A few minutes alone in a plane
Added 2016-08-06 19:12:07 +0000 UTCI'm right at the end of my pilot training. Yesterday I headed down to a small airport and then went and orbited around my mother's house. I thought you might like a bit of raw unedited excitement from my life.
An update on me:
I've been quite busy lately. Work is pretty tough at the moment. There are several personalities compounded by deadlines that end up being a bit difficult to manage. I end up having to make decisions about "who to make mad" because I can't please everyone. That's not so fun, but sometimes in life that's the way things are. I made the command decision to take a week off and take my wife on a trip (I'll be sending you more stuff from Iceland sooooonn!!!). It was great. We kind of fell in love again. It meant a whole lot to me and made me realize that I'm 100% ok with people at work not being completely happy as long as my family life is doing well.
In a few months I'll be transitioning away from helicopters back to rockets I think. I'm working hard to finish my pilot license before that time. Becoming a pilot was a personal goal so I had a really good idea of what the pilots were going through so I could be a productive crew member. I think that was accomplished, so at this point I'm just working to get that final piece of paper. I have a dream of taking my wife on a flight up to Asheville, North Carolina in the fall to see the trees change colors.
The video that you're seeing here is neat for me. It's me alone in an airplane... super excited and anxious because I'm still a bit nervous about making the PERFECT radio call. Anyways, I thought I'd just type out some stuff and give you a feel for where I'm at mentally at the moment.
There's a really neat video that I"m trying to finish and put out tomorrow about driving one hand (and no legs). Hopefully I'm able to finish!
Regards, and thank you very much for supporting me on Patreon. I know you're an actual human, supporting another actual human who is trying to do their best to make the world better. Your compassion and generosity is not lost on me, or my family.
Destin
Comments
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and your experiences. It feels good to communicate like this with people whom you've never met yet feel connected to. Apropos, do you know about Tim Urban's "Wait but Hi" events? Separate thought: The way you described how the flight felt for you and the way you looked on camera made me think that either you were so focused on "doing well" that it robbed you of some joy, or that the lack of an actual human made the outer expression of joy unnecessary :)
Monica Anastase
2016-08-12 10:09:26 +0000 UTCI haven't flown in 20 years. I hated radio as well. My biggest problem was I couldn't understand them half the time, having to constantly ask for repeated information. From this recording it sounds like the radio quality has come a long way.
Scott Gartner
2016-08-08 03:33:02 +0000 UTCPiloting is such a great skill to have, and a lot more difficult then the average person thinks it to be. My dad used to have a microlight when I was a kid, he'd give my sisters and I rides. Being a two seater meant some family time wth dad one on one for each of us. We'd chat over the radios, and he'd point out poi that we knew from ground level (nearby wetlands, shape of the coast, our house) but no matter what we were talking about, we knew you zip it when he had to communicate with the tower. Mid word even, I just halt instantly. I don't remember much of what he said but I still remember the call sign, Foxtrot Quebec Golf, even 20 years later. Good times. Thank you for sharing your family and piloting joy with us. =)
Rebekah Sullivan
2016-08-08 00:04:42 +0000 UTCThis is so amazing to hear! Sounds like your priorities are in the right place. :) Exciting to see you doing it!
Laura Jolly
2016-08-07 17:01:57 +0000 UTCIt was me abbreviating my plane's identified. I should have abbreviated it to the last 3 instead of the last 2. I'm still trying to learn best practices on the radio.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:06:50 +0000 UTCMy Mom is awesome.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:06:11 +0000 UTCHey! You!
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:05:52 +0000 UTCThanks!
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:05:34 +0000 UTCThanks for setting me straight Craig! (he taught me about when to abbreviate my call sign if you're wondering)
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:05:28 +0000 UTCYou know me Cole. I'm about as normal as they come.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:04:49 +0000 UTCI really want to go do this!
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:04:24 +0000 UTCYou're absolutely right. It's super loud but I had the audio adapter plugged in directly to the camera.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:04:11 +0000 UTCI couldn't agree more.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-07 14:03:44 +0000 UTCAwesome! What's kilo-delta mean?
Mike Amaral
2016-08-07 03:58:45 +0000 UTCYou're a great son.
Robert Keiser
2016-08-07 03:24:41 +0000 UTCLooking forward to you coming back to rockets! We're going to have to come up with something awesome to do again.
2016-08-07 00:50:51 +0000 UTCThank you so much for the video, Destin, and the meaningful words.
pat o.
2016-08-06 23:20:24 +0000 UTCI like this.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-06 22:41:00 +0000 UTCEverything in life becomes even cooler when you listen to "Careless Whisper" in another tab.
Smarter Every Day
2016-08-06 22:40:33 +0000 UTCFun! My wife and I landed at that airport a few years ago, when I flew us down to go visit the rocket museum (and your rocket). I think your radio calls are Ok. They have the proper information. I have one nit to pick, which I'll follow up privately about. It's great to get out and fly every once in a while. It's so cool that you're getting your pilot's license.
Craig P Steffen
2016-08-06 21:53:49 +0000 UTCMy favorite part of this is the vulnerability you show when you (such a smart person) mention how new and uncomfortable you are at certain things.
Cole Palmer
2016-08-06 21:37:50 +0000 UTCCongratulations! As a former Ashevillian, I really miss the fall colors, and I'm sure they'll be exceptionally beautiful from an airplane (partly because you won't be stuck going 15 on the Parkway, behind some slowpoke with New Jersey plates). Oh, and if you haven't tried Cheerwine, check it out when you're up there, it's one of my favorite regional sodas =)
2016-08-06 20:46:54 +0000 UTCCongratulations! As a former Ashevillian, I really miss the fall colors, and I'm sure they'll be exceptionally beautiful from an airplane (partly because you won't be stuck going 15 on the Parkway, behind some slowpoke with New Jersey plates). Oh, and if you haven't tried Cheerwine, check it out when you're up there, it's one of my favorite regional sodas =)
2016-08-06 20:46:54 +0000 UTCMy best friend in high school was a pilot (he wound up flying cargo for many years). Back when we were kids and he was a new VFR pilot, I got a lot of right-seat time. The silence in this video was unnerving, cuz I know being in a single-engine is really loud. I think you handled the radio quite well.
David A Beamer
2016-08-06 20:29:45 +0000 UTCEverything Destin does in this video becomes even cooler if you watch it while listening to "Careless Whisper" by George Michael on another tab.
Clay
2016-08-06 19:32:56 +0000 UTCThanks for sharing, Destin. This resonates with me. When family life is solid, everything else is at least tolerable, even the crappy parts.
Daniel James
2016-08-06 19:26:52 +0000 UTC
