remember seeing you around. I’m attending ground school and at the building at least every Saturday.
Thanks again for the heads up! See you around,
Brian
By: 1studentpilot on January 28, 2010
at 4:39 pm
I started the first week of January and I have 7.2 hours so far. Ended up doing the ground school on my own with the whole, I need money for college thing.
I’m suppose to be going up again on Sunday so hopefully the weather will have cleared up by then. Suppose to be starting emergency procedures after reviewing stalls and steep turns.
-John
By: John Conway on January 29, 2010
at 10:41 am