It's about time!!!!! PPL passed!!!!!!

C

Catherine

New Member
Woohooo!!!!!! Took my checkride this morning and although the weather started out a bit yucky (006 ovc) it cleared up enough for us to fly today and we had a really good flight. A wild crosswind for landing and I had to do a go-around, but it went really well....I'm absolutely thrilled and have been burning up my cellphone minutes like crazy this afternoon!

And....as I had like 98.1 hours before, I'm at 99.5 now....so unless my next flight is REALLY short, I'll break 100 hours the next time I pilot an aircraft (probably friends or my dad at home over Christmas break....that's where I was flying out of before I came down here). Yes, it took me a long time....1991 was my first flight....so it's really awesome to finally have accomplished this goal. Lots of money problems and time problems in between, but things are moving ahead now!

All righty, time to get some lunch then back to the Aviator to do some ridealongs in the Duchess before I go home in a couple of days for Christmas! Time to start studying these Multi-engine manuals!!!!!

I'll also try to get a few more pictures today and start putting them up soon, too.

Thanks to everyone here who's been so helpful and to those at The Aviator for all the help they've given me as well as the good words of encouragement!

Catherine
 
Good job and congratulations, Catherine. If I dont see you before you leave for the holidays, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

anthony
 
hey congrats on a job well done. just out of curiousity who did you take the checkride with. and also id suggest writing as much down about it as you can remember while its still fresh in your head. nice to be able to give others a heads up on stuff that you were asked during rides. various examiners have different quirks so.... anyway congrats and watch your altitude in that duchess
 
Catherine said:
And....as I had like 98.1 hours before, I'm at 99.5 now....
Click to expand...

Sounds like you took the same accelerated course that I did. Bet you stoped then started, the stopped and started...................
 
Thanks everybody! Thanks for the holiday wishes Anthony and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and everyone else!

Cessna Cptn, yes, I do believe we were in the same course....and I have like either 7 or 8 instructors names in logbook getting that time...some weren't there when I started the next time, a friend who got his CFI gave me a couple of hours of instruction, one went to Hawaii to fly Caravans and yet another is off to fly planes in the mission field (he taught me a lot of neat stuff as Moody Aviation is building jet pilots, but single engine pilots flying in the bush....so lots of neat stuff there). My last, Chris here at Aviator, was really confident in me, but I was still really nervous. Thanks Chris! He came out to the ramp just as I was going to pre-flight to let me know things were going really well according to the examiner.

I'll see if I can write something up condensed without too much wordiness (if you're reading this Josh, you know just how much I talk now!) and post it. The ride was with Bill Corcoran and there are lots of people here who told me about the ride before I had it...and for the most part they were right. The really short version is that you need to not act cocky and know-it-all, admit you don't know to some of his very obscure questions if you don't know (he wants to teach you things as well...he used to instruct some from what I am told), be willing to learn and be genuinely appreciative of what he has to offer and be willing to admit a mistake (we explored the crosswind limits+gusts of the C-172 with full flaps at his suggestion and had to do a go-around...said he'd not make any more suggestions after that!) and do your best. Unless you do something to make him want to fail you, I think he goes into a checkride with the desire to pass you. *Especially* for PPL, it's a license to learn, not completion of a course and the end of your training. He never came out and said that to me, but it's quite evident from the way he conducted the checkride as he showed me a couple of things that would help in IFR training. I was nervous going in, but enjoyed it thoroughly after it was over and it's a few hours I will cherish. I'll also never forget the things he taught me (and don't be upset, but I probably won't mention those just so he can teach you!), but I will say this....know how a magneto works and what an impulse coupler is! I was given that tidbit by a BUNCH of people here.

Now it's time to learn some more....already have assignments on reading the Multiengine books and studying them and doing some backseating in the Duchess....I start Private-Multi when I return after Christmas!

Catherine
 
Along with that know about p-factor. Don't just blurt out the ascending decending blade stuff. Be able to explain it. He wants you to think about flying not as a student, but as a pilot. I appredciated this as so much of our time is in a plane as a student. We don't think about real world flying where you're the capt. (For instance time building, watch out for those non-aviator pilots....) I've done three checkrides with Corcoran, now I just wish I could do my Initial MEI with him.
 
Congrats Catherine I am proud of you. Also know that there is no need for thanks, you've earned this yourself. Now, what are the factors affecting VMC?
 
Congratz

Congratulations Catherine, a job well done. I too took quite a long time to accomplish my private but once you have done it, it is an awesome feeling. One thing I have learned is that you are Never done Learning. Each and every day as a pilot is a new experience filled with Learning potential.

I would also like to wish Everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe and Happy Holiday Season

Josh
 
Okay....for those wanting to see some pictures early, here's a link....no web page, just images although the names should speak pretty good for themselves. If you see one you want larger, I have the originals still, but a couple of them need to be cropped to look their best.

http://pages.prodigy.net/need4speed/Ari_Ben_Photos/

....factors affecting VMC....lemme grab that book..lol..I want to get that big acronym from you again....make sure I have all of them down right after reading the aerodynamics book as I'm not exactly sure how to place them all. That way I can study that list and just attach meaning to each of them...although a lot of them make good sense...landing gear, flaps, density altitude, engine power setting, bank, CG placement and such.

Thanks Josh!!!

Catherine
 
STRAWFELP

Standard day (Density Altitude)
Take-off power
Rearward CG
Angle of Bank (5 degree bank)
Weight
Flaps
Engine (Critical)
Landing Gear
Propeller

If you get this memorized by the time you get back, you'll be halfway done the course.
 
Cool! I remembered that it was STRAWFEL? but I couldn't remember the last letter and trying to fit in the way they're described in the aerodynamics book doesn't fit too well. I knew Bank Angle and Density Altitude, but they are listed a bit differently in the acronym....

Thanks! I've got most of it now....the more I think on it the more it makes good sense....I want to start learning the procedures and everything before I get back so it's simpler on me!

Catherine
 
Best thing to do is to chair fly your procedures (slow flight, the stalls, engine failure, etc...) and memorize them. Picture where all the controls are (throttle, props, mixture, etc..), and actually use your hand and arm motion while your chair flying. If you get this down, you save so much time and money. Take care.
 
You can go out to the airplanes actually. We'll do some ground Monday evening when I get back from the checkride in Lantana. 3pm or so.
 
Awesome idea....I used to do that with emergency procedures for the 172.

Sounds good Chris....give me time to do a few things this morning here that need to get done!

Catherine
 
maverick2 said:
STRAWFELP

Standard day (Density Altitude)
Take-off power
Rearward CG
Angle of Bank (5 degree bank)
Weight
Flaps
Engine (Critical)
Landing Gear
Propeller

If you get this memorized by the time you get back, you'll be halfway done the course.
Click to expand...

i'm glad strawfelp is still floating around, created by Mattias Fogelburg.
 
I still teach it, cause that was what was taught to me; by the BEST FI!! lol... how you doin quinn?

What do you think of Airnet?
Ivan
 
hey ivan, i'm doing well. One more lousy semester to graduate. Airnet seems like a great alternative to the regionals. You can make more money and sleep at home everyday. I might try to work there once I grad.

Merry Christmas

Tell Mike Cohen I said Happy Chaunaka..lol
 
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