Sep 24/13 – Anton has finished. Congrats!

Anton signed up for training at the end of Sep 2012. In 4 days he has learned how to fly PPG and completed 25 flights. He needed 5 more to complete his requirement. He booked training this week. This is what he wrote before we got together:

Andre, I’m looking forward to getting out today and flying. Hopefully the conditions are good and you are available. If it is a go for today I’ll need to know with enough advanced time to drive out there from just beyond Toronto. It’s about 3.5 hours to 4 hours for me. I’ve also misplaced the location of the field that you used to use. Please send a link or GPS or directions to the launch field.

My heart and legs are jittery… like the anticipation of being dangerously high up. Exciting and scary. You are right, it’s been a long time and I’m not confident that I’ll remember what I need to remember. I keep going over it in my mind trying to imagine each step of the setup and there are certainly holes. For example : It’s reverse inflate, turn to the right, but where is the throttle? Surely it isn’t in my right hand, but it has to be because after inflation it isn’t possible to let go of the canopy control, reach around and strap on the throttle, then regain control. So the throttle must be in my hand when inflating.

Something I just can’t remember is the rigging. Imagining all those lines and connections isn’t happening. There’s something about the control lines going under the canopy lines but it’s just not clear in my mind. Have wanted to look it up but afraid I’d find a site that would teach a bad habit and then I’d have to unlearn which is worse than relearning.

Really looking forward to reviewing the process and fixing what I’ve forgotten. If that’s all I get done and then I’m ready for another day it will still be a success. If I get to run into the sky, that’ll be a bonus, a fabulous bonus.

Warm regards,
Anton

To make a long story short, Anton remembered everything and after 30 min refresher he started to fly on his own like a pro. In no time he added 6 more flights to his log to now have 31. Congrats Anton on completing you PPG course.