Vance lieutenant prepares to solo at IFS

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Tyler Gross
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  
(Lieutenant Gross is currently attending Doss Initial Flight Screening at Pueblo Memorial Airport, Colo., prior to beginning his Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance AFB.)

This last week was the first time I have flown all five days since I got here. I was relieved to have good weather every day. It made the week seem long, but it also was a great way to maintain continuity and improve my landings and area maneuvers.

Last week was also the first time that I did not feel as though I was drinking from a fire hose. This particular block of learning has been all about honing flight skills. I finally feel as though I have enough knowledge about the Diamond 20 aircraft to handle new situations without getting overwhelmed.

Even with the decreased stress, I still find myself spending about five hours preparing for every hour-and-a-half flight, as well as spending time chair flying with friends and classmates who are struggling with things that I can help them with.

I have noticed that the students who struggle with flying are the ones who skip over routine checklists and radio calls in practice. It always comes down to making chair flying as realistic as possible. As in any sport, you must practice like you play.

The upcoming week is an exciting one as I will get to solo and have my check ride early in the week. Hopefully all the studying over the weekend will pay off.