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10:53
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Diary of a Private Pilot 
Not much to say flying-wise, I am still suffering from health issues that make it difficult for me to sit in a plane so the Commercial rating is for next year. However, the big news is that I am swear
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13:20
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Diary of a Private Pilot
The fires are out but I am still on the ground. A week ago a nasty boil appeared on my leg making it very painful to sit down or lay on my side, got it lanced this weekend but now it’s painful t
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12:53
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Just as I thought I was getting into a spell of flying I am grounded again - this time by the local wildfires. Numerous fire TFRs and, basically, why would anyone want to get in the way are keeping me
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15:41
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Went to the airport first thing this morning to catch up on my instrument currency in the club’s Frasca 142. Two point three hours later my currency is extended 6 months:
Montgomery Field to Br
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15:39
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Diary of a Private Pilot
There are a few places I want to fly into but so far have not for one fear or another:
Big Bear - tales of high winds over the mountain pass to get into the Lake Arrowhead area have put me off flying
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18:19
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Had a great time in Alaska, only one bad weather day in the two weeks that we were there. Only got to do one flight - around and over the Mount McKinley base camp. Unfortunately we were too late in th
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13:05
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Diary of a Private Pilot
In my younger days as a latin dance competitor, being grounded was a great thing, it’s one of things to be striven for, but in flying it’s not such a good thing. Well, it’s not good
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13:06
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Diary of a Private Pilot
In the end my decision was made easy by the fact that the plane was grounded due to a large oil leak and no other plane was available. It also would have been easy on the day, too: driving last night
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23:57
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Friday lunchtime my wife needs to be here in San Diego to take me to a minor surgical procedure and then back home to Brawley. Rather than have two cars in town this seems like a perfect reason to use
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17:54
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Thanks to everyone who gave their advice on my earlier post about what to buy. After much online research I went for the Halo from
Quiet Technologies and th
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17:42
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Got my annual bonus last month, some of it will cover my COM rating (slated to start mid-September when my CFI has space in his schedule) but I was thinking of getting an active noise reducing headset
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2:06
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Its been an occasional whine of mine that people don’t seem to obey the full stop rule in night currency, instead choosing to do touch and goes and saying that counts. Now I’ll admit that
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15:00
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Elevator stuck? Or just another typical day in the pattern for me after a month out of the cockpit?
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15:00
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Elevator stuck? Or just another typical day in the pattern for me after a month out of the cockpit?
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11:09
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Was reading my AOPA Pilot magazine and found the article on the
proposed Part 61 changes. Along with AOPA, I find a
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18:46
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Yes, I passed with a 91%!! Many questions I had not seen during my practice runs so I was anticipating a mid-80s score when I walked out, so I’m pretty happy. I had 9 subject codes on the sheet:
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11:59
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Diary of a Private Pilot
One more practice over lunch today and then time for the real thing at 1pm tomorrow. Look for my score (if its not embarrassingly low) in the next post.
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15:44
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Diary of a Private Pilot
I’m still doing my near-daily practice tests over lunch, had a couple of 96% scores and most recently settled in the high 80s so I think I am ready. Just need to find the time to get to the test
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15:04
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Diary of a Private Pilot
After I win the $350M on the lottery tonight I plan on moving to
Jumbolair with my brand new
Ci
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15:47
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Diary of a Private Pilot
How not to land, and then how to land, on the ice runway at Alton Bay, NH.
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13:53
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Diary of a Private Pilot
If you’re looking for a little reading this afternoon, we highly recommend the following:
Head over to
Krista’s bl
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14:25
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Extended my instrument currency this morning for another few months with an hour and a half ‘mucking about’ in the sim with my CFI. The club is sharing a Frasca 42 with the Anglo American
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17:03
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Diary of a Private Pilot
My PIC and night currency expire today. I had planned a flight home tonight for Valentine’s night with the wife which would have had the side benefit of giving me the one landing I need to exten
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17:59
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Not too far from where I live is
Agua Caliente airport. Its a neat littl
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17:17
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Once again my annual chance to become a plane owner has passed me by. AOPA today
announced that their Sweepstakes 2006 Cherokee-
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15:31
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Diary of a Private Pilot
As the Flight Time box to the right shows, February is currency month, so my plan for the month is:
Short night cross country to extend my day and night-PIC. Perhaps another
January 29, 2007
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18:14
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Still taking daily practice tests and got my first 90+ score today which was most excellent! If I can get a few more over 90 then I will schedule the real thing. Right now my likely score is anywhere
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13:05
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Well, not quite but he did help…. Stephen Brown of Albuquerque volunteered to help with cockpit duties after the captain of a Continental 757 collapsed at the yoke. The first officer took over t
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11:39
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Last night saw the completion of all my COM rating pre-requisites (except the written test) with a night dual flight to
Camarillo, a little north north
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14:36
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Diary of a Private Pilot
According to the FAA,
the busiest airports in the US for 2006 were:
Rank
Operations
Airport
1
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15:57
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Diary of a Private Pilot
I doubt I will find any dissenting opinions but I wonder just what is the point of the knowledge test. I understand that is supposed to test one’s knowledge of some aspect of what it takes to ge
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19:53
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Diary of a Private Pilot
The weather has been coming in all day, will probably rain later tonight. Its rare one gets any real instrument conditions here in SoCal so I’ve been watching the METARS to see if I can sneak a
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14:18
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Messing with some $$$ figures this weekend, the possibility of completing my Commercial came up so I thought I would check on what I still need to do (other than the not insignificant task of being up
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11:01
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Ok, its 2007, time for this year’s new year’s flying resolutions, presented roughly in order of likely completion:
Stay PIC, night and instrument current all the time (night can lapse for
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22:25
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Been another disappointing year, flying-wise. I had hoped to complete my Commercial rating but being out of work for three months killed that idea, can’t see it happening next year either right
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11:17
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Was reading some aviation magazines and blogs last night, mostly about “exciting” flights or accidents and it got me thinking that despite 300 hours of flying time I am still quite the
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0:38
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Spent some time listening to the radio in the car park at
Montgomery Field this evening. A plane was coming in from the west and was given a clearance
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13:35
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Diary of a Private Pilot
I’m flying to England for a week and a bit tomorrow so its a slow work day today. Whilst reading about rumours of a Virgin 747 gliding into JFK this week with all 4 engines out (as you guessed,
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23:51
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Diary of a Private Pilot
Took a 172 to French Valley this afternoon. The hope had been to do some daytime touch and goes, have something to eat, then some night time stop and goes, and back home. But I underestimated the arri
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15:40
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Diary of a Private Pilot
0.7 hours in the simulator, two approaches and I’m good until the end of Feb. I really really really mean it this time when I say I am going to keep all my currencies up.
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11:34
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Diary of a Private Pilot
If the early morning clouds lift today I plan a short hop to
French Valley for PIC and night currency this afternoon. First thing this morning, I logged
