My Learning Path

November 20, 2017:

"Unusual Attitudes" = A marketing term for "have fun, and make your students barf!"

NOT my favorite lesson... but I understand why it's taught. I'd rather have that with a CFI next to me than to look up and see clouds and the attitude indicator all askew, and not know what to do, After 4 roller coaster rides with the view limiting devices on, I was done. I was vectored the rest of the way in, and that was good. One of my better landings, I must say...

...no video, as my CFI was on board. I'll post hours tomorrow.
 
Happy Thanksgiving!

Last night, I went on my first night flight, 7 T/O and landings.

Let’s just say that I need to work on my night landings. My day landings are progressing pretty well, but the night ones were hard, and I bounced. I thought they would be easier, but I was wrong, so there’s more to learn.

I do enjoy night flying. The air is smoother, and things are easier to spot. It’s kind of fun to do the CTAF radio click thing to make the lights come on. The most fun thing to do is see all of the traffic, and know that I’m going 120mph, and they’re not. An unusual thing happened... I got a few calls from my wife. It appears that she and I had a miscommunication on what “night flying” was. She thought I’d be home earlier, and telling her, “Check out 14 CFR 1.1:
Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the Air Almanac, converted to local time.“
She said, “yeah, but you didn’t take off until one hour after sunset. What’s up with that?”
...
Some things I learned... towers aren’t as high as they appear to be.
It’s hard to judge how high you are over the runway, and how quickly you’re coming down.
(Like I said before...) It was a lot calmer than I expected it to be.
Curtesy is easier than insisting that I have the right of way. - A helicopter and a Lear Jet were coming in, and I was able to take off and avoid them, with no issues. Communicating with both of them let me do another check on the airplane, and they landed, and I took off. It was about a 3 minute delay, but it was a good 3 minutes of learning.

Logbook: 30.1
PIC: 2.5
Simulated instrument: 1.7
Checkbook: 25.6

Next up, first cross country, from KJZI->KOGB. Good times!
 
I've been involved in aviation education since 1968 and your FBO experiences sound very familiar. Wish I knew the answer. In many instances the front desk people are to blame, if blame must be assigned.

Bob
No, the front desk people are not to blame, the management/owners are to blame for either not training the front staff or hiring the right people for the front desk. It's not a single problem to fix, it's a symptom of the business model.
 
November 24, 2017

Did first (well, second... first was KDYB->KCAE) Cross Country, and it was a bumpy ride. It was KCHS -> KOGB (Orangeburg, SC), and I kept it at 2500 for most of the ride. I did check to see if the pattern was RH or LH, and for Runway 5, it’s RH.

On the way back, I did it under the hood, and for some reason, I started getting nervous. I guess flying truly blind is a thing that people do, but there was no GPS, no iPad, just my instructor’s eyes looking outside. I felt myself thinking, “Are we there yet?”

Once we crossed I-95, we were transitioned to KCHS approach from KCAE (Columbia), and I got to experience the “behind the scenes” action of how the air traffic system works, or at least that part of it.

We got in, and it looks like I won’t be flying again until, at the earliest, next Monday. My mom is in town, and I may get a lesson on Monday next, which will be a night Cross Country from KCHS -> KGGE (Georgetown) -> KMYR (Myrtle Beach) and back.

The logbook is looking like this:
Logbook: 32.4
Checkbook: $3800 (I did a report on my bank records, and this is how much I’ve spent, total, so far, in CFI, tools, books, and airplane rental)
PIC: 2.4
Night: 1.3
Simulated Instrument: 2.6
 
December 5, 2017

Our almost (147NM) Long Distance XC was pushed out to Friday, due to weather, so I went up and did a local run. On this flight, I realized that "get there itis" is a real thing, as I took off at about 4:45, and I needed to be on the ground by 6:12, since I am not signed off for night flight.

KCHS->KJZI - That was fun! I got to fly over an American Airlines with 500 feet of separation. I was at 2100, it was at 1600 on approach, and I got it on camera (more early next week)
KJZI -> KLRO - I was having fun looking out the window and enjoying the flight, and using the iPad for navigation and for frequencies. I had already set them up on my kneeboard, but I wanted to do an authoritative check. There was another airplane doing pattern work there, and as I got to about 300 feet, it didn't feel right, so I aborted the landing. Looking at the clock, it was 5:45, and I didn't want to cut it close, so I departed the pattern, looked for my house, but concentrated on flying.
KLRO -> KCHS - It was getting dark (that didn't bother me), and was feeling the "get there itis" but started flying West, and got ATIS and contacted the tower, and got to fly in behind a C-17. Due to my speed, wake turbulence wasn't an issue, as I was about 4 minutes behind them. Put it down just past the numbers, and rolled to runway 03, taxied to Atlantic, and parked the aircraft.

The logbook is looking like this:
Logbook: 33.6
Checkbook: $3867.50 (I did a report on my bank records, and this is how much I’ve spent, total, so far, in CFI, tools, books, and airplane rental)
PIC: 3.6
Night: 1.3
Simulated Instrument: 2.6
 
Double report for last week
December 11 - KCHS -> KMYR -> KGGE -> KCHS (at night)
It was my birthday, so for my gift, I did a night flight with my instructor, and I still need to work on my night landings. I was talking to him about doing a tower visit, and the controllers at KMYR sounded like that would be a good tower to visit. They were friendly, and were nice when I altered my approach to suit them, and the other airplane coming in to land. We're the slow one, so I gladly accommodate them. Heck, I'm in the air, flying, living the dream, so why not spend another 5-6 minutes there practicing 2 minute turns?
So, we landed at Myrtle Beach, went into the FBO, and relaxed for a minute, checked the weather, then was asked at the desk, "Have you checked in with us? No? Here you go..." I told her that it was my birthday, so I had my $15 landing fee waived, and thanked her, and went to the airplane, did a mini-pre flight (I always check the gas and oil. I can fly with less than that, but gas/oil? Makes the flight much shorter.
On to Georgetown, and that was my first time clicking on the lights. They were already on, but doing the 7 clicks affirmed my observation as them as the destination.
On to Charleston, and got to check another runway off the list. For some reason, I like to land at all of the runways at an airport (33/15, 03/21), and so far I now have 3/4 of them done.

Another 2.7 hours in the logbook...

December 13, 2017 - KCHS -> KOGB -> KCHS (solo cross country)
First Cross Country, and this one was exciting... (ha! got you interested!)
I put my flight plan forward for my instructor to see, and he approved it, signed off my logbook, and I went to the airplane with these instructions:
1. Text him when I get to Orangeburg
2. If I can't get there and back before 6:13pm, turn around.
3. Bouncing the landing doesn't count. I have to do a full stop. (that's a joke between us. My night landings had one bounce each)

3:30
Preflight looks good, and I am making a conscious effort to suppress the "get there itis". To keep this in check, I do the pre-flight twice, and I did not miss anything. Confidence builder. Pay attention, religiously to the checklist. If I don't fly today, there is always tomorrow.
Arrange the cockpit how I like it, well...
I put the iPad on the right yoke, and I found that I didn't like it there midway to Orangeburg. No worries, it was a little thing.
Get everything set up, frequencies where I want them, on my kneeboard, but I think I want to get a separate sheet of paper for them.
Clear the area, start the engine, taxi to the run-up area, and when I did the mag check, on the left mag, the engine dies.
Hmmm... Maybe I should do the run up at 2000 rpm, lean, to clear things out.
R mag, check. L mag it it dies, and backfires. I taxi back to the starting area, let the flight club owner know, and he replies back that it sounds like I turned it off.
Start engine again, noting where the mags are. Do right mag - good. Do left mag - good. Do no mags -dies, and exhibits the same symptoms I felt before. Taxied to run up area, and repeated run up, and all was good.
Lesson learned - Don't fly when things don't go well on the ground. They're only going to get worse in the air. Ask questions when things don't work right.
Take off - good. Ground wished me well on my "Student Solo"
About 10 miles out, my iPad rings - Amythequick is calling me, and won't let up. I answer the call, affirming that I am on course, and let her know that I'm flying an airplane, call ends. 20 seconds. We have a "hang up" deal, where, if one of us needs to, we can hang up on the other without the customary "love you's", and I took advantage of it.
I get handed off to Columbia Approach (CHS guys wish me luck, and they'll talk to me on the way back), and call them, and they don't reply back. I call them again, and no reply. I can hear them, but they don't contact me, but I'm getting close to Orangeburg, and I switch to CTAF there, and make my calls. There was another airplane on 7 mile approach, and I was on short final, and I asked if they could hear me, and they didn't respond, either. I was thinking a few things:
First, there's something wrong with the radio, or second, they just can't hear me, or third, they can hear me, and are just not responding. Figuring the odds were on #2, I continued the flight, with the proviso that if I couldn't be heard, I'd squawk 7600 and land at the nearest airport.
Took off from KOGB, got past pattern altitude, switched over the KCAE, made my call, and got the squawk code (to my amusement), and continued on to KCHS. Got handed over pretty early (usually at I-95 they transfer us, but this one came about 5 miles north of it), and climbed to 3500, and relaxed and enjoyed the flight. The sun went down just past I-95, and I had another hour to be on the ground, with a tailwind. I'd be at KCHS in 19 minutes, and that gave me 40 to spare, so I was feeling good.
On the vector in, I was told, "continue runway 15", which I missed, and was reminded to do so, and got back on final behind a C-17 taking off. I wanted to be sure that I landed well behind where they took off and did so, got off the runway, to ground, where there were two of them (not sure who the other person was) congratulating me on my solo, and warning me about getting my tail cut off. I told them that I already had that on November 6, but they congratulated me on the XC just the same.

The logbook is looking like this:
Logbook: 38.1
Checkbook: $4253.50 (I did a report on my bank records, and this is how much I’ve spent, total, so far, in CFI, tools, books, and airplane rental)
PIC: 5.4
Night: 4.2
Simulated Instrument: 2.6

Next up: Long XC KCHS->KMYB->KMNI->KCHS, 12/19/17
 
December 19, 2017 KCHS->KMYR->KMNI->KCHS

Fun, fun, fun!
A few notes on this one: Preflight planning was interesting, as I was going to be on my own for 3.5 hours (Hobbs), and I wanted to know the winds aloft, as I was going to be flying at 5500. Once I got to 5500, the ground looked low. I've been flying at 2500, so it just looked so far away. My worried mind was telling me, "hey... you shouldn't be this high," but my good sense was saying, "Well, if anything goes wrong with the engine, at 500 fpm, you have 11 minutes to get things right." Good sense won, and I felt better about it. Nice tail wind on the KCHS->KMYR leg.

Stopped into the FBO at MYR, and learned something new: Landing fees. But I'd get them waived if I bought 15 gallons of 100LL. The trouble is, unless I flew from Georgia, I'm not going to get 15 gallons in it, but the nice people there told me that if I top off, all is good, so I had them top it off. I like having full tanks when I take off, as it gives me 6 hours of flight time.

MYR->MNI - 25 kt headwind at 4500, and that reduced my GS to 60 kts, and that made this leg take an hour. I never understood why people would want a headset that allowed music via Bluetooth, and now I do. It was akin to driving a car with no radio, as I had 3 exchanges with MYR departure and 1 with Shaw Approach, who sent me VFR after I told them I was going to Santee Cooper Municipal. I called out my location and intention (I use the handoff time to get the weather for my destination... not sure I should, but it's a 1 minute delay with the receiving station, so I figure, "why not?") tp ;and at MNI, and was told to go VFR, no traffic in sight. I called out on CTAF at MNI, nobody else was in the area, and the winds were "unavailable", but the smoke from the area had them at crosswind at about 8 kts (I checked earlier). I landed 20, and taxied to the end of the runway (I should have landed 02 with this idea). I checked traffic again, and turned around, and took off from 02, and on heading down the crosswind, my CFI called out to me, welcoming me home (back to CHS, and MNI/JZI have the same CTAF frequency, and he was giving someone else a lesson).

MNI -> CHS - What a beautiful run from there. I got vectored about 20 miles out, and used the North Pylon of the Ravenal Bridge as my point. The winds had me steering about 10 degrees off of the compass, so having the iPad and visual cue of the bridge helped out, then got vectored to 190 and that was the South Pylon. I had a beautiful view of the Holy City as I flew over, and landed, right on the numbers, and was able to get off at Foxtrot.

Landings were awesome (not greasers, but I didn't have the checklist mentality. It just flowed) today, as were takeoffs and altitude adjustments. It all clicked today, and that was a good thing.

The logbook is looking like this:
Logbook: 41.6
Checkbook: $4485
PIC: 8.9
Night: 4.2
Simulated Instrument: 2.6
 
I love your reports including the total time and checkbook! Those first cross countries are awesome. Feels like real flying for the first time.

I have a question regarding:
....Once I got to 5500, the ground looked low. I've been flying at 2500, so it just looked so far away. My worried mind was telling me, "hey... you shouldn't be this high," but my good sense was saying, "Well, if anything goes wrong with the engine, at 500 fpm, you have 11 minutes to get things right." Good sense won, and I felt better about it. Nice tail wind on the KCHS->KMYR leg
...
Maybe I have it figured wrong but for our plane at best glide I came up with about 70sec per 1000ft of descent. That would be closer to 6 minutes vs 11 minutes in your example. Now I'm wondering if I have my numbers wrong? Or maybe your glide ratio is above 10:1
 
I love your reports including the total time and checkbook! Those first cross countries are awesome. Feels like real flying for the first time.

I have a question regarding:
Maybe I have it figured wrong but for our plane at best glide I came up with about 70sec per 1000ft of descent. That would be closer to 6 minutes vs 11 minutes in your example. Now I'm wondering if I have my numbers wrong? Or maybe your glide ratio is above 10:1
Thank you for the kind words!
I was using the "500 fpm descent, so 5500/500 = 11 minutes" calculation. Of course, where I was is 200 MSL, so I'll be landing sooner. I may need to re-think this. The Tomahawk (for those of you in the KCHS tower, "Tommy Hawk" ;) ) descends at that rate at 70kts with no engine (or engine at 1000 rpm).

One thing I do remember is "NEVER LAND IN A GREEN PATH IN THE FOREST" - Those always seem to have power lines in them, and that would just make a bad day worse. Always look for a road to land on... and I'm always searching for those emergency landing spots, as a matter of course. I'm a "always have a plan B" guy, so this makes flying much more comfortable for me.
 
I figured you had used the 500fpm for your 11 minute calculation so that part did make sense.

I just wasn't sure if you meant engine problems as in I still have partial power and can maintain 500fpm descent or engine problems like engine out and I'm at best glide?

For the 182 I think the POH shows ~9000ft of horizontal for every 1000ft of vertical at best glide. Best glide is 80mph with no flaps and prop not feathered. So if you draw the hypotenuse of that 1000:9000 triangle you get about 9055ft. So you are basically flying down that 9055ft line at 80mph or 117ft/sec. So that works out to about 77 seconds per 1000ft of descent or about 780fpm during best glide (ideal, no winds, etc). Provided I have my numbers right (anyone?) probably best to use a conservative descent rate of 1000fpm for out setup.
 
December 5, 2017

Our almost (147NM) Long Distance XC was pushed out to Friday, due to weather, so I went up and did a local run. On this flight, I realized that "get there itis" is a real thing, as I took off at about 4:45, and I needed to be on the ground by 6:12, since I am not signed off for night flight.

KCHS->KJZI - That was fun! I got to fly over an American Airlines with 500 feet of separation. I was at 2100, it was at 1600 on approach, and I got it on camera (more early next week)
KJZI -> KLRO - I was having fun looking out the window and enjoying the flight, and using the iPad for navigation and for frequencies. I had already set them up on my kneeboard, but I wanted to do an authoritative check. There was another airplane doing pattern work there, and as I got to about 300 feet, it didn't feel right, so I aborted the landing. Looking at the clock, it was 5:45, and I didn't want to cut it close, so I departed the pattern, looked for my house, but concentrated on flying.
KLRO -> KCHS - It was getting dark (that didn't bother me), and was feeling the "get there itis" but started flying West, and got ATIS and contacted the tower, and got to fly in behind a C-17. Due to my speed, wake turbulence wasn't an issue, as I was about 4 minutes behind them. Put it down just past the numbers, and rolled to runway 03, taxied to Atlantic, and parked the aircraft.

The logbook is looking like this:
Logbook: 33.6
Checkbook: $3867.50 (I did a report on my bank records, and this is how much I’ve spent, total, so far, in CFI, tools, books, and airplane rental)
PIC: 3.6
Night: 1.3
Simulated Instrument: 2.6
I don't know how I got so behind on your updates, I"m caught up now, keep em coming! This post reminded me of a view I got a few weeks ago of an airliner. ATC had them crossing over me at +1500 or so pretty much head on, it looked pretty awesome and fast going the opposite direction. I made sure to skew my path after crossing so i'd be out of their wake. Its funny they're so much faster I was to be #2 behind them and they were going the other way, haha. They had me turn base after they passed me again going the other way.
 
For the 182 I think the POH shows ~9000ft of horizontal for every 1000ft of vertical at best glide. Best glide is 80mph with no flaps and prop not feathered.

I’d not count on a 9:1 glide ratio in a 182. More like 8:1, and giving a little wiggle room for “mom and the kids” plan for 7:1.

Also 182 props can’t feather. They can maybe be brought to the high pitch stops, but that assumes oil pressure and maybe you’ll have it, maybe you won’t.

Don’t count on that either, of course. Or that it’ll stay there if it gets there... :)
 
1/15/18 Report:
Well, it was an interesting month... Flew to PDX on Christmas Eve, got stuck in the ice storm, and woke up at a Motel 6 on Christmas Day. Get back home to KCHS on New Year's Eve and 2 days later, snowpocalypes breaks out, and KCHS is closed for 5 days. Then, weather kept me down.

Anyway, I also started using a new tool for recording time: Excel, so the numbers should be more consistent...
Other new tools: A prop filter for

Yesterday's flight was good, fun flying. I flew from KCHS->KLRO (by my house) ->KJZI->KCHS I needed another 1.8 hours, or so I thought, of solo flying, and so I thought I'd land at the airport by my house (about 3 miles away). It has a RH pattern that doesn't go over my house, so I called my wife to let her and the kids know that I would be flying near, and so she could get the kids ready to see me fly. They've never seen me pilot an airplane, so as I came in to the area, I did a fly over and a wing wave to them. After 1 aborted landing (didn't feel right, did a go-around) and 3 stop and go's, then got above the pattern and did another fly-over the house at 1800 feet, and some more wing waves to them.

Then, looking at the Hobbs time, I still had another 48 minutes to go, so I headed over the KJZI to land on runway 4. Called out the KCHS Approach, told them I was going over to KJZI, and got flight following for the 14 mile trip. For me, I like the feel of them knowing I'm out there, especially when I get a call like "N2346V, Traffic between 11-12 o'clock, altitude unknown, traveling North-Northeast" I do scan the horizon, but it's nice to have another set of eyes (besides the ADS-B Traffic and my baby hazels) in the sky.

Anyway, I got a nice landing in at JZI, then headed back to KCHS, where they had vehicles cleaning the runways, so I got cleared to land about 4 miles out. Put it down, and got off at the first exit. The confidence in the landings has improved greatly, and I'm hitting the numbers now, more consistently (about 80% of the time).

I got back and realized I was 0.1 hours off, so I taxied slowly. The airport wasn't busy, but there was a Citation on the taxiway that I had to yield to. The club also implemented a 30 second lean burn before shutting the engine down, and that did the trick. When I put the numbers into Excel, I found I had miscalculated, and was 0.7 over the requirement for the checkride...
 
This spring has been horrible for training, where the winds have been gusting to 28kts in the afternoon, plus I’ve been doing a lot of time in the air in the back of the jets, going to and from Everett.

OK, excuses are over, and my CFI asked me a question after my last ride with him, where I stalled the airplane lots of times (intentionally, and now I have overcome the Trauma in the Traumahaw=k), Unusual Attitudes, and soft field landings:
“Do you think you’re ready for your Checkride?”
“Yes.”
“OK, one more flight, and here is the DPE’s card. Make an appointment with him.”

My appointment is on 6/4/18, and I’m still practicing, practicing, practicing.

I’ll have my total costs, but my hours are as follows:
67 total hours
42.9 Dual Training
24.1 PIC
118 landings
14.3 Hours XC

A few of the humps to get over: Unusual attitudes and stalling. I finally told my instructor after about 3 hours of chair flying, “Don’t listen to me if I say I don’t want to do something. My code word for that will be ‘I don’t want to be a pilot’.” So each time I thought about chickening out, I refused to say the words, “I don’t want to be a pilot.” And powered my way through.

I’ll do better about keeping this going until I get my Checkride. The Tomahawk, at $60/Hobbs hour can’t be beat, except maybe by those that own their own planes, and in our flight club, I’ve been using it the most, at about 10-13 hours per month (except the last few months, at 2-3.

Also, thank you to those that have participated on this blog. Also to @@bobgardner for his book. I bought two copies, one digital, and the other in hard copy. If you have the audio version, I’ll get that one too. It really helped, and since I’ve flown in the area, I could really identify with the narration.

Lastly, for those that IM’d me directly, I’ll let you know when I need the sandwich, and will give you and ETA.
 
You sound so close. Try and do 2 or 3 complete simulated checkrides between now and then. Get in more flights while your same plane is available...is there an annual coming up?

We budget about $120/hr for 182 so youre getting a sweet deal for your training cost. Heck, there is no flight school in the Twin Cities that have instructor time below $60/hr so your plane rental is cheaper than a instructor hour here!!!
 
You sound so close. Try and do 2 or 3 complete simulated checkrides between now and then. Get in more flights while your same plane is available...is there an annual coming up?

We budget about $120/hr for 182 so youre getting a sweet deal for your training cost. Heck, there is no flight school in the Twin Cities that have instructor time below $60/hr so your plane rental is cheaper than a instructor hour here!!!
Thank you! Yep, I fly 2-3x per week, when able. It usually turns out to be 1.5x/week, but I practice all the maneuvers I can, from emergency descents, short/soft field landings (just once, I'd like to do a regular landing!), even engine out (I love those!).
 
I had one last ride with my instructor, and he asked me if I am ready. I am.

Monday, I have my check ride.

76.6 Hours Total Time
4 Instructors
28.8 hours solo
10.3 XC (because I wanted to)
164 Take offs and landings (10 at night)
5.1 under the hood

I'll let you guys know on Monday, around 3pm EDT
 
Attempt #1:
I got an unsatisfactory on the Emergency Engine Out procedures. For some reason, I got the local airport locked in my head, and I kept aiming for it, even though it was too far away.

I was asked if I wanted to continue the test, and I did, and aced the rest of the tests, so my next attempt, I know I'll ace it.
 
Attempt #1:
I got an unsatisfactory on the Emergency Engine Out procedures. For some reason, I got the local airport locked in my head, and I kept aiming for it, even though it was too far away.

I was asked if I wanted to continue the test, and I did, and aced the rest of the tests, so my next attempt, I know I'll ace it.

Man, one item away too. Were you feeling it was too far away? Why did you try for it if you thought that? Not criticizing, just hate it when you were so close to passing. I know you'll be ready so it shouldn't take long to get 'er done. Good luck!
 
Man, one item away too. Were you feeling it was too far away? Why did you try for it if you thought that? Not criticizing, just hate it when you were so close to passing. I know you'll be ready so it shouldn't take long to get 'er done. Good luck!

My thought was, "He told me to go to the XXXX airport, and I should try for that." Not that he told me to land there, but we were headed there. All of the emergencies were planned during training and near airports, so that's what I thought I should do. It was that my mind clicked into what I had done before, not how I was in the situation.

It was definitely a learning experience, but I saw the gravel pit at 1000 feet, and I could have put it down there, but I had failed by the time I saw it.

Lesson learned.
 
Lesson learned.

Yep. You’ll go ace that in no time and wonder why the re-ride was so short. :)

Always pick something you can see. It’s just easier. Many suggest picking a “key” location to do a normal downwind leg to (to really see what you’re landing on in case there’s an obstacle you couldn’t see) and then normal base and final engine-out, if you have the altitude.

On a checkride you’ll always have the altitude so keep it as “normal” an approach as possible and the base tight and add drag however you need to, to get down to whatever it is.

On my SE CFI add on the DPE (I think on purpose) set me up for an engine out in a fairly densely populated but rural area with a bunch of ranches and horse property. Lots of fences and obstacles.

By setting up for that quick downwind and running the emergency checklist quickly, I was able to see there was a drainage ditch across my selected pasture and switch pastures to one that was significantly UPHILL from that one, because I had the altitude. It turned the final turn from a 90 into about a 45 and the other field was MUCH better.

Only downside was I had to break it off QUICK going uphill like that to avoid getting below our AGL hard deck for it, since the terrain was rising to meet us. But it was set up perfectly when I called the go around both because we were low and there was rising terrain and a power line ahead. If the engine hadn’t come back we would have gotten to meet the rancher.

Like I said, I think he chose that area on purpose. See if the added “stuff” rattled me. For most Private checkrides they let the candidate go a lot further east into the prairie where the open fields are a lot bigger.
 
...switch pastures to one that was significantly UPHILL from that one, because I had the altitude. It turned the final turn from a 90 into about a 45 and the other field was MUCH better.

Only downside was I had to break it off QUICK going uphill like that to avoid getting below our AGL hard deck for it, since the terrain was rising to meet us.

Been there, done that. CFI pulled the throttle, I set up for a nearby field. Me: "Hm, this field is a lot more uphill than it looked when we were up higher." CFI: "That's good! Less rollout." Me: "Airplane configured, field made, landing assured." CFI: "OK, discontinue the approach and go around." Me: "That's funny, the ground isn't getting any smaller..."

Luckily we ran out of hill before it rose up to smite us.
 
I'm a pilot!

We had a couple of missed opportunities - Tuesday we waited from 7am to 11 am for a clear skies, and it didn't happen. Yesterday, it finally got to 3000 feet and clearing, and so we went up, lost the engine, and I did my ABC's in order this time: Airspeed - 70kts, talked him through the field I selected, and set the airplane on downwind for it while at 2000 feet, and it looked good (had an alternate), and then he asked what I'd do next. I switched tanks, and he said, "that looks good, let's go back to the airport!"
On the ground, after stopping the airplane, he said, "congratulations!"

I'll total up the costs in the next post.
 
I'm a pilot!

We had a couple of missed opportunities - Tuesday we waited from 7am to 11 am for a clear skies, and it didn't happen. Yesterday, it finally got to 3000 feet and clearing, and so we went up, lost the engine, and I did my ABC's in order this time: Airspeed - 70kts, talked him through the field I selected, and set the airplane on downwind for it while at 2000 feet, and it looked good (had an alternate), and then he asked what I'd do next. I switched tanks, and he said, "that looks good, let's go back to the airport!"
On the ground, after stopping the airplane, he said, "congratulations!"

I'll total up the costs in the next post.

Way to go ‘Pilot.’
 
Thank you! Since you're in Vancouver, how are the following airports for GA:
Newberg, Aurora, PDX, Hillsboro?

I may do some flying up there later this year, or next year. As for FBO's, who has a good pilot shop in Oregon (airport/FBO)?

Which airport did you mean by Newberg? It's been a year or so since I've been over there but Hillsboro Aviation had a pretty good one. All the usual stuff. Headsets, charts, books, gadgets. Aurora has Pacific Coast Avionics with a showroom with all kinds of radios, GPS's and stuff. Never been to PDX but I doubt if the FBO's have 'pilot shops.' Are you going to be looking to rent planes when you're here? VUO has the best rates. 7S3 has nice planes. TTD has some. So does UAO.
 
Whoooo-HOOOOOOOOO!!! Congrats!
 
I'm a pilot!

We had a couple of missed opportunities - Tuesday we waited from 7am to 11 am for a clear skies, and it didn't happen. Yesterday, it finally got to 3000 feet and clearing, and so we went up, lost the engine, and I did my ABC's in order this time: Airspeed - 70kts, talked him through the field I selected, and set the airplane on downwind for it while at 2000 feet, and it looked good (had an alternate), and then he asked what I'd do next. I switched tanks, and he said, "that looks good, let's go back to the airport!"
On the ground, after stopping the airplane, he said, "congratulations!"

I'll total up the costs in the next post.


Great job!!!!! Congrats!!!
 
Which airport did you mean by Newberg? It's been a year or so since I've been over there but Hillsboro Aviation had a pretty good one. All the usual stuff. Headsets, charts, books, gadgets. Aurora has Pacific Coast Avionics with a showroom with all kinds of radios, GPS's and stuff. Never been to PDX but I doubt if the FBO's have 'pilot shops.' Are you going to be looking to rent planes when you're here? VUO has the best rates. 7S3 has nice planes. TTD has some. So does UAO.
Newberg, OR 2S6 My wife grew up there, and I think she'd appreciate the flyover the house, plus when we met, we lived in Sherwood, OR, just up the hill from Newberg. When we retire, we're moving back to the PNW, and will live in WA, and shop in Oregon.
 
I'm a pilot!
We had a couple of missed opportunities - Tuesday we waited from 7am to 11 am for a clear skies, and it didn't happen. Yesterday, it finally got to 3000 feet and clearing, and so we went up, lost the engine, and I did my ABC's in order this time: Airspeed - 70kts, talked him through the field I selected, and set the airplane on downwind for it while at 2000 feet, and it looked good (had an alternate), and then he asked what I'd do next. I switched tanks, and he said, "that looks good, let's go back to the airport!"
On the ground, after stopping the airplane, he said, "congratulations!"

I'll total up the costs in the next post.

Nice! Congrats. Did you ever make it to KILM yet? I went through KLRO for my long XC.
 
Newberg, OR 2S6 My wife grew up there, and I think she'd appreciate the flyover the house, plus when we met, we lived in Sherwood, OR, just up the hill from Newberg. When we retire, we're moving back to the PNW, and will live in WA, and shop in Oregon.

Oh. Sportsman. Been there. Real nice pilot lounge. Runway and taxiways are a little cobby but not terribly so. Now you wouldn't do that would you? Deny Oregon their Income Tax and Washington their Sales Tax? You'll probably find yourself shopping more in Washington than you think. The traffic in Portland is getting out of control.
 
Congrats on your PPL! As someone who's about to dive into the world of training, this thread has been an incredible read and resource for anticipating the process. Thanks for taking the time to track and post your progress.
 
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