The Aspiring Pilot

Step TWO down! Medical completed and in hand.

Well, my next step toward currency and being regularly back in the air is now complete. This past weekend I went and obtained my FAA medical. I went for a second class medical as the AME charged the same for a second class as he would for a third. So, now I just have to try and budget aside enough cash to get the BFR and recheckout on the clubs airplanes and I'm good to go! (You can help by clicking on the ads on this page or visiting my examiner.com articles and reading them, and sharing them on your twitter feeds and facebook pages!)  

Hoping to get the BFR done in the next 6-8 weeks at the latest, but hopefully sooner! We'll see how that goes! 

1.2 hours of flight time today! Finally

Not like I was counting or anything (8 years, 3 months and 9 days... or 3,023 days... or 431 weeks) how much time has elapsed since my last flight at the controls of an airplane. I went up in a C-172 out of Chicago Executive today and just did a quick flight along the Chicago lakefront, down to the outskirts of Gary airspace and then back to Chicago Executive. My daughter had a project for school (take care of the class 'bear' Milo and document everything he did with her over the weekend.) So of course, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go up in the air. She was excited and of course my son couldn't stop hassling me to go as well. So we finally all went together. I booked a plane with an instructor at the flying club. (Found out it was a reltively newly minted flight instructor so she was happy to be flying with someone that wasn't zero time!) 

I ended up getting the clubs newer C-172 with the G1000 cockpit. It was my first time in the electronic cokpit. I always thought I wouldn't be overwhelmed and would get the hang of it quickly. Boy, was I wrong! I was totally unprepared for the G1000. Even over the hour, I never was able to figure out where everything was and it was totally off from the scanning habit I had developed in other 172's. (My altitude was ALL over the place!) Then again, it was relatively bumpy with some nice thermals and winds aloft at 2,500 feet of 25+ knots. 

The weather was cold but the sky was CLEAR, with a bit of haze at ground level, as you can tell in the photo above. (not my best pics, and I think I have some cleaning to do with the lenses as my son did get his hands on the camera.....) 

 

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I actually did not do a landing this time. I was going to, but with not having flow in 8 years, the winds being about 20* crosswind and gusting up to 19 kts. I wasn't comfortable with it. KPWK was using runway 30 or 34, and I knew, coming in from the east, they would most likely bring us straight in to 30. I haven't done a straight in to that runway in a long time so I let the instructor take the landing. (Found out she hasn't had a 'student' land with her yet, she's done the landing on the instructing flight she's had so far so I guess she was hoping I was gonna take it!) Oh well! 

Now, next up, my bienniel flight review to get current. I do also need an instrument proficiency check, but that will come later, probably once I've started by CFI training. 

Time to fly! Returing to the air!

And so finally, after all these months and all this writing, my stat count on the left is finally set to change tomorrow. I've scheduled a 1-hr flight with an instructor and my daughter. As part of a school activity, I've decided to take her up for some pictures and use it as a jumping off point for my Flight review and getting current. So, at noon tomorrow, I'll be prepping for a flight in a newer model C-172 with a G1000 cockpit, a first for me with the new panel. I'll have more tomorrow after the flight!