What "trimming" an Airplane has taught me about, Screenwriting. More than you can imagine, and, no, the action's were not similarly executed. However, both had a direct impact on my "attitude." Let me explain-
Over ten years ago my serious run toward a Private Pilot's license was executed in full stride. At a time in my life, (before marriage - before children) the responsibilities in my life were making certain I had money to pay for rent and food. With little room left for selfless service, my selfishness had determined that flying would become my ultimate priority. I've been fortunate enough to be around aviation ever since my, Father flew me out to California from Michigan in his Cesena, (inside a cardboard box/wrapped in a blanket) at the primitive age of one. Ever since my "first flight," and as long as I can recall, I've been staring up at the skies whenever an aircraft's noise, rumbles through the clouds above me. Nevertheless, just how I discovered in Martial Arts,' wearing that "subjective" white-belt; every Pilot needs to start somewhere, and with learning your craft, in flight/writing/parenting, pilotage is an experience that's obtained through practice and failure, period. So off I went as a single man, learning the rules of the trade and adapting to my environment (in and out) of the airplane.
A few years after this story I'm about to tell you, I would discover the "turbulent" world of Screenwriting. Both worlds, as I've found to be true with time, Aviation and Screenwriting, have a journey that is hidden until ventured. Regardless, your "attitude" and "perception" the chances of arriving at your intended destination, piloting your craft... or, whether you end up on the map as a splattered red-spot can fluctuate dramatically if your course's bearing gets shadowed by a self-inflicted fate that can be blamed on none other than yourself. For example, here's my story-
"Solo Flight" is similar to "Spec Writing." There are many, many days in a Pilot's life that will go into a Pilot's emotional and egotistical file. One of the most memorable one's for a Pilot is his or her's, "First Solo." In a Writer's file, typing the words, "FADE OUT" for the first time might be just as glorious. Both circumstances are substantial to their ego and are seldom forgotten. What I've noticed of the two individuals is how they move past that achievement and capitalize on a chance for humility in their practice will outline their skillset and represent to their peers, what type of PERSON they will become, Pilot or, Writer they both are human.
In Aviation, once the list of achievements has compounded, a Student Pilot can step out into a less-constricting (Flying Solo with no Flight Instructor) / (Writer converting from Feature to Television) world of new amazements. In either case, flying or writing, there are elements involved that are completely out of the Creator's control. One that is NOT is "Trim." In Screenwriting, "Trim" is the ultimate chore when I analyze my scripts, streamlining my story's efficiency, fluidity, and its' appearance. As frustrating as it may sometimes be, the overall performance/flight of my script will be directly correlated with the attention-to-detail I give in "trimming" it down. So, I do it anyway because it's important to my success and that's what I ultimately want to achieve for each one.
The definition of an Aircraft's "Trim Tab," according to Wikipedia states: "Trim tabs are small surfaces connected to the trailing edge of a larger control surface on a boat or aircraft, used to control the trim of the controls, i.e. to counteract hydro- or aerodynamic forces and stabilise the boat or aircraft in a particular desired attitude without the need for the operator to constantly apply a control force. This is done by adjusting the angle of the tab relative to the larger surface." *Screenwriters... This is a LOGLINE for Flight.* There's a lot of shop-talk here but, the adjustments are exactly the same when it comes to, Screenwriting or Flying. Let me explain. Try not to look for differences between Aviation and Screenwriting, and spend the next two minutes looking for the similarities.
I remember obtaining my 'sign off' in my Logbook from my Flight Instructor. I would open that Logbook every time I pulled the Airplane out for "Pre-Flight." I'd read the responsibilities that were handed to me and wrap my head around that day's flight (script) I was about to engage. With the intentions of success, I'd strap up and board the Airplane. Just like today, then, I lived in Southern California where's the weather's beautiful on most days. The airport I flew out of was near the ocean, and with the odds of fog rolling in toward the late afternoon, I would generally fit my flights in around 2 pm. Most flights were short and sweet. Every trip was planned, but the common denominator (regardless of genre) every single takeoff and landing were different. We all know that each one of our Scripts is unique, however; the rules in which we apply to all of them are generally the same. Like a house that's new or old, if the bones are good, the opportunities are endless.
There's a saying in Aviation that goes, "He's BEHIND the Airplane," or, around the airport you can sometimes hear pilot's say "...that guy's so far BEHIND the Airplane, I won't fly with him." *Nobody want's to be "that Guy." If a Pilot (Writer) plans on doing takeoffs & landings around the pattern, or, if the Pilot (Writer) intends on performing basic maneuvers to strengthen their skills (finish that Act II and make it tie your script together) in the given afternoon, they may have performed those simple tasks a thousand times before, but, those simple procedures can be abruptly changed, without notice and a checklist is the only way to balance your odds and ensure a fair playing field. The Pilot (Writer) needs to be aware of those changes and respond - AHEAD of the Airplane, not BEHIND it. This is one example how I learned the hard way...
One day I had performed "touch and go's" around my local airport. This is where the flight path is directly tied to the airport's flight pattern, and depending on traffic (other airplanes) or weather (winds) the actions you just used on the previous touch and go's (earlier script/different genre) might be the worst thing possible for the newest, current demands. On this day, I had taken off and landed, consecutively for nearly seven, straight touch and go's. The eighth attempt that I was about to encounter would soon change the way I perceived myself as a Pilot for the rest of my career, and it almost solidified my last actions, not just as a Pilot, but as a human on this planet. "CIGAR..." It's an acronym that's used for Pilot's when preparing to "roll-out"/"takeoff" (start a new script). "Controls... Are they free and clear?' CHECK! 'Instruments... Are they showing acceptable oil pressure, etc.?' CHECK! 'Gas... Are my tanks full - am I on the right tank WITH fuel?' CHECK! 'Attitude... Is the Airplane "trimmed-out" for takeoff?' CHECK! And 'Radio... Do I have my transponder on - can I communicate with the Tower?" CHECK! Theses tests are performed during every "approach," and during "touch and go's" the duration of the entire acronym lasts nearly four-to-five seconds. Each acknowledgment, "C" to "R" a visual (looking at each instrument) verification is done while simultaneously opening the throttle and lifting the Aircraft (Script) off the deck. On this day - my eighth touch and go was different - my lackadaisical mindset allowed me to assume things were just as they were three minutes ago. To my surprise, they were NOT.
Suddenly, I found myself "BEHIND THE AIRPLANE," working on a (Script) that was out of control.
The winds had shifted nearly one-hundred-eighty degrees since my last go around. A Private, Jet Aircraft had just taken off with significant wake turbulence had been spawn off, and down into my "touchdown" spot. My Airplane was still "trimmed out" for a short field takeoff, and everything else just seemed to creep up on me like I had been caught sleeping. I don't know how many writers have flown an airplane, but the following is for those who have not. I didn't "re-trim" the airplane for level flight, because of this, my decent was delayed, and I was running out of runway on my final approach while safely descending. *Those who do/have flown, you're probably asking yourselves, "why didn't you just, "go around?'" Because I hadn't experienced being 'loaded-up' yet and I was green.*
By the time I realized my flaps had not been lowered, the power setting I had the Aircraft performing at was dangerously (stall speed) slow. The winds, as I had just mentioned, were now fighting my approach - now a tailwind - the ground speed at which my Airplane was covering was pushing me beyond my USEABLE runway, and it was getting shorter by the second. I finally realized why I had so many problems, but my discovery didn't help the situation I was in. Based on the speed my Aircraft was going, my aggressive descent to land because of neglecting my flaps and not "trimming" my Aircraft, now, I had wake turbulence to deal with. Just to give you a cliff-note, wake turbulence is not a factor if you land BEFORE the Jet's 'lift-off' point,' or, you take off BEFORE the Jet's 'lift-off point.' I was not paying attention to anything more than my growing list of problems, and I found out where that 'point' was the hard way. To give you an idea of wake turbulence, picture an invisible, horizontal "tornado" spinning off the wing tips of an Airplane and watching them spiral around and down from the trailing edge of a departing Aircraft and following the flight path of the originating Aircraft... this one was a Gulfstream 450. When wind change, elevation, attitude, and speed are already out of line, it's easy to see where the saying, "Behind the Airplane" was created and why it generally speaks to an unsafe situation.
In Aviation/Screenwriting or life in general, you can perform the same actions to receive the same results for years on end, but, if an out of ordinary plot change happens, there's only one way to see it through to the other side; persevere and start chipping away at what you need to survive. Luckily, I was able to feel what I was experiencing and adapt my next actions to counter what was in my control and hedge that which was not. This was not my last time flying, nor was it my most scary. This was just a perfect example of what we allow when we choose NOT to "Trim" our craft and follow a routine that has proven successful time and time again before. Piloting an Airplane or writing a Script, if we're satisfied in a world where we choose NOT to reset our process to what has worked before, we might be lucky enough to channel a creative spark that sneaks its way into our story. What we do know about luck is there's an attitude that coincides with those who have it. We can choose to "trim" our 'craft.' We can walk into it, (Screenwriting/Flight) from a neutral platform and have the ability to tweak our intentions (effortlessly) to adapt to the plot. We can be "BEHIND" our mission, forced to forge our controls to our 'craft' and hope it responds with our intentions. Regardless of our path, hopefully, our Script or Airplane will react SAFELY to our adjustments and transport ourselves and our loved ones(Families/Scripts) to our personal destinations. I know one thing... I will not assume, anymore, (Screenwriting/Flying) that my checklist will NOT be needed.
How many times have you written a script and sent it out for coverage, for competition, etc.? Only to get NO RESPONSE, or worse, "PASSED" on without explanation? Hazard avoidance is not just dangerous, it's a self-inflicted defeat to our ego in writing and to some, just as devastating as that splattered red spot on the map. In Screenwriting and in Aviation, both circumstances can be hedged against to reduce risk. Our attitude and perception of what we truly intend to accomplish should remind us all, just how important our paths to success is. Whether it's flying a Cesena 210, or, writing that next Spec-Pilot that could attract Executives, there's a reason all of us stepped into the arena, now, let's remember why it's important to be the best we can be.