I bathed the Cessna

So, today, our pilot and I washed our Cessna. Yes, that is also part of our job because, who else is going to do it? We have a mechanic, but try telling your mechanic to go, please detail your car. See what he says. Exactly. And no, planes do not have an auto-clean feature. It’s not an oven.

Anyway, while we were out there, I became more close and personal with the aircraft than before. How well do you intimately know the outside of your car? See? Like my car, I’m pretty sure where the muffler is, but . . . uhm, what’s a muffler?

Ok, ok. Back to the plane. I learned about the pitot (pronounced pee-tow. It’s French. ssshhh) tubes. These measure the airspeed of the aircraft. Those of you who know that, shut up. Before today, those things to me were just metal things sticking out of the bottom nose of the aircraft, ok? Our pilot reminded me to be very careful washing around those so I don’t break them off. Sheesh! I’ve only been here two months and he already knows to warn me about these things. I’m kind of a disaster.

Then he told me about these two disc-shaped metal thingies on the side of the aircraft that measure atmospheric pressure. Again, he cautioned me not to blast water straight at them. I guess he probably knew I would have too much fun with the hose.

The most awesome part of the whole thing, though, is he let me steer the Cessna. That was so great!!! So, you steer with your foot, not your hands, so I had to mentally focus and not grab the steering wheel (is that what they’re called?). I couldn’t keep the thing going in a straight line, but I didn’t crash into anything. Our pilot, however, was sweating a lot and not because of the heat; but he let me do it, anyway. I’m still so excited about that. I want to do that again!!!

(Picture above is me, thinking I could be a pilot). Yeah, right! They would have to move all the other airplanes on the other side of the airport.

Comments

[dhang]

That is so cool!!! Not too many nurses get the chance to maneuver a Cessna heheh. I'm still curious ... did you wash the whole thing?

[Ruthie]

No, the pilot helped. He helped a lot since I was so slow. I washed a quarter of the plane and he did the rest. Would that make me the helper? or the helpee? Oh, well. It was fun. I wouldn't want to do that all the time, I'm sure. It's probably like being so totally excited about washing your new car, then after a while, the novelty of it wears off. Then you get to be like my truck. Can't even tell what color it is. <sigh>