Started Commercial MEL at Chicago today

VampyreGTX

VampyreGTX

New Member
Started my Multi-Add On to my Commercial Single certifcate today at Chicago. Instructor is Steve and seem like a really great guy. Easy to get along with and now his stufff pretty good. Overall, much smaller place than I expected but the two planes they have at this location look immaculate! They actually just had one of their two 2000 seminoles replaced with a 2003 seminole they bought from PanAm academy. Only 337 on the hobs. Appears that that is the one I will be flying. Not bad! I'm looking forward to my first flight since the weather wasn't cooperating most of the day today. Got there at 0800 central and the rain and tstorms moved in by 0900 and were on and off until we finally called it a day at about 3 in the afternoon. Oh well... let you all know how it goes in a few days when I'm done...
 
Sounds cool man. I did the ACPP at Dallas, they have mostly 200x models there too. The dual Garmin 430 stack is niiiice.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!
 
Hey, do they have mostly 200X models at JAX too?
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Well, had my first flight today and was kinda slow getting the flow during the startup and runnu and all etc., but i've been 'chair flying' and I feel much more comfortable now. I got to the airport at 730 this morning and my instructor Steve was late due to traffic (called me which was nice) and we finally got going around 930. He had to work on some ATP prep with a student and Steve was the only on ein that morning. I saw the morning news had some heavy Tstorms building in Iowa and moving toward us and at 930 I could see the TCU's in the distance by this point already. The weather computer was down so we had no way to check the radar. I called the AWOS for an airport about 50 miles west and cielings were 800 with Tstorms. So I thought that would be it for the day again. We decided to go up anyway and see what we could do and I was soo amazed at how much different the Seminole felt after all my hours in the Cessna's. Takeoff was a rush and took some getting used to the extra speed and acceleration. We got the lesson in but kept looking over our shoulders at the weather that was moving in. Just west it was pitch black and moving in at a pretty good clip. We got all the manuevers in (engine-outs aren't anywhere near as bad as I'd expect them to be) and headed in to land. Landing was probably my smoothest yet (which surprised the crap out of me!) and the rain started just as we finished tying down.

Anyway, more then most of you probably wanted to hear, but I am still on cloud-nine after flying the Seminole.... I don't know how I'll ever get back in a little 172 again! LOL!
 
Thanks for the post Andrew,

I start with ATP on Monday for the ACPP. All my time is in the Cessna's as well, so I appreciated your comments... Now you've got me even more pumped up!
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Bob
 
Can't wait to hear more about your experience at the ATP Chicago location. I am thinking about making the trek over there to do my multi also.

Cheers


John Herreshoff
 
ARGH! Well, now I may have a wrench thrown into the whole training. I was beginning to fill in my 8710 form and just noticed the Examiner that did my C-ASEL ride entered the wrong date on Date of Issue for my Commercial Single Temp Certificate! Instead of 05-05-2003, he put 2002. So now, officially, the form is past the 120 days and is no longer valid. Granted, in the logbook and everwhere else, I show the date as 2003, but the 'official' document is no longer valid! My instructor will call the DPE I'm scheduled with for this Saturday to ask if it's fine, if not, I guess time to start the trek to fix this somehow. I was wondering why on the FAA airmen inquiry site I'm still listed as a PPL and not my Comm, even though everyone I know that finished the same time as me has had there's for over a month! Oh well... I'll let you all know how it turns out and I'll do another play-by-play of tomorrow's flying!
 
Man, that blows. That DPE ought to give you a refund for causing you such a pain in the ass.

I'd be on the horn with him and the FAA tomorrow getting something straightened out if I were you.

Hope it works out for you!
 
[ QUOTE ]
That DPE ought to give you a refund for causing you such a pain in the ass.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah...THAT'LL happen.
 
Well, I'm still at home due to weather. I'll head out to KARR this afternoon and hope we catch a break, right now the ceilings are still IFR and the TAF is calling for little to no improvement.

As for my certificate, my instructor talked to the examiner and she said that yes that will be a problem and that I need to have the examiner that signed it correct it and initial it, however, he's in Orlando, Fl. a good 1200 miles away! I can't overnight it, as I need it to train, yet I need it done my Saturday for my checkride! I'll call the FSDO, the old examiner and Delta Academy and see what they are willing to do to correct this problem. This is really NOT what I need right now! LOL!
 
Well I'm finished with the program. Had to do a 1.6 hour flight this morning just before the checkride due to having to finish early due to some severe weather we had to race in to the airport. obviously passed the checkride and felt confident in what I was taught in such a short period of time. My S.E. instrument approach was the worst I've ever shot, but never let it fall past 3/4 deflection. I think it was a combination of nerves and being starving without having eaten anything in like 6-7 hours! Oh well. I think the instructors did a great job preparing me for what I needed to know for the checkride. It was kinda unconfortable after coming out of DCA since at the Academy, you just keep repeating the information and are flooded with so many more details, etc. that I felt underprepared. However, after the test, I saw that I had everything I had needed. If you considering ATP for the Multi, go for it. I think it is definitely worth it!
 
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