Desert Pilot Podcast

I did it. Today I passed my checkride and am now one of the newest Land and Sea Commercial Pilot. I'm up at Sheble Aviation in Fort Mohave where I spent the last 3 days going up and down the Colorado River and Lake Havasu learning to land a plane on the water. It takes a spacial rating to do that. I also received my land rating. The flight school up here is really great at being very practical about what you need to know to be a competent pilot and pass the check ride with no fluff which is what I like. Being a Commercial pilot and an Airline Pilot is a distinction that a lot of people don't make. I'm a commercial pilot meaning I can fly people or goods for hire. That doesn't mean I can start advertising for that though I have to be a charter to do that. What I can do with a commercial license are things like crop dusting, banner/glider towing, areal photography/site seeing flights, things like that. I didn't fly this Beech 18 but...

I thought I would just give an update on what it going on in my life right now. So far I'm still flying I try to at least 3 times on week until the loan run out which should still be a while.  I have started school I'm taking Physics 2 not so fun but I do learn and I'll get through it. Aircraft engines. (where basically we take apart the engine of an airplane put it back to together and talk it) It's easy and fun. Air Transportation where we look at airline and see how they run and how Southwest doesn't have to declare bankruptcy and the other do. And Conversational Pima (Akimel O'Odham) with Jessica it's a fun class. School is a little stressfully but that is life. Here's a pic for my engines class we just put this back together. Brendon is doing great on him mission it seems like every week that he telling about a new person that he is teaching and has a baptismal date. I think it is great. I makes me think of my mission I can tell he is doing great. S...

Thats right as of Tuesday I'm a Pilot sure I can't get paid for it yet but that will come. I had my re-check today because I didn't pass all the way last week when I did my check ride for the first time. I did everything great but I got lost on the flight plan part when you are suppose to simulate a deviation to another airport and I told myself what I needed to but didn't do it I was too nerves. Today was a cake walk I had to go up and and not get lost. Also last time he go at me because I didn't use the GPS in the airplane when all I've been taught is during check rides don't use the GPS don't even look at the GPS. So when he said use it I did and it was done like that.  Now that is done I start to work towards my commercial license which will take alittle longer because I'll work at my instrument rating so I can fly in clouds and in visibly and so forth. I went down to the Chandler airport yesterday and got checked out to rent planes from them. I ...

I never really understood that term until I started flying. When you are on the ground you are not in the air doing what you want to. Last night I was planning on doing a night flight the weather was beautiful and the airport looked so cool all lit up at night. Everything looked good until we taxied up to the runway and did the run-up check where we check everything one last time before we take off. The alternator indicator was reading 0 amps which is bad meaning we were only run on the battery which is not safe so so taxied back and wrote it up and will try again another night. But that is part of flying is knowing when not to fly. Other news, my brother Brendon got his mission call today: Seattle, Washington!

Today seemed extra long mostly because I had to stay at school until 530pm (my class ends a 1110am) for this safety meeting that the whole department has to go to. They are a little informative but mostly really boring and waste of time. At a bad time too.  plus the 30 min. drive home all makes for long day. But the plus side is I do my homework at school so I can come home and in the words of the Dutch "chill" I finally got the pictures of when I soloed for the first time in an air plane from my instructor yesterday.  so here a link to them. solo photo