
*Young Pilots washing a Piper PA28 Archer III at Invercargill Airport74Please respect copyright.PENANAEs3qeElmwI
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今天,我正式踏進飛行學校的大門。74Please respect copyright.PENANARjaEhv87MA
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這是一座簡單而實用的建築,沒有華麗的裝潢,四周是一片遼闊的跑道,幾架小型飛機停放在機庫旁待命,彷彿在等待著飛向天空的時刻。這一幕,讓我的心跳不禁加快了一些。74Please respect copyright.PENANAZLD3V7oNhT
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走進學校辦公室,一名年輕男子迎面走來,大概二十來歲,穿著機師制服,肩膀上掛著代表學校飛行教官的條紋。他年輕得有些讓我意外,甚至比我的孫子還小。74Please respect copyright.PENANAKTsD6ItTbE
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「你就是陳先生吧?」他用帶著紐西蘭口音的英語說道,伸出手:「我是你的Flight Instructor, Leo。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAwATCZdV6KR
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我握住他的手,感受到他有力的握勁,微微點頭:「是的,我剛到這裡。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAjfJwMxoV0y
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「歡迎來到 Invercargill!」Leo 笑道:「老實說,你應該是我教過年紀最大的學員。不過別擔心,飛行這件事不看年紀,重要的是心態。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAvv2jGp9iC4
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他帶著我走進教室,指著牆上貼滿的飛行訓練流程、飛行規則,以及機艙內部結構的示意圖。74Please respect copyright.PENANAmXJJzM4teC
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「今天我們不急著上飛機,先從基本理論開始。」Leo 拍了拍桌上的飛行手冊:「整個早上,我會教你一些基礎知識,主要是飛機的操控。飛行不是單純地把飛機開起來,還要了解它為什麼能飛,以及怎麼確保它安全降落。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAh8jxsqFc7R
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我點點頭,仔細地看著手冊上的內容。74Please respect copyright.PENANAoIaLgIGSKe
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Leo 翻開手冊,繼續說:「還有一個很重要的部分,就是飛行前的檢查。中午過後,我會帶你到機庫,教你做 'Walk around' 和 Preflight Check,讓你了解飛之前要檢查些什麼。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAlOfha9igOd
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我微微皺眉:「飛行前通常要檢查什麼?」74Please respect copyright.PENANA8aZ4x4rXRR
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Leo 笑了:「可以這麼說,這是一個飛行員的基本功,也是確保飛行安全的第一步。每次飛行前,我們都要走兩圈檢查飛機的Lights、Wings、Engine、Propeller、Fuel contaminant 等等,確保沒有異常,這些都是為了確保飛機在離地前是安全的。」74Please respect copyright.PENANACIDpLZ7jMK
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我點點頭,「明白。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAMAvWENSIbd
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Leo 露出滿意的笑容,「很好,那我們就正式開始——Effect of Controls。 不過,在這之前,你需要先了解一個更重要的問題——飛機為什麼能飛?」74Please respect copyright.PENANAYjztpyTcPN
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經過數小時的基本教學,我已經大概了解到飛機的基本原理,知道了升力如何產生,明白了飛機為什麼能飛、如何控制Aircraft Attitude,以及飛行員在空中是如何保持穩定的。74Please respect copyright.PENANAxnD7nhbppZ
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這些知識對我來說新鮮而又令人興奮。從前,我以為開飛機只是拉拉操縱桿、踩踩踏板,沒想到背後牽涉這麼多科學原理。74Please respect copyright.PENANAyc73SGmuGV
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吃過午飯後,我終於可以真真正正地觸碰飛機了。74Please respect copyright.PENANAIU1ce88sjl
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吃過午飯後,Leo 帶著我來到機庫。74Please respect copyright.PENANAcR1WM2xSSv
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「來吧,今天你要親手檢查這架飛機,真正感受它的重量與結構。」他拍拍身旁的一架小型飛機,一架Piper PA-28 Archer III,這是常見的訓練機,也是許多飛行員的第一架飛機。74Please respect copyright.PENANABczrIJ1J3K
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雖然這只是一架小型飛機,但當我真正站在它面前時,才發現它比我想像中要大一些。機翼展開 (Wingspan) 的長度幾乎比一輛小貨車還要寬,機身雖然不高,但站在它旁邊,還是能感受到它的存在感。74Please respect copyright.PENANAeHFqj3CwRk
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我伸出手,輕輕觸摸機身。外殼冰涼而光滑,陽光照在機翼上,映出微微的反光。我從未這麼近距離地接觸過一架飛機,更別說親手檢查它、駕駛它。74Please respect copyright.PENANAp5ijSAtdbX
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我們開始 Preflight Walk Around,從螺旋槳、機翼、起落架到燃油……逐一檢視。74Please respect copyright.PENANAvJR2HZM3rs
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檢查完成後,我站在機身旁,看著這架飛機,心中依然難掩興奮。74Please respect copyright.PENANA65NBVe8Swi
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Leo 收起檢查清單,拍拍手:「很好,今天的課程就到這裡。」他看著我,嘴角帶著一抹笑意,「明天將會是你的第一趟飛行,記得不要飲酒,飛之前吃早餐,保持精神。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAeOCkbHnd2t
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我愣了一下,然後點頭一笑。74Please respect copyright.PENANAKM52lqTwYE
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明天,將會是我畢生難忘的日子。74Please respect copyright.PENANAIVXnMLwDaQ
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飛行小知識:飛機為什麼能飛?(沒興趣請略過)74Please respect copyright.PENANAvW8ehOfBpC
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Leo翻開飛行手冊,指著一張機翼的截面圖,筆尖劃過弧形的Aerofoil:「飛機能夠升空,最關鍵的因素是升力(Lift),而這一切都與伯努利原理(Bernoulli’s Principle)有關。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAAWi0vfxmq0
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他看了我一眼,確認我跟上後,繼續說:「伯努利原理指出,In Laminar Flow,當Airflow Speed增加,Static Pressure就會下降。飛機的機翼設計成上弧下平的形狀(Venturi),當Airflow 經機翼時,上方氣流的流速較快,壓力較低;而下方氣流的流速較慢,壓力較高。這樣一來,機翼上方的壓力比下方小,下方的氣流推動機翼向上,這就是升力的來源。」74Please respect copyright.PENANA3inCcjF3DX
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我點點頭,這個原理我年輕時學過,但從未真正思考過它如何應用在現實世界裡。74Please respect copyright.PENANAn6xnpKdC5y
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「當然,升力不只是伯努利原理的結果,還有牛頓第三定律(Newton’s Third Law)的影響——機翼下方的氣流被向後推(Downwash),產生反作用力,也有助於升力的產生。」Leo 補充道:「所以,你可以簡單地理解為:升力來自機翼上下氣流壓力的差異,以及機翼向後推空氣時產生的反作用力。」74Please respect copyright.PENANA7yzsxWT26P
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他在白板上寫下了飛行中最重要的公式之一:74Please respect copyright.PENANAXc1NtVVFjx
LIFT = IAS × AOA74Please respect copyright.PENANAQZWaDUgned
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「這個公式簡單明瞭,升力(Lift)取決於兩個關鍵因素:IAS(Indicated Airspeed,指示空速)和AOA(Angle of Attack,攻角)。」74Please respect copyright.PENANA1oVlsE9VmW
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他指著公式解釋:「IAS就是飛機前進時,空氣對機翼施加的流速,流速越快,產生的升力就越大。這也是為什麼飛機需要加速到一定速度才能起飛。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAARbD6LrWgq
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「攻角(AOA)則是機翼相對於Relative Airflow (RAF)的角度。如果AOA增加,機翼會產生更多升力,飛機就會上升;但如果AOA過大(~16 Degrees Effective AOA),氣流分離(Airflow Separation),Airflow is no longer laminar and becomes turbulent,伯努利原理失效,升力會迅速減少,導致失速(Stall)。」74Please respect copyright.PENANA2N2TMgfqma
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Leo 停頓了一下,確認我理解了之後,笑著說:「所以,想讓飛機飛起來,光有速度還不夠,還需要適當的攻角。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAHxXj3XTCEm
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我思考了一下,然後點頭:「明白,升力需要速度和攻角來維持,過慢飛不起來,因為攻角太大會失速。」74Please respect copyright.PENANAdQhLBEtDkQ
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「沒錯,就是這麼回事!」Leo 滿意地點點頭:「現在,你已經知道飛機為什麼能飛,接下來,我們來看看飛機如何控制Aircraft Attitude……」