Today I was at the St-Hubert airport near Montreal, where my son is taking his flight lessons to become an airline pilot.
It was sky clear with some crosswind, enough to make takeoffs and landings just a little bit more challenging.
From the deck of the school, I had a nice overall view on the tarmac where most of the planes are parked.
The tarmac was getting busy as usual for a sunny day, with pilots and instructors preparing their aircraft for departure or arriving from their lessons.
For some students, it was their first flight. You can guess by their excitement, slightly covering a bit of anxiety.
For them, it will be the very first time they get their feet in a cockpit. From theory to practice, they are going to drive an airplane.
This reminds me wonderful souvenirs.
My First Solo Flight
It’s been several years ago now but for me, it was like yesterday.
I landed my airplane at the International Jean-Lesage Airport of Quebec City (YQB) after a nice flying lesson with my instructor.
We were taxiing back to the school when my instructor told me to stop the aircraft at an unusual place once we arrived on the tarmac. What I did.
He raised the canopy to get outside the aircraft and when I was preparing to do the same, he said something like this:
– “You stay here. It’s your time now. Baby birds need to get pushed out of the nest and fly by their own.”
-Uh…What?
-“You go solo my friend! Do a traffic pattern and come back here to see me.”
I remember having had an unclear mix of emotions like joy, excitement, plus a bit of stress or anxiety. 😥
There is no reason to panic I said to myself. I have trained for long enough and I’m more than ready now.
My plane for my first solo
On the radio, I called Quebec’s airport ground with the yellow code (that means student on first solo for the airspace controllers) and was ready to do the job I was trained for, exactly like my instructor taught me.
I started to taxi following the indications of the airport’s ground control.
As I arrived at the runway I was assigned to, I switched on the tower’s airspace frequency to announce my intentions: “(…)ready for takeoff”.
It is during the time I was waiting on the side of the departure runway, waiting for the “clear for takeoff” call from the airport’s tower that the stress was most intense.
Once I received the go, I drove to reach the center line at the runway threshold, and pushed the throttle straight up to maximum.
I feel again the fantastic adrenaline rush growing while the acceleration was taking place, my back fully against the seat, and my right foot pushing strongly on the right rudder pedal to keep the nose of the airplane on the runway center line.
When airborne, I knew there was no turning back. I had to continue up and around doing all the tasks I needed to do to land this aircraft safely.
I yelled loudly a “woohooo!” with great joy! Stress was gone at the moment I crossed 500 feet or so!
Flaps up! I was in control.
Me alone, driving that airplane.
I felt privileged to be there, in the sky, flying like a bird and enjoying the scenery.
Well no, I wasn’t really enjoying the scenery. 🤔
I was far too busy maintaining the course and attitude for the best rate of climb air speed while preparing my mind for the next steps.
You have to know that for a pilot, everything can become rapidly overwhelming in an airplane’s cockpit if you’re not focused.
When I reached 1000 feet above ground, I banked the aircraft left on a nice 20 degrees’ roll, making a left turn to take the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern. There was a bit of bumpy turbulence but it was OK.
There are 5 legs to do in the traffic pattern before landing the airplane, all with their specific tasks to accomplish. All tasks required for the current leg must be completed before reaching the next leg.
Hence the first leg, which is the Takeoff, was completed successfully. After my left turn, I was on the second leg called the Crosswind leg.
Then, after another turn left, come the Downwind leg, which is done about 1 nautical mile or a gliding distance away and parallel to the runway.
During this left leg the pilot have to prepare for landing, check all instruments, including the engine gauges, listen to and make radio communications to know his sequence position in the pattern and request a full stop landing from the tower.
Another left turn and I was established in the Base leg. That’s were the pilot will reduce its airspeed, drop some flaps, and trim the plane in the right attitude to realize a controlled descent perpendicular to the runway axis or center line.
Just before crossing the runway axis at about 500 feet above ground, I do a last turn left in, what is called, the Final approach.
During the final approach, the focus is on the runway, the airspeed, and the altitude. If one gets too low, power must be increased in order to decrease the glide slope.
If too high, power must be decreased to increase the glide slope while still maintaining the same airspeed. Keeping the right glide slope is very important in the final approach, only small or tiny adjustments of power are necessary. The attitude of the aircraft with respect to the relative wind don’t change so the airspeed remains stable if the aircraft is properly trimmed.
After I received the final landing authorization from the tower, I landed the aircraft safely on the runway centerline.
Right after the wheels touch the floor, I heard the controller say “Congratulations sir for your first solo flight!”
This closed for me a fantastic day rich in emotions.
You are wondering what this has to do with my affiliate marketing business? Stay with me, I’ll bring you there.
The Cessna 150
Despite I did my training on the Katana DA20-C1, most pilots, including my son, will say they made their first flight with this airplane:
The Cessna 150
The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane. It was in production from 1956 to 1977 and is still in service today.
This airplane is not any kind of airplane though. It’s the most popular trainer in the world.
Based on Wikipedia, the Cessna 150 is the fifth most produced aircraft ever, with 23,839 produced.
What makes this aircraft so popular?
User Friendly Design
One of the key factors contributing to the Cessna 150’s popularity is its user-friendly design.
The cockpit layout is intuitive, with easily accessible controls and a simple instrument panel that allows novice pilots to focus more on flying and less on navigation.
Furthermore, the aircraft’s high-wing configuration offers excellent visibility, enhancing situational awareness and safety during training flights.
A Legacy of Reliability and Performance
The Cessna 150 quickly gained a reputation for reliability and performance.
Designed specifically with flight training in mind, the aircraft boasts a robust air frame and a straightforward design that ensures ease of maintenance.
Its dependable performance has been consistently demonstrated over millions of flight hours, providing student pilots with a safe and predictable learning environment.
Exceptional Handling
Flight instructors often praise the Cessna 150 for its forgiving flight characteristics.
The aircraft’s stable handling and predictable response to control inputs make it an ideal platform for learning the fundamentals of flight.
Its relatively low stall speed and gentle stall behavior provide a confidence-boosting experience for student pilots, ensuring they can master critical maneuvers safely.
I can elaborate on this by saying it’s certainly one of the most stable engine powered aircraft one can learn on. By stable I mean that the airplane wants to stay in the attitude it was trimmed for, so if a variation from this attitude is imposed, the aircraft will correct it.
For example, if one stalls or spins the airplane by mistake, given enough altitude, the airplane can recover by itself.
The Community
The Cessna 150’s long-standing popularity has cultivated a strong community of enthusiasts, mechanics, and instructors.
This network of support provides invaluable resources for troubleshooting, advice, and camaraderie.
For student pilots, this means access to a wealth of knowledge and experience, making their training journey smoother and more enjoyable.
Economic Considerations
Economic considerations are crucial for flight schools and student pilots alike.
The Cessna 150 stands out as a cost-effective option due to its fuel-efficient engine and low operating costs.
Its widespread availability also means that parts and maintenance services are readily accessible, further reducing the overall cost of ownership.
This affordability allows more students to pursue their dream of becoming pilots without the burden of excessive expenses.
Connection with Affiliate Marketing
Like a student pilot will chose the perfect school with the right airplane to begin its flying lessons with, you have to chose the best training program available to help you start your business.
If you want to start doing Affiliate Marketing, you are serious about it but you still don’t know how because there’s too much products that promotes money online, then think about the student pilot and the Cessna 150.
Read below but try also to make your own connections.
Reliability and trust
Don’t let or do anything at random. Be demanding on yourself.
Find a training program that will get you where you want. It’s imperative that you make your research first.
What other people are saying about this program? Is it a legit company?
Like the Cessna 150 trainer is reputable and was proven reliable for pilots, it’s important for you to find a program having a proven plan.
The proven plan is part of the program’s methodology.
A good training program has acquired a reputation and attracted trust from many successful affiliates because of its plan. That is, such a plan has been proven to work because there are people that have built a successful business with it, like many flight schools have built their success on the Cessna 150.
A reputable program ensures that you are partnering with credible brands, receiving timely payments, and accessing valuable marketing resources.
This trust not only safeguards your reputation but also enhances your credibility with your audience.
A reliable program serves as the backbone of your affiliate endeavors, allowing you to focus on what you do best: creating valuable content and growing your audience.
Ease your way AND Handle your business
Like a Cessna 150 can be forgiving and easy to handle, in the competitive landscape of affiliate marketing, having the right tools and resources is paramount to achieving success.
These tools can streamline operations, provide insightful analytics, and enhance overall productivity, allowing marketers to focus on what truly matters—engaging with their audience and driving conversions. 🤑
From tracking software that monitors performance metrics to content creation tools that help produce compelling marketing materials, the right resources can make a significant difference.
Furthermore, educational resources such as webinars, forums, and eBooks offer valuable insights and strategies that can keep marketers ahead of the curve.
Investing in these essential tools and resources not only optimizes the efficiency of an affiliate marketing program but also paves the way for sustained growth and profitability.
Importance of the community
Like for the Cessna 150, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the community to the affiliate marketer.
Being part of a supportive and knowledgeable community provides affiliates with invaluable insights, resources, and encouragement.
This collective wisdom can significantly shorten the learning curve for newcomers and offer seasoned marketers fresh perspectives and strategies.
Communities often foster an environment where members can share best practices, troubleshoot issues collaboratively, and celebrate each other’s successes.
Moreover, they can serve as a powerful network for building partnerships and discovering new opportunities.
By actively engaging in a community, affiliates can stay updated on industry trends, enhance their marketing efforts, and ultimately drive better results.
Importance of mentorship
Even if a Cessna 150 almost teach pilots how to fly by its ease of handling and stability, a student will never fly alone in the first weeks of training. Student pilots have to learn first how to take off and land the plane safely, right?
Imagine! Without someone of confidence having flying experience sitting next to you, would you take the pilot in command seat alone in the first weeks you learn? Of course not! There are steps to do before being approved for the first solo.
Even after their first solo, student pilots still need their instructors to teach them important lessons to grow their skills.
After I completed my first solo, I wasn’t left alone anymore! I still needed my instructor to supervise my progress.
Within a good affiliate training program, mentorship provides a critical foundation of knowledge and support, fostering growth and innovation.
Experienced mentors offer invaluable insights into industry trends, effective strategies, and potential pitfalls, allowing affiliates to navigate the complexities of the market with confidence.
A mentor’s guidance can accelerate the learning curve, helping newcomers quickly grasp the nuances of affiliate marketing. This relationship fosters an environment of continuous improvement and professional development, which is essential for staying competitive.
Moreover, mentors can offer personalized advice tailored to specific challenges, thus enhancing the overall effectiveness of the marketing efforts.
Ultimately, mentorship bridges the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, leading to more effective campaigns and higher conversion rates.
For an affiliate marketing program to thrive, integrating mentorship is not just beneficial—it’s indispensable.
Without a mentor, the risk is too high for you to get stuck, get distracted, to finally drift from your course, become overwhelmed, and quit with more debts than you had initially.
Like a pilot learns from the experience of his instructor so does the affiliate marketer who learns from his mentor.
The business is your airplane and you are the pilot in command. Learn to drive it with a mentor and ensure that you and your business have everything you need to land on success. This includes a reliable training, a proven plan and the resources to make you fly!
My Program
Dean Holland is my mentor. My program is called Accelerator and it’s designed to start and succeed in the very competitive “make money online” niche. With this program I have been able to start my own business and become a certified partner of Dean’s company called Internet Profits and get access to their resources and funnels.
Now there is a new version, adapted for any niche which I started promoting as the best in the world and which is called:
The Beginner’s Advantage
It’s not yet available to the general public, but it will be very very soon.
I know I’m repeating this since a while now but this time, I can see the signs.
Like Accelerator, this program will take you by the hand to help you start your business from scratch in any niche as a complete beginner. It follows Dean’s proven methodology and plan, and gives you access to the Affiliate System platform, a place where you find all the tools you need to start and grow your business at one place.
I’m looking forward to see you grab this opportunity. In the interim, my call to action is that you subscribe to my Newsletter and if you didn’t yet, order the Iceberg Effect book. I told you, this will start your business.
Please leave a comment below and before you ask… No! I’m not promoting the Cessna 150. 😁
See you next post.
Martin
P.S. Here are two pilot’s jokes (it’s like dad’s jokes but about airplanes)
A student asked his instructor what was the most efficient use of the rotating propeller in front of the aircraft nose. The instructor to answer:
-“It’s just a fan and it helps pilots stay cool. Because I’ll tell you one thing my friend, the day it will stop rotating during a flight you’ll find it’s getting quickly pretty warm in the cockpit.” 😂
A student asked its instructor how to maintain a straight course in a cloud. The instructor to answer:
-“Well it’s quite simple. You see the red light on the tip of the left wing?”
-“Yes”
-“You see the green light on the tip of the right wing?”
-“mmm…yes”
-“Ok then you got it. Just keep flying in between.” 😂
🤦♂️Sorry about this.
Leave a Reply