[Chewie von Nubbins]

You are gonna ace the exam. I just wish I had prepared with the intensity that you are applying towards my PPL. It's kinda like starting a known hard course in college and not really knowing just how hard it is until the first major exam. Then you are able to gauge just the right amount of prep work in order to get that A or B. You are already there man.

I did my first real flight in IMC last night, and it was FUN! It rained all day hard here yesterday, and the storms moved off late afternoon. Perfect day for the introduction. Ceiling was 900-1000', then bkn at 5500'. We hit the clouds right at 800' and it was a solid 100% 0 vis outside the plane. Never did put on the hood, as I didn't need to. After we got through the low ceiling it was absolutely beautiful. Did the usual maneuvers (steep turns, stalls, slow flight, unusual attitudes) and the air was actually smooth. The better you are at the maneuvers now, the easier the IR is really going to be. Also, I would recommend really focusing on getting the plane perfectly trimmed where you never really have to touch the yoke. I have been paying very close attention to that and it is making my life so much easier when it comes to covering up various instruments and flying off the compass. But I hate flying off of the compass, as everything is backwards.

We shot a full ILS approach in IMC coming back in and it got BUSY. IMC flying is what being a pilot is all about...IMHO. We didn't spot the runway until about 700' AGL and it was instant gratification.

You are going to love the IR. Not harder than the PPL in my opinion, but really a master's degree on top of the BS degree.

Good luck on Saturday and I will say a prayer for you. My bet is that you are going to knock the socks off that Examiner.