Piloting Your Life: In-Flight Entertainment (Flying Above It All) (Sept 4, 2018)
Welcome Back My High Flying Passengers:
I hadn’t realized how little time I’ve spent up in the air until I logged one hour of flight time in my logbook on Sunday. I last flew in June and prior to that it was New Year’s Eve. I need flight time to clear my head and keep me sane and if Friday was any indicator, I haven’t been flying enough. Fortunately, the weather held up, there were no mechanical issues with the helicopter and I was able to take my daughter Rachel flying and gain some altitude and much needed perspective.
Rachel took some great photos while we were up in the air including one during my reconnaissance of a pinnacle spot on the edge of a hill (mountain?).
From the air it looks easy-peasy without much risk (except if you lose the engine and have to auto-rotate into the trees). The wind wasn’t a factor so I was able to choose my route. I was going to come in from the tree side and follow the make-shift road to the circular spot but my CFI Dan suggested I take the less risky approach so I approached from the ravine side to allow for more options in the event of any issues.
I didn’t actually set the skids down because of risk of fire on the dry grass but it always feels good to do an off-airport landing. You have to estimate various factors as you do the recon including landing spot altitude to determine approach and closure rate. And then hope a cow doesn’t amble by while you are landing. The ground picture is much different from the aerial picture.
We didn’t head to San Francisco for a Bay Tour because the Giants and the A’s (Let’s Go Oakland!) both had baseball games and the forecast called for fog near the Golden Gate Bridge.
I wanted to do some pattern work at San Carlos before heading towards the coast to see if the fog had cleared to fly down the coastline towards the Ritz Carlton which is always fun to orbit over. Unfortunately we hit a 600 foot ceiling but that just meant we had to improvise (which is quite easy to do in a helicopter). Rachel hadn’t seen a pilot’s halo so I flew over the clouds (1000 feet above) and turned to set up just right with the sun.
Rachel caught it in a picture and as soon as she got the shot I flew away from the cloud cover. You don’t have to be on frequency in that area and a fixed-wing pilot could have popped up out of the clouds surprising all of us.
Regarding perspective, this area is part of Silicon Valley. It’s so amazing to have this be 15–20 minutes from some of the busiest freeways, most successful tech companies, and the general craziness of where we live. I lost perspective on Friday. I got caught up in not only the need to be more and do more, but also the comparison and expectation game and had a pity party (as my mom would say, poor pitiful Pearl). It wasn’t pretty but apparently I needed to sit on the couch, drink wine by myself, and watch something on Netflix. It led me to ask for help from my husband and make some small changes in my life and what I am working on. Essentially, my bucket was empty and I am working on refilling it. Extra time with Rachel on Sunday was helpful in this endeavor.
So what are you doing to fill your bucket? What are some of the things you do to gain perspective and replenish your soul? Drop me a line and let me know (PilotingYourLife@gmail.com).
In-Flight Entertainment: Shannon Grant
You know what time it is? Time for Season 2 / Year 2 and we are starting off with a San Francisco investor focused on investing in female founders. I met Shannon Grant at a Wharton Angels event last spring. She is a Wharton grad and I thought she was a member so I joined (she still hasn’t joined!). We spent time together at the Angel Summit in Napa in July and realized that we have shared interests and are completely aligned on how we wish to see the world. Shannon is new to angel investing but not to venture and I am delighted and honored to call her a friend and a partner in pursuing the advancement of women in what she calls the ‘awakening’. You won’t want to miss our conversation.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. It’s a beautiful day to fly, and we are cleared for takeoff.
