"Pulling the Power" - Commentary by Tony Seton

Pulling the Power

Audrey reached over and pulled the power. The propeller kept turning, but not with the necessary vigor to move the plane forward. It’s a good thing such aircraft as the Cessna Skyhawk we were flying were designed to glide rather than plummet to the earth when you stop feeding the engine fuel. There was a method to her madness; pilots should know how to land a plane when something goes wrong.

When I was in my first pilot training four years ago, my instructor, a former Air Force Colonel, pulled the power on me a couple of times, and frankly, I didn’t handle the situation with aplomb. Synapses fired that shouldn’t have and I became uptight and inept. A couple of years later, when Audrey was teaching me instrument flight, she would also simulate an engine failure, and though I reacted in a manner that got us on the ground safely, the truth is that I was a bit over-jazzed by the circumstances.

Audrey and I go flying together every month or so, even though she’s still instructing but I’m not studenting. Well, that’s not nearly correct; she’s always instructing and I’m always learning. I’m eager for her admonitions, teases, and curlicues. I fly well enough so that she no longer has to shout or take back the controls. Actually, she never did, nor is it her style. The lady is grace personified.

This time we flew down to Red Bluff, fifteen minutes away, and I flew what’s called a VOR approach up to the decision point where it was obvious I could make a safe landing. Then I added power, climbed up over the runway, heading to Redding. Redding Municipal has what’s called an ILS approach, which requires greater precision. An ILS offers not only horizontal coordinates, but also a vertical glide slope. You want one needle to be straight up and down and the other to be horizontal.

"I’m amazed and disappointed," she commented as we reached the airport. She was amazed that I remembered how to fly the approach without error, and disappointed that she had nothing to criticize. My chest and head both swelled.

After completing the approach, we stayed in the pattern above the airport to practice landings. It was on the last go-around that she pulled the power. This time, however, there was no flustering, no excitement. I felt in complete control of the aircraft. Not cocky, just comfortable; I brought us in for a smooth landing. Learning to fly continues to be the most important thing I’ve done in my life.

And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.