Misadventures in Studentpilotism

Until 3pm Friday, August 29th the largest aircraft I had flown was a Cessna 182RG. It was a little faster than the C172’s and manipulating the landing gear lever and the constant speed prop had me convinced I had finally “made it” into the next realm of aircraft. Let us take a moment of silence for my delusions of grandeur are no longer with us……. At precisely 3:30pm that day, as I ripped down the runway at the controls of a Cessna 310, I realized I had no idea what the hell I was doing. With 570HP at my fingers and the heaviest control yoke I had ever felt in my hands I became momentarily infantile. Have no fear because as quickly as I lost my mind I regained it and again felt like Maverick. Climbing out at 120kts and 1300fpm really makes you feel like you’re flying an actual airplane. You have to plan much farther ahead, accomplish your tasks at a more rapid pace and suddenly a 3000ft runway feels inadequate for your needs. You, my friend, are flying a whale amongst a sea of minnows. That is of course until you get lapped by a Learjet and again feel like the pee-on of a student pilot that you are. Maybe I’ll get to land the thing next time…

So as of April 11th, 2008, yours truly has an instrument rating. Cue the confetti and balloons. I suffered through many hours in the Frasca and still bear the scars the foggles left on my face but ultimately it all paid off. Both instructors I had through the duration of the course (as it took me more than one semester to complete, I was reassigned instructors) were very thorough guys, a quality I found to be invaluable in instrument training. Dotting your “I’s” and crossing your “T’s” becomes a very crucial part of flying under IFR, especially in IMC. At this point, given the option, I would much rather file IFR than navigate the route VFR due to the increased security it offers and the practice you gain with the ATC system (i.e.: learning how routing works in the real world and how much ATC appreciates decisiveness). But, all that aside, I lay now a mere week and a half away from my commercial pilot checkride and I am terrified. I feel incredibly unprepared, as I have fewer than 10 hours in the aircraft and my training hasn’t been that intensive. Moving from the C172R to the C172RG to the C182RG a la 1978 has been quite the transition. I’m just beginning to figure out how not to cause an earthquake upon touchdown and yet I’m expected to have mastered the performance maneuvers. Inconsistency with subtle improvement best describes my performance at this point, and my skills have reversed themselves. Prior to this course, my steep turns and slow flight were the talk of the town but now I struggle with these basic tasks. I used to be horrible at my emergency landings and lazy-eights, but now those two top my list of “within standards” maneuvers. And the Gleim puts me to sleep every night. That has to be the most boring text ever printed, yet the most valuable to every aspiring pilot. I carry it like a bible hoping it will stick come race day. But, I digress. Tuesday will be my last flight, a dual with my instructor after which I fully expect him to schedule my checkride. Still, if only I could get myself some more time in the plane…