I have now completed my
first week and 11.1 hours of my flight training in the Cessna 402. My training captain says things are clicking
along very well and I should expect to take my checkride around Wednesday or so
of next week barring any weather or operational delays.
Today was the first day that
I got out of the airplane and really felt good about what I had
accomplished. During my first three
flights, it seemed like I was always behind the airplane and not really in
control of the machine and my environment.
Today I actually was enough ahead and in control of the airplane that I
was able to turn to my instructor mid-flight and say, “You know, I’m really having
fun up here today!” I meant it, and I
finished our 2.3-hour lesson today with a smile. I think I am starting to get the hang of the 402 and real
single-pilot IFR.
The training is really quite
demanding. Today we flew five
instrument approaches; yesterday we flew seven. Several of those approaches were on one engine to a full-stop
landing. And very few give me the
luxury of radar vectors. Intermixed
with these is practicing flows and required call-outs.
Ameriflight likes its pilots
to always fly as if we have a first officer aboard, meaning we talk out loud
when we run through certain phases of flight.
For example, during takeoff, we say the following things as appropriate:
“Power set, airspeed alive, cross-checked, manifold pressure, RPM, fuel flow,
oil pressure, 90 knots, rotate, no runway, gear up, 400 feet, 1000 feet, climb
flow.” This is all very difficult to do
from memory during the takeoff run when you are trying to keep the airplane on
centerline and dealing with a possible engine failure. However, this is how you fly in a two-pilot
crew, and since all my flying after Ameriflight will be in that environment, I
appreciate that aspect of the training.
Now I have the weekend off
to continue going over the POH and the Ameriflight operations manual. Then starting on Monday it’s more practice
and if all goes well, I’ll be a captain by the end of the week. I’ll then be able to bid a route, and
hopefully I will be able to get one of the Eastern Oregon runs that layover in
Ontario, Lakeview, or Burns. Not
exactly resort destinations I know, but they are on the sunny side of the
mountains and will provide for me the most flight hours.
Funny: While I was waiting to pick up my clearance this
morning, I heard from Portland clearance delivery: “Learjet XXX, you are cleared to Palm Springs – I wish I was
going there – via Portland 5 Departure then as filed.”