Almost there...

To my PPL anyway. Yesterday I had my end of course stage check. It is basically to determine whether or not I am ready to be let loose with an examiner. It seems I am. It wasn't the best flight I have ever flown but apparently I easily passed which makes me confident for the final test. Just waiting now for a chance to sit the test. I think it should be in the next couple of days. Wish me luck.

Whilst I wait for my test I have been doing some fun cross-countries, I have just got back from a 5 hour stint South of here with touch and gos on both the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico stopping only for fuel at Okeechobee in the middle. The airfield on the Gulf of Mexico was Venice, particularly good fun as the runway is practically on the beach and the circuits are over the water.

Here is a photo of one of the 152's as I stopped to pick up some 'gas' at Massey Ranch. Quite often as was the case here, it is just like filling up at a garage forecourt.


Ahhhh, 5527L. Bless

I am flying again tonight in order to start my night rating. It doesn't take much, just 3 hours of duel time and 2 hours solo. I thought while I was doing it and paying for the instructor-hours, I may as well get checked out in the 172 aswell. It is the natural step up from the 152 which I have been flying. It is a bit bigger, bit more powerful, bit more modern and a four seater. Of course, it's a bit more expensive too. The real advantage is that as the flight school has four 152's and three 172's there is more chance that there will be one free if I am checked out on both types.

The other exciting thing is that Anna is coming out on Friday. 3 days only but am really looking forward to spending some 'quality' time with her.

I have also finished all my ground exams so that is quite a relief. Pure flying now. Lots better. Quite pleased with the results too: an average of well into the 90's.

My non-flying mission now is to find a kiteboard before I finish here. I have been given some good recommendations from 'Vegas Dave' so I just need to find one on web. What did people do before the internet?

Speaking of which, I have finally got around to adding a link to this flying school. It's in the menu bar on the right.

Oh, one last thing before I go. There was a headline on TV a few days ago which I'm sure you'll like:

"Man shot dead on road in Missouri, Police say they were aiming at sign".
Rigghhhhttttt.

Frustration

Bad weather today. Bit annoyed as haven't flown much recently and it is the 4th day I will have missed out of the last 5. I did get one flight yesterday; that was with my instructor. I wanted to practise manouvers and had a bonus when I came back as I was able to practise cross-wind landings too. One of our twins nose gear had collapsed on the runway (take off roll not landing) , both props are bent back like thin plastic. This meant that the runway was closed. Kissimmee has two runways arranged in a 'X' and so the one that I landed on was pure crosswind of 14knots gusting 22. More good practise. Three 'touch and gos' later, I was landing with full aileron deflection. Best that I stopped.

In order to make something of the day we went airboating. If you ever saw Gentle Ben AirBoats in other films you will understand why I took a long sleeved top. Despite the warmth, the windchill factor was going to be huge. When we arrived however the guys running it, seeing how there were 6 lads told us that we weren't to go above 9 knots, rock the boats or basically have any fun. 9 knots? That must have been their little joke, the canoes that they hire would have been faster. Hardly a thrill but we did at least get to see some different scenery. No 'gators though.

Yesterday I moved into an apartment. Yup, I've left motel life behind and now share an apartment with one of the other guys who is at the school. It has a kitchen so was able to cook last night. Wahoo!! A great relief although at the moment I am still relying on tins of vegetables. I am going to try and buy a bike today so I can search further afield.

Today is also Thanksgiving. The day that Americans celebreate the journey their pilgrim fathers made to this land of opportunity. They do this by eating lots of food.

Qualifier Cross Country

I'm not flying today because I seem to have been left off the schedule and didn't fly yesterday because a couple of the a/c were in the hanger. It's not all bad though as it gives me some chance to study for the two ground exams that I have left. Communications and Navigation. Communications is the easier one and I hope to have polished off today.

On Friday, I went for my first cross country flight. I went over to the atlantic coast and did a touch and go at Melbourne and then a short leg up to Merritt's Island and back. Merritt Island has the Indian river on either side, is a fairly short runway and a fun place to fly into. It also looks a good place to go kite-surfing when I am done flying. There is a big river just seperated from the sea by a thin strip of land. Some nice flat water by the looks of it and if I need some waves then the sea is just next to it. Looks pretty good. Even better is that dolphins and sea-cows come in the inlets and are often seen. Sounds good to me. Just need wind the first half of January.

Anyway Saturday I had my qualifier cross-country. The idea of which is that you fly to two other airports collecting a signature at each and return back (safely) to be passed off as fit to go on solo cross-countrys. Slightly strangely the first solo cross-country is not allowed to be your qualifier even though I had never been to the two airports on thursday either. Similar as my first solo: by the time I flew away from Kissimmee I was confident in my ability to find the other airfields and get back. I am fairly sure that my flying navigation has been helped by my past underwater navigation.

The next major hurdle, and it will be a major hurdle is my skills test. It is the final barrier to getting my Private Pilot's License. I do also need to finish my exams and peg a few more hours. I am pretty confident of my flying in general but am worried that I will mess something up or forget something. I really need to fly more with an instructor some more to make sure that I am following all the procedures correctly as I get a bit slack when I am practicing solo.

America is fantastic for portions of food. In Subway the way they get so much fillings into the rolls has a certain tardis quality to it. Not the pathetic bits of lettuce and thumb-nails of meat that we get in the UK. It is the way that servings should be.

Observations

It's strange being in a country I have never really been in before and yet finding it so familiar. I see a fire hydrant and though they should look strange, it doesn't and I instantly know what it is. There is one of those newspaper boxes just next to my hotel. You know: the ones that you chuck a couple of quarters in, open up the box and take a paper out. Of course you do because you have seen it so many times in TV shows and movies. There can't be anywhere else like that. Weird.

It is such a car orientated place. I walk to the school(about 25 mins) and since I have been here I haven't seen a bicycle and only one bus. That is apart from school buses, of which I have seen lots. (again those totally familiar yellow ones). They were even racing them in a stock car race on television the other night. The stores are set so far back from the road because of the massive car parks infront of them that if I do need something it is a 3-4 minutes walk from the main road. Revealingly the pavements(sidewalks) don't even turn in towards the store, but carry on parallel to the road.

Also, the traffic lights don't allow pedestrians enought time to get across the 8 lane road(highway 192). So about half way across, the pedestrian light goes back to red.

I guess here the car is king. And if you look at the size of some of the trucks(pick up style generally) I am inclined to agree. They are massive. Kinda cool I think, though I wouldn't like to have to park one. Just turning a corner in one would probably be interesting. Close to half the adverts on television are for the latest, biggest, strongest, most roomiest trucks. The others being ones for lawyers. Not joking either.

The place that I am staying is the Ritz Express. Sounds kind of classy, but not really. It is a motel. I was meant to be in apartments but they are full so am still in the Ritz. One downside is the walk, though it isn't too bad and is probably good to get some kind of exercise(it's a relative thing people). The other downside is that the apartments have cooking facilities that I would love to have. As it it, I do at least have a fridge and a microwave. Not ideal, but better than nothing.

Also the beer is awful. Gnat's piss.

Going Cross Country

I had my second cross country today. The exciting thing is that I actually stopped and had a bite to eat. The one previously was just a touch and go. The feeling of stopping in an uncontrolled airport, wandering into the restaurant and getting a bacon butty and orange juice before wandering out and taking off again. It's pretty sweet. Cross country flights do take a lot of planning though. I am sure I will get a bit quicker, but the flight today which was 3 sectors and just over 2 hours in duration took around 2.5 hours to plan.

Speaking of which, I had better go and start planning the next one...

First Solo !!

I went for my pre-solo check yesterday which was no problem though there was too great a cross-wind for me to actually go solo. A great opportunity to practise cross-wind landings though.

Anyway today was my first solo and it was fine. After flying 2 full-stop and taxi back landings, Elena stepped out and asked me if I wanted to have a go on my own. I always thought that at this point I would be nervous, but infact I felt totally confident. It was a very busy traffic pattern, but not really a problem. If you had asked me a few months ago I would have expected to be nervous just before my first solo but infact I would have been cool doing it any time in the last 2-3 days.

This afternoon, depending on the weather(it is a bit variable at the moment) I might have a chance to go solo out of the circuit. That will be more fun.

I have been here one week now. It doesn't really seem as long as that, but does explain the 20 hours that I almost have in my log book.

Anyhow, gotta go as need to go and see if I'm flying this avo.

Love from Kissimmee (which I have only recently found is pronounced ki-semi)

"Way ahead of the game"

Getting really good feedback. Have been doing loads of circuits and have landing dialled.

I was a bit worried before I came out here that reality wouldn't live up to expectation, what with the time that I have wanted this. I am glad to say however that the reverse is true and I am enjoying myself immensely.

Here is a picture of a lake nearby to one of the training areas.


Can you guess what we generally called lake Marion?

Went to the nearest bar last night for dinner. Hooters. Fantastic invention.

Well until next time, Love from Kissimmee....

5 flights down

Phew. I am in the middle of my third day flying so far. 2 flight per day which will be the norm over the next few weeks. Am really pleased to report that it is going really well, and I am getting excellent feedback. Have just flown with another instructor, a Norwegian guy who is going to take me to do lots of circuits this afternoon. He said that my manouvers (stalls, slow flight etc) were good enough to pass the final skills test. Which is nice.

I was asked for my ID when buying beer last night. Brilliant. I don't think that I have been asked for 10 years at least. When I started laughing, she asked if there was some kind of problem. Never mind, she wouldn't have understood.

The school here has around 15 a/c and probably about 2 students per aircraft. Most of the students are British, though there are a couple of Europeans and an American. Most seem nice enough. At least there is no-one not to like. There is a marine, a cop and a para for starters. A bit like the village people but harder.

The weather has been a bit cooler the last couple of days, but then we are heading into the darkest depths of winter. It is somewhere between short and long trouser weather as a rough guide.

Have been trying to buy some decent food since I have been here too, but it is really hard to find vegetables and fruit. Infact the website for the flying school advertises that it is close to several fast food places. When I work out how and have the time I will post a link here.

Well, I have to go for a bite before my next flight. Till next time, adios.

Florida Arrival

Thanks to everyone who came for a great send off on Saturday. Had a wicked time.

Yesterday was 20 hours of travelling punctuated only by 6 hours in transit in Philadelphia.

This morning I wake to the news that Bush has probably won but not definately and that the weather will be 31/32 degrees today. Phew! Not bad for the middle of winter.

I walked to Orlando Flight Training(20 sweaty minutes) to find that they had me booked for a different course; the apartments are full, so I am stuck in a motel(they call it a hotel) and my instructor isn't JAA (European rules) rated.

Only last week I had a chance conversation with OFT and they didn't even know that I was coming. Things will work out but my feelings about the flightschool, EPTA in Bournemouth who have associations with OFT and I was planning to go to afterwards are not too good at the mo. The upside is that my new Flight Instructor is a lot prettier than my last one. :D (Def not as pretty as you though Anna).

My training starts tomorrow though as they couldn't fit me in today.

Adios, Ed

PS. I caught a bit of TV last night and it is hilarious. I keep thinking that they are taking the piss.

I