An unexpected shock

My tiny hut squats on the side of an ancient volcano above the sea, breezes flowing though screened windows, a riot of tropical vegetation in every direction. A light rain just ceased, and the frogs and insects have raised their evening chorus.

But...this place has no digital inputs. I have no Internet access and my cell phone has no service.

For me, this is a viscerally shocking experience, not unlike being forced to hold one's breath. Your first thought is, Ok, surely this can't go on much longer. And your next is, If this goes on another minute, I will die.

But then the oddest thing: I kept holding, and nothing happened. I didn't need to breathe! How freeing.

I found myself thinking, This is really nice. The metaphor inverted: It was as if I was finally able to exhale after months (years?) of clenching.

I began to imagine six weeks without any Internet and little phone, and to my surprise the idea seemed appealing. Of course, that would mean no blog. Although it might disappoint my dad and my cousin (a second reader!), it's something I'll consider.

Tonight, before I began to write, my eyes were burning. They used to feel that way after a day of staring at a computer. Is it possible that now they're doing so after a day without digital exposure, the withdrawal symptoms of a screen junkie?

Happy birthday, Will Bieze!

I just want to shout a quick happy birthday to my godson Will Bieze, and hello to his brother Henry and family!

I'm headed to Hawaii today to go to helicopter school. Perhaps one day we will fly together.

Will, his brother Henry, and their father Michael

Cramming results

Thirty seven days ago, in this post, I made an ambitious commitment to read Principles of Helicopter Flight (for the first time) and finish Rotorcraft Flying Handbook (for the second time) before leaving for Hawaii and flight school. That was 26 + 7 = 33 chapters to be read in 38 days. I leave tomorrow, so let's tally it up.

I read 19 chapters in Principles of Helicopter Flight.

I read zero chapters in Rotorcraft Flying Handbook.

I also read 10 "sections" in Private Pilot: Guided Flight Discovery. This is the standard text for fixed-wing students, but the sections on instruments, weather, and radio are relevant to helicopters, and I decided I needed to go through those.

So, that's the equivalent of 29 chapters. I fell a little short of 33, but still a pretty good effort considering my existential crisis.

Bose X vs. LIGHTSPEED Zulu: Head-to-head comparison

There is a strong consensus among pilots that the Bose X headset is the established leader for comfort, function, and quality. That lead has recently been challenged by the LIGHTSPEED Zulu.

There are minor feature differences between the two. The best explanation of these I could find is in this comprehensive review by pilot Jeff Snyder, a self-proclaimed "headset whore."

For most pilots, the feature differences will be trumped by the comfort differential, which can go either way depending on the size and shape of your coconut.

In the local pilot supply store, an older pilot swore to me that the Zulu is far more comfortable. I decided to buy them both and try them both, since they are returnable for 30 days.

Yesterday, after two hours of wear around the house, the Zulu was really putting the squeeze on. Today, after two and a half hours, I was happy as a clam in the Bose. Your mileage may vary.

Raiders of the Lost Backpacker

Harrison Ford is Chairman of the Young Eagles program mentioned in my last post, despite having once crashed a helicopter while practicing autorotations during his training. ("I broke it," he told James Lipton on Inside the Actor's Studio.) Ford assumed the Young Eagles chairmanship from Chuck Yeager in 2003.

In related news, I learned in my reading that 90% of all search and rescue operations are conducted by members of the Civil Air Patrol, a volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

Ford must be a member of CAP too, as I remember reading about him being called on to occasionally conduct search and rescue operations in one of his helicopters from his ranch in Montana, or Utah, or wherever his ranch is. (Ah, Wyoming...I just looked it up. Love the Internet.)

In once instance, he picked up a solo backpacker that had become disoriented and lost. She boarded Ford's Bell 407 and promptly vomited. She didn't know who the pilot was until much later, and upon learning reportedly exclaimed, "I can't believe I threw up in Harrison Ford's helicopter!"

Technical upgrades

I added a list of links to books in the right hand margin. I'll add books there whenever I write about them, so they are always easy to find. After all, this blog is supposed to help others following my path. So far it's been paved with books, and more are soon to come!

I also added a handy-dandy subscription tool, so all the people reading my blog (read: my dad) can get the latest post without having to check the blog.

Pilots are not passengers

That heli ride threw me for a loop.

I love the experience of being in a helicopter. It's a serene, peaceful feeling, floating up that high, moving kinda slow, having that breathtaking view. It makes me feel...well, free as a bird.

But watching Cynthia fly the Schweitzer (and watching Kelly in the Cessna) made me realize that piloting is busy work, demanding sharp mental focus and nearly constant coordinated multi-tasking. You don't get to sit around and watch the clouds and the hills and the tiny people on the baseball diamond like you do if you are a passenger. I know that's obvious, but somehow I didn't think of it.

So I cringed: What the hell am I doing? Do I really want to spend this huge amount of money and spend all this time to learn a skill that may not even be the experience I'm seeking? Should I just stick the money in a bank account and use it to pay for helicopter rides whenever I feel like it? (It would pay for a lot.)

And while I'm on the subject, the expense already had me a little hesitant. Not to mention the fact that this endeavor will demand considerable ongoing expense and time (in helicopters) just to maintain a safe level of competence, let alone improve skills.

So I got a little spun out. Especially since I'm already committed with time off work, air fare, and so on. And all my family and friends know my plan. How embarrassing to back out!! (Ironically, I had actually made a point of telling people, to challenge myself with the potential public failure; until now, all my life I've been the type to go learn something in secret and then arrive with it already done.)

After the helicopter ride, I was pretty distressed about the whole thing. I didn't touch a textbook all week. I wondered how I might back out gracefully, and pondered other ways to spend my time in Hawaii.

Then last night, I was talking with a friend about my trip, and his enthusiasm brought me back around a bit. And this morning, I had bizarre experience. I woke up early (spontaneously), and started randomly looking at popular YouTube videos. I clicked on a video by Nelly Furtado (just watch the first few seconds):



The coincidence was amusing. It made me smile. I also thought, Wow, they sure made that helicopter look cool. Maybe this will be fun after all! I was about to click on something else, when I saw the link to this next one. I've never heard of this band or song, and I actually started to scroll away without clicking, but then something pulled me back to it:



Yeah. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Either helicopters are the new must-have in music videos, or...synchronicity? Well, onward to flight school, let's see what happens.