Getting Started.... Again!

Hi Folks,

I am one of those people that always wanted to be a pilot.  However, it wasn't even remotely practical until a few years ago.  I accumulated a number of hours back then in 172s and a Cub-J3 - all pre-solo.  But, as so often happens, life got in the way and my focus was diverted elsewhere.

It may not even be practical now - but I have found myself an amazing flight school, Aero Safety and Training in Lincoln Park, NJ, and I have decided to pursue a Sport Pilot rating.  I am also fortunate to have a great group of aviation friends who share their time, experiences, and the right seats of their aircraft with me.  I belong to an amazing local EAA chapter, http://www.eaa73.org and have also been privileged to provide the liveatc feed for Newark Tower in the past (it is now hosted by a really awesome feed-host).   All of this has allowed me to stay involved in aviation as much as I could over time.

What may make me slightly unusual is that I aspire to be a Sport Pilot CFI just as much as I aspire to be a licensed Sport Pilot.   Teaching is something that I personally love to do and I am fortunate to be able to teach in my other endeavors.

Also, by having accumulated time in different types, and by having had my studies interrupted, I find myself at the beginning of the journey with some obvious advantages compared with students who are 'brand new' to aviation.  However, there is a definite cloud around this silver lining.  For instance, there is much I thought I knew from my previous studies, but have either forgotten, or never _actually_ knew to the extent required by regulations.   This is an important point for me to make.  I have been struck time and time again over the past 4 weeks at how easy it is to sit next to a friend who is a Licensed Pilot and/or CFI/II and nod - after all - they are the Pilot in Command.   I humbly submit that this is a far cry from actually mastering the subject matter!

What I intend to do with this blog is to chronicle my experiences as a SP Student in the hope that by doing so it will make me a better instructor when I achieve that goal, while hopefully helping other student pilots along the way!

-Jonathan
#mysportpilot