Getting to the Good Stuff

Engine Stuff (meh)

The last class was a little easier to grasp. It had to do with the physical engine and how it works with the plane. There were some new concepts introduced like carburetor icing and vapor lock, but overall, the majority was very similar to an engine in a car. So, there wasn't too much to "new" as far as material.

The concept of fixed pitch propeller and controllable pitch propellers are fascinating. Apparently, you can change the shape of one of the propellers to make it provide more thrust, speed, etc. You do this while in the air. Fixed pitch, you just control the speed of the propeller.

The engine has two spark plugs per cylinder, as opposed to automobiles (just one per cylinder).

There are some miscellaneous things mentioned about the engine, how it works, etc., but nothing overly critical really. Carburetor icing is the biggest takeaway. It can happen on warm days with high humidity. Recognizing it early and reacting quick keeps the engine from shutting down and potentially killing you. That's a big deal.

Now the Main Event

Okay, to be fair, this was just an appetizer. We're supposed to be reading Unit 3 in our books (first half). This is covering the markings on the airport, airport numbers, headings, how to taxi, all kinds of really interesting stuff. This is where it really gets important. This is also the point at which the jib jab you hear on the radio begins to make a little more sense. That's another part of the lessons - how to talk on the radio.

The lines you see on the picture above have very specific purposes. It's all excellently explained in the textbook. The reasons why were better explained briefly by the instructor. We're actually going to be covering this in the class Thursday, so the stuff we learned last night was more of just a preview.

I'm more excited about this lesson than the ones I have learned. 

Conclusion

When I originally, I almost meant for it to be a step-by-step guide to exactly what we're learning. Well, it's not quite that. It would take days and days of writing to cover everything we're talking about, and even at that point, it'd be hard to grasp without someone showing you, explaining, and answering questions. Instead, this has turned into more of a generic guide to what to expect when you're going through ground school.