Day 7

Today we practiced taxiing aircraft, and all that entails.

The craft we used was a Piper Cherokee PA-28-140.

It looked something like this:


While I didn't get to drive today, I'll be able to tomorrow. I took my turn at the other stations, pulling chocks, manning the fire extinguisher and working as ground guide/ signalman.

In addition to taxiing aircraft, we learned the importance of battery maintenance. The hard way. We would've been able to get several more people in the aircraft, but unfortunately for us, the batteries for all of the craft in the hanger were dead.

Cest la vis.

But, a good time was had by all.  My classmates and I all seem to get along pretty well, and there are enough of us that if there is someone we can't stand, there is always someone else to talk to.

Tomorrow is the last day of ground operations. When I think about it, I really do feel like I've learned a lot.  I wouldn't say that I'm any kind of expert, but I certainly know more now than I did this time two weeks ago.

Wisdom is understanding how much one doesn't yet know or understand. While there are a lot of things I don't know, there are even more things I don't know that I don't know.

It's one thing to understand that you don't know, say, the meaning of a word.
It's another thing completely to not know what written language is.

I feel like there are dozens of words I can't define right now, but there is a whole other realm of knowledge I don't even realize that I don't know.

It's exciting. And daunting. But I feel prepared, and know I can do this.

Day 2

Today we discussed the four forces, the three axes, the two types, and the first principle.

They weren't delivered in that way, or even in that order, but if I were teaching the class, that's how I would lay it down for the students.

It's all pretty elementary stuff for anyone who has had an interest in aviation and how things work. But it's great to go over everything again. A&P students come from a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels, so the instructor must always assume they know nothing.

The four forces:

The three axes (it took me a while to figure out how to pluralize "axis." Axi? Axies?):

The two types:

And the first principle:

That's not really the "first" principle of anything except what you need to understand when regarding powered flight.  The instructor did a pretty good job of explaining it, but I think some of the shy, slower kids didn't get it. It's their fault for not speaking up,. and I won't mind explaining it to them if they ever ask.

I really do think a foundational thing to tell A&P students, and any future aviation mechanic, is that air acts like a fluid. When I learned that (in the 8th grade), it really helped me understand Bernoulli's principle. 

Understanding that air is a fluid makes it easier to understand why the air is drawn (as it is pushed) over the top of the airfoil than under.  Once we understand that, we have to understand and how air, acting as a fluid, is constantly seeking equilibrium. With an airfoil between the high-pressure bottom and low-pressure top, the only way to reach equilibrium is by equalizing the pressure --> moving the airfoil up along the vertical axis.


Other interesting things I learned about:

Me Gusta.

Gyrocopter, or autorotor.



I want one.


Badly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autogyro

I also learned that A&P Mechanics have a good change of working in a diversified set of industries. In my part of the world, there has been a recent (the last 10 years or so) interest in wind farms as an alternative source of electricity.

The A&P student is going to learn all about airfoils, composites, generators and electronics.  The only thing we won't be taught how to do is climb the ladder to the turbine.