Ｊｉｍｍｙさんはお嬢様が男の子を出産された為、スイスのジュネーブ(国連勤務)からお孫様に会いにお越しでした。滞在期間はとても短く、２，３週間のバケーションでしたが、以前からの夢だったフライト操縦の経験をしてみたいと思われ、軽い気持ちでＴＶＡに立ち寄られたそうです。そして、ＴＶＡで初フライトを経験し、そのフライトに魅了され一日でも早く飛びたいと毎日訓練に通われました。短いお付き合いではありましたがとても満足されて帰国されました。そんな彼からのメッセ－ジをご紹介いたします。
I have to say that few things in life could be so pleasantly thrilling, exhilarating and satisfying as … flying an airplane!
While vacationing in Guam last July, I decided (finally!) to try something I had been dreaming of all my life -- to see what its like to fly a real airplane! After all those years flying radio-controlled model planes I figured there should be nothing to it… WRONG! It turned out to be so much more exciting, challenging, and a lot of adrenalin-pumpin’ FUN!
The introductry flight I took at the Trend Vector flight school in Guam was a truly memorable and enjoyable experience. My wife came along and she enjoyed the ride too. At first I thought they would simply take us up for a ride, and maybe let me try out the controls to give a feel for what it’s like. Well, WRONG again! I never expected to be sitting on the pilot’s seat! Our Certified Flight Instructor, Miwa Aoki, a fascinatingly attractive young Airline Transport Pilot with a disarming smile, took the right seat. I was saying to myself well, okay, maybe this is how they do these discovery flights, using attractive instructors, classic Cessna 172s, flying over famous tourist spots on the island, etc. Well, WRONG once more!
As we taxied to the runway, Miwa rattled off some pilot-speak on the radio and then quickly showed me how to work the pedals, throttle, yoke and avionics. There I was nervously trying to take it all in! Soon we were on the runway, picking up speed as I pushed the throttle, and as I pulled gently on the yoke, we were suddenly airborne! We are flying and I was at the controls! Whew! What a rush!. This is something I will never forget! With me still at the controls we cruised around the bay a little bit, came close to a Continental jet approaching to land, and flew over Two Lovers Point and the US naval base. And then it was time to land. By then for me it was already a heart-pounding dream come true!
Miwa expertly guided me to enter the downwind, turn to base, and then the final, and at that point another adrenalin rush! -- I could not believe I was actually flying the pattern and approaching to land! The flair and touch down were such an incredible feeling and before I could get over it, Miwa asked “want to do it again?” WOW! What a thrill! Of course I meekly agreed, gingerly pushed the throttle, walked the pedals, pulled up and, lo and behold we were climbing again! This go-around was the most exhilarating part of the whole trip! Thanks to Miwa’s clear and precise tutoring that second landing was even better!
I was hooked! Given the warm and friendly people at Trend Vector and their well-maintained aeroplanes, I had no hesitation signing up for flight training. Miwa drew up a personalized training program for the limited time I had left in Guam.
I was lucky to have had blue skies and nice winds throughout my flight training. Miwa expertly walked me through all the paces and those famous checklists, – pre-flight, engine start-up, obtaining ATIS, taxing, holding short, tower clearance and taking off! The turnout, climb, cruise, flying the practice area and going through all the required checklists while flying the pattern were a handful, but really exciting to learn! I appreciated very much Miwa’s teaching and piloting skills, her sensitivity to how I was coping given all the excitement, and the strict discipline she wanted me to learn in piloting a plane.
I had to quickly learn some serious multi-tasking – scanning the skies ahead, surveying the cockpit instruments, keeping heightened awareness of air traffic, minding pitch, altitude, heading, RPM, heater, flaps, turn coordinator (rudder) and flying “with my butt” for the touch down! She was one strict CFI, making sure I followed all the flight checklists religiously, and expertly teaching the basic fundamentals – flying straight and level, climbing turns, descending turns, pitch-throttle-trim, and flying with only visual references (VFR). Miwa also introduced me to some of the key maneuvers I yet have to master, like slow flight, steep turns, stall recovery, cross wind take off and landing, and to learn pilot-speak and work that radio!
I enjoyed immensely logging in some eight hours and 23 take-offs and landings in only a few days, relishing every minute of it! For me, it was only the beginning! I really wished I could have stayed longer in Guam for more flight time with Miwa and her colleagues Satoru and Toshi, all very professional pilots at Trend Vector. They are really a nice bunch of people genuinely interested in helping their students learn proper piloting while having fun doing it!
To everyone out there who, like me, are still dreaming of flying, just do it! Check out Trend Vector the next time you are in Guam. They can make your dream come true!
Jimmy Sevilla
Geneva, Switzerland
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