My Ari Ben Aviator Experience

December 10th, 2005

Ok, ok, I'm sorry I didnt reply. I havent been on this website for a while until today at the school I see someone prepping for their private checkride by reading my thread/blog. Anyway, I apologize for those sitting on their edge of their seats. I'll be brief since I have a flight in about twenty minutes. This morning I passed my stage 2 check on the instructor course with the chief pilot. It has taken me this long because I took three weeks off to see my family. So far this instrument course has been really fun even though I cant look outside during this beautiful weather down here. Once in a while you get some IMC like this past week. I've got a whole week to get my instrument course done. Ive got five flights left, three faa written tests, two written stage tests, two stage flight checks, and all of this needs to be done in a week before the chief pilot takes off for xmas break. So i'll be busy for a few days, plus I want to get the checkride done before christmas. Wish me luck all.

Anthony
 
Catherine said:
Yeah! I'm with Brian! Let's get an update out here! I'm down here at Ari now and want to read what you're doing while I'm following so I can get some tips/hints!!!!!!

Catherine
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So when will you be starting your training?

Of course, blog is expected! I train vicariously through these blogs.
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I am instrument rated but would love to come there and go through the pro course.
 
Well, I'm working my PPL right now.....supposed to do the checkride this Friday morning at 8AM! Got a couple of more flights this week to make sure I'm up to standards on my maneuvers and such and just study, study, study....going home for Christmas for about a week and it only leaves a couple of days before I leave, so I'm going to try and backseat a few times in the Duchess before I go to start getting a feel for it. Then once I get back I will be starting the Pro Course.

How about some pictures instead? If I start writing it'll be a novel! :P

Catherine
 
ok... disregard the last post,... i REALLY havent updated in a long time.... Ill get more pics online in the next two weeks. I kinda wanna get my ATP written done by the end of the year.

Oh yeah, theres some hurricane pics on my website too.

Ivan
 
I got to meet Maverick2 yesterday morning (I think it was...days go by so fast here!)....wow...I've gotten to meet several people on here including Ivan (although he didn't get out of the plane as we walked by!) Hi Ivan!

Anyway, I'm getting ready for the morning flight, so it's time to go grab some breakfast!

Catherine
 
December 29th, 2005

Last Friday on the 23rd, I took my instrument checkride and I failed the flight portion of it. I got confused on the VOR/DME 14R approach into Vero Beach. I was cleared to the VRB VOR and cleared for the VOR approach. I wasn't too sure which IAF, the DME 7 Arc or the VOR since both were the IAF on the plate. I chose the Arc, and that was the most stupid mistake I made. After I did the Arc, the DE said I screwed up and I was getting a pink slip. After going it over with my instructor and one reschedule for the makeup. I finally passed my instrument checkride today. Some of the questions that were asked during the oral were the last thing to ask for when filing an IFR flight plan, can Honolulu be listed as an alternate, what is the number one reason pilots go missed besides flight training, at what altitude will you break out of the clouds if the ceiling was this and the tdze was this, the circle dotted lines on an approach plates. The flight consisted of copying the clearance, and reading it back, how to check your instruments during taxiing, a hold on an intersection, unusual attitude recovery, ILS approach into KMLB, and VOR approach with one engine out and both the HSI and attitude indicator out, and tracking into a VOR. The whole instrument course took me about two months, and thats including taking three weeks off and one whole week to retake the checkride. It could have taken me a month if I didnt fail and go home for three weeks. It took me a little under 50 hours, and a couple hours over the 40 hrs that it was suppose to take to complete the course. I have about 123hrs total, and about 70 ME hrs. Not too bad after starting with zero hours five months ago. I start my commercial course tomorrow and this is the course where I solo about 60 hrs in the Duchess. I will update my blog when I start soloing. Wish me luck! Happy New Years everyone!!
 
Lui- congrats on the IRA, you worked hard for it man, and you deserve it. See you in a few days.

B
 
Congratulations on the Instrument Rating. It's a relief to have that one out of the way isn't it? Keep me updated on how the commercial stuff is going.
 
January 25th, 2006

I finally got to solo after doing a whole bunch of dual with my instructor. I soloed yesterday but I had to abort the flight due to a faulty transponder and low fuel pressure on the right engine even with the aux fuel pumps turned on. I was in full IMC at 6000 when Miami Center decided to tell me my transponder wasnt working, after recycling it twice and noticing the right engine fuel pressure gauge in the red. I decided to abort the flight and return back to Ft. Pierce so I can give the mechanics some lip. Today, I logged in 3.9 solo kfpr-kapf-ktmb-kfpr. It was a little jittery soloing in a Duchess yesterday, but after what happenend yesterday, it made me more comfortable with the plane while soloing. I can see how timebuilding can be a drag now since I got fifty more hours to go soloing. After soloing, I go back with my instructor with more cross country flights, and stupid steep turns, stalls, slow flight, Vmc demos. The commercial course is basically doing everything again and again and again. Tomorrow, Im gonna take a flight out to key west. Hopefully, the winds will be good. Oh yeah, you learn crosswind landing really quickly when you are soloing during a cold front. After tomorrow, I'm gonna do all these soloing at night because logging solo night x-c hours looks good, at least thats what i hear. Alright, I gotta go. Poker night.
 
Sorry to hear about the problem yesterday, I saw you were on the list today to solo some more....too cool! Not poker night for me, but back to some other work.....
 
February 11, 2006

Wow, I'm getting some fans. Well, Im done solo timebuilding and today was the first day back with my instructor. Timebuilding was fun but cold and boring sometimes. I flew to all these awesome airports around Florida, chilled out at some of the FBOs and not get charged for parking and tiedown fees except at Jacksonville Intl but I went and got a fifty dollar Wendy's hamburger with the crew car. To anyone that is planning to come here for the pro course, I would definitely recommend doing the 141 program where you get to solo the Duchess. It made me such a better pilot, all the weaknesses that I had are gone, made me much more confident of my flying and communicating with ATC. As in my progress, I have five more lessons where four are IFR and VFR cross countries, then a stage check with the chief, and then an end of course check with the chief again, then on with the checkride. I'm trying to finish all of this in two weeks. Then, I go to Mayan Riviera with my wife for a little R&R, then finish up my commercial single, and start studying for my Instructor ratings. So hopefully by May or June, I'm instructing at the Aviator.
 
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