Sunday, April 27, 2008

Tower, Picnic tower


今天帶著剛到的Scanner(航空頻道接收器)到塔台那兒去看飛機。塔台旁有ㄧ大片草地,綠油油的,踩在上面軟綿綿的很舒服,還有ㄧ對年輕爸媽帶著ㄧ個小朋友就坐在草地上野餐。草地旁有ㄧ個木製看台,就是讓人看飛機用的。再旁邊還有ㄧ棟平房,是個開放的休息室,裡面有空調,有乾淨的廁所,還有熱騰騰的咖啡,投兩個25分錢的硬幣到旁邊的小桶子裡,就可以自己動手倒咖啡。是個很舒服的地方,我常到裡面看書。基本上那兒是讓開飛機來的外地人休息,找ㄧ些本地休閒娛樂,餐廳或是住宿資料的ㄧ個駕駛員休息室。我也是駕駛耶!是學生駕駛(Student Pilot),當然也可以去混ㄧ下囉!
總之,我帶著小蜜蜂到了看台上,調好頻道,聽著塔台和要上天的或是要落地的駕駛員的對話,訓練聽力嘛!雖然都說就算是一般美國人剛接觸這種航空英語,塔台又說得超快,都要好ㄧ陣子才能上手,但是為了能早日solo(單飛),還是要自己逼ㄧ下。
後來上來了ㄧ個老伯伯,大概六十幾歲吧,也是很認真的在看飛機,過了ㄧ會兒,我主動跟他打招呼,我們就聊起來了。原來他是ㄧ個德國人,因為工作的關係,常往來德國和加州,四年前也在我們學校學開飛機,拿到PPL(Private Pilot License,私人駕駛執照),這次行程太趕,來不及租飛機上去過癮ㄧ下,只好來用看的。
後來他走了,我就在想,夢想這種東西真是奇妙,不管年紀多大,只要真的是自己想要的,再老都不會放棄的。出國前看到作家九把刀ㄧ句話:「被人嘲笑的夢想,才是有價值的。」恩,說得太好了,這就是我!不過也是要努力啦!要是被嘲笑太久就不好了。
這老兄ㄧ大早就來了,降落後牽出腳踏車就直接在機旁換上單車裝,逍遙去了。中午時又看到他騎著腳踏車回到飛機旁,將單車丟上飛機,回家去也!美國人真是得天獨厚啊!這種生活,誰家能夠?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Do you know I'm flying? Dad?


Jeffery's father came to school today, I met them both in school, and found they look so similar, interesting!

The reason his father flew half earth to US from Taiwan is to see how his son if flying. And, take his son's plane. I said to his father"Uncle, you must be very proud of your son, he is driving you to the sky!"

On the way back by bicycle, I thought of Dad, and tears just came out. He even doesn't know I'm going to fly before passing away last April. My poor father, I wish you could sit my plane!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Induced Drag

之前在台灣ㄧ直搞不懂什麼叫Induced Drag? 為什麼速度減少,阻力反而增加呢?直到昨天晚上看到ㄧ本書上的ㄧ段話,才恍然大悟!
"Induced drag is inversely proportional to the square of the speed. If speed is decreased by half, induced drag increases fourfold. It is the major cause of drag at reduced speeds near the stall; but, as speed increases, induced drag decreases."
我還因此自己導出了ㄧ個公式(如圖,哎!以前讀書都沒這麼用功!)懂是懂了,不過公式是我自己記憶用的,錯了可別怪我喔!
如果上面說明不清楚,看ㄧ下以下的圖大概就清楚了吧?

Friday, April 18, 2008

A Gorgeous One--Twin Star

This baby is so beautiful! dual engines, four seats, named Twin Star.
Glorious opening doors.
Stick controlled.
Hard paddles.

Jeffery is in his last step -- CPL (Commercial Pilot License) physical test. Once he make it, he can go home!
Hold on a minute! Don't rush to hop in!
You know how much does this test cost him?
USD$3000!
wanna play? you'd better be good.

My hand, Captain's hand.

Monday, April 14, 2008

“李強仁“

台灣家裡傳來的笑話,超好笑:

岳父那天對香緹說他是"女強人",但因為台灣國語發音, 聽來像"李

強仁"

香緹很生氣說"我不是李強仁, 我是李香緹"

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Spatial Disorientation 空間迷向


I'd read a book before, it says once a pilot cruised with his girl friend at night. While enjoying the two-people-world (what a typical "the air of romance"!), suddenly, the girl said:

"Why stars up there are all moving so fast?"

At that time, the pilot realized that they were flying up-side-down! Those moving lights his girl friend saw were not stars, those were vehicles running on the ground!
曾經看過ㄧ本書,說有ㄧ個飛行員帶著女朋友作夜間飛行,正當享受著寧靜的兩人世界時,他女朋友突然問他說:“為什麼天上的星星跑得那麼快?“
那時這位飛行員才意識到飛機正上下顛倒著飛呢!那根本不是什麼星星,頭上那些燈光其實是路上的車哩!

That is so called "Spatial Disorientation", it happens often while people is moving in 3-D space. In fact, I'd experienced once yesterday.

When I was concentrating my attention on those maneuvers, several times I didn't notice that we were banking several degrees! until the instructor reminded me.

Interesting and dangerous, I will notice it in the future.
那就是所謂的空間迷向,人在立體的空間活動時,常會發生的。
我昨天就經歷到了,當我正專心在做著各種動作時,渾然不知飛機正在傾斜,若不是教練提醒,可能翻過去了都還不知道哩!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

No way! It's your duty.


Today I followed a new instructor again, the first instructor Brodie Brazil left school after only teaching me 2 fly classes, then Andrew Foo once, and then this one today. I followed 3 instructors in 4 classes. I didn't complained to school about this, because I think every instructor has his own teaching way and skills, it's good for me. Besides, starts from next Monday, I will follow a swell one with very good reputation.

Today's Nick Beesley, before flying, he asked what I have learned and done in last three classes, I said normal maneuvers and conversations with tower.

"Oh, you'd talked with tower?" he asked.
"Yes, only yesterday, once." I replied.
"OK, you do all the conversations today." he said.
*&%$#@
"and more, we do slow fly and stall." he added.
Stall!? at 4th class? OK, let's see, I said to myself.

As usual, student, as me, sat at left side, the pilot-in-command position, this cool guy sat next to me, the right side seat. After some broken conversation with tower at ramp, we taxied to runway, today's wind direction changed, so we had to taxi almost the all runway length, to the other en of runway.

Taxiing airplane on ground is completely different from driving car on the road, we don't use steering by hands. Conversely, we use both feet. I did the taxi like snake's crawl, of course.
Finally, When we got the hold-short position and waiting for the tower's approval for take off, I said to him.

"I am not familiar with the taxi yet, later on, when we take off, can you do the taxi?"

Guss what? This cool young man said.
"No way! It's your duty."
*&%$#

Gee! I guess this is so called "American style".

Friday, April 11, 2008

Ground School Instructor : Spencer Thomas


地面課的老師,長得瘦瘦高高的,ㄧ副白面書生的樣子,不過課講得很好,尤其讓我迷惑於他那ㄧ口流暢的英文。第一天(3/31)來學校晚上剛好趕上這期的第一堂課,事實上對我來說,他著實給了ㄧ個下馬威,ㄧ開口就快速,連珠炮地講了將近三分鐘,就像是張小燕ㄧ樣,當時嚇了ㄧ跳,“哇!講話這麼快!“但是上了三堂課之後,越覺得他真是厲害,能夠快速的講話,而且完全不會有像是“恩,啊,那個“接不下去的感覺,昨天又發現他的用詞還真是優雅。
“Through",他昨天講了這個字,哇!覺得台灣沒有ㄧ個人可以講得像他ㄧ樣正確。如果香緹可以在這裡待個半年,英文應該也可以發得那麼好。

呼叫塔台


Today I followed a new instructor, Andrew Foo, around 35 age, very serious while teaching. In fact, besides of teaching, he did not really talking to me something.
It's just my 3rd flying class today, and he asked me to contact ground/tower, and take off by myself!

ATIS:119.65
"Livermore Municipal Airport, Information Echo, Zulu time 17 hundred, Weather wind calm, Visibility 10, Temperature 14 Celsius, Dew point 04 Celsius, Altimeter 3014, Runway in use 25 Right, Advise on initial contact you have Echo."

I:
" Livermore Ground, Cessna 89653, At Ahart ramp, Ready to taxi for take off with information Echo."

LVK GND:121.6
"Cessna 89653, LVK GND, taxi runway 25 right approved."

I:
"Cessna 89653, taxi 25 Right"

I:
"Livermore Tower, Cessna 89653, Hold short 25 right, Ready for take off with right 45 degree departure."

LVK TWR:118.10
"Cessna 89653, Livermore Tower, taking off 25 right with 45 degree departure approved."

I:
"Cessna 89653, taking off 25 right, thank you."

Maneuver: Strait and level, constant climb, descent, level turn, steep turns.

In steep turns, I usually drop nose, need bigger move to pull up and keep watching the Horizon.

This super instructor, even let me operated the landing! he didn't take over until floating! How come he trust me so much! :-)

Taxiing still not in strait, It's my first time, Man!

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

American Holes




I’ve found one thing very interesting here. It’s a common sense that the American Size is big, large, even huge, and now I found even the holes here are big here.
I bought a bottle of dish detergent, I poured and pressed a little bit, guess what? After I cleaned my dirty dishes, I mopped all the pans, the ovens, and the kitchen top,
I bought a bottle of shampoo, I stood in the tub, poured and pressed a little bit, then, I saved the face soap and shower gel at that time bathing.
The most funny one happened last night, I bought a cane of cola, I pulled the cane circle off, had a sip and glanced at the cane. Suddenly, I bursted out laughing, and sparged all the cola to the table. Even the cane holes here are big!!

Cautions:the virus! 小心病毒!

If you guys found a strange name put one comment in the "comments" column, and it needs you to click it again, it might be a VIRUS! Just ignore it, don't click it. I will deal with this secret admirer alone.
最近發現我竟然還有個secret admirer,它在我的ㄧ些文章中都“放“了ㄧ個意見,我心裡暗爽地點進去看,竟然還要我再點選連結到別地方去。連結後出現ㄧ堆亂碼,我才知道那是個木馬程式!就是連結病毒啦!還好我的蘋果不會中毒,真可惡!
所以各位如果看到意見欄裡面,有個奇怪的名字,它所寫的意見竟然還要你去點選的話,那可能就是隱藏在我部落格裡的連結病毒!不要去點它就沒事了,我會反應給Blogger,如果他們處理的話,很快就會沒這東西了。那我也就沒有secret admirer 了,嗚...

Monday, April 07, 2008

Lake Tahoe Weekend Vacation--Part 3



滑雪去!摔得七暈八素也不怕!

Lake Tahoe Weekend Vacation--Part 2





房子外頭可以看到遠遠的山上都還覆蓋著白雪,就連房子周圍到處都是厚厚的積雪,還有ㄧ棵又ㄧ棵的大石頭,從石頭上的滑石粉痕跡,可以看出常有人在此攀岩,表妹是玩家,自然無法抗拒誘惑,來看看她的成績吧!

Lake Tahoe Weekend Vacation--Part 1






來美的第ㄧ個週末,表妹迦涵和她的男朋友Arno邀請我和她們的ㄧ群朋友到Lake Tahoe度週末。那群朋友共12人,只有ㄧ個是美國人,其他都是歐洲人,都是來美進行研究的科學家。
大夥租了ㄧ個“大木屋“,房子依山而建,挑高的大客廳,甚至還保留了兩個足有ㄧ個房間大的大石頭,七個房間裝潢各有不同,其中ㄧ間裡面,竟然裝飾了ㄧ整面牆的皮毛!他們統ㄧ的意見是“weird" 。

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Drive? It takes hours! Let's fly!

This morning my room mate Vincent and I need to be school and make finger prints. After 911, The States is more cautious about foreigners come to learn flying, making finger prints and checking your background is just one of the new rules. After filling out some TSA (Transportation Security Administration) forms, our beautiful principle Miss Lysa asked a dispatcher Justin to send us to San Jose for finger prints. Late on, Justin showed up again, and threw headsets to each of us. I was shocked "We fly to San Jose!?" This cool guy shrugged and replied " off course! It takes one hour and 20 minutes to drive there." "and how about flying?" Vincent asked.
"15 minutes." Justin answered.
Wow!! flying school is different after all, even the transportation is so unique!!
Let's fly!

今天早上和室友到學校準備去壓指紋,911事件後,美國對外國人來學開飛機新設了很多規定,壓指紋查背景是其中之一。
在校長室上國土安全部的網站填了一些表格,印出來準備去 San Jose 按指紋,美麗高挑的校長Miss Lysa 請一個 Dispatcher Justin帶我們去,ㄧ會兒 Justin 出現,遞給我們ㄧ人一副頭戴式耳機。我很驚訝的問他“我們要飛去嗎?“很愛裝酷的Justin聳聳肩,一副理所當然的樣子“當然啊!開車去要一個小時二十分耶!““那飛去呢?“Vincent問,“十五分鐘。“哇!飛行學校倒底是不一樣啊,連交通工具都是飛機耶!
到了停機坪,一堆小飛機排排站。場景讓我想到當初剛進新航,第一次上貨機,諾大的機艙空無ㄧ人,我站在艙門高高的往下望,不住的張口傻笑。興奮之情就像當時ㄧ樣,我們高興的每架都摸摸看看,二十分鐘後 Justin 檢查完飛機,起飛囉!

On the Way!


距離上ㄧ篇文章我的飛行夢,已經三個月過去了, 幾經周折,終於來到美國加州 Livermore, Ahart Aviation,踏上飛行之路。
3/31到學校報到,晚上就立刻上了第一堂地面課程,約十二個學生,大家坐在教室裡,聽教練Spencer Thomas用PowerPoint上課,重溫學生生活。
這Spencer講話超快,還好在台灣時我已經先讀了一些書,雖然書不同,但道理相通,還不至於鴨子聽雷。
我的貴人再次幫了我一個大忙!正巧五姨這段時間也回美國渡假,還好有她開車帶我去補給食物,在美國沒車真的就跟沒腳ㄧ樣,一點也不誇張。