Hi guys & gals! I'm BACK...FINALLY

[parmandjack]

Last you heard from me I was moping around.... I had just gotten my fresh 1st Class medical and planned on starting my training on Jan 2...then shock-of-shocks!!! I had to delay my start until I completed a professional level certification called a PMP, so as to meet commitments my boss imposed upon me, and which would delay me until March... I was distraught..after all, March was YEARS AWAY!!!

Well here we are in March already.... I successfully completed the PMP exam on the 1st attempt a week and a half ago....and I attended my 1st ground school class there on Wednesday, just 2 nights ago.... I also have a 172 booked for 3 hours this coming Sunday, so will FINALLY be back up in the air! WOOO HOOO!

I'm still not sure If I'll be able to successfully make the jump over to the Regionals, as my wife still has concerns with me giving up my day job considering that I'll be 45 on April 4th ...BUT, she has agreed that i can plug along and get all the necessary certs (ppl, multi, comm, ifr, cfi) and then get an instructor gig to build time. Once I've got the time built, I "may" take a year sabbatical from my project management career to fly with a Regional and see if that gets it out of my system... baby steps kind of... if it does, then great, we'll by a Turbo Lance or Saratoga to build insurance time, then step-up to a twin, I'll fly for fun and give flight instruction on-the-side...BUT if a year with the Regionals only proves that flying for a living is what I NEED to do, then we will take up that battle at that time...like I said... baby steps....gotta ease her into it

I'll keep y'all posted on my progress, but its just GREAT to be back!

Cheers y'all

[mooneyguy]

Hey, welcome back! It's a tough sell, but hang i there maybe she will come around!

[bartman]

Good to see you're back and congrats on passing your PMP which is also no small accomplishment.

[parmandjack]

Thanks bartman!

Well, was in the 172 yesterday for the 1st time back up at the controls in 10 years...

It wasa blast! Its amazing how much I remembered about actually flying the plane, while I've forgotten a lot of the technical aspects. Flying th plane is actually easy...

We spent an hour doing slow turns, descneding and climbing turns, and holding a point. It was natural, and after 10 minutes it was like riding a bike, power, attitude, trim, or attitiude, power, trim for descending and climbing and maintaing altitude and or speed... it was great! The instructor even commented that I was right on the ball with my coordinated turns

To be truthful, I was exceedingly happy just to be able to hold a desired altitude, as I figured i'd be chasing it and oscillating up and down... taxiing for take-off was the hardest part as I'd forgotten how much movement of the rudder was needed to stay on the centre line.. you'd have thought I was trying to stay in "my lane" on the right side of a road! lol

Anyways, got the next 4 classes booked out with the instructor, so should atart picking it back up again soon... only thing that bugs me is the landing fee of $40 each time, as its an International Airport... Calgary (YYC). But, I'll chalk it up to the cost of education in a busy internatioanl airport to learn the radio work and traffic routing norms of operating in that kind of airspace, then I won;t be scared to do it myself when I'me certified...

Anyways, thats all for now. Cheers.

[jet-dreams]

$40 for landing WOW!
Just out of curiosity what does an hour in a 172 cost with a instructor?

Is this pay per landing in effect anywhere in the US?

Parmandjack, I am very excited to hear you are going through with your dream as I am in the same situation and its a scary decision.

[Vyse]

Originally Posted by jet-dreams

$40 for landing WOW!
Is this pay per landing in effect anywhere in the US?

Very busy Class B airports will charge a landing fee- they're listed in the A/FD.