Looking back on my twenty year law enforcement career my most exciting times was when I was assigned as an undercover narcotics officer during the mid 80’s. During this period a large percentage of the drugs smuggled into the southwest from Mexico came in by small private aircraft.

Therefore I spent allot of time working with other federal and state law enforcement agencies working air interdiction. I would fly with DEA or DPS in fixed wing or helicopters searching out clandestine airstrips that would have extra full barrels hidden in the weeds, then stake out the location(s) for days if not months.

Even though I have a fear of heights during this assignment I developed a very strong passion for general aviation, however it took an additional twenty eight years to fulfill this dream.

Last November I signed for private pilot training at Buckeye Flight School and in April purchased Cessna 182T that had over 2500 hours that was rebuilt from a previous encounter with a taxiway sign. As this was a much more complex aircraft with a glass cockpit and a high performance engine additional training and certification was required so I set back my solo back till July until I felt completely comfortable with my own bird.

After completing my solo I decided that I wanted to add my own “personal touch” to my bird and registered the N-Number of 918RR. 918 is the police code for “mentally ill” and RR is my initials.

A few days before Christmas and eighty flight hours and 245 landings since starting my training in my Instructor felt I was FINALLY ready for my FAA check.

One of my biggest obstacles during my flight training was trying to get over the fear of doing power on nose high stalls. For some reason putting the aircraft in an unusual attitude and waiting for the plane (and your stomach) to start plunging from the sky just didn’t feel right. But knowing that I would be tested in this procedure during my check ride my instructor and I practiced these the entire afternoon prior to the test.
That evening I laid awake thinking of all the questions and my answers to the oral questions the examiner would ask such as airspace, airspeeds, stalls/spins and then the final one hour flight with the FAA examiner. I knew I was ready but would I choke?

The following morning without much of any sleep, I reviewed my notes, headed out to the hanger to do my preflight, taxied out in front of my home waving to my wife and flew out to Buckeye to meet with the examiner.

The oral exam was a little tougher than I expected but I was pleased when the examiner ended the test saying that I did somewhat better than average so then I knew that I knocked out part one. Then we walked out to my bird, did another preflight and climbed aboard 918RR (Crazy Radar Roy).

Arizona is home to numerous flight schools that cater to international students and because Buckeye Airport is a rural non towered airport, many of the schools send their students to practice their take offs and landings there.

While taxiing to the runway I heard one of these students announcing his placement and intentions in the pattern in broken English. I realized then that my checkout ride just got a little harder because I had to take the time and watch for him in the pattern because I had no clue in hell he was saying..

The evening before I had prepared a flight plan to Flagstaff airport 200 miles to the north and the examiner wanted me to set my departure up for this airport knowing that the entire town was under two feet of snow.
After my run-up at the end of the runway, I announced my intentions on the Buckeye Unicom and took off from the airport setting up my departure north to Flagstaff. After getting all setup and ten minutes into the flight the examiner says “Hey, we can’t go there, it’s snowed in. Let’s go to Blythe (California).

THANKFULLY my bird is GPS equipped so after entering a few coordinates into the panel we were flying west.
After reaching 4500 feet the examiner says ok now the fun stuff, get it set up for a power on stall.
I slow my bird down to 50 knots, added full throttle and begin my nose high climb. What seemed like an eternity looking directly up into the sky with the yoke pulled into my chest the plane finally began to buffet and entered a stall. As soon as I did I lowered the nose, adjusted the throttle and fell into straight and level flight!

The rest seemed easy a short field take off (the airstrip at my home is VERY short field), a landing with no flaps and a go around. Finally an hour into the ride the examiner said “Take us back Captain”.

Now came what ended up being the hardest part of the test, trying to keep my excitement level down to grease this final landing as a student pilot, taxi to the FBO and get my BIRD shut down in one piece!

Then that moment arrived, while coming in on my 45 degree entry into the downwind leg, the Chinese student announces that he is turning crosswind placing him directly into my path! Glancing over to the examiner I announced that I was doing a 360 to re-enter the pattern. After putting the plane into a forty five degree bank I realized that I didn’t mark a location on the horizon nor did I set my bug. At this point I assume that the examiner sensed my disorientation and pointed to the GPS with the airport displayed six o’clock off my nose.

I leveled off, announced that I was re-entering the pattern, landed and taxied back to the FBO. After shutting down the engine the examiner reviewed the good points and the not so good points (momentary disorientation due to stress) and ended by congratulating me saying that I passed!

I feel very fortunate that after being bitten by the “aviation bug” that I was finally able to live out my dream and followed through what seemed to be one of the biggest challenges in my life in controlling my fear of heights. No longer do I look up at all the aircraft circling my neighborhood and wonder what it’s like to be way up there, because I’ve been there and I can return whenever I want!

After 46 hours of flight time I finally got to Solo in my Cessna 182T at Buckeye Airport!

A special thanks to my instructors at Greg Porter and Dave Evans at Buckeye Flight Experience.

Here is a video my flight today, hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

Being a retired police officer who chased after bad guys in high speed pursuits, being involved in countless drag out fights and yes even being shot at once, it takes allot to get my “fear factor” going but today I found myself at full tilt!

During my six year stint as a narcotics officer, I was assigned six months to the “Air Smuggling Interdiction Squad.” It was here that my interests in general aviation started when I had the opportunity to fly around the southwest with officers from US Customs and the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Here I learned from other squad members who were pilots the basics of avionics and the fun of flying. It was then that I made a promise to myself that someday I would learn to fly. Today that someday arrived!

A few months ago I started doing some research on the Internet on Arizona flying schools and spoke to other private pilots, all recommending the “Buckeye Flight Experience” training school in Buckeye Arizona as the “best of breed”.

On Monday, I drove down to the school and met with owner/instructor Greg Porter. Greg gave me the basic information about his school and assured me that even an “old geyser” like me could learn new skills. He provided a DVD ground school program that I was to use at home and scheduled my first flying class for today.

Last night I stayed up and reviewed the first DVD several times, trying to learn and understand the basic parts of an aircraft and basic flying skills. After acing the exam, I felt ready to take on today’s challenge.

However when I met with Greg at the airport, I never expected him to say that I was ready to take off and land the plane myself. But he assured me that he would be at the controls alongside and that I would see that the plane would fly itself (ya right I said to myself).

After Greg walked me though my first pre-inspection on his Cessna 172 he suggested methods for me to get my six foot six, 300 pound body behind the control wheel. After squeezing in and getting buckled in, Greg joined me along side explaining all the buttons, switches and gauges. Another pre-flight checklist was completed and Greg told me to get ready start the aircraft. I pulled the throttle forward, yelled “clear” and then turned the key while adjusting the mixture control and a few seconds later the engine was at full throttle while both my feet were pressing on the brakes at full force. Greg assured me that everything was ok, to check my gauges and to get ready to taxi.

We began to taxi and I do admit found it very awkward in steering the aircraft with my feet and found myself grabbing the steering wheel several times, finding it useless. Greg directed me to the entrance of the main runway, where we stopped and performed final flight checklist.

Greg explained that once on the main runway that I would push the throttle in all the way and once up to speed, pull back on the control wheel to take off, that’s all there was to it.

With my heart in my throat, he said “lets go” and I steered the plane onto the runway, pushed throttle in and found ourselves speeding down the main runway. The plane first went to the left, I steered with my feet to the right, then to the left and back, all while pulling with all my might on the control wheel.

Seconds later Greg said “relax we’re off the ground” and I looked through the left door window seeing the runway was hundreds of feet below. Greg said to continue my climb and a few moments later said to bank right. I started banking right by overturning slightly and Greg related to level off after entering the bank to allow the plane to follow.
Greg then related that I was to continue my climb till we reached 4000 feet. Here I would level off and pull back on my throttle to 2200 RPM.

At 4000 feet I leveled off, adjusted throttle and we were cruising at 100 knots. Greg then had me do several 90 degree turns and two 180 degree turns, while leveling off the aircraft after each turn. Greg must had noticed that on several turns, that my eyes were about to bug out of my head and assured me that I was doing just fine.

Greg then explained that we would then practice a decent and that I would notice that the plane’s engine would sound louder as it would be over speeding. Once it did I should slow the engine’s speed down by pulling out the throttle.

We began our decent to 3500 feet while I was adjusting the throttle while attempting to keep the plane fling straight with one hand in a crosswind.
At 3500 feet Greg said to climb back to 4000 feet by increasing the throttle and increasing back pressure.

Greg then said those words that I was dreading to hear, “Ok, you’re ready to land” and pointed in the direction of the airport.

Ten minutes later the runway was in view and Greg told me to start my decent, aiming for the “17” at the beginning of the runway. A few miles before the runway I saw I-10 intersecting my path and prayed that I wouldn’t come down early into the side of a semi.

Greg assured me and said that he would also have his hands on the control (Whew!!)

Reducing power we came above the runway and Greg said “watch, this plane will land itself” and in seconds we were on the ground with my feet pressing on the brakes and attempting to steer.

Again I found myself clutching the wheel to steer while Greg jokingly said “next time I’ll bring rope to tie your hands up.”

We taxied to the tie down area, shut down the aircraft and squeezed my large frame through the door.

I did it, and began fulfillment of a dream that I started years ago, learning how to fly a plane!

Thanks to Greg and the Buckeye Flight Experience, I’ll be back next week for flight #2!

One of my passions is riding my Harley and exploring new destinations.

This past weekend, the Prescott Arizona region of the Choirboys law enforcement motorcycle club held a run to Rocky Point Mexico.

Back in 1985 during my assignment as an undercover officer to the Special Investigations unit, was the first time I was in Rocky Point. That rainy Easter weekend was spent in a Cantina just off the beach, in what was then a sleepy little town.

We crossed into Mexico at the Lukeville/Sonoyta crossing and took Hwy 8. Several miles past Sonoyta I began getting a weak Ka reading on my Escort 8500 X50. About a mile ahead, as we turned around a bend we came behind a Mexican Federal Police patrol car and two officers.

We stayed a safe distance behind and within a few miles we noticed the patrol car pulling into the right shoulder, preparing to make a u-turn. We then spotted the officers pray, a white BMW that had California plates that was heading in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed

After the white BMW blew by us, the officer activated the lights and siren and took off after the car.

About ten miles later, we then came across what has had to be one of the most stupidest drivers I encountered in a very long time. A pick up was towing a single axle trailer that was loaded ten feet high with bails of hay. The tires on the trailer axle seemed ready to burst because of the weight and the driver had a very difficult time controlling the vehicle at speeds over 15 m.p.h.

At this point on the highway it is a no passing zone, and there are numerous dips and turns that prevent you from seeing far ahead. Also the traffic heading towards the boarder was very heavy, so we decided to stay well enough behind to avoid any bails of hay that were getting ready to fall from the trailer.

Traffic quickly started building up behind us with most of the drivers having less patience then us and who were also becoming very stupid.

Normally we would pull over into the shoulder and wait out all these idiots, but the shoulder was all soft sand and we would easily get stuck.

We had a choice, either get run over from one of the cars or trucks behind us, as they attempted to pass, or try pass the hay truck in the no passing zone. Finally we saw an opening and shot passed, and saw one of the bails of hay come tumbling from the stack in our rear view mirror.

About 45 minutes later, we finally made the 65 mile stretch from Arizona into Rocky Point and arrived at our hotel, right on the beach.

I was amazed at the amount of new construction that was going on along the beaches! Huge luxury condos were being built along the beaches and real estate offices were almost on every corner.

We spent a great weekend with my club members and I will be making another trip out to Rocky Point soon, as the weather, riding  and beaches were fantastic!