Testing

The last thing that I wrote about was my first solo flight. It is amazing how quickly time passes and soon it is several months. Learning to fly and getting my pilots license has been if not a lifelong dream, it certainly has been something I have wanted to do for as long as I can remember. My first solo occurred after 10 hours of flying with my instructor from December 17, 2011, to February 16, 2012, and my previous blog went into more detail.

After my first solo many more hours of instruction were received. First, we left the area of the Spanish Fork airport for new airports. On February 18th we flew to Nephi and then Provo. As many times I had been to the Provo airport as a police officer the new views and routines left me tongue tied. Suddenly, I had to negotiate new airspace and talk to towers, and still keep fly. I felt like a new driver in heavy traffic, and my systems were over loaded. My instructor laughed and rescued me by doing the talking for me.

 On March 7th, I made my first flight up Provo canyon to Hebert in the evening light. What a gorgeous sight, to see and fly over Timpanogos in the twilight (still had snow on top). There was a huge moon rising out of this purple lavender horizon. It was spectacular. On April 3rd I made my first solo venture to the Nephi airport, and then on April 21st my first solo flight to Provo. I could talk to the tower, fly and land all by myself, but the heavy traffic made me nervous without my instructor by my side.

On April 28th my first venture an hour away, Delta, with my instructor. It is amazing how many places have these long strips of asphalt out in the middle of nowhere. It makes you realize the investment each of these communities have made in aviation, even if it is only for smaller aircraft and not commercial flight. On May 8th my first solo cross country to Delta. I realized how small the little Sahara was, I looked over to the west as I was approaching Delta, and saw this little pile of sand. I thought that sand went on for ever, when I was on the ground, standing in it, but it is not very big from the air.

On May 30th I went with my instructor through Salt Lake City to Logan then Morgan and Heber. On June 6th, the same plan only this time by myself. Suddenly I am at 35 hours of flying, and my instructor is telling me it's time for the written exam. On June 26, I took the Airman Knowledge Test at the testing center at UVU, and received a score of 93%, missed 4 out of 60.

Yesterday, I took the practical flying portion with an FAA examiner. I passed, I don't think with flying colors, nervousness again, but I passed and now hold my Airman Certificate with a Private Pilot rating in single engine aircraft for land based operations and 43.5 hours of flying time. What does all this mean? I can now share flying with passengers of my choosing. Whitney has accepted to be the first to go with me. Will I write about flying again? I suppose I might, but hopefully you will get good reports from my friends. That will be the best news of all.