sbe
Well-Known Member
I have a bit of an atypical story - I've been a member here for eons and was initially working toward an aviation career (career change from the corporate world) over 10 years ago. I got my CFI and bailed shortly thereafter, although I've instructed part time and flown for pleasure through the whole stretch. A few years after that, I bailed from the corporate world anyway, instead to run my own photography studio.
In June the bug hit me again and I started trying to figure it all out. I had to get through a busy wedding season first but flew as much as I could and took on a couple of private students. Started my CFII work in the fall which is the height of my business year, so it was a bit of slow going. I also have been teaching primary students and flying my own taildragger kicking around grass strips for a few years, so my IFR skills were *very* rusty. Knowing I wanted to aim for a 121 career and soon I knew I had to really get proficient again, I figured I might as well pick up the CFII in the meantime.
Finally had my ride last Friday, and passed. I know it's a simple add on for most; it turned out to be a very long day for me. Oral went almost 3 hours mostly due to storytelling
but it did go well. I've done all my checkrides including CFI initial with this examiner and this was by far and away the lengthiest. Wx had then gone to crud (LIFR - 300' ovc at a number of area airports, something neither the examiner or I really wanted to launch into in a single engine trainer that's been around the block a few times), so we went to lunch along with my CFI It was supposed to lift to a range of 800-1500' around the area, which was fine, so we just wanted to give it some time. By the end the TAF had changed 3 times and the weather ended up clearing. We launched and beyond the 430 losing integrity about 3 minutes into the flight and winds aloft at 3000' moving along at almost 40 knots (and at a crosswind to the hold I was preparing to fly), it went well. The GPS came back to life as I was turning inbound on a VOR-A off the hold and I managed to handle the wind just fine. The checkride consisted of said hold, a VOR-A approach with an engine failure on the approach (right next to another airport), a partial panel RNAV circling approach, me teaching an ILS approach to the examiner which he flew (and I also gave a presentation on ILS approaches during my oral), steep turns and unusual attitudes under the hood, and a handshake at the end.
Start my multi training in two days. Again, I'm a bit of an odd duck in that I've already pretty much met my ATP requirements now except for multi. So that's about all I have to take care of and I can start the process of hopefully, my final career change!
Sarah
In June the bug hit me again and I started trying to figure it all out. I had to get through a busy wedding season first but flew as much as I could and took on a couple of private students. Started my CFII work in the fall which is the height of my business year, so it was a bit of slow going. I also have been teaching primary students and flying my own taildragger kicking around grass strips for a few years, so my IFR skills were *very* rusty. Knowing I wanted to aim for a 121 career and soon I knew I had to really get proficient again, I figured I might as well pick up the CFII in the meantime.
Finally had my ride last Friday, and passed. I know it's a simple add on for most; it turned out to be a very long day for me. Oral went almost 3 hours mostly due to storytelling
but it did go well. I've done all my checkrides including CFI initial with this examiner and this was by far and away the lengthiest. Wx had then gone to crud (LIFR - 300' ovc at a number of area airports, something neither the examiner or I really wanted to launch into in a single engine trainer that's been around the block a few times), so we went to lunch along with my CFI It was supposed to lift to a range of 800-1500' around the area, which was fine, so we just wanted to give it some time. By the end the TAF had changed 3 times and the weather ended up clearing. We launched and beyond the 430 losing integrity about 3 minutes into the flight and winds aloft at 3000' moving along at almost 40 knots (and at a crosswind to the hold I was preparing to fly), it went well. The GPS came back to life as I was turning inbound on a VOR-A off the hold and I managed to handle the wind just fine. The checkride consisted of said hold, a VOR-A approach with an engine failure on the approach (right next to another airport), a partial panel RNAV circling approach, me teaching an ILS approach to the examiner which he flew (and I also gave a presentation on ILS approaches during my oral), steep turns and unusual attitudes under the hood, and a handshake at the end. Start my multi training in two days. Again, I'm a bit of an odd duck in that I've already pretty much met my ATP requirements now except for multi. So that's about all I have to take care of and I can start the process of hopefully, my final career change!
Sarah
