How to stop working as a programmer, the right to receive, flight and buy a plane

Recently, I was often asked what to do to himself to fly by plane. Because I care about the this topic, I decided to tell you how it happened to me, and give maybe some practical advice for those who decide to try it. Note that aviation has a very important town in which you live. In my town I fly almost unreal. And yet…

In a few words about yourself

My name is Vladimir Zavertaylov. I am a director and chief Barmalej Studio of Internet solutions "Sibiriks». My company is located quite high in the Internet developers Rating (9-12 th). Most of the time I live in Siberia and Moscow. In his spare time from the cases I fly a small airplane zholtenkom.

The clash with the teacher

I considered myself a good programmer. I sat there the second week of programming in Action Script II. Who has experience with this language, and in general with the Flash environment, can confirm that it's pretty mongrel occupation - debug in it something multi-module, multi-component and not written by you. As a result, after 12 sleepless nights I was finished.

For this project I was paid 2000 dollars (about 60 000 at the time), which I penny to penny enough to repair my car after the accident. Which happened after 15 minutes after I transferred the money... In that moment, I decided to stop programming for clients and take control of their company.

Yes, I got the money, left the office, lemon turned left and caught in the ass his old Mazda novohonkuyu Honda CR-V. From it came a very wicked man, Sergei, and short and made it clear how I was wrong.

I still did not know that this is the person with whom we will spend an enormous amount of time and that will teach me to fly. Who needs more of mysticism, you can read a meeting with Don Juan Carlos.

The second meeting

Googling, I found out that faced with a very steep pilotazhnikom. And a couple of years forgot about the situation. An old childhood dream - to fly - and so it has remained to bury under a pile of daily (even longer programming and directorships - that does not help) the endless troubles and problems.

If you live in megacities, it is almost guaranteed to have a flying club or something like that, where for your money you will be taught to fly. In smaller towns and in the whole country with this much worse. This is just my case.

One sunny day in March my colleague advised me to meet with the familiar pilot to discuss the joint project. It was not really funding, but if the characters get together, you can barter to fly in an airplane. I agreed. I met with the co-pilot of flight group "Open Skies" - Pasha. And I asked him what it takes to learn how to fly.

"Just get to the airport," - said Pasha. I have arrived. At the airport met Sergei, we are facing machines. We do not know each other, and although I have a sneaking suspicion crept in at once, all managed to find only a year later.

The first step is generally simple. Come to the airfield. Fly. Liked - talk with the pilots how to learn and where.

What else do you need to fly

Formally, to begin to learn, you have to go lotnuyu Commission (VLEK). You need to swoop 45 hours. All neatly fixed in flight book. Pass the certification exams-pilot examiner. Learn the theory in a certified center (one hundred and fifty hours). Pass the theory (and a half thousand questions). Fill the stack of documents. And then get the Flight Certificate PPL (Private Pilot License).

I remember the joy of the first solo flight (I was released on the 20th hour, it is not the result of a high-spirited, but it all depends on you). Joy. Cigarette memory - one of the many aviation traditions.

The cost can vary greatly. In Moscow, it is much cheaper than in Siberia, and better infrastructure. It can cost 7, and 15 thousand per hour. Depending on the type of aircraft, fuel or aviation club.

The loss of the year

In practice, I began to learn without going lotnuyu Commission (VLEK). In my town it at all. I have to travel a couple of hundred kilometers to get to this place.

With him you have to bring a stack of documents, almost like a car on the right to a passport, military ID, an extract from the patient card, certificate from the Drug Dependency and psychiatric clinics, chest x-rays, photographs sinuses, dental formula, complete blood count (plus sugar plus a group of data) and urine, some photos. Better to phone to VLEK and update the list of (it depends on your age). Then you need to go through doctors: therapist, ophthalmologist, surgeon, neurologist and otolaryngologist. ECG carried out on the spot, with the load.

You have to be completely healthy. Me, four-eyes, immediately wrapped. "Boy, come here," - said the good doctor, and I am in sorrow went back a quarter of a thousand kilometers.

I started to read everything that is possible, to restore vision. The conclusion was disappointing: this mode programmer of the day - for 12-16 hours a day behind the monitor - killed my vision. The exercises will not help, because the eyes are just spasmatic. The real question may decide to LASIK surgery.

I had no hesitation. Despite the horrors, the nightmares, which are written on the Internet, went out and did it. Four months after the operation had already passed VLEK. Now, again, I can see fine, but I can not enrage people goggles on his forehead. Work for 12-16 hours a day, too, did not give up.

NB! I was stupid enough to lose a certificate of the results of operations. It will take a lot of trouble, as needed during the day to get a duplicate of another city that could only give me. We had to make a power of attorney to his wife, to give her a duplicate. And in general, and do not duplicate by the rules, and especially do not give. In short, do not waste your help.

More nuance. If you pass VLEK in another city, I do not recommend getting up at three in the morning, coffee inflated, so as not to fall asleep at the wheel, and then long to go on a visit to a neurologist careful: most likely, you will have a light tremor hands. Come ahead and rested.

For the money the balance like this:

• LASIK surgery cost 50 000 rubles.
• VLEK and help - about 7000 rubles. Help is issued for two years, but after a year it is necessary to come and go through a shortened version of the survey.

training

Of great importance is the one who is going to teach you. I was lucky: Sergei - pilot from God, can fly even on garage doors. At the same time endlessly patient and polite. However, you should understand that without the mat even a single plane did not take off. :)

Normal flight training lasts for 10 to 40 minutes (median 30 minutes). The day of departure comfortably do 3-4. Then simply unproductive and end force. After training is always very hungry. Time flows quietly at the airport.

Between the departure and lotnymi days are very important scroll flights in the head, recalling his right actions, errors, analyzing the experiences. It is a kind of meditation. Many pilots familiar to me just sitting silently on the plane 20-30 minutes after each flight. And it really works.

Theory

it was pretty easy for me. I scored 100 points out of 100 in the theoretical exam. This is very similar to how the theory in the traffic police.

At that time, when I was studying, was published a list of questions from the ministry with a lot of errors. I have studied the question, read the book with theory, FAPs, laws, and as a result is well understood in the subject. Plus communication with the teachers of the theory very quickly puts the picture into place.

A little later, the network has a wonderful project "ROSAVIATEST"Where it is convenient to pass tests with real questions and comments you can read why the faithful a particular response.

Training in theory worth about 40 000 rubles. The cost of the exam, I unfortunately do not remember, but it is not very large.

Aviation bureaucracy

Generally it very much. Pilot logbook, which must be filled by hand, logbook, engine form, Form... Modern aircraft onboard systems is quite able to maintain these magazines in electronic form independently. There are good applications for the phones. But in fact you have to write pen on paper. A relic of antiquity.

Private Pilot Certificate (PPL)

It's like driving license. When they are on your hands, you are no longer owes nothing to prove.

In theory. And in fact - you read the forms of disasters. Watch the video of the crash of the aircraft. Analiziruesh. Reread FAPs. It never ceases to update the theoretical materials, reading them in a circle.

You enrage fanned in the media facts about the crash of the aircraft. In recent years, around this to some unhealthy excitement (or just you about the same incident reported from all possible sources, including distant relatives and acquaintances, 3-4 times). Well, yes, fallen airplane, two people were killed. Yes, bad. Yes, it is terrible. But hysteria in the media all over the country - it is search. How many car accidents a day with this outcome? So what?

its board

Sooner or later you will come to this. To save money, you can begin in advance for several years.

Second-hand board domestic production can take on the cost of a new expensive car (or two or three). New onboard an alien is not the most cost-effective solution: from EUR 100 000 to infinity.

When selecting the aircraft have a huge number of options that you will be taken into account. The most important, in my amateur opinion: appointment of the aircraft (? Flying visit or practice aerobatics), and the cost side of the cost operation (e.g., to operate the aircraft, flying at the 95th petrol three times cheaper than flying on a specialized, brand 100LL). Arrangement, balance and roadability better to discuss with experienced professionals. Avionics and any additional options - the steeper the better (as far as the Treasury).

By the time of the choice I had to fly on three types of planes and knew roughly what I want. I needed a plane, on which I can not just fly across the country, but also to learn aerobatics. So he told me never get bored. My choice fell on the RV-7. I took almost a new car. In our time of crisis it was difficult to sell, and the lucky owner. Me too, but I was prepared for a long time.

Sergei and I flew over 400 kilometers, signed the papers and took the plane. I'm flying to the NG-5. My teacher - on the RV-7.

It's a week before the Internet came the duck "oh-oh, two men hijacked a plane». I read the news, and it was clear that this is just some curve for sale. I've just been myself in almost the same situation. In addition, according to the documents that we were all clear, including the current SLG (certified Flight aircraft shelf).

Final registration procedure (analog machines of Registration) took a couple of months. I went to a good specialist to save personal time, but in general you can do it yourself. Next will only pass the annual procedure for obtaining a certificate of airworthiness, to support the board in perfect condition and fill magazines and forms.

rear rack

This is my board.

I learned on the plane with the front desk. Aircraft with upstand more capricious on landing. This animal is also very demanding, fast and voracious.

If you touch the plane from the front desk everything it was over, then on it - everything has just begun. He is able to do aerobatics (without reverse overload). With it's never boring. On it you can fly at speeds up to 370 km / h. And fly away to the one and a half thousand kilometers from home without refueling.

I had to relearn the rear rack. I'm not the fastest guy in the training, so flying hours 16-20, before he could easily put this device without the "goats" and missed approaches.

Where and how to fly

In my country now operates flights to the notification procedure in the areas of class G. These are the areas where most often fly private planes. Apparently, thanks to Dmitry Anatolyevich - before it was permissive, it was much more difficult. In other areas it requires a permit, but it is easy to obtain.

You notify ATC (air traffic control) for half an hour before departure. For example, through special site or by phone. And goes to warm the engine.

Basically, you can fly to any civil airport and a couple of hours to stand there. In aviation, very dense concentration of good, smart, reliable and absolutely amazing people. I would say, the premium people. Owners of private airfields and runways will simply forward to your visit. The major assemblies such as Domodedovo did not even attempt to meddle (I heard that the take-off and landing there are about 100 000 rubles).

The hardest

Aviation - it is very serious. The main difficulty - "To make the home not mind». You'll be lost for the family for the whole weekend, in which you can fly. All the free time you'll spend at the airport. And you get a huge resistance, nerves, swearing.

I can not give here some recommendations, I have passed it very difficult. But... It is necessary to pass. And one day you will be your favorite woman, and your aircraft. And the fifth ocean ahead!