Flying by the Seat of Her Pants
A NOVICE PILOT’S CHALLENGING 3RD FLIGHT
tower to inform them of what was happening. The control tower operators had never experienced a situation like this and were unsure what to do. Yates asked them to patch him through to Hash so he could provide directions. The first thing Yates said was, “Taylor, this is Chris. My daughter’s name is Taylor and I taught her to fly! We’re gonna be just fine, kiddo.” Hearing these words provided relief and reassurance to Hash, but she still had to land the plane. She circled the airfield a few times to build up her confidence before starting her descent. Yates told her, “When you touch down, I just want that stick all the way back. You’re gonna hold that stick back like you don’t want that nose to touch.” Hash was able to successfully land the plane without injuring herself or causing further damage thanks to Yates’ direction. Even after the incident, Hash has no plans to stop flying and hopes to be a career pilot one day.
All of us have hobbies we’re incredibly passionate about. Sometimes, we’re able to turn these hobbies into full-fledged careers, while in other instances, they remain an enjoyable way to pass time. There was a moment when we were first discovering our hobbies when we were novices and weren’t entirely sure how to handle every situation. This isn’t a big problem when you’re learning to play a sport or a card game, but if your hobby involves danger, you could find yourself in a difficult position. A young woman from Michigan recently learned this the hard way, but the outcome gave her an experience that will fuel her passion for years to come. A 21-year-old named Taylor Hash had recently learned how to fly and was undergoing her third solo flight in March when the unexpected occurred. She took off from an airport in Pontiac in a Diamond Star single-engine aircraft when another pilot noticed something strange. Upon takeoff, part of Hash’s landing gear fell off, leaving her without a front tire to land on. Luckily, Chris Yates, a veteran pilot and the former director of aviation at SpaceX, saw the incident and radioed the control
Solution on Pg. 4 Have a Laugh!
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