I Did Not Fly Safe
So I don't have my private pilot certificate yet, we began the exam and I did just fine on the Oral part. It was all theory, you know, the kind of thinky thinky stuff that's my bread and butter. I managed to cover all the bases and show the Examiner that I'm not some crazy thrill seeker like Jebediah Kerman.
However, as I feared the weather just did not cooperate, so after giving me the green light to fly we had to discontinue the test. I now have 60 days to complete it, however, my instructor travels around the country giving tests and won't be back until late May.
And so the crazy plan is to fly 80 miles to meet her tomorrow at an airfield I've never visited before. It's squeezed between a military TFR to the north and a busy Class C airspace surrounding a major airport to the south. And from there I'll take the test, hoping that I'm not confused by the wide open terrain or the runway which is twice as long and twice as wide.
Once again I'm making my pilot training harder - I chose a high power, low wing, technologically advanced aircraft as my first. Now I'm going to unfamiliar territory to take the test, because apparently it's not difficult enough.
I did a bit of searching and found this fine video of a presentation by my examiner, this helped a lot knowing what I should look for, and if you're in the learning to fly business it's good reference material.
Comments (17)
Wish you success and safe flying for the future also !
You'll nail it 👍
FWIW I did something similar, I had to fly about 70 miles to another airport for my checkride. I think it was actually helpful since I was able to "warm up" on the stick-rudder aspect.
Good luck! I'm confident that you will do well.
Good luck!
Could they make you take your check ride in a J-3? 🤣
Unrelated to your ordeal, but I am happy to see more and more women in aero/astro-nautics, from one of your instructors, your examiner all the way up to spacecraft commanders and NASA leadership. (And it is a woman who makes SpaceX tick, for all you Musk fans around :-D ) Scott, how does you long suffering wife take you devoting all your free time to your passion? Good luck today!
Good luck Scott!
You will do Fine! I had a similar Situation with my check ride last year: Had to pick up the examiner at his Home airfield. A short grass runway with even shorter Final. Was actually luck for me because I was already warmed up when I arrived and also showed that I can handle an unfamiliar airfield.
You will do just fine. Just embrace your training.
As the old proverb goes: 'A flying licence certifies that the owner has received enough training to know when not to' ... Fingers crossed for the larger/unfamiliar runway - I did my PPL in the early '80s in a taildragger on a narrow unsealed strip and did not quite realize how much the additional visual cues in the peripheral and downwards vision were actually helping with situational awareness (especially when flaring for a threepointer) until visiting a big airport for the first time.
Scott, you may think I'm just rambling off some motivational "you can do it" nonsense, but I implore you to remember this ... Half of the battle is showing up, and I know you will. Follow your instruments, and your intuition. You'll land safe, my friend. Much love, and God Speed.
Good luck tomorrow
Quite the contrary Scott - you DID Fly Safe. You did not fly due to unacceptable weather. That's being safe. Over the years, I have either cancelled or modified intended flights due to weather many times - and I have an instrument rating.
Good luck!
Get the gouge, an ounce of gouge is worth a pound of knowledge. You will do fine!
Perhaps there is landing footage online to help familiarize yourself with the terrain? Even flight sim may help. Good luck Scott, at least you aren’t being diverted to a carrier landing!