Snow does Multi-engine ...an FSA Diary

Snow

'Not a new member'
Well here you go folks, I'm on to step 3, I've again posted this in a new section to avoid hugely long posts.

Day 1 - Friday, Febuary 13th

Well today I had two sessions in the Frasca, I had come in early since my instructor's previous flight had been canceled, and with time to spare we decided to get the 2nd lesson out of the way as well. Not before a free BBQ lunch though!
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FlightSafety seemed to have random free BBQs down at the flightline until someone told me that they do it when they reach their projected hours for the month. Since I've been here I think it's been the 2nd or 3rd free BBQ. So I guess that means things are going well here, either way I'll take a free lunch anytime I can get one
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As for the lessons, we did pattern work and some engine failures and single engine flight. It was mostly about learning the checklist/proceedures than anything. Cheaper in the Frasca than in the Seminole!

Day 2 - Saturday, Febuary 14th

No flying today, just bummed around, feels like a Sunday, I usally fly Saturdays, although it did give me some time to write up the aircraft writen, took up a good portion of the day, also went bowling again tonight with the guys.

Day 3 - Sunday, Feburary 15th

Another day off, just watched the Daytona 500, hard to belive it's only like 30mins from here (by plane) I wanted tickets but waited too long, oh well, maybe next year.

Day 4 - Monday, Febuary 16th

Ah, the day I've been waiting for first flight in the Seminole!
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Well we preflighted the aircraft and my instructor showed me a detailed walk around and all the stuff I need to look for. Lots of lying on the ground for this aircraft as you need to look in the gear bays and the only way to look at the engines is through the cowl flaps. Although draining the fuel is easier as it's all at one point and no tanks to switch. Did the start up and taxi out. It kinda felt like driving a boat using differental power to assist with turns. Did the runup which took a bit longer, two of everything and also prop controls to deal with. Anyhow finally got clearance to take off and as I moved the throttles forward, wahoo! oh the acceleration! Now this is what I call an aircraft!
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If you haven't flown a twin before, the takeoffs are like a soft field take off everytime! Climb rate is great and your at 500ft doing the climb check before you can say, "what the.." You have to make your turn from downwind to final in one smooth turn as your going faster, and at 80kts approch speed, that's almost 20kts faster than the cadet. The plane also felt smoother, both due to nice smooth controls and the fact that the aircraft is larger/heavier it doesn't get bumped around by the turbulance nearly as much. I didn't even have full power and we were crusing around at 140kts! Did a few touch and goes to get used to the aircraft, as well as some stalls, slow flight and steep turns. To my suprise the aircraft is easy to handle at slow speeds and stalls were smooth and nothing scary, much like the cadet. Also the duel full color moving map GPS system is great, not only does it show where you are but it also controls the com radios and has lists of frequencies and airport diagrams in the memory. These can be selected by a search or simply by getting a list of nearby airports, just like flightsim!
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So I logged my first multi time! With much more to come, I'm going to enjoy flying this bird! I can't wait to start insturment where I can go ziping through clouds at the speed of sounds (ok maybe not quite!
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After my flight I geminied with my instructor and another student to get lunch at Sebring, I had gone there previously and it has the best terminal of any uncortroled airport I've ever seen! Complete with hotel, resturant and various gift shops! Unfortunatly the resturant was closed Mondays and instead we got a $100 snickers. (you in avation know what I mean
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) Also the airport has a 5000x300ft runway which is kinda weird, plus the one taxiways (I supect a closed runway) was also 300ft wide! Heck you could taxi a C-5 at this place with room to turn around no problem!

Day 5 - Tuesday, Febuary 17th

Another Frasca this morning, 7am start, ugh. Good it was a sim lesson because the weather was kinda crummy anyhow. Today in addition to stuff previously done we also did vyse demos and was showen a few different types of failures such as prop over and under speed. Man you really got to read those engine guages, espically when you have a 'trigger happy' instrctor on the 'fail engine' button.

Well that's all for now, I better get back to studying those checklist!
 
I miss that bird. Wait until instrument, talk about a blast!! I loved Sebring too. I ate there quite a bit in Step 2. Good Luck
 
Congrats Snow! You will love multi flying. You need to come to Orlando again and we will take a flight in the Seneca. A bit faster and much heavier than the Seminole, but great to fly. Good luck with that first full feather shutdown!
 
Day 6 - Wednesday, Febuary 18th

Another Frasca session today, more single engine flying, engine failures at Vr, after take-off and in the pattern. All this as well as practicing the regular checklists.

Day 7 - Thursday, Feburay 19th

2nd actual flight in Seminole today. Practiced engine failure, single engine approach and landing, airstart, VMC demo as well as the normal stalls and steep turns. We were also kinda test pilots today as well, on the box was posted a note that we had to determine what MP level the gear up horn was going off. I'm guessing that someone squawked it and it's not really somthing maintance can check as it's a little dificult to raise the gear on the ground, although I've heard stories of it being done, with rather spectacular results!
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Another interesting happening on our flight was while on a long final, tower told us to hurry up as there was an emergency coming in behind us. As we pulled off the runway the fire trucks were waiting. We looked out on final to see what at first looked like a king air, but then after it landed saw that it was none other than a Contentental Connection Beech 1900!
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Both engines were running and there was no aparent mechanical problem, although soon after landing the captain announced that it was just an open baggage door. I bet the passingers were thinking "hey, this isn't Maimi!"
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Anyhow was an interesting sight as there are no airline ops in Vero anymore.

Day 8 - Friday, Febuary 20th

Another Frasca today, didn't really cover anything new, just more practice and getting more proficent at the checklists.

Day 9 - Saturday, Febuary 21st

No flying today, next lesson is a night cross country and the flightline closes at 3pm today.

Day 10 - Sunday, Feburay 22nd

Another day of earned r&r.

Oh and I got over 100hrs total time now, for those who are interested my time is as follows (all logged at FSA)

Single engine land 110.6 hrs
Multi engine land 3.1 hrs (woh hoo finally)
Night 24.8 hrs
Hood time 6.9 hrs
Flight Simulator 10.2 hrs
Cross country 51.3 hrs
Duel received 66.9 hrs
PIC 79.1 hrs
Total time 112.0 hrs

And for those of you who noticed that doesn't add up, that's because sim time doesn't go toward total time, least not the Frasca.
 
Day 11 - Monday, Feburay 23nd

Did my night cross country in the Seminole this evening. Had to stay down about 2500 ft to stay below the clouds but otherwise a good flight. Had a bit of time to mess around with the GPS and figure out how it works, was even able to put in a direct course for Sydney Australia, at 160kts it would have taken us about 60hrs, I think we would have to stop for fuel a few times lol
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Went to Leesburg, which is just over 100nm and takes you through Orlando Class B airspace to get there, we got vectored right over the airport, and after a few touch and goes at Leesburg we headed back. This time we got vectored around the class B which happened to take us right over some amusment park which was having a fireworks show, it's almost like the controler had planned it, anyhow it was really cool to fly over a firework show at about 3,500ft. Also flew through some floodlights, kinda felt like we were about to do a bombing run over hostile terrtory or somthing! We got back to Vero just after the tower closed and just as it was begining to rain, the strobe lights on the wings look really cool in the rain! Plus I think it's the first time I've flown at night in the rain before, pretty cool.

Day 12 - Tuesday, Feburay 24th

More preperation for the checkride today, just did the usally array of touch and goes, single engine landings, slow flight, vmc demos etc etc

Day 13 - Wednesday, Febuary 25th

Rather nasty weather today, there's a front kinda hovering over Florida, there were even a few tornado watches for Orlando. Was about 9sm in light rain and a 2800 celling, we could have flown but wouldn't have been able to do any engine shut downs which have to be done above 4000ft, so we cancled for another day, as did a lot of people.

Day 14 - Thursday, Febuary 26th

Another flight practicing the multi-engine checkride materal, was a really nice day today, sunny and not too windy, plus I think I really nailed the manovers and checklists today, I'm feeling more confident for the upcoming checkride now.

Day 15 - Friday, Febuary 27th

Woke up to find 1200ft overcast conditions outside the window this morning, with no forcast of it getting better either so another canceled lesson today
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Day 16 - Saturday, Febuary 28th

No flying today either, guess my instructor wanted the day off cause it was a nice enough day, wow I've only flown 3 times this week, a new time low I think, I'm used to flying 5-6 times a week. I guess I'll have the weekend to really go through the memorise stuff so I can really do the next lesson well and then it's on the to mock and then final checkride.

Day 17 - Sunday Febuary 29th

Another nice day today, too bad I can't fly on Sundays, I was kinda hoping to start the instrument ground tommarow but I think I'll have to wait till the mid March class. I've gotten the books and approach charts though and have been doing a bit of reading ahead of time since I don't want to have to try and fit in 4 or so hours of reading a night once instrument starts on top of flying. Can't belive that there's only about 40 lessons left until my multi comerical checkride, I'm on lesson 70 now, if I keep going at this rate I'll be done by the end of April! Then I'll probably be able to get my CFI before the end of summer, so on the big picture, from 0hrs to CFI I'm at about the 1/2 way mark.

Till next time readers, I'll let you know how the checkride goes.
 
Day 18 - Monday, March 1st

Well had my last lesson before the checkride today, just went over the usual stuff plus we did some engine failures on the take-off roll since we hadn't practiced them much.

Day 19 - Tuesday, March 2nd

Well no checkride today, in one since your relieved that you have an extra day to study, but in another since you wish you could hurry up and get it over with. With a whole day to study I had more than enough time. I hate the feeling where you have gone over everything you can but still have time left over but you don't want to do anything non study related (ie fun) It's right up there with being bored and knowing you have stuff your suposed to do but don't want to.

Day 20 - Wednesday, March 3rd

Well had my mock checkride today, had the same check-pilot as I had for my mock private single. Which is good in a way because you already kinda know the instructor's 'methods' before hand. I had heard stories of engines being cut not long after take off and during steep turns but to my relief neither occured. Just out in the training area and in the pattern (for the single engine approach) All went fairly well. One advantage of the mock checkride is that it is still a lesson so the instuctor can still teach and give tips on how to improve where needed, making for a better final checkride preformance. Although I did need to read up a little on why you bank into the operating engine in an engine out situation. After a little tution from my instructor it all made since.

Day 21 - Thursday, March 4th - Multi Checkride

Well today's the big day, however after discovering I had the same check pilot today as yesterday, and based on how it went well last time, I was far less nervious this time around. We did pretty much all the same stuff, and I had improved on yesterday's preformance learning from useful tips given to me yesterday. I was also quized on the areas I had a little trouble with before and was able to answer more confidently this time.

In short I passed with flying colours (or is that colors here?) and I got a 95% on both my oral and flying abilities, a personal best! I should give some credit to the wonderful aircraft I'm now flying (Seminole), I actually think it's easier to fly than the Cadet. It's far more stable because of it's larger size, and single engine charteristics are well behaved due to the counter rotating propellers. Not to mention the other goodies it has over the Cadet like duel color moving map GPS and more sound proofing. And of course it's a lot faster.

Well that raps up my multi engine training here at Flightsafety, but there's a lot more Seminole flying fun ahead for the instrument and ultimately multi comerical ratings. While getting my Multi private wasn't quite as exciting as getting my first licence, it is an acomplishment to be proud of. Plus it sets you apart from the majority of GA pilots who only have there single engine rating. Oh and I get two stripes now, woh hoo!
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Feel free to ask any question that you might have here and I'll be covering my instrument training in another posting.
 
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