Today was supposed to be the second attempt at Stage Check 1. Alas, it was already snowing in the practice area and at surrounding airports. Since Stage Check 1 can’t be accomplished in the vicinity of the airport, today was yet another weather cancellation.
And with more snow in the forecast at the available times and days, I think this isn’t going to happen any time soon.
I am just devastated at losing my cat, Email, to the ravages of advanced kidney disease. I know it was the right decision to put him down, and I had given it thought long before it was rightly brought it to my attention.
I’m still losing my friend who let me cry on his fur night after night, and made me feel warm and welcome when he curled up next to me on the massive expanse of my empty king sized bed. Even though those were the only times we were ever really close, I needed him to survive the night when loneliness went from painful to agonizing. On those occasions, he always offered me a furry paw, a thimble full of drool and a good purr. I always felt bad he wasn’t comfortable sharing the bond once I went home.
He is missed.
It’s been awhile since I posted about Charlie. It damn near slipped my mind that today he’s been living here for precisely one year. He’s come a long way, though he still exhibits the characteristics of an abused and neglected dog.
A few months ago, his breath started smelling really foul again, indicating that his remaining teeth were decaying fast. So off to the veterinarian he went to have a look. According to the vet, yes, some of his remaining seven teeth would have to be removed, but she didn’t know how many until they got in there and had a look around whilst he was under anesthesia.
A week or two later, he goes in with seven teeth and comes out with none. All of his remaining teeth had to go. Just broke my heart to hear that.
But he adjusted rapidly — far more so than I would have expected. He’s back to his normal, timid self, but he’s definitely not in any pain. Nor is he experiencing any difficulty eating. Most dogs swallow their food whole anyway, so it was expected to have minimal impact.
The only side effect from his lack of dental stature is that his tongue hangs out the side of his mouth when he’s not paying attention, which is most of the time:
Other than that, he’s really doing well, considering his origin. He’s still timid around loud noises and barks far too often at trivial things. But his meds have helped a little, and I have high hopes that they will help in the long run.
He’s such a dear, sweet guy and I am delighted that he’s done so well in his first year here. So Happy “Birthday” Charlie!
Good boy!
*scratch, scratch*
No aviation joy today, unfortunately, even though today’s weather in northern Virginia is amazingly aviation friendly. The phone rings about 7:26 this morning, and the caller ID photo of Dulles Aviation shows me that the school is calling me. Of course, I answer and it’s Tom, the aforementioned Chief Flight Instructor. Here’s how the conversation went:
“Good morning, Sir!”
“Good morning, Dan. This is Tom. Guess what?”
I peek through the venetian blinds (Q: How do you make a venetian blind? A: Poke his eyes out.) and see a clear blue sky surrounded by motionless trees. So my response is a little confused.
“Ummmm…. we’re on schedule to fly today?”
“The aircraft has a cracked muffler and there’s no other aircraft available.”
Poop.
We discuss options, including seeing if there’s an aircraft open for tomorrow. I change my mind and tell him I’ll call him later and schedule something for mid week. This way, if I choose to stay out late tonight, I won’t be penalized with being groggy from lack of sleep. Plus, looking at the terminal aerodrome forecast, or TAF (the long way of saying the weather forecast), it’s gonna rain tomorrow anyway.
He says “Sorry.”
I tell him “No worries. If this is the worst thing that happens to me today, I’ll be having a pretty good day. Thanks much! Bye.”
And that’s that. Back I go for another couple hours of somnolent bliss.
The downside is that I haven’t had a lesson since I soloed on the 11th. The upside is that I have more time to review the classroom material before Tom quizzes me. Given my past record as a student, I need all the help I can get!
A couple of people have asked if soloing was it as far as flight training is concerned.
It isn’t.
The first solo is about one third of the way through the flight portion of the training. After the solo comes the Stage One Check. This is like a mid-term exam for the first nine lessons. One must demonstrate proficiency in the skills taught during those first nine flight lessons. Upon successful completion of the stage check, the regular lessons start again. There are three of these stage checks at roughly equal intervals throughout the course of instruction.
After all the lessons and the three stage checks are successfully completed, then one goes in front of the Federal Aviation Administration examiner for the check ride. This consists of about an hour’s worth of grilling about FAA rules and regulations, then proceeds to the plane for the practical exam. It’s just you and the FAA guy in the plane for the better part of two hours. For this privilege, the examined gets to pay something in the vicinity of $400. If one demonstrates proficiency in all of the material, the examiner will sign off on a slip of paper which becomes your temporary license. At that moment, you’re a licensed pilot.
All this should take another 30-40 hours in the air, depending on how quickly I catch on and how much cash I’m able to gather together.
Bottom line: While ground school is over and done with, I still have roughly two thirds of the in-aircraft training before it’s all over.
But when it comes to aviation, the learning doesn’t stop with the issuance of the license. Even if I don’t get any other ratings, I still am required to go through training every two years in order to stay current. But I’ll need far more training than that in order to stay safe in the cockpit.