I'll add to my previous post about my SFO low pass.
-First solo at TCY. I was all hyper and excited and talking on the CTAF in various accents ranging from British to Ebonic. It was so awesome begin alone, I was just shouting nonsense to myself pumping myself up. I was bouncing around in my seat laughing having a lot of fun, so much fun the stall horn went off on base to final and I had to shove the nose down hoping my CFI didn't notice. My girlfriend at the time took pictures of my landings and I didn't really flare for a single one(despite my CFI begging me to between landings), greased them all...but...used almost the entire lengthy runway. After my last landing when my CFI and girlfriend got back in the plane, she told me "He laughed and said you screwed up when you turned really sharp". Whoops.
-Taking my girlfriend at the time on a trip up to STS for lunch. It was my first time flying a plane with TCAS and we were having fun spotting airplanes on the "fish finder" on the way up. When we got in, the CalFire tankers were all taxiing out in a big line to go fight a fire. ATC lined 3 other Cessnas up right behind me so close I remember looking behind me and it felt like formation flying. Tower asked if I could keep "maximum practical speed" then "Make the first exit practical" as the tankers were waiting. "Hell yeah we can!". I came blazing in at the yellow ark until short final, dropped full flaps and threw it into a slip, and made the first turn off just as the next Cessna was touching down kicking out of a slip with the guy behind him doing the same. We took a mini cooper to Applebee's, then unforcasted fog started to roll in right as we finished eating. When we got to the airport and hopped in the plane, it was still VFR but it was obvious if we didn't get above the clouds fast, we'd be spending the night. The full story of that departure is best told over a beer, but as I climbed though a large but closing hole in the gloomy sky, we burst into dramatic orange sunset with the cloud tops below us lit purple and we were both in total awe. A few minutes later, the controller announced the field was IFR. The unforcasted fog spread all the way down to SFO, and it was interesting flying the whole way back with low overcast below us. It was the first time I felt like I was truly navigating as I couldn't see the ground below, just mountain tops. Once I looked out the window and saw the San Francisco Sky Scrapers poking out from the fog under my gear, and soon after the end of the fog line and the super clear twinkling lights of SFO and the South Bay ahead, I felt very accomplished. Right after we got back, we hopped on an RJ to TUS. I think that was her favorite date.
-Climbing out of Halfmoon Bay at night with 3 friends in a 172(after a careful weight and balance) as a new private pilot out over the dark Ocean with a starless sky. I remember thinking "Wow, this feels like instrument flying". As soon as I turned x-wind, we hit the worst turbulence I've ever had. It took me by surprise as there was very little on the way in. I remember fighting it, while climbing to get over the mountains to SQL, and keeping my cool and situational awareness and not freaking out while remaining intently focused. Once we got over the mountains and I leveled off, the turbulence spit us out and I felt very proud of myself for keeping control of the situation before it was time to pull the power and start down for the "slam dunk" approach into SQL thanks to the 1500 foot Bravo at the foot of said mountains.
-Flying over a dust devil at New Jerusalem with my primary CFI. It was about 400 feet tall whipping around by the final. I asked my CFI what would happen if we flew over it, he said "Let's find out!". It pegged the VSI for about a second or two and we were now several hundred feet higher than we were a seconds before. I seem to remember we still managed to land fine.
-All the trips from LOU-LEX with @
JordanD to borrow the Porsche Boxter convertible that the Air 51(now TacAir sans Porsche) FBO had, and driving it responsibly while abiding by all posted speed limits as any 18 year old kids would. Many over-beer stories from the flights.
-Landing on 30R in SJC and having SJC tell a Southwest 737 to "prepare to go-around" thinking he goofed putting a 172 so close ahead. NOPE. Yellow arc till over the numbers, pull the power and dump the flaps, touch and go, get the hell out. Got a "nice job" from my CFI, the controller, and the Southwest pilot. Put a big smile on my 17 year old student pilot face flying into a "big" airport for the first time.
-Passing my private check ride in Seymour, Indiana. I crashed and burned in the oral out here, @
kiloalpha told me if I could get out to SDF, he'd finish me off(giggity). So that month I spent my 4 days off from Skywest each week going to/from SDF flying and doing ground before taking my ride in a strange place with no landmarks I had never been to or even heard of. To add to the matter, my sectional had expired and the only place selling them we could find anywhere near SDF was at BAK(!). So at the crack of dawn we flew LOU-BAK-SER to start my checkride. The examiner was impressed with my diversion since I had never been to the area and the checkride was smooth sailing. I had work the next afternoon, and got back to SDF to find my flight canceled! So at 5am the next morning, I was on an RJ bound for ORD, got biz class on a 777 to SFO in my gate agent uniform and went to work, tired but excited(If you're from the area, LB is a GREAT DPE).
-I bring friends along on every flight I take. It is usually their first time in a small airplane, and I know its very special to them. It makes me start each flight in a fun mood and I can honestly say just about every flight I've ever done is memorable because of the company I've had the the experiences I've given them. It's a very rewarding feeling to log onto facebook and see the person upload a ton of pictures and go on rants about how awesome flying was.
-All the dates I've had in the air. Girls love pilots and airplanes. It's true. Chicks dig it when guys are passionate, if you are all fired up about the idea of taking them flying and get them super excited, that excitement will carry over to a date they'll never forget. But I personally have the opposite of the typical pilot "unexcitible" personality, so YMMV. All about delivery.
And again, the best stories, of course, are told over beers.