Well it's been a long time since I've made a post. It was May 20th 2013... My flight instructor and I flew IFR out to Springfield Bexley KSGF for my check ride.  This isn't starting out great.  But I was able to fly my first true IFR approach down to the runway.  And although my approach was horrible, I was able to recover and make a good landing.

With the clouds forecast to lift we proceeded with my examination.  I'm quizzed on all things private pilot and I suppose I did pretty well.  There was more training and teaching than I was expecting but over all it was a great experience.  I had only hoped not to memory dump after the test.  But the clouds decided not to lift or go any where, which seems to be a thing on trips with me, and we had to fly back to Bolton Field IFR.  So Mark and I load up and I shoot an approach back into Bolton.  Granted the clouds were higher, just not high enough.

May 21st, the day after my birthday, Mark and I fly back out to Springfield and hope the weather is good enough for the rest of my test.  I want to show the examiner I have what it takes, but I'm also very nervous.  The clouds are broken up and high enough that we can go up where I can demonstrate I know how to handle the airplane.  Which I'm very happy to get started.

We take off after I show him what my flight plan, and we start to fly it.  I point out my first checkpoint and we deviate and climb to a safe altitude and do some maneuverers all while flying North.  I make an emergency approach and touch and go with simulated emergency calls for an ambulance upon landing due to my examiner saying he has "thrown up every where and had a heart attack".

After all that we head over to Mad River airport.  Which is a grass strip with a large hill covered by tree's on the West end of the runway and a river with tree's on either side on the East.  The river side also had a small hill about 6 feet high with a power line on top of it.  This all comes into play very soon.  We approach the East end of the runway.  It goes trees, river, trees, hill with power line and then finally the runway.  The tree's are gone from either side of the river where the runway is, because you descend down through the trees over the power line and land on the grass.  As I pass through the trees on the east side of the river ever thing is ok, but as soon as I pass over the river the airplane went from straight and level to about a 20 degree bank to the left.

I immediately leveled the airplane added power and started to abort the landing.  But after recovering from that abrupt rotation and ensuring we climbed over the power line and didn't crash I realized...screw this, I can make this... flew past the power line pulled the power out and nailed the landing.  But...the entire time I thought I just failed this test, I can't believe I just screwed this up.

We finish the ride and get back to Springfield.  The entire ride he was stone faced and never said a word except to tell me to do something.  Mark asked me how I did and I said...I have no idea, I thought I completely failed this.

Here's the good news.  I passed with "flying" colors. 

More good news, I've been flying a little bit and have had some pretty amazing trips.  And like most pilots who start out and dream big, I got caught in the I'm busy and I'm saving for things net.  I'll be getting back into flying in the next few months.  More on that later.

In 2013 I took my check ride and now it's 2016.  I have over 90 hours under my belt and while that might be not that many hours for the average pilot, I've grown so much.

I've recently started my IFR training with ground training...but flying will have to wait...TILL WE BUY A HOUSE!!!

Until the next adventure!