BFR complete! Checkout not yet complete.

[cjsmith]

I hope my coworker, whose flight lesson coincided with mine on Saturday morning, had a better time in the air than I did. Me? My airplane wouldn't start!

("my" == "the one I was renting")

Dead battery. We looked around for maintenance guys, we shot the breeze with a nearby Cessna 182 owner who was redoing his entire panel (!!), and finally we tied it back up and went inside for nearly two hours of ground instruction.

He quizzed me up one side and down the other. Charts, airspace, regs, cloud clearances, maintenance and airworthiness, weather. At that I know we skipped stuff: um, basic aerodynamics, anyone? He seemed pleased with my level of knowledge on almost everything, declaring me only a bit weak on weather. Apparently I was at least good enough on that subject that he didn't need me to study and come back to get quizzed again.

So he signed me off for my Biennial Flight Review even though we had not flown that day. Technically, you see, it must include at least one hour of ground review. We had finally done that.

I'm not yet legal to rent an aircraft solo from West Valley, because the club's aircraft checkout includes a lot more stuff than has to be on the BFR. But according to the FAA I can now fly again.

I also told him I don't want to stop where we are, whether the FAA considers me legal or not. I'm not up to my own standards. I want more emergency drills and more landings. (I'm pretty sure he'd agree I could use both.) We'll do those and finish the aircraft checkout over the coming weeks.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Hey, it's still a milestone. I'm pleased to see you flying again. I know how much you love it.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had mixed feelings when he signed me off -- sort of like getting a compliment on a paper graded "C". :-) But as any pilot knows, the legal minimum is only the minimum. I'll keep working on it.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Go you!!! Fly, baby, fly! :):):)

(I think you're terrific and brave and wonderful, just sayin'.)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you! *blush* If I get better enough -- is that phrase semantically valid? -- I get to get back in the tailwheel planes, and eventually do ACRO! Wheeeee!

Now me, I think my instructor is brave. (I guess it's all in one's point of view.) I at least knew how to fly at first, but he takes people who don't and teaches them how to land. What a job.

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's courage of the first water :):):).

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, ACRO gets me hot! *fans self*

Someday, I'm gonna beg/pay someone to take me up and ACRO the hell out of me! *quiver

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

ACRO the hell out of me

OK, there's a phrase I haven't heard! Look out or I'm gonna ACRO the hell out of you! ;-)

[rampling.livejournal.com]

Ooooh, such language!!! *fans self again

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

So -- southern Washington? :)

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Sure! Got a plane I can borrow? ;-)

[quasigeostrophy.livejournal.com]

Yay!

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Wheeeeeeee! 8-)