Freight Puppy

Alot of preparing has been commencing since my awareness of my Nov 26th class date with AirNet. I have been studying my new plane, new regulations, and brushing up on old regulatory information. I am driving myself over to Columbus, OH after the Thanksgiving holiday. I have to re-inspect my car but before I do that it has to go into the shop. My service engine soon light came up so I had failed emissions. The bill will probably amount close to my estimate of $450. I’ll just have to see if I am right.

I had sent out an email regarding my final day at ATP, Nov 20th. It has been 4 months of instructing at ATP TTN and I have learned a lot since I was a student! I learned that it takes more than just flying the plane, it takes organization of paper work, and lots of patience. I have one student who is a 4hr ATP program applicant. He should have been gone by now, but is making a week long venture out of this because of his second job. In my humble opinion I don’t think it is necessary to sign up for a course if you don’t think you can handle the task it requires. The weather was bad i’ll give the student that, but so many excuses have been made I could have written a book! My other student, an Airline Career Pilot is working on his private multi-engine license. I have 2.4hrs left with this guy and I would like to have his check-ride scheduled before I leave. This student is great, he studies and takes his work seriously. This is the best student to have because it makes the instructors job so much more easier and fun! Allowing yourself to become motivated and prepared is going to take you very far wherever you want to go.

The weather this week has been depressing. We have had a couple hours of high pressure throughout some days but not enough to get a flight in, seems as though low pressure troughs and low ceilings and vis have kept our planes on the ramp. I wouldn’t mind if I was teaching an experienced instrument student, but seeing how this ATP student flies IFR its not making me jump at the chance to log actual while instructing. Something tells me if he can’t hold straight and level, nothing else is going to sink it so why bother. I’m crossing my fingers for a nice day. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday should be shaping up, I hope so!

I am finally in the grove of instructing. It was a new and different process to get used to but I’m finally doing it! I have had 5 students so far and all 5 have passed their checkrides on the first attempt. I am told i’m a very good instructor and that I have alot of patients, which is highly appreciated by many. When I’m not flying I am proctoring FAA written exams, mostly are ATP (Airline Transport Pilot) practical written exams. Most of my students fall under the ATP category, many military and airline FO’s come to me for a checkride endorsement for the highly coveted license. It’s a thrill to be training and doing business with such great pilots and overall good people. It’s great for the networking!

 My goal is to log at least 100 hours by Thanksgiving, that’ll put me 100hrs short of 500. My plan of action then is to apply to an operation as a freight dog. Flying 135 operations is attactive to me. I hear there are challenges in that route, that 135 is the “real deal.” I really want to fly cargo, I want to fly at night sitting in a real airplane, anything prop! That was my original plan before I began flight training, that is the road I will pursue. Well that is all I can say for now, tomorrow I will be flying the great circle again, I have a brand new ATP student, and another student lined up to fly 5hrs cross-country with. This will be a fun week for the logbook.