Sample Paragraph

ENGLISH 100

Trying difficult maneuvers in an airplane without an instructor can prove fatal. One Monday soon after I had made my solo flight, I was up practicing some maneuvers. They were the most technically difficult feats a pilot is asked to perform, such as figure-eights, slow flight, and steep turns. After about two hours, I became bored with these maneuvers and decided to try something different. I had heard some old-time pilots talking about air-starting a plane. This is similar to roll, or clutch-starting a car, but is done in the air. I decided to give it a try. I flew the plane to 17,000 feet, seven thousand feet above the rocky terrain, and shut off the engine. With the engine off, the plane began to sink rapidly. Ignoring the feeling of doom in the pit of my stomach, I pointed the nose of the plane toward the ground. When the airspeed indicator said I was speeding toward the ground at 130 miles per hour, I began to step on the rudders alternately, right , left, right, left, to turn the nose of the plane so that the wind would catch the propeller and spin it. My altitude dropped to 14,000 feet and the prop was not moving. I started to move the rudder faster, right, left, right, left, but still nothing. The ground was rushing toward me, just over 2000 feet away and I still had no power. With less than 1,000 feet left I realized I had not turned the key to back on. I wiped the sweat off my palms, turned the key to "on" and gave the rudder one last movement right, then left. With the wind screaming by me the prop turned once, then again, and finally the engine started. I pulled back on the yoke and the yank of gravity pressed me back into my seat, pulling the skin on my face tight against my cheekbones. I was within ten seconds of dying and it was not the best feeling. Take my advice and never try a new maneuver without an instructor. He can find your faults--and possibly save your life!