Here at Air Navigation Pro, we always have our ears open to anyone willing to share their stories all over the world. Last month, we met 33 year old Juan Carlos Ala Luna from Lima, Peru on Instagram. He’s a full time aviation student working on getting his CPL/IR/ME and we’re delighted that he shared his stories and his photos with us!
· What do you love most about flying aircrafts?
Flying
makes the whole world accessible, allowing you to travel to places in
a fraction of the time it would take you to travel there by car; it’s
a real time machine.
·
What
is your favorite aircraft?
I
have done most of my hours in a Cessna 172 D I learned to use the
constant speed propeller in it and was the perfect trainer for me.
Although, I have recently flown the Aero commander 500S and I can see
why Bob Hoover loved it so much. My favorite single engine would be
the C-172 and multiengine the AC-500.
·
What
aircraft would you like to fly in the future?
·
What
is your favorite destination so far?
For
scenery, it would be the Peruvian jungle; it’s so beautiful and
vast. But for improving flying skills it would be the windy north of
Peru. I decided that I was going to fly every airport available for
flight training in Peru which has given me a unique experience,
allowing me to fly in the north with average winds of 20 kts, in the
jungle with the constant change of weather and in the desert of Peru
with its unpredictable sandstorms.
·
What
is your dream travel destination?
France.
I have dreamed about visiting it for many years and to have the
opportunity to see the French landscape from the air would be a dream
come true.
·
What's
the most challenging thing about landing?
At
first, landing is a challenge to any pilot; I remember struggling a
lot with the speed and attitude of the plane. However, I made this my
focus for development and with many hours of practice and the help of
patient instructors I now find I am able to complete most landings
smoothly.
·
Any
funny/scary memories or stories you've encountered?
I
was returning from a navigation from Pisco to Ica, Peru and noticed
the instructor I was flying with had been fixated on something out
the window for a long time. “Don’t panic” he turned to me “but
I’m pretty sure there is a UFO at your 11 o’clock”. Curiosity
got the better of us and of course we headed over in our 152 to
investigate this mysterious light. As with most conspiracies, there
turned out to be a perfectly naturally explanation: the reflection of
sunlight on a tin roof. At least it was exciting for a while.
·
Do
you have any flying tips that you'd like to share?
I’ve
learned that the art of flying is like a dance; be gentle with the
plane, follow your choreography, take the lead and be confident in
responding to its movements.
·
How
did you come across Air Navigation PRO?
I
read an article in a magazine, back at the start of my career in
2012, about an app that was changing the way pilots planned their
flights. Then I became aware that the US air force had bought the
iPad 3 for every pilot in order to have have a paperless cockpit. I
purchased an iPad 4 soon after and got the app. Instantly, it made my
flying experiences a lot easier and more enjoyable.
·
What
are the 5 best things you like about our app? Please elaborate.
1.
It
makes flight planning really simple, taking seconds to generate a
detailed navigation that you can trust.
2.
It
provides you with plenty of situational awareness so that you can
anticipate and respond to changing conditions.
3.
It’s
a backup for the plane’s instruments; if something were to go
wrong, you know still have access to your primary instruments, making
the app a comfortable redundancy and in my opinion an essential
toolkit for any pilot.
4.
I love
being able to familiarize myself with my surroundings due to the
level of detail provided in the maps.
5.
The
fact that the app is frequently updated with improved features,
keeping it reliable and pilot friendly.
·
Have
you tried other navigating apps?
- If you have, what apps are these? How do you find these apps in comparison?
- If you have, what apps are these? How do you find these apps in comparison?
Yes,
I have tried the Garmin pilot app. I use it for IFR flights because
it shows the airways in great detail and the waypoints update
constantly. I use it only in IFR conditions and doing the STAR, then
change to Airnavpro because of the increased situational awareness it
provides.
·
Can
you please tell me a story of the best times you have had with our
app? If you can name more than one instance, that would be awesome!
In
November of last year I wanted to fly somewhere new so I changed
flight school to one that was located in the north of Peru in a place
I hadn’t flown before. To my surprise, the instructor that I was
flying with was unfamiliar with the area as well. It was a joint
effort to orientate ourselves in this new environment. Airnavpro made
this much easier because we were able to see in real time where we
were going, the displacement of runways, and all the other valuable
info provided. It would have been a lot more challenging if we didn’t
have Airnavpro with us, and definitely less enjoyable.
·
If
you could talk to non-users about our product, what would you tell
them?
I
was recently watching the AOPA air safety program on Youtube and
found the amount of accidents that have happened in recent years
because of the lack of situational awareness absolutely shocking.
Airnavpro not only allows you to plan your flight in seconds, but it
shows you where exactly you’re located on the map and the obstacles
ahead, just like a real life navigator. Apps like Airnavpro are
invaluable to any safety conscientious pilot.
·
What
do you do when you’re not flying?
Actually,
everything I do lately is linked with flying in some way. From
practically consuming any flying related media, to simulating with
colleagues, it seems I have inadvertently built my life around
aviation. But I’m fine with that.
·
What
do you see yourself doing three years from now?
I’m
happy to say that the aviation is growing steadily in Peru, there are
plenty of new flight schools and airlines and therefore lots of
opportunities. I don’t mind where I end up, airline, sightseeing
tours or bush piloting, as long as I am flying I’ll be happy.
·
What
is your favorite flying memory?
My
first solo flight. I wasn’t prepared to take it that day so it came
as a shock when my instructor radioed the tower with the words
“Student ready for solo flight”. My knees were shaking as he
exited the plane and I took the controls. Leaving me his headset, the
last thing he said to me was “don’t do anything stupid”.
Despite that inevitable anxiety, it was an incredible feeling,
knowing I had developed the skills to handle an aircraft
independently.
·
What
would you tell non-pilots about the joy of flying?
Most
people have experienced flying in order to get somewhere but few have
done it for the experience of being in the air. I would recommend
anyone to take a flight in a smaller aircraft to experience both the
art of flying and the incredible views you can only get from being in
the air.
You
can check out more about Juan Carlos Ala Luna on Instagram.
- Bruno Temporetti of Argentina
- Pilot Queens from Around the World
- Lio Mougel French Pilot for Air Race 1
- Aviation Painter André Eisele
- Mirko Ragni of Italy
- Kirsten Augustyn of Norway
- Stanislav Klajban of the Canary Islands
Are you a pilot with cool travel stories and you want to be featured on our blog?
Send us a message in one of our social media accounts Facebook, Instragram or send us an e-mail at demi@airnavigation.aero.
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you can also visit our website at
and check the manual for additional details on how to use the new features.
Blue Skies,
The Air Navigation Team
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