panman-pilot
Well-Known Member
I passed my CMEL in the Seminole at FDK Airport in Frederick, MD yesterday. The weather was excellent for a ride, calm winds and clear skies.
I started flying for the first time on May 19th 2003 so reaching my goal of a commercial pilot yesterday marked 5 years since I started flying for the very first time. Back in 2003 I was in college scrambling to pay for school and flight training at the same time (the usual story of big dreams and little money). It took the grace of God and much persistence through disappointment along the way but I don't regret my approach as I have finished with a B.S. and M.S. degree in the process debt free. With the current state of the airline industry I intend to get my instructor ratings and teach part time while I work.
Now on to the checkride. The oral was last week Wednesday since the aircraft was down for 100hr which made things better for me as yesterday all I had to do was focus on the practical. The oral was 1.5hrs long and included standard commercial pilot priveleges questions but all in all a heavy emphasis on systems and emergency procedures particularly with VMC factors. Since FDK is just out of the Washington ADIZ there was additional emphasis on operating procedures in the area.
The practical yesterday was about 1.4hr and went like this:
Fly cross country to first checkpoint, once I made it she asked me to divert to an airport about 50 Nm away. She stopped me midway once she recognized I knew what I was doing and then it was on to the maneuvers.
Steep Turns, Engine failure with 30 degree bank turns left and right, Power off stall followed by power on stall, VMC demo, SE engine ILS approach, full feather shutdown and restart, then was in for normal approach and she made me do a simulated SE failure go around and come back to land. That was it!
The DE was great and very fair she made me feel comfortable by chatting about what I was going to be doing for Memorial Day weekend. I am glad it's over so now it's on to planning for what comes next.
I started flying for the first time on May 19th 2003 so reaching my goal of a commercial pilot yesterday marked 5 years since I started flying for the very first time. Back in 2003 I was in college scrambling to pay for school and flight training at the same time (the usual story of big dreams and little money). It took the grace of God and much persistence through disappointment along the way but I don't regret my approach as I have finished with a B.S. and M.S. degree in the process debt free. With the current state of the airline industry I intend to get my instructor ratings and teach part time while I work.
Now on to the checkride. The oral was last week Wednesday since the aircraft was down for 100hr which made things better for me as yesterday all I had to do was focus on the practical. The oral was 1.5hrs long and included standard commercial pilot priveleges questions but all in all a heavy emphasis on systems and emergency procedures particularly with VMC factors. Since FDK is just out of the Washington ADIZ there was additional emphasis on operating procedures in the area.
The practical yesterday was about 1.4hr and went like this:
Fly cross country to first checkpoint, once I made it she asked me to divert to an airport about 50 Nm away. She stopped me midway once she recognized I knew what I was doing and then it was on to the maneuvers.
Steep Turns, Engine failure with 30 degree bank turns left and right, Power off stall followed by power on stall, VMC demo, SE engine ILS approach, full feather shutdown and restart, then was in for normal approach and she made me do a simulated SE failure go around and come back to land. That was it!
The DE was great and very fair she made me feel comfortable by chatting about what I was going to be doing for Memorial Day weekend. I am glad it's over so now it's on to planning for what comes next.
