Awaiting IOE

This previous week meant the conclusion of my initial training with ASA. I am now anxiously awaiting a phone call telling me that my IOE (Initial Operating Experience) has been scheduled.

Spoke with the scheduled this morning and she indicated that there were people in front of me who are still waiting for a schedule (of course). Ran into a friend yesterday who said his was not starting until the 19th of this month. So, I figure mine will actually end up being much closer to the end of the month.

Nevertheless, I took a few hours out of my day on Friday to jumpseat on four of our flights. First up to Roanoke, VA and then down to Ft. Walton Beach, FL.

Here are a few non-professional pictures that I managed to snap.

Anyone but this scumbag

The quizical wonderings

Man. It has been a while.

A couple of things. First, I am finally done with check-rides for a while. Who knows how long, or honestly how soon my next one will be. But the next one will hopefully be a sim ride at ASA next Spring.

Second, I'm really not too sure what to think about this whole instructing gig. I mean, I enjoy it, but sometimes I'm not too sure what I'm doing - more importantly, why I'm doing it. And I don't mean why I'm teaching, or even flying for a living. It has more to do with the fact that maybe I'm actually - finally - doing something that I enjoy, and I'm not too sure how to really feel about it.

I take what I do, and more importantly how the industry as a whole is doing, very personally. I grew up and spent many a cross Atlantic trips in a Delta L1011. As a young boy, enjoying the view out the L10's larger than life cockpit windows - and the simple fact that the guys up front were in charge and loved what they did for a living really stuck me as a young boy. Sure, it was novelty, but flying for a living means a lot to me. Moreover it means a lot to me that I expect my fellow professional aviators to not sell themselves short. Have some professional pride and demand the most from your employers, they will do nothing less than that when they ask things of you.

In other areas of aviation I've found another forum to join and take part in. I had heard of www.propilotworld.com many months ago, but since I lacked the required membership minimums (a commercial pilot certificate) I wasn't able to join until a few months ago. Unfortunately, I just joined up a few days ago. All you other professional pilots who come through here from either Jetcareers.com or Airlinepilotcentral.com be sure to check out PPW. You won't be disappointed.

I'm also approaching 400TT. About 130 of that is dual given. I enjoy what I do, no doubt, and I'm pretty sure that is what is causing this unknown development of why I'm wondering what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

But anyway - as scatter brained out as this post is I hope it's some consolation for going over a month without updating this thing.

All the best, and happy new year!

Dual Given

Good Morning. I really don't know how many, if anyone really, even visits this damn thing. But anyway.

With about 40+ hours of dual given under my belt I'm still wet behind the ears to this instructing thing. I think I've had it pretty sweet thus far though. My student load right now is 2 Instrument students, both in stage I which is Basic Attitude Instrument flying. Good ol' Pitch + Power = Performance. I also have one pre-solo Private student, her first (second following the intro flight) is scheduled for this morning in about 45 min. Hopefully the frost isn't too bad this morning and we actually get to fly.

I've flown with more than just those three students though. Flown with a commercial student who is working on his maneuvers, two other instrument students - one who is getting ready for a checkride, and the other who is finishing up the program with cross country trips.

I've also managed to get some ME time. Flew with two guys who I've flown with before in the twin prior to becoming an MEI.

I haven't encountered any boneheaded moves yet, but I'm on the look out. :)

Wish me luck, I'm off to work.

CFI Single add-on, and the first few hours of dual.

I had my CFI Single engine add-on this past Weds. The checkride went fine. Was actually really concerned with my performance but overall it was a ride that I passed.

On Tuesday I actually gave my first 6.3 hours of dual given. It was multi time as well, which was nice. It was a cross country trip to New Bern NC with one of my instructors students who she couldn't fly with that day. No big deal, I'm in! :)

Yesterday I didn't fly much. Flew .5 in the DA40 to get rechecked out in it. Today on the other hand was much better. 3.2 hours of flight time today, spread over three flights. One instrument, one pre-solo private student pilot, and one intro flight. I'll take it for now. :)

Tomorrow starts early at 8am with a DA40 checkout / recurrent for a pilot who just needs to get back into the plane. At 10am I have a twin flight with another one of my instructor's students who she won't be able to fly with (more multi time! cha-CHING). After that I have a two hour break before I fly with a guy that I went through the instrument program with. He is transitioning from the multi-engine back to the single and wants me to fly with him for a few times before goes off and time builds in the single. I can't say I blame him. My first time back in the single after flying 65+ hours in the twin was a disaster. . .speeds all over the place, floating down all of the runway.

The weather has been beautiful these past few days. A little windy in the afternoons, but that is to be expected with cold air and winter. The hours are gradually building up.

In other news I've actually found a real killer Coffee shop. Ran by a great group of women, beautiful too I might add. The coffee is delicious. From Green Mountain Roasters. Absolutely DELICIOUS!

Alrighty, til next time.

I'm an MEI

Well finally had my MEI checkride last Thursday. Sorry for the late update.

It was a very good ride, straight forward, no tricks. Oral lasted about 3 hours, and flight was just at 1 hour.

I have a single engine add-on ride later this week, and then supposedly a double I (Instrument instructor) ride late next week.

Funny how I can go two months without having a checkride, and then all at once I have three lined up. Amazing.

Weather

Just so happens that the week that Georgia is suppose to get a good deal of rain, is also the week that I have a checkride scheduled.

Ah - the life of a career changing pilot in training. . .always seems like it'll never end.

Already it has dragged out from a planned five months to seven. I really can't put myself, or my family through any more of this. It has to be done, and it has to be done pronto.

But hey, a 30% chance of rain for tomorrow, weds, and thursday. Doesn't get much better than that does it? Best scenario I can plan for is the rain lets up on Weds, we have some fog thursday morning, and then in the afternoon when it's time to go flying we have some Cumulus clouds popping up.

Have a few flights scheduled in the late evening of Friday and Saturday to fly in the right seat of the single, and get a SE CFI addon checkride scheduled for hopefully sometime next week with a DPE. Been wanting to hook back up with the examiner I used for my instrument rating as he was a real pleasure to fly with - would be nice to give him some business again.

Til Thursday. . .when I'll hopefully have some great news. :)