Position: Flying Club Dispersal
Altitude: 89 feet Equipment:
Cessna 172 Person on board: 2
Departure: WMKF
Destination: R236
Me,"Fuel check, Pitot tube check..."
The Teacher,"Dude, where's your checklist? Don't tell me that you managed to remember all the checks."
Ah shit, I managed to give my first instructor the first bad impression on a first flight. Well, nobody said anything about the checklist is being so important for the monkey behind the stick. Scrambling around in the cockpit, I managed to find Julia's checklist (Julia is not the name of a person, but a mere nickname I gave to the aircraft, hoping that she'd behave more under my amateur piloting skills). Julia's checklist is old and almost unreadable due to the oil and stains from previous abuse. I managed to do all the external checks after 15 minutes of missing this and that. Not bad for a first timer I thought.
I managed to pull myself up into the cockpit, secure harness and closed the door. It was pretty damn hot inside the tiny cockpit. In front of me were numerous unknown clocklike looking dials and meters. I know it'll be harder once in the airlines and these are just toddler's toys for those 4000 hours captain. Slowly I get myself accustomed to all of the instruments inside, trying hard to remember which one is which. It looks almost the same, with numbers and stuffs, but I know it is well damn different from each other.
"Stop staring at the instruments so long, it will popout if you continue like that for another 1 minute", The Teacher complained. "Now, call for startup."
My butt froze for like 2 seconds. I never practised radio call at all before and now The Teacher is looking at me with a 'WTF are you waiting for' look.
"Simpang Tower, 9M-RFC (pronounced Niner Mike Romeo Foxtrot Charlie), how do you read?" I managed to blurt out. After like half a minute, no answer. I tried again, this time, much slower. But to no avail, no answer. I was damned confused, guessing maybe the ATC guy is taking a nap or just had a bad stomach.
"9M-RFC go ahead, ya right go ahead and fly now.. Why are you asking clearance from me? Press the damn radio button, not just say things out. They can't hear you if you don't press the button.", The Teacher said.
I was smiling like a lost goat about to be slaughtered. How much stupid I can be.
"Simpang Tower, 9M-RFC, how do you read?" this time I speak with the button pressed.
"9M-RFC, reading you strength 5, go ahead", the ATC guy replied.
"9-FC, request engine start for.. errrrr.. Romeo236... errrr... POB 2... ummmmmm... endurance... errr how much was the endurance (with The Teacher holding up 3 fingers at me) ah yes 3hours."
"9-FC, engine start approve... bla bla bla.... yadda yadda yadda.."
Yep, I didn't get any of what the ATC guy said. It was damn fast and gibberish. I looked at The Teacher with a super blank look and immediately he understood. While snickering, he replied the radio call with another gibberish sound and words. Well amazed thinking on how the hell did he managed to get what the other guy said over the radio.
Quickly, The Teacher splats a few switches here and there, cranking the ignition and magically, Julia woke from her beautiful sleep with a roar which then slowly becomes a steady humming rythm as her engines started to warm up.
The Teacher taxied Julia with super ease while muttering all the nonsense to me which I actually didn't get 90% of what he really talks. The next thing I know is, we were on the runway heading of 220 with Julia screaming due to the full throttle.
"45 knots, 50 knots, 55knots and rotate"
We rotate at 55knots due to The Teacher setting a 10 degree flaps on Julia's wings. It was an out of this Earth experience seeing the runway becam smaller and smaller by each feet that we fly. Julia, still screaming loudly was climbing fast but steadily. The Teacher steadied her out at 2000 feet above mean sea level once we established R236, which is about 5minutes from the aerodome.
R236 will be my new training area which is above Kajang, Sg Long, Ulu Langat and a few other place that I can't remember the name. We did a few rounds, remembering all the boundaries and places to remember in case I got lost. The flight was smooth due to the rain which had been showering the earth earlier. After I managed to remember all of the points and places. The Teacher request rejoing from the ATC and we track back to Simpang Airport.
Julia landed on the runway with a small 'thud' which is totally smooth. Amazed at The Teacher's skill on handling the aircraft, I kept in mind to remember all of the techniques he used for each run.
"Simpang Tower, 9-FC, shutting down for now, good day."
"Good day"
Julia's mixture and throttle was set to idle and her propeller slowly come to a full stop. She sits there quietly as I disembark from her belly. Thinking to myself, yes I'm grabbing the sky baby. Soon, and yes soon.
Life on the propeller goes on.
