Flight Training - January/February 2021 - 21

AFTER THE CHECKRIDE

BY JULIE SUMMERS WALKER

HOW
Whether it's prepping for
a checkride, perfecting
an instrument approach,
or just going out for
a proficiency flight, a
good pilot is always
learning. To make that
easier, AOPA and the Air
Safety Institute offer a
wide variety of resources
specifically tailored to
your flying life.
aopa.org/
training-and-safety

RESOURCES
Looking for
new places to fly?
aopa.org/travel/
destinations

FLY IN THE NEW YEAR
START YOUR OWN ANNUAL TRADITION
THE BOSS, EDITOR IN CHIEF TOM HAINES,

is known for ringing in the new year
by taking his Bonanza A36 for an early
morning flight each New Year's Day.
Before a bird strike temporarily grounded
him last year, he wrote this about his
annual rite of passage in AOPA Pilot
( " Waypoints: Winging in the New Year, "
January 2020): " On each New Year's
Day for most of the past 20 years, I have
flown my Beechcraft Bonanza A36,
believing that there's no better way to
kick off the new year than to put some
airspace under the wheels of an airplane.
Save for a couple of years when poor
weather or a schedule conflict cropped
up, I have flown my airplane on a local
flight to ring in the New Year. On a few
occasions I have brought along friends
or family members, but often it's just
me-anxious for some time alone after
the busy holidays to ponder the year past

and anticipate the new one while droning
along, going no place in particular.
" With the power pulled back, I
often head southwest from our home
base of Frederick Municipal Airport
in Maryland, slipping into the Potomac River valley and snaking up the
river to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia,
then a turn more northerly to investigate the goings-on at the ski slopes at
Whitetail Resort-most years the only
hint of snow in the area. From there,
it's fun to maneuver just outside the
Camp David P-40 airspace to check out
Catoctin Mountain and then slide over
the last ridge to inspect the conditions at
another slope, Ski Liberty. Mid Atlantic Soaring Center Airport lies in the
shadow of the ridge, so I keep an eye out
for gliders and towplanes-apparently
others like to begin the new year by
flying, as well.

" Turning more southerly, I will putter
down Glade Valley, checking out the dairy
farms and the ever-increasing number of
solar farms. I'm not sure what they feed
those solars, but they sure do seem to
reproduce quickly. Less than hour after
I started, I will be pushing the Bonanza
back into the hangar. If it's a warm day,
I'll find an excuse to hang out a little
longer-no bugs to remove, but that
windshield could be cleaner. Maybe grab
the vacuum and tidy up the cabin. After
closing the big hangar door, my last act
will be to pat the Bonanza on the spinner
and the right wing tip before stepping
outside, feeling relaxed and ready to take
on the world for another year. "
Perhaps this will inspire you to start
your own tradition. Welcome 2021, we
are ready for you.
julie.walker@aopa.org

AOPA.ORG/FT

21

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Flight Training - January/February 2021

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