Danger and Poetry

“In an environment where everything happens so fast and where mistakes can be fatal, survival ultimately depends on how the pilot chooses to direct and divide his attention. Because of the finite nature of attention, underestimating one’s proficiency at any given task can be just as dangerous as overestimating it. ”

It’s the start of December, and I think I’ve now read my favorite new flying book of the year: Danger and Poetry, by Joe Karam (2016, Los Angeles: Soaring West). It’s a short easy 130 pages about the author’s first hundred hours of flying, which were in gliders on the west coast of the US. I  ignored what are normally warning signs — odd title, self-published? this-is-my-learning-to-fly-story, no major reviews, poetry? — and was warmly welcomed into the cockpit and into a flying mind for a very enjoyable ride. 

“As I strode across the airfield in my leather jacket and clip-on sunglasses, the sky was clear and the wind was calm. What needed careful monitoring, however, was the weather inside my own head, still nebulous from a night of restless anticipation.”

It is somehow fresh yet timeless. This is what it feels like to learn to fly, and to soar in a glider. For glider pilots, this is our story! For powered pilots, this is a peek inside the magic world of flight with no motor. Covers practical matters as well as the expansion of perspective that mastery of flight gives us. Heart for poetry, mind for danger, he says. Talks of transcendence, and then gives us something concrete, like this:

“It isn’t safe. It’s an intense, high-concentration activity. It’s not something you can do casually or ever become complacent about, and it may never feel as second nature as driving a car. It’s an extreme sport, about as dangerous as riding motorcycles. You have to fly regularly to stay proficient. You have to be disciplined with your checklists. You have to remain alert and maintain situational awareness at all times. You need to know yourself and your limits, and know when to stay on the ground. If the weather conditions are beyond your skill level, you shouldn’t fly. If you’re not well-rested, well-hydrated and well-fed, you shouldn’t fly. If you’ve got worries on your mind, you shouldn’t fly.”

The San Jose area (aka ‘Silicon Valley’) has a very active general aviation scene thanks to lots of creative engineers with money. It’s cool to see. And turns out Joe is one of them. But this is much more than Google Guy Goes Gliding. Joe had a Jesuit education in Paris, and brings a smart sensitive language to the universal (well, for pilots) journey of learning to fly. There is the wisdom of the instructor (Charlie), the thrill of solo, the expanding envelope; but it is not a cliche.

“The finesse required at the controls took some time to adjust to and revealed a qualitatively different facet of the art of soaring, one that seemed accessible only to those pilots who could calm their mind and truly listen to what the glider was whispering into their ear. It was in that quasi-meditative state that Charlie and I continued climbing and progressing further west.”

I loved it! Highly recommended for all pilots, or pilots to be.

Note: I don’t know Joe, and Joe doesn’t know me. I wasn’t paid to post this, I don’t do that. I paid for my book. It’s on iBooks, and Amazon, and has its own Danger and Poetry website. And I don’t know why we are finding out about a 2016 book late in 2018!