So, ahem, where should I start?
Is there some type of invisible law somewhere that says "abbie cannot reach success without first seriously messing something up?"
Because, that was today's flying lesson.
I'm gonna keep it real.
I'm gonna keep it short.
I bent a prop.
Badly.
On concrete.
Let's review, shall we?
I've been training for free YES YOU HEARD ME FOR FREE with my instructor Steve since about Dec. He knows I really want to get my Tailwheel endorsement, but can't afford anything with not being employed right now, AND being in school. There's definitely a time where you take priority and choose one over the other, and right now I'm picking school although I would prefer to see my bank account go up, I know school is important. Anyway, that's another story.
I felt uneasy today for some reason, which is interesting because all our lessons so far (about 6 of them!) have gone REALLY well. I mean I nailed down the landings last Saturday, after almost leaving feeling unsuccessful, I dug in and down deep & ended up ending last weeks lesson feeling just on top of the world about nailing the landings, when I was actually about to give up to just go home early!
That was a post I made about last week, I believe. But this week was different.
I had this uneasy feeling, but Switchfoot was playing on the radio, and the sun was SO SHINY, and the weather was really warming up. I knew I was close to getting my Tailwheel endorsement, and was excited but also so nervous about solo!! Everything started out very well, and like I said: sunny. calm, beautiful day!!
We went to a nearby airport in the South practice area. It's small, and there was only a couple dues in the maintenance hangar down below. We started practicing landings, wheel landings now. I had done very well with these landings last time, at a different small airport with a grass runway. This runway we were on today had a concrete strip, but I didn't feel too uncomfortable. Still, that feeling nagged. A terrible thing I gotta say is that with Steve my CFI next to me in the right seat, I just felt like "oh what's the worst that could happen?"
Yeah. Note to my dumb blob of brain: never say that again before during or after a flight lesson.
I felt from my sight picture that I was coming in a little too fast, but also "hm, I don't like my flight attitude right now, but I do believe it might be ok since Steve isn't saying anything..." I had calmly looked over to him while on final approach, while we were at a smooth & slow 60 knots, & he seemed unbothered. I actually thought in that moment: "well, we're landing right now, he seems to be fine, I'm sure if something was off he'd grab the controls. I must be fine."
Note to my dumb blob of brain: never say that again before during or after a flight lesson.
So I landed the plane VERY nose down, and bumped the prop. Bent it, slammed it. We were both shaken physically, but mentally we both calmly waited until I had pulled over to the side of the tarmac, near the aforementioned maintenance hangar, to freak out. Once we saw what had gone down, we still didn't freak out. Because the thing is there was no point. Steve said he was praying for some help, and the maintenance man on duty happened to be a long time friend. He took off his old prop and put it on the J3 so we could fly home, and we left the damaged prop with him.
It happened quick, but overall was slow enough that I could have corrected it. That's what gets me, I COULD HAVE CORRECTED IT.....and Steve would still have a prop.
But here we are, we land & after the Piper J3 is back in the hangar Steve hands me my logbook. He had taken a suspiciously long time writing down, but I was pretty distracted I mean what with all that had happened. He hands it back to me "here's your endorsement" and my eyes just pop. I try to tell him I don't deserve it at all, at all at all.
But Steve won't take it, and he won't erase the endorsement the confidence he's written down in pen. I feel like crying but I give him a hug instead. Because of him, my prayers of getting my endorsement have been answered and he's given me more confidence in my flying:
even with his own plane now without a prop and using one borrowed from a friend.
Once I got home, still a little mentally shaken (mainly mad at myself), I did some school, ate dinner, and rode for the first ride of the year down to the river with my brother on his motorbike.
Today was full of all kinds of speed!
What a wild day. Later at night, I go to my first dance competition to get some extra credit for school. As I was sitting in the upper balcony to get a better view of the dancers battling below, I thought (as I often have lately in the past 1-2 years) "would my 13 year old self have imagined my life would be like this??"
I really don't think so!!
But here's hoping these mistakes are over, and done with. I know life is made up of mistakes, however I wish more could be made in areas where those mistakes cost less. If you know what I mean. (Or it would also be ok if I made bucket loads of money because I could afford to hit a prop every day! But I'd really prefer not to, just between you and me).
*when that prop hit*: