Merry Christmas!  As I sit here to write about the events of the past few weeks here at UPT, I would like to impart a feeling of good will to everyone.  I am very lucky to be here at Pilot Training doing what I want to do, with my wife, and my family supporting my decision.  UPT would be very difficult without my family and friends.

            Okay, the good stuff.   Since I last wrote, which was only like a week before Xmas break, a lot has happened.   We had a rash of sickness in the flightroom, so I flew like a madman, and double turned almost everyday.  All that double turning meant that I was approaching MidPhase Checkride time.  There are only 6 flights in between your solo and your mid-phase.  Well, I finally got to fly with my assigned IP and I loved it.  For some reason, I really get along well with my assigned IP, I like his teaching style and I think I pick up a lot.  Well, okay, so all of a sudden I am feeling very comfortable with my flying.  For months I have been fighting the jet and my altitude and airspeed.  Not anymore.  All of a sudden, I am like “super-pilot”, well, not really, compared to the IP’s.  But anyway, I felt really good about my skillz.

            That still leaves MidPhase Checkride looming.  To be honest with you, I didn’t want to check.   I was scared.  Fear of the unknown I guess.  I kept secretly hoping that I would get sick too.  I know, I know, kinda wuss-i-fied, but until you do it, shut up.  No one in our class had checked yet, so I had no idea what to expect.  It’s very unnerving because the check pilots are all kinda quiet and you know that “they” will be grading your every move.  Check-flight is upstairs, away from all the students (and joy).  Anyway, it’s a big deal.  Well, the first person in our class to check, hooked, so I was like freakin’ out.  I ended up being the 3^rd person to check. 

            I was double turning all week long and doing very well in my flights.  The IP’s are trying their best to build your confidence and get you ready, but at the same time, they are also evaluating what you fly like.  They won’t send you to check-flight unless they feel you can pass it.  They are putting their stamp of approval on you and they don’t want to look stupid either.  Well, so, I completed my flights before I was to go upstairs.  During the week, I was running around with my head absolutely cut off.  I had a brand new wife, who just moved in, and I had to go upstairs and check my “pubs”(pages and pages and pages of publications that MUST be in exact order just like the master book), and I am going to Instrument simulators and blah blah blah.  Busy as hell.  No sleep.  Very focused.  I cannot stress that enough.  I was very focused.  Everything that I did or thought about had a direct link to my upcoming ride.

            I show up to check-flight and start filling out my boldface/ops limits sheet.  I was the 1^st person in there, not even any check-pilots had showed up yet.  I was nercous but not really as bad as I thought I would be.  I kinda had this feeling of “Well, at least, no matter what happens, it will all be over in a few hours”.  So, while I was nervous, I wasn’t like trying to eat my hand or anything.   So anyway, the check-pilot shows up and SURE ENOUGH, it’s the one guy that I absolutely would not let in the building because he didn’t have his ID, when I was working a simulated emergency here at the building as  a door guard.   Of all the people.   SHIT!  He calls me into his office and I reported in, just like I was supposed to do.  Very formal report, but he did his best to kinda lighten the mood.   Thankfully, he was a pretty cool guy as far as telling me what he was gonna do and what I should do and not to be scared.  So I briefed him on what we were gonna do and then we had like half an hour until we should step, so I left and he told me to meet him at the desk in 20 minutes.

            So, I went back to the flight room and got some water (note: a whole bottle of water).  20 minutes later I was at the desk.  Uneventful.  We step to the jet and I start looking at the forms, and don’t notice anything out of the ordinary (came back to bite my ass later).  Well, we taxi and takeoff.  The check-pilots don’t say anything…..at all.  So the whole time, you feel like you are just screwin’ stuff up.  I have never wanted a drink more badly than I wanted one during this flight.   Anyway, right before we take the active runway, I notice that the clock isn’t working (see, that’s why you should read the forms well, crap).  Anyway, no big deal, we take off.  I flew well.  I received clearance for the area that I wanted.  It worked out well.   I did make some mistakes, but nothing that was overly awful, I thought.  Well, we landed in huge gusty winds and then he sent me back to the flight-room to wait to be called up again, to go over and Emergency Procedure and and some general knowledge questions.   Blah Blah Blah, you don’t care about that stuff.  At the every end, he says well, I thought the flight grade was…………… and no kidding he sat there for like 2 minutes.  Then he looks up and says “I’ve got your attention now, don’t I”  grrrrr, I fought the urge to stab his eyes out and set him on fire.  Finally he says “The flight was an Excellent”.  I did not hear one word after that.

Hell yes, MidPhase…….done.

Merry Christmas