Day 83, Finished with ATP

Well I flew out last Friday to take my last checkride with Mr. Clyde Shelton. Hopping back in a Cessna after 140 hours of multi engine time isn't so easy. The checkride went well enough though and I am now a Single Engine, Multi Engine, and Instrument Flight Instructor. He also gave me several signed copies of letters of recommendation which was very nice of him to offer. I hope that my wait to be called by ATP to be an instructor will be short rather than long. In the meantime I'm going to be flying right seat in a Piper Saratoga to keep current and continue to build time. Also I hope to be, and I'll be finding out more this afternoon actually, instructing full time at an airport in Knoxville.

The ATP 90 day career pilot program was fast and stressful. There were plenty of ups and very few downs along the way. I was able to finish the program 7 days short of the 90 day mark. All in all I will miss the experience and the many friends I made both in Atlanta and while on cross country trips with other cross country students I met at other airports. The staff was great and definitely will bend over backwards for you if they feel you are meeting them halfway and doing what you can to study your material and trying your best. At the end of the day, ATP provided me the platform to earn the ratings and certificates I set out to attain from day one. It is up to me, and every other student that came before and will follow me, to go out and do what we can with what we have earned. I highly recommend ATP to anyone who is looking for an accelerated program that simulates, much more so than any other program I have researched, the daily lifestyle you can and will expect at the regional or major airline level when you have passed their interview and are trying to achieve the type rating.

Day 81, Single Engine CFI and Commercial Postponed

The weather here in Atlanta and over in Alabama was horible today so my checkride has been postponed until tomorrow morning. So tomorrow will be my last day and word just broke that ATP will be giving those currently enrolled in the 90 day career pilot program who attained their instrument rating before April 1st, 2009 a ride in the company Cessna Citation jet. I will be given a high performance and high altitude endorsement. So that's really good news. I'll have to obviously drive back down to Atlanta from Knoxville sometime in the next few weeks but I'll gladly do so if it means 2-3 hours in a Citation and a those endorsements.

I'll keep you up to date on the checkride tomorrow when I get a chance to update the site over the weekend.

Day 79, Back in the Cessna

Well, weather has posed a little threat for my training over the last week or so and it doesn't look like it'll let up in time for my last checkride on Alabama. Hopefully, the weather and convective activity will hold out in time enough for me to fly out there and knock out this single engine flight instructor checkride on Thursday. I may end up actually going tomorrow instead of Thursday if another student ends up backing out of his checkride tomorrow due to the weather.

Nice to hear from everyone on my last post. Thank you all for your compliments and encouragement. As of right now I have a possible gig flying parttime in Knoxville in 172's, a Piper Arrow, and a Piper Saratoga. This may be enough to keep me busy until ATP calls me down to Jacksonville to instruct for them. I've been applying for other flight instructor positions across the country with what little free time I've had but no luck yet with anyone other than this possible instructing gig in Knoxville. I'll keep you all posted.

There's always flying to be had in places like Indonesia......

Barry, you got a right seat in a Brazilia or 1900 open? lol

Day 77, CFII PASSED

Well last Friday marked my 75th day through the program and I passed my Instrument Instructor checkride with Mr. Clyde Shelton over in Madison Co. Alabama. Sorry I started to slip with keeping everyone up to date on my progress but ever since started my cross country phase back in late Feb. the pace was definitely ramped up. As of today my last checkride for the entire 90 day program is scheduled for this Thursday, the 2nd of April. I have completed all of my flying in the multi engine Seminole and tallied up 140 multi engine hours while here. Now I jump back in the single engine Cessna and will fly her for about 8 hours total before all is said and done. Thursday I will be conducting both my single engine commercial and my single engine instructor checkrides together. Having not flown in a Cessna in quite some time I'm a little cocerned about how easily I'll be able to transition back to the lighter and smaller plane.

I'm set to complete the 90 day course in 81 days total. Apparently thats pretty fast compared to most guys... unfortunately I don't believe finishing any earlier gets be any benefits with securing an instructing job with ATP. I've been trying my best with the little time I've had to research and apply to flight schools from TN down to FL and westward through to Arizona. No dice yet... Anyone wanna learn how to fly?

I'll let you know how the last checkride goes on Thursday and I'll be back in Knoxville after Thursday.

Day 67, I PASSED!!!

I PASSED I PASSED I PASSED! I'm now officially a certified flight instructor! It actually hasn't fully set in yet for me. I can't believe that I'm now legally allowed to teach someone, ANYONE, how to fly a multi engine airplane. Today was one heck of day let me tell you. Conrad and I woke up at 7am to get ready, grab a bite to eat from the 5 star Days Inn continental breakfast. We got on the shuttle by 8am and were at the airport by 8:15am. I still had plenty to due before my 9am checkride began. Conrad and I walked out to the plane to check the oil and gas. I grabbed my empty weight weight and balance figures to make my required performance calculations. "Pinkslip" Pinkston showed up around 8:30am, well before I was ready to go and he saw me working on my performance figures. In my mind I'm thinking "great start Mark, now he thinks you showed up unprepared". The truth of the matter is I didn't know what Mr. Pinkston's body weight was so I couldn't make the calculations until I had found that out. He seemed VERY abrasive at first, and no matter how hard I tried throughout the day to get him to open up and smile a little, no dice...

My oral began exactly at 9am and lasted almost 2 hours and 30 minutes. We covered alot of ground and could have covered ALOT more. We got into real deep discussions on aerodynamics. It was actually pretty cool because I could tell he was definitely well versed in aerodynamics and since the physics aspect of aviation and flying interest me so much we had some pretty lengthy discussions about certain aspects of aerodynamics. I got the impression that he did not normally delve that deep into aerodynamics with other instructor candidates. I finally got through my oral and we were on to the flight portion.

I've never sweated so hard in my life except while playing hockey. The sun was burning bright today even though sporadic showers were popping in and out of Ft. Lauderdale all day. I conducted my preflight inspection as he watched everything I did and asked questions about certain parts of the plane as I visually inspected them. We finally got into the plane and immediately I began to sweat due to the heat. I had my button down shirt and tie on as well. It didn't take long for me to figure out that either I start using my sleeves as a hand towel or I was going to be dowsing everything on my kneeboard with sweat. I kept the door to the Seminole open to let what little breeze there was into the plane but as soon as I did it began to shower. NICE... of course it would rain right now... I closed the door and began to go through my checklists for starting the engines and got my clearance to taxi. The airport was so busy with aircraft we didn't get off the ground for 45 minutes. We literally sat at the end of the runway in a position and hold for about 7 minutes.

Once we got airborne air began to flow in through the fresh air vents and all was well again. Even if I had lost 5 pounds of water weight prior to takeoff. The actual flight portion was short and sweet. I had to demonstrate 4 maneuvers and we started to head over to a much less busy airport for some touch and go's where'd be conducting a short field landing and single engine landings but the even that airport was solid with traffic so we headed back to Ft. Lauderdale KFLL and conducted a crosswind single engine landing and taxied to the ramp. I thought for sure since the ride was so short that I had busted on one of my maneuvers or my landing but once I stopped the plan on the ramp he simply said " Well your performance today was satisfactory." I didn't know how to react for a second so I asked him "Satisfactory... so you're saying I passed my MEI?", "Yes" It was not the warm congratulations I'm used to hearing Mr. Shelton give me in Alabama but I'll take it any day of the week. I stuck MY hand out to him and said "Well thank you very much, sir" He shook my hand "congratulations" cracking a small smile.

And that's all she wrote. BAM! I'm an MEI!

I'm starting to realize how quick everything has gone by. Even though I've been away from home for just over 2 months. I've made some good friends while I've been here and have had some good times. I'm definitely going to miss this process but I'm looking forward to moving on with my career and life. Now the real adventure begins... training students from all backgrounds how to fly airplanes.

I still have my CFII and CFI and single engine commercial to knock out but that will take no more than 10 more days or so.

I'll keep you all up to date on those checkrides this upcoming week.

Day 66, Multi-Engine Instructor Checkride Tomorrow

Well this is what it's all about.

It's 12:30AM and I'm sitting at my desk in my room at the Days Inn in Ft. Lauderdale, FL the night prior to my biggest checkride of them all. The big kahuna! the mac daddy! the double whopper with fries... the initial certified flight instructor checkride.

11 days straight studying for this checkride with an examiner that goes by the name "Pinkslip" Pinkston. A pinkslip is what you receive when you fail a checkride. So you can only imagine how long he's been around and how many trees he's killed along the way. I've studied as much as I possibly can, and at this point in time. 12:30AM the early morning prior to my checkride, I either know it or I don't. Hopefully the amount of knowledge I've soaked up over not just the last 11 days but my 13 years of flying off and on, will be enough to satisfy the only person that matters... "Pinkslip" Pinkston.

I hope to be on my way home tomorrow afternoon after passing my ride and chowing down on a filling lunch with my friend Conrad who's flying with me on this trip. I'll let you all know how it goes as soon as I can.

I would ask you to pray for me, but by the time you read this I'll be knee deep Federal Aviation Regulations with "Pinkslip" or well through my ride by then.

Day 62, CFI Ground School Comes to an End

Well we are now down with Certified Flight Instructor ground and flight training. I should be finding out in the next couple of days when and with who my checkride will be with down in FL. In the meantime it'll be up to me to continue to study for my checkride and be as prepared as necessary for my oral portion of the exam which should take about 3-4 hours. It's amazing how many areas of aviation there are, and will be discussed and asked of me during the oral. If the examiner finds me competent enough we will get in the Seminole and I will show him how to conduct all required maneuvers and landings while consistently displaying a sense of safety...

So much to learn and review, so little time.

Once I pass my multi engine instructor checkride down in FL, I will then come back to Atlanta and finish up my last three checkrides with Clyde from Alabama. I will first be knocking out my multi engine instrument instructor and then hop into a Cessna to knock out my single engine commercial and single engine instructor checkride together at once.

Day 60, Half Way Through CFI School

Well I'm done with all of my prep flights in the Seminole for my Instructor checkride. All we are doing now is finishing up the last 25 hours of ground school. Word on the street is that Chris (the other CFI student) and I will be heading down to FL by Tuesday and our checkrides will be Wednesday but nothing has been confirmed yet. It is definitely starting to feel like the beginning of the end as for the program. Everything is coming full circle and now is when you must demonstrate full knowledge of everything you've ever learned about flying to date. For me, that's 13 years worth. I'll keep you all up to date as much as I can over then next week. It's definitely the busisiest part of the program as you feel like you've studied so much but know so very little in the grand scheme of it all. Anyways, I hope to update you all again soon.

Day 58, CFI Training

OK, So sorry to everyone. I thought I was going to be able to update daily as I had been doing before my cross country phase. However, CFI school has proven to be the most accelerated part of the 90 day program. We have to knock out 50 hours of ground school plus 2 flights in the seminole and 1 flight in a Cessna for spin endorsement. We're about half way through our ground school and knocked out spin training a couples of days ago (check out the video!! not ME but did the same stuff) VERY VERY FUN!!



Today I got back in the right seat of the Seminole and instructed an instructor as I will have to do during my checkride. I promise when I get more time I will update you all a little more. As for now I need to get back to studying for my Instructor checkride.

Day 55, New Commercial Pilot

Well only two days after I finished my cross country phase I'm now a commercial pilot. It's official, I can legally fly for hire now. Anybody need a ride, a banner flown, an aerial tour or photos? Tomorrow I start CFI school where I'll be studying and preparing for my Multi Engine Instructor Certificate. Once I pass my checkride I'll be able to teach students to fly multi engine aircraft. Then all I'll have left is my Instrument Instructor and Single Engine Commercial and Instructor Certificates which will only take about a week after I get my Multi Engine Instructor. So I'm hoping to be finished within 3 weeks time. Which means I'll have finished the program inside of 90 days which is definitely not the norm right now. Most of my friends going through the program are 14 days behind schedule or more. It definitely pays off to finish all of your writtens before starting the program for two reasons. 1) You'll hvae less to stress yourself about during the program when you're flying all day everyday during your cross country phase. And 2) Not having to postpone training due to the fact that you need to finish the writtens helps you get through much quicker. Yash, my cross country partner, has 4 more writtens to complete, and in the next 10 days (we finished cross country phase at the same time). Since I was already done with mine I was able to quickly knock out my Commercial checkride and catch the next CFI school start date on Monday. Yash, on the other hand needs to knock his exams and his commercial within the next 2 weeks and will be starting CFI two weeks from now. So if you are interested in attending ATP and have been following along, the lesson is if you wish to stick to the 90 days (during winter when weather really gets in the way) please finish your exams before starting your 90 day program.

I'll let you all know how CFI school goes starting tomorrow!